Leader: As we incline our hearts and minds toward justice and peace in our world, in our nation and in our community, let us hear the words of the psalmist: If I say, "Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night," darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike. (a moment of silence) Leader: Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come. People:Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Leader: Let us hear the call of scripture to the mission of all the baptized: If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. (a moment of silence) People: Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Leader: Holy and life-giving God: send your reconciling Spirit to visit us. Live and move and have being in every human heart. Do your work among your people—crumbling the barriers that divide us, stemming the violence that pervades our country and our world, bringing an end to the hatreds and the hostilities that break your loving purpose. Heal our brokenness, O God, that we may live in harmony as one people. People: Send your reconciling spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: Creating God: you made us in your own image; you made us for peace. And yet too often we choose to live in ways that destroy the very humanity you intend for us. Call forth in us that which is of you. Grant us the courage and perseverance to embody your peaceful ways in ourselves and in our relationships with one another. People: Send your abiding spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: Mothering God: you gather the suffering in your loving embrace. Come and dwell with those who have lost loved ones to the violence of our world. Comfort them in every affliction. With tenderness, console them in the hours of their need. In your compassion, and by your mercy, heal their torn hearts and lives—and restore them to fullness of life. People: Send your comforting spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come. People:Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Leader: Discerning God: you know our hearts, and from you no secrets are hidden. You know the impulse to anger that lies within us and the urge to strike out. Call us to recognize all within us that would break your people. Lead us away from anger towards a deeper love. Strengthen our resolve to live as your compassion, your peace, and your reconciling love in all that we say and in all that we do. People: Send your forgiving spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: God of our redemption: our cities and our streets have become places of war and violence. Our schools and our homes have moved from places of safety and sustenance to places of fear and anxiety. Let us not be silent. Create in us such a desire for civility, such a longing for peace, such a love for our neighbor that we will not be stopped in our efforts to restore our neighborhoods and our towns. Raise up among your faithful people a common desire to redeem all that you have entrusted to us. Make us bold for peace. People: Send your redeeming spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: Loving God: you love every person that you have made and call us to do the same. Give us the wisdom and grace to be close to all who suffer: in body, mind, spirit or relationship. Give us the courage to be present to those who live in isolation; to comfort those whom no one comforts; to see those whose pain we would rather not see. Give us ministering hearts and healing hands. Turn our lives and the lives of our churches and communities to seek those who need to see your love in our eyes.
People: Send your loving spirit of peace and justice upon us and the world you have entrusted into our care.
Leader: Prince of Peace: you challenge us when we seek a shallow justice—when we cry “Peace, peace”—when there is no peace. Give courage to those who seek your purposes; who challenge and address the truth of our violent ways. In the struggle to reduce gun violence, stand with those who keep covenant with you to protect the lives of every person. Uphold them in their work by your grace, that we may be known as people of peace, as lovers of justice.
Leader and People (unison) Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Give your people peace. Come, oh Lord, and set us free; Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Prayer litany adapted from The Washington National Cathedral’s Gun Sabbath Prayers, March 15, 2013.
