After a week of travel, I landed at Boston’’s Logan Airport at 3:30pm, around 35mins after the bombings at the finish line of the Boston marathon.  My plan was to take the train from the airport to meet my wife and three kids at the finish line to support one of our friends who was running to raise support for cystic fibrosis research.  By God’s grace, at a church marathon party that morning, church members talked my wife out of going because the crowds would be too challenging to navigate by herself with three young kids.  Instead, she picked me up at the airport, we prayed with our children, and began supporting victims and their loved ones, and hurting Boston residents.

Our first point of action was to use texting and social media to learn the status of our church members (many who annually run or attend the marathon).  We also used social media to issue a call to prayer and offered our church’s support to those in immediate need.  Next, we equipped the leaders of our 8 small groups throughout the city to lead their groups in responding to the Bostonians in their lives with prayer, service, empathy, and the hope of Jesus.  This Friday night we will be holding a community prayer gathering to lift up those who have been affected, plead with God for the redemption and restoration of our city, and to minister to our neighbors.

We’re asking those outside to join us in prayer for the Church in Boston, that we would unite to love our city well.  Pray also that our city would experience the hope of Jesus.  For those who trust in Him, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”