Barry: Hello, BRN Family. It’s good to be with you today.
I am sure you have heard about the recent waves of shootings across our country, including the shooting at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. Both Andy Weber, our director of operations and finance, and I have ties to this community. Andy was born in the Buffalo area, and I lived there a number of years.
We want to express our sincere sadness and prayers for those affected. In fact, we know Buffalo to be a very tight knit, family-oriented community, where everyone genuinely cares for one another. This shooting didn’t just affect the victims in the grocery story that day. It has affected the entire community.
This includes Pastor Bill Smith, a dear friend who leads North Buffalo Community Church, and Pastor Paul Fingerlow and his church, New Hope Church. Both churches are just 10-15 minutes away from the Tops Market. Please pray for these pastors and their church members as they seek to minister in the wake of this evil act. And definitely pray for all the families of the victims, whose lives are forever changed by this hate and act of violence.
We also urge you to pray for those affected by the recent shootings at the entertainment district in Milwaukee and at the Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California. Our nation needs God’s help! And this a time for God’s people to be praying and crying out for His help.
As followers of Christ, we are to value the lives of all people. We believe all humans, those from the womb to the tomb, are created in the image of God. We pray against a culture that undervalues life and is increasingly desensitized to violence. May God awaken our hearts and shed the evil that’s within our land.
Andy, if you wouldn’t mind praying for these families affected by these shootings in Buffalo, Milwaukee and Laguna Woods and for the greater appreciation for life in general in our country, would you do that?
Andy: Be happy to! Join with me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your goodness and graciousness, and Lord, that you understand what we’re going through in our society today. And Lord, I pray for these communities that have been affected that you would make Yourself known, that through Your church, You would bring hope and comfort and peace. And by your Spirit, You would bring reconciliation to You through these situations.
Lord, we just ask that You would be glorified through these things and that man would not turn away from You because of these situations, but they would be drawn to You through Your Holy Spirit and help Your church to be the loving hope and peace in this time. Draw them to Yourself, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Barry: Andy, thank you for praying, and please continue to pray for these communities. God bless you and have a great day.
