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Pastoral PrayersPrayers for the Community of
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia
April 17, 2007SCRIPTURES AND PRAYERS FOR REFLECTION
Psalm 46: 1-7
Matthew 5: 1-12
Prayer:
God of compassion and love,
you have breathed into us the breath of life
and have given us a new day.
Be with us in this time,
as we keep vigil for so many who have died and are wounded
in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Be with us as we pray and meditate upon your Word.
We pray for those who are working vigilantly
to heal bodies and to bury the dead.
We pray for those who seek to mend the broken,
and bind-up the broken-hearted.
We pray for rescue workers and police officers;
for nurses, physicians, and hospital workers;
for volunteers of every kind.Enfold us in your tender care, O God,
as we weep for those who have known terror and pain;
for those who still await word about loved ones and friends.
In our frailty we surrender ourselves to you,
trusting in your promises and seeking your light.
We pray for your mercy and comfort,
in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 130
John 14: 1-6, 25-27
Prayer:
Eternal God, Source of all true wisdom,
calm the troubled whirlwind of our hearts,
that we may receive your peace and guidance.
Your love for us is everlasting;
you alone can turn the shadow of death
into the light of hope.
Help us to turn to you with our fears, our terror,
our anxieties, our anger, our confusion.
In the stillness of this time, speak to us of care and compassion,
And guide us in our prayers for those at Virginia Tech
who are living in grief and dread.
In the stillness of this time, speak to us of concern and kindness,
so that, hearing the promises in Scripture,
we may all have hope
and be lifted above our darkness and distress
into the light of your presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24
Romans 8: 31-39Prayer:
O God of enduring love,
there is a cry in our hearts, from the depths of our souls.
We tremble in grief and fear and anger for
those whose lives have been destroyed and for the wounded.
Today we are stretched between heaven and earth,
and we come seeking your refuge and strength.
We strive to be faithful in the midst of such senseless terror.We turn to you, our Rock and our Redeemer,
in this time of grief,
patiently waiting in hope for the fullness of your salvation and redemption,
bearing this pain in these days of Eastertide.
We pray these things and all that is upon our hearts,
and especially for those who are bereaved and anguished in Blacksburg, across the United Sates, and around the world.
We pray in the name of our Savior, Counselor, and Friend,
Jesus Christ our Risen Lord. Amen.
From Nassau Presbyterian Church
61 Nassau Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08542