Quote of the Week...
The following is the prayer that Rev. Duane Pederson offered for oour 9/11 Prayer Service this past Tuesday. It is well worth praying. . .
Good and gracious God,
We come before you this night, remembering 9/11 twenty years after the
act of terror that shook the world.
For some of us such an anniversary is a mixed bag of emotions.
We hurt deeply for those who lost their lives
and those who lost their loved ones.
We still mourn the nearly 3,000 who died that day.
We are humbled by the bravery of the first responders.
We continue to grieve with our neighbors in the loss of our national
innocence - our false sense of safety and invincibility.
May the suffering from these attacks awaken in us an awareness
of the pain and fear that so many around the world live with each day.
May we know how to pray and advocate for those who struggle
against oppression and injustice.
As we hear of terrorist activity around the world, quiet our fears.
Heal the wounded of these attacks,
and help their families and friends rest in your security.
God of all people, teach us to be patriotic, but humbly so.
Teach us to see the frailty, beauty, and value of life in light of this tragedy
rather than using it to elevate difference to divisive reasons for hatred.
Enable us, O God, to put an end to fear:
by resolving to live lives that are based on respect for one another;
by resolving to abide in a peaceful manner
and never settle disagreements in our lives in violent ways;
by resolving not to fall into the trap of blaming entire ethnic groups,
races, or religions in response to acts of hostility;
by resolving that justice, not revenge, prevail in our world.
Let us resolve that in the face of hatred, we will show love;
that in times of despair, we will be voices of hope,
and creators of new dreams;
that in times of darkness, we will be sources of light.
Let us resolve that we never regard forgiveness as weakness,
but rather as a source of strength in our lives and in our world.
Let us honor the memory of nearly 3,000 individuals who died on
September 11, 2001
by resolving, with your help Almighty God,
to truly live such that you are glorified,
and your love made known to others through us.
You, O God, are the rock to whom we cling,
our source of strength and comfort.
We cling to you now.
In the name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
