Things I remember:
*It seemed very quiet all week. We live near the airport, and are used to constant airport noise. There was an eerie silence.
*There were prayer vigils all over town, both on Tuesday evening, and on Friday.
*There was a sense of unreality.
*On Sunday, we changed the songs for worship. After singing the opening, Ken Medema's "Lord, Listen to your Children Praying", we sang two verses of "America the Beautiful" at our 10:00 worship service. Then, the patriotic song seemed like a prayer.
*For about two weeks, the church was full, with some people we didn't know, and people we didn't know well somehow finding it compelling to be there. After that, church attendance started to return to normal.
*There was talk about the Mall of America being a possible future target.
*Two weeks after September 11, my sermon title was "The New Normal." I took it from an article from Newsweek magazine. I'd like to go back and read it now. I have a feeling that "the new normal" turned out to be different than I had first imagined. But not in a good way.
10 comments:
Living as I do in the take off and landing patterns of O'Hare, plus a small local airport, it was totally bizarre to have the skis silenced after 9-11. Almost no planes took off from either airport.
Even now I rejoice at planes in the air. And at the multitude of planes - coming in in a line, one after another as far as the eye can see.
I can't hear the planes, but I do see them...yeah...it was quiet for all the wrong reasons.
make that skies, not skis...(yeesh, I wish blogger had spell check for my tired old eyes)...
How is Scout, my friend? Thought of Scout of and on today and sent prayers.
good description of the memories ... and yes, how is Scout
Serena (no longer blogging ... but still reading)
Great recollections. I would love to read that sermon, and hear what the new normal was 6 years ago.
That's what I was thinking... what did she say in that sermon? Anyway thanks for this lovely post.
What that day has wrought... who knew?
On another note, if you would be willing, I would love to have some discussion either in blog or email form about singing patriotic songs in church.
I respect various ideas about this but I ultimately have a hard time with it. Am I alone in that? I am really just curious and if I asked anyone at our parish...sheesh. And we do sing them at our place.
Good thoguths.
Thanks for the children's sermon idea. Hope your day goes well.
Prayers and good thoguths for Scout!
Good thoughtful post for this day.
I would like to do something re: the practice of singing patriotic songs in church... will be thinking and posting later...
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