Prayers on the Gun Violence Prevention Weekend

Sustaining and redeeming God, in sadness and in the tragedy of awful loss, we offer before you those young lives lost as a consequence of human violence. We raise in the distress of this time the families of whose children are no longer to share life and joy with them. We mourn those other families also fractured by the needless killings. As Jesus first came to his people and lives of the young and innocent were lost in the cruelty of one individual upon others, so now 2000 years on we stand alongside those whose similar grief is beyond our imagining. Holy and loving God bring all consolation that can be brought to those most in need of your presence today, and never cease to make your presence real in this their hour of need. To you we voice this prayer, Amen.

Written by The Rt. Rev. Robert Gilies, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church for their companion Diocese of Connecticut.

Blessed God, who revealed the mysterious power of your love to us in the vulnerability of Jesus in the face of violence: uphold those whose lives have been broken open by violence; calm the storm of their fear; rage and distress; comfort those who are in need of healing; and give us all a will and determination to repair your world with your tools of compassion and peace, by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

Prayer after Violence by the Rev. Jennifer Phillips

GOD
The fountain of all peace
(Peace with you, with ourselves, with our neighbours and nature)
We give you thanks for sending Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace
And for sending the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
Forgive us for trusting on guns which destroy.
HELP US
To put our trust in the saving and reconciling blood of Jesus poured on the cross and to turn our instruments of death and domination into means of saving lives and of promoting human dignity
IN YOUR COMPASSION
Protect and free the prisoner, those abducted and refugees; and lead us to see and follow the ways of peace. All this we ask to the honour and glory of your name, through Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace and our Saviour, AMEN

Prayer for Peace written by Bishop Dinis Sengulane of Mozambique

Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.
Help us to remember these words, O Lord, in hope. Amen.

 A Prayer by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa