Remember ELCA Disaster Response on May 25

Last Friday I set to work writing a litany remembering survivors of recent disasters. I was inspired by the hymn. "God of the Sparrow," ELW #740, a recommended hymn for this coming Sunday, May 25. I was moved by the hymn's text for obvious reasons and because it is written by Jaroslav J. Vajda, who recently died.

I drew from Isaiah 49:13, an assigned text for May 25, for the congregation's response: "Comfort your people, O Lord; have compassion on your suffering ones."

Friday afternoon, after finishing and polishing the litany, it occurred to me to check on whether my use of the hymn's text necessitated copyright permission. Yes, it did. "That's OK," I consoled myself, "the litany uses next Sunday's texts." Today I learned that the permission needs to be granted by the estate of Jaroslav Vajda, and that will likely take some time.

So while I can't post the litany as written, please take the opportunity to sing ELW 740 during worship next Sunday. It would be fitting, too, for the prayers of the people to include our neighbors suffering as the result of the earthquake in China, the cyclone in Myanmar, and the tornadoes in the United States.

Learn more about ELCA Disaster Response at www.elca.org/disaster

"Comfort your people, O Lord; have compassion on your suffering ones."