Document
Opening song:
¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies - A Psalm of David (Psalms 13:1-4)
One: How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
Many: How long, Lord?
One: How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Many: How long, Lord?
One: Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
Many: Look on me and answer, Lord?
One: And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
Many: Look on me and answer Lord, so that I may rise in front of those who made me fall?
Scripture
The Old Testament reading is from 2 Samuel 13: 1-22
Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; and David’s son Amnon fell in love with her. Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah; and Jonadab was a very crafty man. He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. Then she took the pan and set them out before him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do anything so vile! As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the scoundrels in Israel. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.
Then Amnon was seized with a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing was even greater than the lust he had felt for her. Amnon said to her, “Get out!” But she said to him, “No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her.” (Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times. So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her. But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.
Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar remained, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar.
One: Word of God, Word of life.
Many: Thanks be to God.
Reflection:
Questions to ponder:
- Is sexual abuse that takes place within families a taboo issue in your context / churches?
- How can our churches and communities ensure justice for those who have survived sexual violence?
Intercessory prayers
One: “No, No” ¦ she cries and pleads. “Do not do anything so foolish to me; do not force me.”
We pray today for the many Tamars all over the world who face physical, mental, sexual and verbal abuse from their family members, their intimate partners, and their close friends. We remember all those women and young children who cry “No, no! do not force me”, and are unheeded by their oppressors.
Many: ¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
One: “As for me, where could I carry my shame?” she cries.
We pray for all survivors of rape and sexual abuse who carry with them the added burden of shame and stigma. In a world where victim blaming prevents many women from seeking justice, we pray for the transformation of all those attitudes that further assault the dignity of those who have been abused.
Many: ¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
One: “Get out” ¦ “Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her,” he screams.
We pray for all those for whom sexual abuse also means public humiliation – because of their culture, caste, or class background. We remember those who are driven out of homes and communities, paraded naked, beaten to death because of patriarchal impunity – all those whose hearts are broken and whose bodies are torn. O Lord, comfort them as they seek new ways of being.
Many: ¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
One: With torn robes, ash on her head and hand on her head, she weeps.
We pray for all those who lament and bear their abuse in isolation, as the world turns to the other side. We remember those for whom the path to justice and healing is not only long but also lonely.
Many: ¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
One: “Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart”, says Absalom.
We pray for all those who are silenced from speaking out about their abuse, by the abuse of love and power. We remember with repentance the silence of the churches in speaking out against child abuse and rape. Lead us we pray from complicity to solidarity.
Many: ¶ Word of Justice by Bernadette Farrell
The Lord’s Prayer
Song: There is a Balm in Gilead
Benediction
L: With wisdom and understanding,
with justice and mercy,
with courage and commitment,
may you (we) be blessed,
this day
and every day, by the God who has loved us all into life.
Many: Give us life
according to Your promise;
give us life
according to Your justice;
give us life
according to Your word,
Amen.
(Prayer taken from women Prayer, women song by Miriam Therese Winter, Meyer Stone books, 1987)
