Service of Prayer and Lamentation
following the events of September 11, 2001
Preparation:
If appropriate in your setting, gather small candles
for the prayer time, and a large and somewhat
deep container of sand to safely set the candles
in. A cross that can be laid on the ground for
people to gather around for prayer is a powerful
symbol of comfort to many.
Opening
This service is a time to come together as a
community for prayer, to cry out to God on this
day of grief even as events continue to unfold
and additional loss of life is feared.
"When I heard these words I sat down and
wept, and mourned for days, fasting and
praying before the God of heaven..." Nehemiah 1:4
Bible readings:
Psalm 61:1-4
Psalm 46:1-11 (below)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in time of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth
should change, though the mountains shake in
the heart of the sea; though its waters roar
and foam, though the mountains tremble with
its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the
city of God, the holy habitation of the Most
High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall
not be moved; God will help it when the
morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms
totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob
is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what
desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire. "Be still,
and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted
in the earth."
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge. - Psalm 46:1-11
Prayer of invocation
Come Lord Jesus and stand among us.
Surround us with the power of your presence and love,
Hear our prayers,
Bind our hearts to those of all your children around
the world.
Come Lord Jesus, with your healing presence.
Amen.
Hymn
"For the Healing of the Nations" Hymnal: A Worship Book #367
Affirmation of faith:
modified from Hymnal: A Worship Book, #711
| Leader: | Jesus taught us to speak of hope as the coming of God's kingdom. |
| All: | We believe that God is at work in our world |
| | turning hopeless and evil situations into good. |
| | We believe that goodness and justice and love |
| | will triumph in the end |
| | and that tyranny and oppression cannot last forever. |
| | One day all tears will be wiped away; |
| | the lamb will lie down with the wolf, |
| | and justice will roll down like a mighty stream. |
| Leader: | True peace and true reconciliation are not only desired, |
| | they are assured and guaranteed in Christ. |
| All: | This is our faith. |
| | This is our hope. |
Meditation/reflection
(Local leaders may compose.)
Hymn:
"Let there be Light, Lord, God of Hosts" HWB #371
Prayers of intercession in small
groups, or with candles around the cross
Naming our fears and sadness.
As the leader speaks these words followed by pauses,
members of the congregation may come forward and light
a candle for their specific concerns. They may pray
audibly or silently at the cross. You may either
intersperse "Lord Hear our Prayer" (HWB #348) or
sing it at the end.
O Brother Jesus, you who walked among us to heal our
hurts and confusion, we seek your grace for the broken
people and places of our world.
We bring to you the horror of these attacks:
| - |
We pray for the victims and emergency response workers
in NY, Washington, and western Pennsylvania. |
- We pray for families and friends of victims.
- We pray for the families of people on the planes.
| - |
We pray for safety and comfort for those who live and
work in the areas that have been struck, where many
lives have been lost, many have been injured. We pray
for children, for people with disabilities and the
elderly who cannot fend for themselves. |
We bring to you our nation:
| - |
We pray for our government leaders, knowing that
hate and retaliation will only breed more violence.
We pray that President Bush, Secretary Powell,
Secretary Rumsfeld and our other leaders will not
seek revenge, but rather God's wisdom. |
| - |
We pray for our nation's relationship with other
peoples of the world. We are inter-connected globe. |
| - |
We pray for persons who might be targets of reprisal
because of their ethnic background or racial characteristics. |
We bring to you those who committed these
immense tragedies:
| - |
We pray for extremist groups, hate groups, and others
who turn to violence as a solution. |
- We pray for the families of the terrorists.
We pray for the nations of the world:
| - |
We pray for all around the globe who live daily the
fear we have tasted today. |
We bring to you ourselves, that we
may be the bearers of the
peace of Christ in our own neighborhoods
and relationships:
| - |
We pray for strength to spread Jesus' gospel
of peace and love of enemies. |
| - |
We pray for resolve to engage the powers of hate
and greed, no matter what the cost. |
- We pray for energy to work for justice around the world.
We ask God to pour forth on us spirit and transforming power,
that all people may come to know and serve their Creator.
Hymn:
WB 348: O Lord, hear my prayer (May change to "our")
Benediction
May God bless us with rest, vision, and calmness
in our souls this night and every night. Amen.
|