Türkiye Earthquake 2023 & A Liturgy for Encountering Trauma

EARTHQUAKE NEWS UPDATE:

As many of you know, Monday morning, February 6, 2023, massive earthquakes hit South East Türkiye and Northern Syria. It did not affect Olive Tree Counseling Center or our city of Antalya, and we are grateful to share that if you have counseling scheduled in the near future, your travel to Antalya should be unaffected and we are continuing our services as usual.

We grieve and pray with these nations and with all those who are suffering now. Many of you are familiar with natural disasters, war, and all manner of turmoil in the places you serve. We’d like to offer you a liturgy today as we bear witness to so much suffering…

FOR THOSE WHO ENCOUNTER TRAUMA

an excerpt from a liturgy by Amy Young, Global Trellis 

Help us Lord.

As we encounter those affected by natural disasters,
even long forgotten ones.
Help us to listen and 
stand in witness to the devastation.
You have done it before, again we ask you to calm these storms…

Help us Lord.

As we encounter trauma to our own minds, bodies, and souls.
Help us to 
turn to you
turn to each other
turn to experts and caregivers.

Help us grow in our capacity to suffer with those who suffer.
And heal us, oh Lord, from these wounds of our work, 
trusting that we are not damaged goods.
Oh God who has seen all and not given up on humanity,
May we bear your image in the trauma we encounter.

Amen.