Liturgies for Times of Crisis

Michael Shuman, Scot Robinson, Mark Koenig, Amy Cerniglia

Confession and Pardon

Michael Shuman

Prayer of Confession

Eternal God, we lift our hearts to you,
for you are our refuge and strength.
The psalmist tells us not to fear
even when the earth gives way
and mountains crumble.
Yet we often feel small in times of trouble
and discouraged when life is difficult. 

Forgive us when we forget the gifts you give.
You make us rest in green pastures,
and walk with us through shadowy valleys.
Show us your mercy, O God,
and grant us peace.
We pray this in the name of your son,
our shepherd. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

People of God, the Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Our hope is in Jesus Christ,
who takes away the sins of this world;
our salvation is in him.
Believe the good news:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Prayer of Intercession 

Scot Robinson

This prayer was written in response to the flooding in Central Appalachia the summer of 2022.

Holy God, at a time when words are hard to come by
and silence seems a reprieve from the pain of our people,
we call out to you.
Have mercy on our reeling community.
Our homes have been flooded or washed away.
Many who had little have now lost everything.
Possessions and structures can be replaced and rebuilt,
but we cannot restore the lives lost.
God, send your spirit of peace to our communities
here in eastern Kentucky as recovery work begins.
May your presence and love be felt
through those who are donating, serving, and working
for all who are affected.
Comforting God, be close to those grieving
the death of loved ones.
May they find you and the assurance of your loving presence
in their time of need.
We know Emmanuel means “God is with us.”
We pray you will walk with those who suffer,
even through the deep mud left behind.
Gracious God, bring us new life.
God of mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.

A Prayer at the Beginning of Advent 2023

W. Mark Koenig

God of our journey,
we enter Advent once again—
a time of waiting,
a time of anticipating,
a time of preparing.
We move toward Christmas—
a time of excitement,
a time of celebration,
a time of joy.

But God,
we do so in a broken and fearful world,
carrying heavy burdens.
This can be a challenging season.
We weep for the
violence and harm
your children do
to one another and to your creation.
We chafe at
systemic injustice and oppression
that deny full life to all.
We grieve the deaths
of family members,
of friends,
of colleagues.
We cope with illness
in our bodies and minds
and in the bodies and minds
of those we love.
We struggle
to cope with challenges of life
both those known only to ourselves
and those shared with many.

Remind us, God,
that it is okay not to be okay;
it is okay not to have the “holiday spirit.”
Remind us of your love for us
just as we are.
Remind us of your presence with us
however painful and challenging life may become.
Remind us that we can care for others
and allow others to care for us
and together make our way through this season
and all seasons.

Grant us strength and grace
and all we need for the living of these days.
We pray in the name of Jesus
who came among us as a tiny babe
to share our life and vulnerability
in joy and sorrow,
despair and promise,
death and new birth. Amen.

A Service of Prayer after Violence against the LGBTQ Community

Amy Cerniglia

This liturgy is designed to provide a responsive and adaptable resource for faith communities in the wake of violence against LGBTQ persons. While we hope, pray, and work for a future where such resources are unnecessary, the ongoing reality of discrimination and violence calls for preparation. This service offers a framework for addressing tragedy and renewing a commitment to love and justice. This liturgy can be used in its entirety or adapted to specific occasions like Pride Month and Transgender Day of Remembrance. In providing this resource, we simultaneously recognize the urgent need for such support and lament the conditions that make it necessary, praying for a world where all of God’s children are safe, welcome, and embraced.

Call to Worship

Leader: God’s love holds us together,
uniting the world in a holy covenant.
People: We are members of God’s family.

Leader: Where sin and death overwhelms us,
Christ shines through with new life.
People: We are parts of Christ’s body.

Leader: The Spirit binds up the brokenhearted
and prays for us in our weakness.
People: We are one in the Spirit.

Leader: God has promised to never abandon us.
All: We rejoice in God’s steadfast love. 

Collect

Leader: Almighty God, you created all people in your image and called your creation good. As you established your eternal covenant with Noah, so too do you call us into faithful relationships with our neighbors. Yet hatred, harassment, and violence threaten the bonds of our community. Heal our brokenness, we pray, and transform us in your boundless love. Renew our commitment to love and support our LGBTQ siblings, following the example of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

A gathering hymn may be sung, for example, “God of Grace and God of Glory” (GTG #307), “God Is Here!” (GTG #409), “God Welcomes All” (GTG #399).

Old Testament reading: Genesis 9:8–17 

Call to Confession

Leader: When we are not faithful to one another, God remains faithful to us. Trusting in God’s covenant, let us confess our sins together: 

Prayer of Confession

All: Merciful God, in your wisdom
you have woven humanity into
a beautiful tapestry
where every thread bears your divine image.

As a community, we confess
we have torn the fabric that binds us together.
Distracted by our daily lives,
we have overlooked the vulnerable among us.
We have not always spoken for the marginalized and oppressed.
Hatred and prejudice have festered in our neighborhood,
leading to the tragic acts of violence against (N).

Forgive us, Lord.
Help us keep watch and stay awake
so that we may notice your vulnerable children
and discover new ways to protect them.
Help us respond to hatred or half-hearted love
with your Son’s unconditional love.

Heal our broken hearts so that we may be agents of healing,
witnessing to the breadth of your mercy and grace.
Bind us together in your perfect unity.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
who reveals the depth of your love for the world. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Leader: Siblings in Christ, hear the good news: In Christ, there is a new creation. The old has passed away, and the new has come. Through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. 

Thanks be to God. Amen!

Psalm reading: Psalm 146

New Testament reading: Galatians 3:23–29 

Prayer of Intercession 

Compassionate God, our hearts break at the senseless violence perpetrated against your beloved child(ren) in our community. We lament the tragic loss of precious lives and pray for all who are wounded, grieving, and recovering from this devastating act of injustice. 

We recognize that our society and faith communities often urge conformity to self-imposed laws. When your Son traveled to heal the sick and feed the hungry, he taught us not to worry about outward appearances. We mourn the ways in which so many families and institutions have failed to fully honor everyone’s capacity to love and be loved. When your Son encountered strangers and outcasts, he served humbly without judgment as the perfect Host.

O Lord, pour out your healing balm upon all in our community who suffer in the wake of this tragedy. Reform the hearts of those who carry out violence in your name or any other, that peace may reign in all places. May this community of faith offer sanctuary to the LGBTQ community, as we commit to valuing every presence, uplifting every gift and affirming every person’s sacred worth. 

Hasten the day when you wipe away all tears and establish your peaceful kingdom. By your Spirit, gather us into one body, reoriented to your covenant and your love. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray . . .

The Lord’s Prayer may be recited in unison.

A hymn may be sung, for example, “God of Many Faces,” (words by Amy Cerniglia),¹ “For Everyone Born” (GTG #769),  “Let Us Build a House (All Are Welcome) (GTG #301), or  “We Are One in the Spirit” (GTG #300).

Charge

Go out into the world in peace, bearing witness to the transformative power of love. Have courage to weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn, and speak the names of those lost to our broken world. Take heart, for the covenant of God’s promise holds us from everlasting to everlasting.

Benediction

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Or

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always, now and forever. Amen.

Note

1. “God of Many Faces” is available in the Hymn Society’s collection Songs for the Holy Other, available at https://thehymnsociety.org/resources/songs-for-the-holy-other/.