Please join me in a prayer of lament, intercession, and thanksgiving:
Oh God, most merciful and most kind, we are ashamed to admit that our nation is at war again. Why do the nations rage so furiously together and why do the people imagine a vain thing? Did we give peace a chance? Did our leaders and other leaders in the world organization devoted to peace and security do enough, talk enough, pray enough over these twelve years while we demanded that Saddam give up and come clean? Our churches call upon you every Sunday for special favors of healing and mercy and we tell you that we abhor violence. But we are a people of violence, we love violence, we entertain ourselves with stories of violence through TV and video games and horror novels, and in our sports.
Our president says war is a necessary last resort. We wonder and we are heartsick that it has come to this—a war that threatens to leave our nation deeply divided, frightened, angry, on high security alert, and almost bankrupt.
We deeply lament that our leaders and the regime in Baghdad have not heard nor heeded these words I hear you saying, Lord,
From Psalm 31, “The Lord protects the faithful but pays the arrogant in full”.
From Psalm 32, “The Lord brings the war plans of nations to nothing. God is sovereign and frustrates the various parliaments and counsels of the earth.”
From Psalm 33, Unless you, almighty God, save us, Homeland Security plans are useless. For it is your plans and your intentions for the nations which shall stand.
From Psalm 37, Do not strive to outdo the terrorists of this world with demonstrations of “shock and awe,” nor emulate those who do wrong. For like grass they soon wither and fade.
Our brother Jimmy Carter told the world from Oslo in December, “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it always an evil, never good. We will not learn to live together by killing each others children,” he said.
Please join me now in a prayer of intercession. God, we believe that you have not left us hopeless and so we call on you for help. May our men and women in uniform be more that conquerors. So that once they have disarmed the government of Iraq, they will protect and feed and clothe these dear people who have suffered and suffered for decades. Help our people and our coalition partners to so conduct themselves that perhaps, just perhaps, they will be eventually remembered as those who set the captives free.
We pray for our president, George Bush, and for those who advise him. He has volunteered to take a great burden of leadership upon himself, as has Prime Minister Blair. These two leaders of two great nations believe they are right and that they are just in their judgments. Oh God, keep and preserve them both, for just perhaps you have called them to bear the sword against the evil ones as our brother Paul once told us. We hold up General Tommy Franks who has responsibility for the safety of hundreds of thousands of our fine young service people who also have volunteered their lives for this task. As our president has requested, we pray that those who wear the uniforms will return safe and soon to their apprehensive families. “Lord the nights in the desert are so dark and cold and they are so far from home.”
We lift up also the hundreds of aid workers, those who tend to the desperate prisoners, those chaplains, those medical personnel, the reporters who are helping the world come to judgments about this war. For all who carry no weapons but risk harm we pray. For the Iraqi firefighters and the medical personnel who race around Baghdad in the dark with what seem like the fires of hell burning on every side. For the frightened children, Oh God, make this war short and as humane as any in memory.
We thank you for the freedoms we enjoy here at home: for the freedom to wave a flag or raise a peace sign, for this wonderful community of faith that welcomes and affirms diversity. We have in our midst patriots who have supported every war this country has been involved in as well as patriots who are pacifists. We welcome all who wish to gather with us to attempt to live under the leadership of Jesus Christ. We celebrate our devotion to democracy where the minority must always be heard and majority must always prevail. These and many other freedoms are dear to us, as is our hope of a coming peaceable kingdom.
“But it’s not with swords loud clashing nor stir of rolling drums, but with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes.”
“Our parent’s God, to thee/ author of liberty, to thee we pray. Long may our land be bright with freedoms holy light. Protect us by thy might, Great God our King. Amen.