Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

Intercessions

We are thankful for:
•    the long history of Christianity in these lands
•    Christians and Muslims who have witnessed to their faith during long years of repression and persecution
•    positive developments these countries have undergone since the end of the Soviet era
•    those who pursue peace and reconciliation in the face of old suspicions and animosities.

We pray for:
•    greater respect for the human rights of all the peoples living in these countries
•    just changes for those living in situations of poverty and discrimination
•    the healing of past wrongs and distorted memories of what has occurred
•    a prophetic witness of the churches in relation to new challenges
•    the Georgian Orthodox Church, that it may rediscover a rich relationship with the family of churches worldwide.

Prayers

Prayer at the Armenian Genocide Memorial

O triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

We cry to you, with deep pain in our hearts and souls for our Armenian brothers and sisters, children, adults, and elders that were persecuted, robbed, exiled and killed during the Armenian genocide. They suffered because of their ethnic origin and because of their Christian faith, becoming victims of hate, intolerance, abuse and ethnic and religious purge. As Christians that follow your commandments to forgive our debtors and to love our neighbours, we pray to You to offer peaceful rest to the souls of the victims and to heal the wounds of their descendants. We are reminded of what Christ has said, “I am the Resurrection and I am the Life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”¹

We pray for the recognition of this genocide by the descendants of those that initiated, planned and committed it and for the establishment of the historical truth regarding the genocide, for You taught us that the truth will make us free.² We pray for peace and reconciliation between the descendants of the murderers and victims for You are the God of forgiveness.

God, you created us to be stewards of life and community. Help the Armenian community to continue building their country in peace and contribute to the respect and confidence between peoples and nations. AMEN

¹ John 11:25
² cf John 8:32

© 2011 WCC

Prayer of Confession

You are not the accuser, but the liberator,
not the destroyer, but the rescuer,
not the executioner, but the saviour,
not the scatterer, but the gatherer,
not the traitor, but the deliverer.
You do not pull down, but lift up.
You do not knock down, but stand upright.
You do not curse, but bless.
You do not take revenge, but give grace.
You do not torment, but comfort.
You do not erase, but write.
You do not shake, but steady.
You do not trample, but console.
You do not invent the causes of death,
but seek the means to preserve life.
You do not forget to help.
You do not abandon the good.
You do not withhold compassion.
You do not bring the sentence of death,
but the legacy of life.
You are not opposed for your generosity.
You are not blasphemed for your grace.
You are not cursed for your bounty.
You are not insulted for your free gifts.
You are not mocked for your patience.
You are not blamed for your pardon.
You are not accused for your goodness.
You are not dishonoured for your sweetness.
You are not despised for your meekness.
For these, we send not complaints,
but gratitude that cannot be silenced.
Take away my sins, Almighty.
Remove the curse from me, blessed.
Pardon my debts, merciful.
Erase my transgressions, compassionate.
Extend your hand of deliverance
and I will instantly be made perfect.
What is easier than this for you Lord,
and what is more important to you?
Thus, providential Lord, revive me,
made in your image and brought to life by your breath,
in order to renew the breath of your pure
enlightening grace,
protecting my sinful soul.

© 2001 The Armenian Prayer Book of St Gregory of Narek, English transl. Thomas J. Samuelian, www.stgregoryofnarek.am

Prayer from the Sunrise Office of the Armenian Church

O Light!
Divine and one Holy Trinity,
we who are born of the earth glorify you always,
together with the heavenly hosts.
At the rising of the morning light,
shine forth upon our souls your intelligible light.

English transl. Archbishop Tiran Nersoya, New York, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, 1969. Let us Pray to the Lord, ed. George Lemopolos, WCC, 1996, p.2.

Song