Prayer Offered on Sunday, June 27, 2015, after the Shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC
By Ronald Williams
O God, it is us again. We bow our heads and lift our hearts to you, who affirms that we are all somebody because we are all your children.
Forgive us our sins and help us to move forward in life. We are thankful for your son Jesus, we are thankful for all the many blessings you have bestowed upon us, and in the midst of our thankfulness and blessing…we do have some complaints:
We do not have domestic peace; we do not have world peace; everybody does not have access to clean drinking water; we cannot seem to do enough for the poor, homeless, hungry and disenfranchised people of this nation and the world at large.
Help us not to become weary of these never-ending concerns that we must be involved in. We turn to you, O God, to help remember our brothers’ and sisters’ concerns and needs here and beyond and we pray for them and hopefully they will pray for us.
We are mindful of our ever-changing nation. This past week, the Supreme Court made rulings that affirm equal treatment in housing, upheld Obamacare, and marital rights for same-sex couples in all states. We have seen the confederate flag taken down from some state buildings across the nation.
We are thankful for these recent rulings and events because they appear to benefit the greater good of our nation.
Nonetheless, we ask that you remember and be a comfort for those who feel betrayed, troubled and hurt by these recent rulings and turn of events.
God, we ask that you remember Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in
Charleston, South Carolina, which tragedies have shocked the consciousness of America because its pastor and eight other members were murdered during midweek prayer services because of their race. And now, their sanctuary has become a tomb and also a place of grace and forgiveness; we pray for their children who are terrified; we stand with them; we cry with them; we are outraged for them. We pray for them and the beloved dead of Emanuel AME church, because the hate and bigotry is not over.
Be with our sick, bereaved and shut-in members. Remember our staff as they seek to minister to us. Be with Brittany Krebs, our pastor, as she brings us the sermon.
These and other blessings we ask in your son Jesus’ name, who taught us when we pray to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Pastoral prayer offered by Ronald Williams at Baptist Church of the Covenant on June 27, 2015.
