This litany is drawn from a reading of the Lectionary passages for the Third Sunday in Easter, Year B.
Resurrected Christ, you came to us after your journey through death,
Speaking peace,
Eating and drinking,
Embodied and whole.
And yet, your body still bore the scars of your acceptance,
The marks of your ordeal.
As we, too, bear the scars of our trauma
In this we find hope.
In your body you wear the full arc of humanity:
It’s struggle and hope,
It’s birth and death,
It’s pain and redemption.
Also you carry the full spectrum of divinity:
Creation’s origin,
The seeds of the cosmos
Love’s power.
And these are echoed within us, too:
In Spirit’s presence,
In DNA’s intertwined strands,
In Imago Dei. (1)
So we set out to echo, each day of our lives on this earth,
Your “Peace Be With You,” (2)
Your graceful mission,
Your healing presence,
Your hopeful faith,
Your unstoppable love.
Grant that we may reflect the fullness of your beauty
In all we are, all we say, and all we do.
Amen.
(1) Imago Dei is a latin term meaning "image of God" that applies to humans and refers to the relationship between Creator and created.
(2) Luke 24:36
Easter Week 2 (Year B): Litany for the Resurrected Christ
This litany follows along with the Lectionary Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter. For more litanies, consider becoming a patron.
Resurrected Christ, as you appeared to your apostles, speaking peace and showing them the evidence of your ordeal and victory,
Appear to us now.
Be with us and among us
As we learn to live resurrected lives.
We see now that you always lived as though resurrection were possible
Even before you had done that work.
Your every breath, step, and touch,
Was a testament to the newness of life.
Breathe on us, Resurrected Christ
That we may receive your spirit. (1)
Breathe on us, Resurrected Christ,
That we may receive your peace.
Breathe on us, Resurrected Christ,
That we may receive your life.
Breathe on us, Resurrected Christ,
That we may be of one heart and soul. (2)
Teach us how to live with the hope and assurance
That new life is just around the corner.
Teach us how to live with the peace and trust,
That what looks to us like death is resurrection’s first act.
And may we walk this earth,
Speaking peace,
Fostering healing,
And living out resurrection.
Amen
1) John 20:22
2) Acts 4:32
Easter Day (Year B): Litany for Christ’s Life
God, in human form you lived on the earth,
Doing ordinary things;
But also doing extraordinary things:
Preaching, teaching, healing, calling.
You proclaimed the Good News from a human mouth:
The Kingdom of God is here!
Your good work and proclamation drew the attention of worldly powers
Who perceived it as a threat,
Because it was: The kingdom of God undoes everything it touches
And builds it again newly.
And, by the power of human sin, violence, and confusion -
You were killed -
A fate you did not resist, but instead accepted -
You were buried -
So that you might shame the powers, and teach them a new way:
You were resurrected!
Hallelujah! This changes everything!
Hallelujah!
From the enemies we love, to the suffering we accept -
Hallelujah!
From the violence we reject, to the justice-mercy-healing work we do -
Hallelujah!
This Way-of-God-come-down-to-earth completely rearranges our perspective!
Hallelujah!
For Christ has torn the temple down
And rebuilt it.
The Way of God came down.
The Way of God lives on in us.
Amen
Good Friday (Year B): Litany for Christ's Work
I encourage everyone to read the lectionary passages for Good Friday, Year B, before reading this litany.
God, we know that in our darkest hour, when we feel like you have forsaken us
You are with us.
There, in the darkness and pain,
You are with us.
In the grief and disappointment,
You are with us.
We know that the pain is never unending,
Although it consumes us in the moment.
We know that the end of the story is never death
Although we often feel it is.
We know that the darkness of a tomb is never our ultimate home,
Although when we’re there we feel we will never leave.
We know that the Savior, God Incarnate, went willingly to pain, death, and tomb,
To show us the end of suffering.
And in his suffering,
We find hope.
In his going down to darkness,
We find light.
In his succumbing to death,
We find life.
Christ allowed the powers of this world to do their dirty work on him,
So he could teach us about redemption.
And it is on this work, Christ’s work, that we meditate,
To learn something precious.
Amen
Palm Sunday (Year B): Litany for the Passion
This litany follows along with the story of the Passion of Christ in Mark's Gospel. You can also find a litany for the Palms here.
God, you showed us who you are in the incarnation:
Yourself as human,
Coming down to earth, enduring human suffering,
Becoming a servant.
And despite your meekness
You offended the Powers;
You drew the wrath of religious and political establishments
You became their scapegoat.
You endured mocking and scorn,
A crown of thorns,
Brutal violence,
And went to death with forgiveness on your lips.
You, Great Heart, have shamed the Powers that killed you:
Exposed violence,
Eschewed vengeance,
And by acceptance, defeated death.
In refusing to repay violence with violence,
You showed us the Path of Peace.
In forgiving your enemies and abusers,
You demonstrated love the world had never seen.
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Lent 5 (Year B): Litany for Losing
Today's litany comes from the Lectionary text in John 12 for week 5 of Lent (Year B).
God, it’s an upside-down, unexpected world you’ve made.
We can’t assume we understand anything.
Your imagination is unfathomable;
We can spend our whole lives exploring your ways.
To gain status
We must become lowly.
To grow up
We must root down.
To be glorified
We must embrace death. (John 12:24)
To gain life
We must lose it. (John 12:25)
To gain assurance
We must embrace paradox.
We all face loss in this life:
Loss of loved ones
Loss of status
Loss of fortune
Loss of certainty
In loss we choose: hope or misery.
For in your unfathomable mystery, what was lost
Is found.
What was buried in death
Is planted.
What was useless
Is glorified.
What was old
Is new.
What was hopeless,
Is full of possibility.
Help us to remember the hopelessness of Christ
As he lay in the tomb;
How in his stillness, in his loss,
Lay the seeds of life.
Amen
Lent 4 (Year B): Litany for Sickness
This week's Lectionary selections include the account of Moses raising up a bronze serpent in the desert for the healing of the Hebrews, then the later comparison in John 3 of Christ being raised up; so that all who see him can receive healing.
God we are sick in so many ways -
Some from trauma,
Some from our own sinful ways,
Some from hardship,
Not a one of us unaffected
By humanity’s broken choices.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (1)
So was Christ lifted up (2);
That, by seeing him and becoming awake to his work
We might be healed (3).
For in him there is no condemnation
But healing for the nations (4).
By grace we have been rescued
It is the gift of God (5) --
From sickness and death
To wholeness and life --
You have raised us up with Christ
And seated us with him in the heavenly places (6).
We thank you, God, for your steadfast love
For your wonderful works to humankind:
You sent out your word to heal us
And delivered us from destruction (7).
We were asleep through our sickness.
You are making us awake with Christ (8).
Amen
Numbers 21:8
John 3:14
John 3:15
John 3:16,17
Ephesians 2:8
Ephesians 2:5,6
Psalm 107:20,21
Ephesians 2:1,5
Lent 3 (Year B): Litany for Anger
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This week in the Lectionary, we read the account of Jesus clearing the temple of corruption in John 2. We get the idea that the sellers and moneychangers who had set up shop there are perhaps doing some corruption, and Jesus is mad about it. Using religion for economic gain, perhaps? Exploiting the poor in the name of religion? Wielding economic power unjustly? Maybe confusing the economic interests of a wealthy few with the good of all? Or maybe confusing their "rights" with their responsibility to care for the poor and dependent?
Whatever it was, Jesus wasn't having it. He got angry and caused a ruckus. He turned tables and dumped moneyboxes, and had himself a good cathartic outburst. I wonder how long he'd held it in before he finally let it boil over?
And this scripture is timely. I think a lot of us are angry. Some of us, because we feel threatened and defensive in light of the justice movements happening in our culture. Some of us, because we've been victimized and justice still hasn't come. We need the contemplative mind, the self-reflective mind, the non-reactive mind, to help us through angry times.
God, we are angry:
Angry at injustice,
Angry at violence,
Angry at empire.
Some of us are angry and acting out
Some of us are asleep to our anger
Some of us are stuck in anger.
Some of us have buried our anger.
Some of us are angry because we feel threatened.
Some of us are angry because we feel victimized.
We wait for the day when we are at peace
When mercy reigns
When all hearts are filled with love
When we don’t need anger anymore.
Until that day, help us oh God, to handle our anger with care;
To not be consumed by it
To funnel it into justice and mercy,
To temper it with strong love,
To be angry without sin,
To do justly without vengeance.
Let the words of our mouths
And the meditation of our hearts
Be acceptable to you, O LORD,
Our rock and our redeemer. (1)
Make of us,
By prayer, fasting, and charity,
By spiritual practice and discipline,
A people filled with love.
Amen
1) Psalm 19:4
Lent 2 (Year B): Litany for Memento Mori
A few months ago I purchased an ornamental skull and hung it on a wall. It’s gilt, and made to look like the skull of some kind of bull. I didn’t really know why I did this, except that there was something about the skull that was compelling to me; something edgy but true. In other words I didn’t do this strictly for decorative reasons. I hung it in the bathroom, which freaked the children out a little, but now everyone sees the skull whenever they do the business that living people do.
Weeks later I learned, quite by accident (from Sister Theresa Aletheia on twitter), about the ancient tradition of Memento Mori (1), Latin for “remember death.” It’s the practice of intentionally remembering that death is unpredictable and imminent, to remind us to live well, do what matters, not waste time on vanities. Many people practice Memento Mori by keeping a skull in view, so that they are reminded to live well whenever they see it. I had inadvertently stumbled into my own Memento Mori practice.
So this is what I thought of when I read this week’s Lectionary reading from Mark 8. Jesus informs his followers that he will have to endure suffering, rejection, and death; and then after that he’ll rise again. Some of the apostles, particularly Peter, just can’t deal with this idea. I can just hear him: "What’s this about death? Death has no part of this equation we are working on here! Death is far away, an abstract idea! We don’t have to think about that now! How humiliating that you would even think of letting death take you, Jesus!" And Jesus rebukes Peter, telling him that in his utter denial of death having any part in the narrative, he is “setting [his] mind not on divine things but on human things” (2).
In the season of Lent we are invited to remember our mortality, and our immortality. We are given permission to contemplate what is humanly (but not divinely) considered morbid. We begin by admonishing one another: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” And we end by celebrating the life that comes after the dust, after the death.
God, we know from the narratives and themes within scripture
That the road to life is fraught with death
That the road to safety is fraught with peril
That the road to light is fraught with darkness.
We know from the narratives and themes within nature
That to get to spring we pass through winter.
That to get fertile soil, there must be compost and decay.
That to get to bloom we pass through buried seed.
We know from the narratives and themes within our own lives
That mistakes and failures teach us
That wisdom comes from experience, and often from hardship and loss
That growing up means learning hard lessons.
Death follows us everywhere we go in this life.
Nothing living is immune.
As Christ went down to death for three days
So we must follow:
Down, past death
Death to self (3)
Death to assumption
Death to expectation
Death to control
We are brought low by this humility.
And in turn, out past death we find a mystery:
What we thought was lost is found (4).
Death has hatched something altogether new:
Glorious life!
So, we accept our mission:
To live well,
To face death,
And learn the lesson of resurrection.
Amen
Mark 8:33
Mark 8:34
Mark 8:35
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Lent 1 (Year B): Litany for Dust
God, we humble ourselves before you.
You are our creator.
We remember that we are dust
And to dust our bodies will someday return. (1)
We have made a mess of things here on earth
Have mercy on us.
Our humility cannot be too great,
Nor can your mercy.
Help us now as we do the inner work
Of repentance.
Help us now as we do the necessary work
Of lament.
Help us now as we do the quiet work
Of belief.
And may the lenten work we do: fasting, prayer, giving (2)
Go toward healing the earth.
May the repentance that starts in our hearts
Grow outward.
May our inner transformation bring with it
Heaven on earth:
Where violence and murder are no more.
Where injustice is no more.
Where poverty and hunger are no more.
Where pain and prison are no more.
Let us, mere dust,
Join with you in transforming the world.
Amen
Genesis 3:18
Matthew 6:2,5,16
Ash Wednesday: Litany for Fasting
This litany is based upon references from the Lectionary readings for Ash Wednesday, Year B.
God, it is for the sake of the New Kingdom which Christ began,
For the sake of Heaven,
That we practice the disciplines of faith.
That we fast (1)
That we give charitably (2)
That we pray. (3)
We do these in hopes that our minds will be transformed
Our hearts enlightened (4),
Making us more in sync with your work
And aligned with your mission.
We remember that we are made of dust
And will return to it.
We remember that out of our ashes
You bring beauty.
We remember that out of our mourning,
You begin gladness. (5)
We don’t fast for the sake of human ambition.
We fast for your eyes only, for your goals only (6):
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
to cancel every debt. (7)
For ourselves,
And for all people.
For our hope is in the new paradigm
Which you imagined and set in motion (8):
The beautiful way
The path of peace (9).
Amen
1) Matthew 6:16
2) Matthew 6:2
3) Matthew 6:5
4) Ephesians 1:18
5) Isaiah 61:13
6) Matthew 6:1
7) Isaiah 58:6
8) Isaiah 58:11,12
9) Luke 1:79
Ascension Day: Litany for Spiritual Power
This Sunday is Ascension Day, in which we remember the ascension of Christ into heaven. The week's Lectionary reading contained the word "power" 6 times. The word stuck out to me, and I was thinking about how the church calendar and Lectionary selections are leading up to the next BIG DAY, which is Pentecost. And about how mostly we go around completely forgetful that we have any access to spiritual power at all, that we have been shared power to change things, move mountains, bring healing and peace, offer forgiveness. Seems like a first step to tapping into that might be simply acknowledging it. Just speaking the word aloud seems to bring with it a new energy. So I invite you to pray this prayer with me, as we raise your awareness of our inheritance.
Sing praises, all the earth, sing praises!
Clap your hands, dance for joy, all you people! (1)
For the Holy One is ruler over all,
Overseeing with majesty, wisdom and love. (2)
The Christ has risen from the dead.
He has scoured hell and overcome it.
The Christ has appeared in life,
Proving himself and his word
The Resurrection and the Life, the Christ,
Has ascended into heaven and is seated at Yahweh’s right hand.
We, who look to Christ as our example and our teacher,
Wait upon his promise of power.
And indeed it has been given to us:
A spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know Christ (3)
That the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened
That we may know the hope to which we are called
And the riches of our glorious inheritance,
The immeasurable greatness of his power. (4)
Christ, Help us to know
Help us to listen and understand;
Give us courage to walk in the fullness
Of the power of Christ in us.
Amen
Psalm 47:1
Psalm 93:1
Eph 1:17
Eph 1:18-19
Easter 6 (Year A): Litany for Abiding Love
The Lectionary passages for the sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A) include Acts 17, John 14, and Psalm 66. I've been contemplating what it might mean to be powered by love, as if divine love were a battery that fuels us. Or as if, when we take the bread and the cup of Eucharist, we ingest love, it becomes part of us, and fuels our activity in the world. How might we train ourselves to run on love rather than on ego? How can we learn to operate on a new system? What spiritual practices might form that pathway in us?
Eternal Divine Love,
Creator and Parent of all,
Ruler of Heaven and Earth
We are your children, your offspring. (1)
You give to all mortals life and breath
And all things.
You allot the times of our existence
And the boundaries of our places. (2)
We confess our blindness to your presence.
Make us aware of you.
We confess the smallness of our concept of you.
Enlarge our knowing.
We confess our ego-driven tendencies.
Power us instead with Love.
We have searched and groped for you
Though you are not far from each one of us. (3)
We cried aloud to you
And you have heard our prayer. (4)
We bless you,
For you have not rejected us nor removed your steadfast Love from us. (5)
Help us to keep your commandments (6)
And to abide in your Love .(7)
Amen
(1) Acts 17:28
(2) Acts 17:25,26
(3) Acts 17:27
(4) Psalm 66:17,19
(5) Psalm 66:20
(6) John 14:15
(7) John 14:21
Easter 5 (Year A): Litany for Looking at Christ
Here are the Lectionary passages for this Sunday, May 14, Year A. I have utilized the 1 Peter 2 and John 14 passages.
Eternal Christ, Out-poured Heart of God,
Merciful One,
Originator of Forgiveness,
Author of Peace:
It is to you that we can look
When we want to see God.
It is to you that we can draw near
When we want to be close to God.
It is you that we can imagine
When we want to understand God.
It is to you that we can turn
When we need to take refuge in God.
It is through you we can go;
You’re a direct route to God. (1)
You were with us all along,
But we kept on rejecting you. (2)
Now, just in the nick of time,
We are wrapping our arms around you. (3)
We rely upon your gracious promise:
That if we ask for anything in your name, you’ll do it. (4)
We ask to join you,
To be part of that divine communion --
You in God, God in you, (5)
Us, dancing and working along with you.
Where you are,
There may we be also (6)
Amen
(1) John 14:6
(2) 1 Pet 2:7
(3) 1 Pet 2:10
(4) John 14:13
(5) John 14:10
(6) John 14:3
Litany for Knowing God, Even in Suffering
Here is this week's Lectionary-based litany, containing elements from Psalm 23, John 10, and 1 Peter 2. I threw in the Hosea cause I felt like it worked.
God, you are the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1)
We want to become more aware of you (2)
We hold as our example the Christ, who suffered
But did not threaten;
The Christ, who endured abuse,
But did not return abuse; (3)
The Christ, who bore pain -
By his wounds we are healed!... (4)
Because Christ revealed the heart of God.
You desire mercy not sacrifice (5).
Because Christ has shamed the principalities and powers.
You desire the knowledge of God, not offerings (5).
Because Christ has torn the veil and made way to the Holy of Holies (6)
You desire rich relationship with us, your creations.
Come, let us press on to know the Lord
His appearing is as sure as the dawn (7).
We hear your voice -
You call to us and lead us out (8).
Wherever we go, you are with us,
Comforting, loving, restoring, guiding (9).
Be near to us, Lord, in whatever darkness or suffering we must encounter in this life,
Help us to see every pain redeemed in the light of Christ’s love.
Amen
(1)1 Pet 2:25
(2) 1Pet 2:19
(3) 1 Pet 2:23
(4) 1 Pet 2:24
(5) Hosea 6:6
(6) Matthew 27:51
(7) Hosea 6:3
(8) John 10:3
(9) Psalm 23:4
Easter 3 (Year A): Litany for the Road to Emmaus
The Lectionary texts for the third week of Easter (Year A) include the account in Luke of Jesus walking with some disciples on the road to Emmaus. Shortly after Jesus' resurrection, they were walking along discussing all the things that had happened. Jesus joins them, but they don't recognize them, even though the "disappearance" of his body is what they're discussing. With a great deal of patience, Jesus walks along with them and expounds the whole story of how he got to be there, starting with Moses. But the disciples don't realize its him until dinnertime, after they've invited him in to eat, when he takes bread and breaks it and serves it to them - only then do they understand that it was him all along, explaining everything.
God, you are always being kind to us,
Always loving us toward yourself;
Just as Christ showed his wounds to doubting Thomas
With grace and kindness;
Just as Christ shared his story to the men walking the road to Emmaus
With patience and generosity.
It is this deep grace,
This boundless giving,
This patient character,
This kind regard for all;
That inspires our hearts,
And by which we recognize you.
Relentlessly, you give of yourself
So that we might know and understand you.
Over and over again, you kindly explain the story
In words we can take in.
We know you instantly, the moment you break bread with us --
We can see you in your glorious reality.
Make our hearts ready for more:
More understanding
More responsibility
More of your kingdom;
And graciously work with us where we are confused
So that we may see you in your full beauty.
Amen
Easter 2 (Year A): Litany for Fear
The Lectionary passage from the Gospels for the second Sunday in Eastertide is from John 20, in which Jesus appears to the disciples in the house where they are huddled up after the crucifixion, terrified for their lives, afraid the Jewish authorities will connect them with the rebel Jesus who was put to death over the weekend. The doors are locked, windows barred; I imagine everyone is tiptoeing trying to be quiet, trying not to need to use the outhouse.
Jesus, ignoring the locked doors, appears among them, right into the midst of their terror, offering them peace. He graciously lets them see his wounds. And then he breathes on them the gift of the Spirit. It's quite the entrance.
God, we are caught up in fears
Of things known and unknown
As the disciples huddled in a house, fearful after Christ’s death
So we tend to lock our doors.
We forget that when we lock our doors, nothing can enter
Neither the bad nor the good.
But Perfect Love doesn’t need a door -
Christ has appeared among us, even so!
Into our darkest, most fearful places
Jesus has walked right in!
Into our most doubtful moments
Jesus has spoken Peace. (1)
We saw in his wounds, the evidence of death and pain upon him,
Our worst fears realized in his flesh.
What we learned is that our worst fears are not the end:
Life has overcome death;
Joy has overcome pain;
Love has overcome fear. (2)
The one who went before us, straight into the heart of darkness --
The Risen Christ has overcome the world. (3)
Breathe upon us, Lord Christ:
The breath of hope and peace,
The breath of Perfect Love,
The breath of the Spirit of God. (4)
Amen
(1) John 20:21
(2) 1 John 4:18
(3) John 16:33
(4) John 20:22
Resurrection Sunday (Year A): Litany for the Story
Here are the Lectionary texts for Easter morning, Year A. I have tried to draw elements from each text, plus an additional reference from John 2. Hallelujah! He is Risen!
God, You have loved us with an everlasting love;
You have continually been faithful (Jeremiah 31:3)
You are our strength.
You are our salvation. ((Psalm 118:14)
This is the story of Jesus of Nazareth:
He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power.
He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.
He was put to death on a cross and his body laid in a tomb. (Acts 19:38,39)
“Tear this temple down,” he said,
“In three days I will rebuild it!” (John 2:19)
And so it is:
On the third day,
As the disciples Mary and Mary Magdalene have seen:
Christ’s tomb is empty! (John 20:1)
An angel has rolled away the stone: (Matthew 28:2)
He is not there.
He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
We celebrate the story of Jesus Christ:
Birth, work, death, resurrection.
And we have been raised with Christ,
Who is our life. (Col 3:1,4)
Amen
Good Friday: Litany for Scapegoats and Surprises
The texts for Good Friday (Year A) are expansive and rich. In the end, I had to veer away from them specifically to get a better overall picture. I could have written a whole litany on Peter resorting to violence (scolded by Jesus) and then denying Jesus. I could have written a whole litany with imagery from Psalm 22, which Jesus quotes in his last breath. I could have written a whole litany on "approaching the throne... with boldness" from Hebrews 10. It was just too much to pull together into a bite-sized congregational litany. Alas.
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God
Who was sacrificed;
Who was Scapegoat,
Who willingly went to death,
Who gave himself over to principalities and powers
So that they could be undone.
Everything we thought we knew about justice,
Everything we thought we knew about God
All our expectations of power and force
Our preconceived notions of victory
Were overturned in Christ
The old ideas are shadows.
Christ, who went to death
To prove life;
Who went to defeat
To prove victory;
Who went to darkness
To prove light.
Who went to pain
To prove joy.
We wait with you, Son of God, in mourning and quiet,
In the darkness of Good Friday,
Until the day dawns
And the Morning Star surprises our hearts. (1)
Amen
(1)2 Pet 1:19
Maundy Thursday (Year A): Litany for Dinner and Foot-washing
The Lectionary texts for Maundy Thursday include the account of the commands concerning Passover remembrance in Exodus, of Christ's celebration of Passover in 1 Corinthians, and the story of Jesus washing feet after dinner from John 13. Jesus brings the Passover story right back to himself, and then ties it up with a bow of down-and-dirty servanthood.
God, we receive the love of Christ.
We receive his great example,
We receive the power and work he demonstrated by your spirit;
And we receive the commands he has given.
This is Christ’s command:
That we love one another (John 13:34)
Just as Christ loved his disciples and others he met.
As Christ has done so must we do.
This is Christ’s example:
Washing the feet of his friends; (John 13:14-15)
Humbly doing the work of a servant
Becoming vulnerable, laying down his life.
This is Christ’s legacy
Which we receive as the gift of heaven:
Where once there was sacrifice,
Now there is mercy. (Hosea 6:6)
Where once there was flesh and blood,
Now there are bread and wine. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
The mercy of God has been made known in the body of Christ.
The character of God has been made known in the work of Christ.
He has shown us a way forward,
And we will follow the path of peace.
Amen