million people in Texas and Louisiana were urged to flee for Hurricane Rita amid fears she could cripple the heart of the nation’s petrochemical industry and overshadow Christian relief efforts.
As the largest exodus in recent US history continued Friday, September 23, leaving clogged highways at a near standstill, the Christian Emergency Network (CEN) announced it was cooperating with the the National Prayer Committee to assemble Christians around the country for a National Emergency Prayer Assembly "in response to the landfall of Rita."
Forecasters said it appeared Houston and Galveston areas could avoid a direct hit as Rita veered slightly to the east, threatening its 140 miles per hour (224 kilometers per hour) winds at the Beaumont and Port Arthur area about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Houston.
"Christians will want to lift up prayers in preparation for showing care and sharing the hope of Jesus, and also prayers of adoration, confession, thanks and supplication," said Mary Marr, the CEO of CEN, a platform of 5,000 relief organizations, ministries and media outlets as well as 47,000 churches.
PRAYER INITIATIVE
She told BosNewsLife in a statement that the prayer initiative was modeled on the Bible’s Acts 1:14a: “They all joined together constantly in prayer…” Among those fleeing Hurricane Rita were believed to be many Christians and there were fears that church buildings would be destroyed in the troubled area, as happened during Hurricane Katrina.
CEN "has set up a page on its website to allow Christians to share their prayer pleas so that believers can unite in prayer and model the example set by the disciples," Marr added. Rita also will make it difficult to continue one of America’s largest Christian relief operation ever in several areas, which was launched in the aftermath of Katrina’s destruction, warned at least one organization.
"Hurricane Rita has taken a northern/eastern jog and our home base, Port Mercy at Lake Charles is now in danger of receiving severe weather with a predicted possible 15′ surge on the Calcasieu River where our base is located," said the Christian aid organization Friend Ships.
"We are making the necessary preparations and most crew will transfer to the ships in Gretna at New Orleans. Our office is especially at risk so the computers will be removed and moved to the ship Hope. stored aboard ship," it added.
GOVERNMENT LIMITATIONS
The troubles has also underscored that Christians should "recognize that governmental authorities will be overwhelmed and [that despite the difficulties authorities] will be counting upon Christian ministries, churches and other nonprofits to help fill the many needs that the government is not equipped or allowed to meet," said CEN CEO Marr.
She said CEN had hosted nationwide debriefings and collaboration meetings this week where "many CEN partners representing media, city leaders, and churches expressed concerns about providing long-term care and spiritual guidance."
"The most obvious area where the government can not meet needs is the most important – spiritual,” she said. “While all indications are that local, state and national governments have learned from errors made in the wake of Katrina, and are better prepared this time to provide aid and guidance, Christians are uniquely positioned to respond with the most important message: Whatever one’s circumstances, if they will put their trust in Jesus, they will experience an unprecedented sense of peace and confidence in their eternal destination."
On this earth meanwhile, many Americans were expected to lose their homes and properties in Hurricane Rita, officials warned. (With BosNewsLife News Center and reports from the United States).
