Good Evening Dear Ones!
Tonight is our vigil in remembrance of Kristallnacht. If you are unfamiliar with what Kristallnacht is please do some research on your own. This is will help you become more familiar with many of the sordid aspects of history. As we remember the Night of Breaking Glass or Kristallnacht as it is sometimes called. We must remember this night because it heralded the beginning of the Holocaust. We must strive to fight violence and Anti-Semitism in all of its forms. This vigil is one where we will use the lessons for today from the Orthodox Jewish Bible and a Service to Remember Kristallnacht. So let us begin with 10 minutes of silence to remember and to recommit ourselves to the work of human rights. So let us begin by lighting our candles and turning on our porch lights. A note about tonight's vigil, it will be different in format than usual.
Tehillim 74Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
74 (A Maskil of Asaph) O Elohim, why hast Thou cast us off lanetzach? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the tzon (sheep) of Thy mireh (pasture)?
2 Remember Thy Edah (congregation), which Thou hast purchased of old; the shevet (tribe) of Thine nachalah, which Thou hast redeemed: this Har Tziyon, wherein Thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up Thy footsteps unto the mashu’ot netzach (perpetual ruins); even all that the oyev hath done wickedly in the Kodesh [the Beis HaMikdash].
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy Mo’ed (place of meeting); they set up their banners for otot (signs, i.e., their heathen insignia).
5 It had been as though one lifted up kardumim (axes) upon the thicket of etz.
6 But now they break down the carved panels [of the Beis HaMikdash] at once with hammers and chisels.
7 They have set ablaze Thy Mikdash, burning it to the ground; they have brought chillul to the Mishkan Shemecha (the dwelling place of Thy Name).
8 They said in their hearts, Let us crush them altogether; they have burned up all the Mo’adei El in HaAretz.
9 We see not our otot (signs); there is no longer any navi; neither is there among us any that knoweth ad mah (until when).
10 O Elohim ad mosai, (how long) shall the adversary revile? Shall the oyev (enemy) blaspheme Thy Shem lanetzach (forever)?
11 Why withdrawest Thou Thy Yad, even Thy Yamin (Right Hand)? Take it out of Thy Kheyk (bosom) and destroy [them].
12 For Elohim is my Melech mikedem (from of old), working Yeshuah (salvation) in the midst of Ha’Aretz.
13 Thou didst divide the yam by Thy oz (power); Thou didst break the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the head of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be ma’akhal (food) to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst break open the fountain and the flood; Thou driedst up mighty naharot (rivers).
16 The yom is Thine, the lailah also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the ma’ohr (luminary, moon) and the shemesh.
17 Thou hast set all the boundaries of Eretz; Thou hast made kayitz (summer) and choref (winter).
18 Remember this, that the oyev (enemy) hath reproached Hashem, and that the am naval (foolish people) have blasphemed Shimcha.
19 O deliver not the nefesh of Thy turtledove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy aniyim (poor) lanetzach (forever).
20 Have regard unto the Brit (covenant); for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of chamas.
21 O let not the oppressed return in shame; let the oni and evyon praise Thy Shem.
22 Arise, O Elohim, fight for Thine Own cause; remember how the naval (foolish man) revileth Thee kol hayom.
23 Forget not the kol (voice) of Thine enemies, the tumult of those against Thee that rises up tamid (continually). [T.N. Cf Lk 2:23-24 and Ps 74:19 remembering that the turtledove was the sacrifice of the poor, which Moshiach would be, not a rich man but ani, according to Zech 9:9.]
74 Ut quid, Deus?
1 O God, why have you utterly cast us off? *
why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation that you purchased long ago, *
the tribe you redeemed to be your inheritance,
and Mount Zion where you dwell.
3 Turn your steps toward the endless ruins; *
the enemy has laid waste everything in your sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries roared in your holy place; *
they set up their banners as tokens of victory.
5 They were like men coming up with axes to a grove of trees; *
they broke down all your carved work with hatchets
and hammers.
6 They set fire to your holy place; *
they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name
and razed it to the ground.
7 They said to themselves, "Let us destroy them altogether." *
They burned down all the meeting-places of God in the land.
8 There are no signs for us to see;
there is no prophet left; *
there is not one among us who knows how long.
9 How long, O God, will the adversary scoff? *
will the enemy blaspheme your Name for ever?
10 Why do you draw back your hand? *
why is your right hand hidden in your bosom?
11 Yet God is my King from ancient times, *
victorious in the midst of the earth.
12 You divided the sea by your might *
and shattered the heads of the dragons upon the waters;
13 You crushed the heads of Leviathan *
and gave him to the people of the desert for food.
14 You split open spring and torrent; *
you dried up ever-flowing rivers.
15 Yours is the day, yours also the night; *
you established the moon and the sun.
16 You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; *
you made both summer and winter.
17 Remember, O Lord, how the enemy scoffed, *
how a foolish people despised your Name.
18 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; *
never forget the lives of your poor.
19 Look upon your covenant; *
the dark places of the earth are haunts of violence.
20 Let not the oppressed turn away ashamed; *
let the poor and needy praise your Name.
21 Arise, O God, maintain your cause; *
remember how fools revile you all day long.
22 Forget not the clamor of your adversaries, *
the unending tumult of those who rise up against you.
Kehillah in Rome 14:7-12Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
7 For no one of us lives for himself and no one dies for himself.
8 For if we live, we live for Hashem; and if we die, we die for Hashem. So whether we live or we die, we belong to Hashem.
9 For it was for this tachlis (purpose) that Moshiach had his histalkus and came to live again, in order that he might have charge as Moshiach Adoneinu over both the Mesim (dead ones) and the Chayyim (living ones).
10 So you, why do you judge your Ach b’Moshiach? Or you, why do you despise your Ach b’Moshiach? For we shall all stand in the Bet Din (Court of Law) of Hashem (see 2C 5:10) before his Kisse Din (judgment seat), his Kisse Mishpat,
11 For it is written, "As I live, says Hashem, before Me KOL BERECH (every knee) will bow and KOL LASHON (every tongue) shall give praise to Hashem" [Isa 49:18].
12 So then each of us will give account of himself to Hashem.
ROMANS 14:7-12
7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister?* Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?* For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.* 11For it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to* God.’
12So then, each of us will be accountable to God.*
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to* God.’
12So then, each of us will be accountable to God.*
Tehillim 27Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
27 (Of Dovid) Hashem is my ohr and Yishi (my Salvation); whom shall I fear? Hashem is the ma’oz (stronghold) of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the resha’im, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to devour my basar, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, my lev shall not fear; though milchamah should break out against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of Hashem, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the Bais Hashem all the days of my life, to behold the gracefulness of Hashem, and to inquire in His Heikhal.
5 For in the Yom Ra’ah (day of evil) He shall keep me safe in His Sukkah; in the shelter of His Ohel shall He conceal me; He shall set me up upon a Tzur (rock).
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies around about me; therefore will I offer in His Ohel sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yea, I will make music unto Hashem.
7 Shema, Hashem, when I call with my voice; chaneini also upon me, and answer me.
8 When my lev said of Thee, Seek ye My face, my lev said unto Thee, Thy face, Hashem, will I seek.
9 Hide not Thy face far from me; turn not Thy eved away in anger; Thou hast been my ezer; leave me not, neither forsake me, Elohei Yishi (G-d of my Salvation).
10 When avi and immi forsake me, then Hashem will take me up.
11 Teach me Thy Derech, Hashem, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the desire of mine enemies; for edei sheker are risen up against me, and such as breathe out chamas.
13 Did I not believe to see Hashem’s goodness in the Eretz Chayyim!
14 Wait for Hashem: Chazak! And strengthen thine lev. Wait, I say, for Hashem.
27 Dominus illuminatio
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who
stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my trust in him.
5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who
stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my trust in him.
5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.
7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the Lord will sustain me.
15 Show me your way, O Lord; *
lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.
16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
and also those who speak malice.
17 What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the Lord *
in the land of the living!
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the Lord will sustain me.
15 Show me your way, O Lord; *
lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.
16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
and also those who speak malice.
17 What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the Lord *
in the land of the living!
18 O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure;
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the Lord.
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the Lord.
Lukas 15:1-10Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
15 Now all the mochesim (taxcollectors) and the chote’im (sinners) were coming near Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach to listen to him.
2 And both the Perushim and the Sofrim were grumbling, saying, This one gives a kabbalat panim reception to chote’im (sinners) and eats at tish with them.
3 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them this mashal, saying,
4 What man of you, if he has meah kevasim (a hundred sheep) and has lost from them one, does not leave the tishim vteshah (ninety-nine) in the open pasture, and go for the one which has been lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders with lev same’ach. [TEHILLIM 23;119; YIRMEYAH 31:10; YECHEZKEL 34:11-16]
6 And when he returns to his bais, he calls together his chaverim and his shchenim (neighbors), saying to them, Make a simcha with me, because I have found my keves (sheep), the one that was lost!
7 I say to you that in the same way there will be more simcha in Shomayim over one choteh (sinner) who becomes a baal teshuva than over tishim vteshah tzaddikim who have no need of teshuva.
8 Or what isha having asaret (ten) drachmas, if she loses one drachma, will not light a licht (light) and sweep the bais and search carefully until she finds it?
9 And having found it, she calls together chaverim and shchenim saying, Have simcha with me, for I have found the drachma which I lost.
10 In the same way, I say to you, there is simcha in the presence of the malachim Hashem over one choteh (sinner) who becomes a baal teshuva.
LUKE 15:1-10
15Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
3 So he told them this parable: 4‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
8 ‘Or what woman having ten silver coins,* if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’
And now let us turn to the memorial service for Kristallnacht.
MEMORIAL SERVICE: THE NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS
NOVEMBER 9, 1938
Council of Christians and Jews, New South Wales, Australia
Leader:
On the evening of November 9, 1938, the German Government unleashed a pogrom against the Jews, burning down synagogues and smashing the glass fronts of Jewish shops in Berlin and all big cities in Germany and Austria. The pogrom was allegedly in retaliation for the assassination of a German diplomat at the German Embassy in Paris by the 17-year old Herschel Grynszpan.
To describe it, the Nazis coined the phrase Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass. On that night 91 Jews were killed, 30.000 Jews sent to Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg concentration camps. 5.000 Jewish shops were looted, 191 synagogues attacked, bonfires made of Torah scrolls, prayer books and volumes of Jewish history, philosophy and poetry. This action was a signal event whose importance in the history of the Shoah or Holocaust, as it is also called, is that it represents the shift from mass arrest and terror to mass murder. From the time of Kristallnacht onwards, the momentum of the Holocaust gathered force and led to the wholesale persecution and the killing of six million Jews including one and a half million children.
The Night of Broken Glass was crucial in the movement towards the Final Solution, a systematic programme of genocide, which was designed to annihilate every Jew in Europe. Soon would be added the deaths of millions of civilians, service men and women and partisans during WW II.
Let us pray the words of the Morning Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
MORNING PRAYER
O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.
In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
But you know the way for me…
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.
Your name be praised.
and ponder this:
"I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me.”
BelieveI believe in the sun
though it is late in rising.
I believe in love,
though it is absent
I believe in God
though he is silent...
(Translated from the French by Hilda Schiff. Text from an unsigned inscription found on the wall
of a cave in Cologne where Jews had been hiding, p.184)
Leader:
We remember a night of darkness and fear that swept the heartland of Christian Europe like a scourge. We remember those who were persecuted. Jews for being Jews. We remember those who spoke out, brave souls who tried to save a world.
And we remember the silence! How many stood aside, mute and unconcerned forgetting the divine command: "You shall not stand idle while your neighbour bleeds."
For the sin of silence,
For the sin of indifference,
For the secret complicity of the neutral,
For the closing of borders,
For the washing of hands from blame,
For the crime of forgetfulness,
For the sin of meaningless rhetoric,
Let there be no forgetfulness before the Throne of Glory, and let memory startle us at any moment, when we lie down and when we rise up. Let us remember and never forget.
Reading from the Prophet Ezechiel 37:1-14
Yechezkel 37:1-14Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
37 The Yad Hashem was upon me, and carried me out in the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of atzmot,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about; and, hinei, there were rabbot me’od in the open valley; and, hinei, they were very dry.
3 And He said unto me, Ben Adam, can these atzmot live? And I answered, Adonoi Hashem, Thou knowest.
4 Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these atzmot, and say unto them, O ye atzmot hayeveshot, hear the Devar Hashem.
5 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto these atzmot: Hinei, I will cause ruach to enter into you, and ye shall live;
6 And I will lay gidim (sinews, tendons) upon you, and will bring up basar upon you, and cover you with ohr (skin), and put ruach in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall have da’as that I am Hashem.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and hinei a rattling, and the atzmot came together, etzem to its etzem.
8 And when I beheld, hinei, the gidim and the basar came up upon them, and the ohr covered them above; but there was no ruach in them.
9 Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the ruach; prophesy, Ben Adam, and say to the ruach, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Come from the arba ruchot, O ruach, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the ruach came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their raglayim, a chayil gadol me’od me’od.
11 Then He said unto me, Ben Adam, these atzmot are the kol Bais Yisroel. Hinei, they say, Our atzmot are dried up, and tikvateinu (our hope) is gone; nigzarnu lanu (we are cut off).
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, O My people, I will open your keverot, and cause you to come up out of your keverot, and bring you into Admat Yisroel (the Land of Israel).
13 And ye shall know that I am Hashem, when I have opened your keverot, O My people, and brought you up out of your keverot,
14 And shall put My Ruach in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I Hashem have spoken it, and performed it, saith Hashem.
Ezekiel 37:1-14New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath[a] to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath[b] in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath:[c] Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath,[d] and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”
Leader: Let us now remember as we are able, in silence.
(At the end of 2 minutes of silence, glass will be broken)
All:
God in Heaven we remember.
We remember the Night of Broken Glass.
We remember the burning of synagogues.
We remember the looting of schools.
We remember the destruction of orphanages.
We remember the arrests, the deportations, the deaths.
Leader:
God in Heaven we pray. We pray that with the breaking of this glass, our hearts may be broken in love and reconciliation. We pray that with the burning of the synagogues we too might burn with commitment to ensure that this never happens again. We pray that with the looting of schools, we too are pillaged of false pride and nameless fear, so that we might stand up for our neighbour. We pray that with the destruction of orphanages, hatred and oppression may be forever destroyed and the innocent be protected. We pray that those who suffered might teach us the enormity of silence in the face of injustice. God in Heaven, hear us we pray.
Kaddish
(The Kaddish is the Jewish prayer which is recited during the period of mourning and on every anniversary of a deceased member of a Jewish family or community. It prays that God may establish His kingdom of peace in the world.)
Yitgadal veyitkadash shemay rabba (Amen), b’alma div’ra chirutay veyamlich malchutay bechayechon uv’yomechon uv’chayay di chol bet Yisrael, ba’agala uviz’man kariv- v’imru Amen. Yehay shemay rabba mevorach l’alam ul’almay almaya.
Yitbarach veyishtabach veyitpa’ar veyitromam veyitnasay veyit’hadar veyitalay veyit’halal shemay di kudsha - Berich Hu- l’ayla min kol birchaata veshiratat tushbechata venechemata di amiran b’alma-v’imru Amen. Yehay shelama rabba min shemaya vechayim alaynu v’al kol Yisrael-v’imru Amen.
Osay shalom bimromav hu ya’aseh shalom v’al kol Yisrael-v’imru Amen.
Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which he has created according to his will. May he establish his kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire house of Israel, speedily and soon: and say Amen. May his great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be he beyond all the blessings and hymns, praised and consolation that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel: and say, Amen. He who creates peace in his celestial heights, may he create peace for us and for all Israel: and say, Amen. Choral Items
Leader:
Let us pray that we will be people of compassion who will make a space for the other.
All:
We share the world"s horror at the tragic loss of life resulting from terrorism in_____ and other parts of the world. Together we mourn for the victims and grieve with those whose loss is so great. As people of faith we pray for peace and call on world leaders to respond by seeking justice, not revenge. May the God of peace protect us all.
Shofar: The shofar is sounded
++++
A Smudging Prayer
Creator,
our Father in heaven,
we come to you as your children.
We confess that we are weak and broken images of you.
We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ.
May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies.
We pray that your Holy Spirit
will help us to worship in spirit and truth.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you.
Amen.
Prayer to end Genocide
By: Education for Justice
O Lord, we cry to you, with deep pain in our hearts and souls.
Our hearts ache, because of genocide caused by
the lust for power,
cruel hatred for others,
because of their race, religion or physical differences.
God of all, the heavens weep, the winds whisper
through this great world you have created.
We hear and feel the weeping in our own souls.
Open our eyes and cleanse our souls
that we may always remember the awful injustices.
How long, O God, will we look with empty souls and eyes, how long?
The answer, "Until you feel my pain for all my children."
We cry in shame. Forgive us Lord.
Amen.
Holy God, G_D, Allah, Creator of the world and God of Many names who made us in you image and likeness we pray this night and light our candles in memory and witness to all who have died in any genocide our world has ever known. We light our candles and remember the Women's holocaust in the Middle Ages, The Native Americans who walked the Trail of Tears and were killed by viruses brought to the New World, We pray for the Armenians who perished and The Great Holocaust that took the lives of 6,000,000 million Jews and others. We pray for the victims of modern day genocides in this era of terrorism and ethnic cleansing. We pray that we may look upon these our brothers and sisters who perished as a reminder of how easy it is to go down the slippery slope of hate, terror, fear, vengeance, and bigotry. We pray for peace in this fragile and broken world that we may be peace makers and truth tellers to our family members who do not know the history of these atrocities. We pray this night that we may stop the hate and new apartheid systems that infect the world. We pray that we may be compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful. Let us always remember and never forget.
Jesus (God, G_d)help us to remember who our neighbor is by praying for our family members below.
Those who died in any genocide.
Women
Men
Children
Enemies
Refugees, immigrants of any kind
Caregivers
Those who don't share your political or religious beliefs
LGBTQ family members
Elderly
Family members with whom we are estranged
Everyone
The sick and the suffering
The mentally ill and memory challenged
Those living with H.I. V./ A.I.D.S
Everyone
Those who have caused you harm or abused you
Those who hate you or you hate ( Not acceptable)
Those who have forgiven you and those whom you have forgiven
Everyone
Those who do not share the same ethnicity or race as you
Political prisoners
Prisoners of war
Those who cause terror, violence, bullying, and do unspeakable things.
Everyone
Jews
Christians
Muslims
Buddhists
Hindus
All faith communities
Everyone
Indigenous peoples
Victims of Human Trafficking
Everyone
Cancer patients,
Chronically ill
The disabled
The poor
The homeless
The hungry
The lonely,
The lost,
The unemployed
The farm worker
Everyone
The misunderstood
The learning disabled
The marginalized
The invisible ones
The least of these
Everyone
The family of nations and all the peoples God's world
Jesus (God, G_d) we pray for all of our family members nearby,stranger, and enemy and in particular those mentioned about that we may love one another as you have loved us . May we strive to be better at loving, accepting, and including everyone. We know that in Your world all means all and not some. May we continue to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you to the end of our days and beyond. Amen.
We pray for peace within ourselves, our nation, the troubled places of the world especially in Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria, the Middle East (Israel, The Palestinian Authority-Gaza, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan), African countries (Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Darfur, South Sudan, The Sudan), Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, The United States, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, The Ukraine, Central America, South America, and all other places in the world where there is violence, inequality, injustice, tribal discord, and sectarian violence.
The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
For the Diversity of Races and Cultures
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you
for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and
show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until
our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all
your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.
Christ Has No Body. by Teresa of Avila.
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks. Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
God we thank you for the gift of peace that dwells with each and every one of us if we allow ourselves to let you and the "peace that passes all understanding" in and your still small voice in. Help us to be still and know that you are always a Loving and Merciful God.
May the blessing of the God of Abraham and Sarah, and of Jesus
Christ born of our sister Mary, and of the Holy Spirit, who broods
over the world as a mother over her children, be upon you and
remain with you always. Amen
Visit this place, O Lord, and drive far from it all snares of the
enemy; let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in
peace; and let your blessing be upon us always; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
God bless us and keep us,
God’s face shine on us and be gracious to us,
and give us light and peace.
++++++
Good night all! I love you ! Have a blessed night. Let us always remember and love each other and never forget.
With love,
Sara
Resources:
Lectionary Page
Bible Gateway
Metis Ministries
Enriching Our Worship
Book of Common Prayer
YouTube
All other portions are cited above.
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