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Dear GSPC congregation and friends,
Yesterday, hours after our worship service in which we read Jesus’ command to “love one another” from John’s gospel, a man entered a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in California and opened fire. One person died and five others were injured before the shooter was restrained by members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which meets in the Geneva Presbyterian Church building in Laguna Woods, CA. While the details are being investigated, the shooter appears to have targeted the Taiwanese community. This shooting came only a day after 10 were killed in a Buffalo, NY supermarket, and as our own Mobile community sees an increase in gun violence and gun-related deaths.
On Sunday, I quoted from Madeleine L’Engle’s book A Ring of Endless Light in which one of her characters says, "Prayer was never meant to be magic,"
To which another responds, "Then why bother with it?"
The first replies, "Because it's an act of love,"
To love one another is to pray for one another, so I invite you to join me in praying for our Presbyterian brothers and sisters in California and all those whose lives have been marked by this kind of violence.
Holy God, Prince of Peace,
We do not want to pray this prayer again. We want to look away, especially when these tragedies are far from home, but also when they are in our own city. And yet, your command that we love one another implores us to open our hearts to those who have experienced traumatic violence and loss. We hold before you the members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, the Geneva Presbyterian Church, and the Laguna Woods, CA community. We ask for healing for those who are injured, for wisdom for the police, for guidance for those who lead, and for comfort for those who grieve.
We pray also for our Mobile for community and all who have been touched by gun violence. We pray especially for our young people and for the adults who guide them as they grow. We ask that your spirit of peace, hope, and care would flow throughout our city and county and overshadow any hatred or violence.
We hold before you the people throughout the nation whose lives have been harmed by such violence or fear of it. We pray for the day when swords become plowshares and your spirit of love and justice covers the earth. We ask that all those contemplating such brutal attacks be shown the love of God in such a way that their minds are turned toward peace. May our hearts continue to break for that which breaks your heart, O God, and may we never grow weary of doing good in your name.
Through Christ we pray.
Amen
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