PJ's Worship - Solemn Anniversary - Sunday, September 6, 2026

Psalm 46 names God as “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and that promise stands against the fear, grief, anger, and confusion unleashed on September 11, 2001. Memory returns to a wedding with Chief Wise Owl, to the historic relationship between this church and the Nipmuc people, and to an ordinary Rally Sunday just before the world changed. September 11 then brought clergy together in a small prayer workshop, phone calls filled with tears, concern for loved ones near the Twin Towers and the Capitol, and the hard question: What are people called to do when violence breaks open the day?

Prayer became the first response. The sanctuary opened for quiet gatherings, for college staff and students, and for all who were trying to find words when words were scarce. Grief drew people to churches in record numbers, while fear and anger also drove many toward military recruiting stations. Sorrow sat underneath the anger, because nearly 3,000 deaths seemed impossible to comprehend, and because no one knew what might come next.

Anger also put Muslim Americans in danger. President Bush’s words at the Islamic Center of Washington rightly declared that “the face of terror is not the true faith of Islam,” that Islam is peace, and that Muslim neighbors deserved respect. Islamophobia nevertheless rose, and violence still fell upon people who were already grieving alongside the nation. The contrast remains painful: a nation can speak unity while neighbors who appear Muslim experience terror close to home.

The Lord’s Prayer became a confession shaped by that moment: “Forgive us our trespasses.” Trespass names not only the terrible wrong done on September 11, but also the harm done by this nation, including trespass upon Indigenous land and the coming use of military force on foreign soil. Chief Wise Owl and Silver Fox made that truth personal, reminding the church that people once called enemies and savages are beloved brothers and sisters.

Church then became more than a quaint place to feel good. Church became a place for the big questions of life and death, good and evil, hope and responsibility. God’s refuge does not permit forgetfulness or easy innocence. God’s presence calls neighbors to remember what was done well, confess what caused lasting harm, and keep walking together across lines of faith and difference. The relationships formed with Muslim, Jewish, Baha’i, Sikh, Buddhist, and Hindu neighbors bear witness that peace and healing require more than remembrance. They require the hard, faithful work of seeing one another as neighbors.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God remains present in trouble Psalm 46 does not deny terror, grief, or confusion. God’s refuge means that suffering does not have the final word, even when no immediate answer appears. God’s presence holds people together when the world feels suddenly unsafe and unrecognizable. [41:20]
• 2. Prayer comes before easy answers Prayer gathered clergy, students, professors, and neighbors when nobody knew what to do next. Quiet prayer did not solve the crisis, but it refused to let fear dictate the first response. Prayer made room for grief, truthfulness, and the possibility of hope. [31:23]
• 3. Anger can wound innocent neighbors Violence against Muslim Americans revealed how quickly national grief can become suspicion and hatred. Respect for Muslim neighbors is not a political courtesy but a moral necessity. Fear becomes especially dangerous when it turns fellow citizens into symbols of an enemy. [35:56]
• 4. Trespass requires honest confession “Forgive us our trespasses” places personal sin, national violence, and historic injustice under God’s searching mercy. The language refuses to treat harm done by others as the only evil worth naming. Confession makes forgiveness more than a comforting word because it tells the truth about wounds inflicted and inherited. [37:36]
• 5. Neighbors walk toward peace together Relationships across religious traditions turn remembrance into a lived commitment. Peace grows through conversations that people once never imagined having, through shared presence, and through mutual respect. God’s refuge becomes clearest when neighbors refuse division and walk together.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [12:01] - Anniversary Reflections and Psalm 46
• [26:45] - Chief Wise Owl and Church History
• [28:19] - Remembering September 11, 2001
• [29:07] - Clergy Gather for Prayer
• [31:23] - Community Prayer in the Sanctuary
• [33:27] - Grief, Fear, and National Unity
• [35:05] - Muslim Americans and Islamophobia
• [37:36] - Forgive Us Our Trespasses
• [39:37] - Church and the Big Questions
• [41:42] - God With Us Twenty-Five Years Later
• [42:22] - Learning from Faithful Neighbors
• [43:49] - Prayer for Peace and Healing

1. In Psalm 46:1, what two things does God provide, and what kind of trouble does the verse assume God’s people may face?
2. What did the clergy and community members do when they did not yet know what to do after the attacks? [30:33]
3. What feelings are named beneath the anger people experienced after September 11? [34:05]
4. How were Muslim Americans and people perceived as Muslim affected during a time when many others felt national unity? [35:18]

1. What does it mean for God to be “very present” in trouble when the trouble is not quickly fixed or understood?
2. How does Psalm 46:10 call people to be still without asking them to ignore suffering, danger, or injustice?
3. Why does praying, “forgive us our trespasses,” require people to name not only wrong done against them but also harm done by them and their community? [37:44]
4. How can grief and fear become dangerous when they lead people to treat neighbors of another faith or background as if they are enemies? [36:20]

1. When have you faced a situation that left you fearful, angry, or confused? What would it look like to receive God as your refuge and strength in that situation now?
2. When hard news breaks, what is usually your first response: constant updates, argument, withdrawal, action, prayer, or something else? How could a brief practice of stillness and prayer shape your next response? [33:49]
3. Anger often carries grief underneath it. Is there an anger you are carrying that may also hold sadness, fear, or loss? What honest words might you bring to God about it? [34:05]
4. “Forgive us our trespasses” invites honest confession. Is there a relationship, habit, or part of your community’s history where it would be important to name harm plainly rather than move past it too quickly? [39:08]
5. Have you ever made assumptions about someone because of their religion, appearance, nationality, or culture? What could help you see that person more fully as a neighbor?
6. Peace grows through real relationships, not merely good intentions. What is one practical way you could listen to, learn from, or build a respectful relationship with a neighbor whose faith or background differs from your own? [42:22]
7. God is with people “when we’re at our best and when we’re not.” Where do you most need to trust God’s mercy while also taking responsibility for a next faithful step? [41:42]