Prayer of lament for mass shootings

Lord, in our shock and confusion, we come before you.
In our grief and despair in the midst of hate,
in our sense of helplessness in the face of violence,
we lean on you.

For the families of those who have been killed we pray.
For the shooters—help us to pray, Lord.
For the communities that have lost members—their anger, grief, fear—we pray.
For the churches striving to be your light in darkness beyond our comprehension, we pray.

In the face of hatred, may we claim love, Lord.
May we love those far off and those near.
May we love those who are strangers and those who are friends.
May we love those who we agree with and understand,
and even more so, Lord, those who we consider to be our enemies.

Kyrie Eleison. Lord, have mercy.
Heal our sin-sick souls.
Make these wounds whole, Lord.

Prayer adapted from the Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice.

Universal Prayers:

• For the innocent men, women and children who have been killed in the recent shootings in Buffalo and Texas, may the Lord who created each one of us in his image and likeness now grant them eternal rest in his heavenly kingdom, let us pray to the Lord.
  
• For those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, may God bring them peace and consolation in their pain and grief, and may the love and compassion of others strengthen and uphold them, let us pray to the Lord.
  
• For the world and its people, may God in his mercy bring an end to the violence, hatred and bloodshed that plague us, let us pray to the Lord.
  
• For all members of the Church, may the Holy Spirit guide us in being agents of peace and reconciliation in our places of worship, our local communities and in our families, let us pray to the Lord.