Hurricane Florence: A Message from Bishop Adams

Bishop Adams recorded this message on Thursday afternoon from his home on Daniel Island, South Carolina as we wait and prepare for Hurricane Florence to make landfall.​ A transcript follows for those unable to access the audio.

Greetings to all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to take a few moments to offer a word of encouragement to everyone as we await this storm of Hurricane Florence and as it impacts us and so many others up and down the East Coast. 

The encouragement comes from knowing who sustains us and who holds us in grace and love and care as we extend that grace to one another.

I trust you know that your diocesan disaster response team has been doing wonderful work on our behalf for several days and it continues as we reach out to our parishes, as we stay in touch with you, as we send you possibilities for staying in touch with us and as we look to do the work that we need to do during the storm as it comes ashore and in the days and efforts to come.

I especially ask all of you to continue to hold each other in prayer for the grace to continue on, to be present to God’s people in all the ways that might be called upon of us, and especially for first responders, that they be kept in safety and that we don’t call upon them to do anything that would jeopardize their health and life as well, by doing what we need to be doing on our end. 

I also want you to know that we have been receiving words of encouragement and hope and care and concern, prayer from all over The Episcopal Church. I received a call from Presiding Bishop Curry last night, extending his care and love to us. Episcopal Relief and Development has been amazing by offering everything that they can to us, and we’ve been having daily check-ins throught the staff and others in the diocese. I’m grateful to Fred Thompson, who is chairing our disaster team here in the diocese, and all that he’s doing.

And as we are here on this ever of the Feast of Holy Cross, I want to conclude this time for now with that Collect. Because it is through the Cross that we receive the life of God. It is through the Cross, the ‘medicine of the world,’ that we are sustained and given hope, and it is through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus that we are reminded that God walks with us in everything and through everything, whatever may come. 

So let me now offer that collect, and bid you all Godspeed – God is with you, God is with us. And thank you for all your efforts in our communities and all you continue to do for God’s people, especially for those most vulnerable among us, and as we know it is events like this that expose the most vulnerable amongst us, most clearly. 

The Lord be with you. Let us pray.

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

God be with you and may you take up the cross that has been given to you, and follow wherever He leads.