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"Where is God when it hurts?" "Why me, Lord?" For worship leaders, the time to prepare yourself and those who you love for times of disaster is before the disaster strikes. We will examine the impact disasters can have on people's lives and the spiritual preparation necessary to help you plan worship in ways that help you and your congregations face disasters in your own lives and the lives of those whom you love.

It seems that almost every time we turn on the news there is another disaster wrecking havoc in people?s lives. Often disasters are hardest on people of faith who struggle with questions such as "Where is God when it hurts?" and "Why me, Lord?" For worship leaders, the time to prepare yourself and those who you love for times of disaster is before the disaster strikes. We will examine the impact disasters can have on people's lives and the spiritual preparation necessary to help you plan worship in ways that help you and your congregations face disasters in your own lives and the lives of those whom you love.

Note: This session was originally scheduled to be led by chaplain Tom Walcott, who learned in early January 2008 that he was being deployed to Iraq.

Presented at the 2008 Calvin Symposium on Worship.

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