Document
Prayer
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God,
you alone have the authority to forgive human beings their sins,
for you are good and love everyone.
Forgive all my transgressions committed in knowledge or in ignorance.
Make me worthy, un-condemned, to receive your divine and glorious,
pure and life giving mysteries;
incurring thereby neither punishment, nor the increase of my sins,
but receiving cleansing, sanctification,
and a pledge of the life to come and the kingdom.
Let them be for me a rampart, a help,
an overturning of my adversaries, and a wiping out of my many transgressions.
For you are a God of mercy, compassion, and love of all human beings,
and to you we give glory, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
(Pilgrim Prayer, 14)
Responsive Psalm 10: 12 – 18
Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed.
Why do the wicked renounce God,
and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?
But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.
O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Judges 2: 16 – 23
16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.” 22 In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did, 23 the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Reflection question: Life can be said to go around in circles in that there it can appear as though neither people nor situations change. What might be done to become ‘unstuck’ and be released from such an orbit that robs people of fulfilling God’s will?
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Gracious God,
as we remember before you today, for the churches and people of Iran, Iraq and Syria, we give thanks for the resilience of the people who remain in these countries despite constant threats and ongoing violence.
Lord, receive our thanks and praise.
God, our Provider, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the relief and assistance that has been provided to so many.
Lord, receive our thanks and praise.
Faithful God, we thank you for those who have made a new home for refugees fleeing from these countries.
Lord, receive our thanks and praise.
God of all people, we are grateful for those who have worked continually for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
Lord, receive our thanks and praise.
We come too praying for an end to the violence racking these battlefields of global powers. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We offer up before you all political leaders emerging in these countries that they will pursue peace, the common good, and the human rights of all groups. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We commend to you the international community that they will pursue policies that will result in acceptable, just peace for all involved. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray that there will be greater openness to welcoming those displaced or fleeing from these lands, desperately seeking safety and wellbeing. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Finally, we pray today for the well-being and safety of Bishop Boulos Yazigi and Bishop John Ibrahim, that they will be released by their captors. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
(Pilgrim Prayer, adapted, 11)
With the words that Jesus taught us, let us now pray together in the language of our hearts –
Our Father…
Benediction
Filled with the Holy Spirit, may our witness and work mirror the all-encompassing love of Jesus, as we seek to Father’s will each day. Amen.
