The Risk of Prayer

Thoughts and prayers are powerful - and not just empty mantras

In November 2018 following a massacre in Thousand Oaks, California, Bishops United Against Gun Violence — an activist group of bishops in the Episcopal Church — offered a “Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting” to commemorate the dead, to comfort their loved ones, and to honor survivors and first responders.

Since then, they’ve regularly — and sadly — updated the litany.

I tweeted it tonight in rage and sadness listening to the news about the massacre of little school children in Uvalde, Texas.

Merely tweeting it was an act of defiance, prayer, lament, and empowerment. I strongly encourage you to pray the entire thing. Thoughts and prayers can really mean something — if those thoughts and prayers reveal the extent of evil and break our hearts with the love and sorrow of God.

In lament and litany, we can discover we have the power to act.

Most humbly, I urge any of you with parish or worship responsibilities to consider using this litany in public worship this Memorial Day weekend.

I have written Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church and begged him to exhort every church in our denomination to pray the Bishops United litany this week. I ask you to join me in urging the leaders of all major faith communities to make this liturgy — or some other appropriate and meaningful prayer of memorial for gun violence — central in worship this weekend.

Please leave suggestions for activist organizations and political movements that people can support for gun safety, limiting access to guns, and other gun reforms below in the comment thread.

Remember the victims in your thoughts. Never forget. Pray. And pray again. With these words and with groans too great for words. And act. Take to the streets. Our lives depend on it. Our children’s lives depend on it.

And my most humble thanks to readers of The Cottage outside of the United States. We cherish your friendship and covet your prayers. Knowing we are part of a larger, loving human family makes a difference to us here.

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"It always seems impossible until it's done."
- Nelson Mandela

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Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting

God of peace, we remember all those who have died in incidents of mass gun violence in this nation’s public and private spaces.

Six dead at the Wisconsin Sikh Temple.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Twelve dead at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Twenty-eight dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead at Santa Monica College, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Seven dead at a Hialeah, Florida apartment complex.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Thirteen dead at the Washington Navy Yard.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at Fort Hood, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Seven dead in Isla Vista, near UC Santa Barbara.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at Marysville Pilchuck High School in Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Nine dead at Emanuel AME in Charleston, South Carolina.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Sixteen dead at a San Bernardino, California office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at Umpqua Community College, Oregon.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a Hesston, Kansas office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at a Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania backyard party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Fifty dead at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead in Fresno, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Eight dead in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at an Eaton Township, Pennsylvania supermarket.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Nine dead at a Plano, Texas football-watching party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Fifty-nine dead at a Las Vegas, Nevada concert.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Twenty-seven dead at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Seventeen dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at the Veterans Home in Yountville, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a Nashville, Tennessee Waffle House.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at Santa Fe High School, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at the Capital Gazette Newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at the Fifth Third Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a Rite Aid distribution center in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Eleven dead at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Thirteen dead at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at a bank in Sebring, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at their homes in Ascension and Livingston parishes, Louisiana.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a home in Clinton, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead in Solon Township, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Thirteen dead at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Twenty-two dead at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at the Oregon District of downtown Dayton, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Eight dead on the road between the cities of Odessa and Midland, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead in their home in Elkmont, Alabama.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a bar in Kansas City, Kansas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at a backyard football watch party in Fresno, California
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead at a cemetery and kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead at the Molson Coors complex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at a convenience store in Springfield, Missouri.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead in the northeast side of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Eight dead at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at an office complex in Orange, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead at a home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Nine dead at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Seven dead at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at a rail yard in San Jose, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Four dead at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead in Lakewood and Denver, Colorado.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Five dead at The Church in Sacramento, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Six dead in downtown Sacramento, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ten dead at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Twenty-one dead at Robb Elementary School and one dead at a home in Uvalde, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

All those who have died in any incident of gun violence.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

For survivors of gun violence.
Grant them comfort and healing.
Hear us, Lord.

For those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Grant them peace.
Hear us, Lord.

For those first responders who care for victims of gun violence.
Protect and strengthen them.
Hear us, Lord.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

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If you are angry and heart-broken about all of this, you are not alone. You are NOT alone. Share a word below to encourage other readers at the Cottage.

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INSPIRATION

A poem for gun control? Yes.

Remember your neighbor who mistook a wolf for a dog?
He rescued a pup from a storm not realizing it was a whelp.
His trust in the pup was limited because of its strange eyes.
The man paddocked off his garden and locked up the pup at night.
— Clodagh Beresford Dunne, from her longer poem, “A Call for Stringent Gun Control on the Grounds That Caution Should Rank Above Faith in Your Neighbor’s Judgment”

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