Letanía por Ucrania

Aqui esta una versión de mi “Litany for Ukraine” en Español, generosamente traducido por Rubén Ortiz

Dios, estamos desconsolados por nuestros hermanos ucranianos.
Por quienes están sufriendo,
Por los desplazados,
Por quienes están luchando,
Por quienes están muriendo,
Por quienes tienen miedo,
Por quienes son audaces,
Por aquellos a los que les falta la esperanza.

Estamos tristes y enfermos de corazón.
Otra guerra nuevamente contra inocentes, contra cualquiera.
Nos lamentamos y enlutamos por esta tragedia.
Nos comprometernos a prestar nuestra fuerza y ​​amor por los que están luchando,
Incluso mientras pedimos que cese todo derramamiento de sangre.
Tal y como Cristo se avergüenza de la violencia, así también lo hacemos. 

Pedimos una pronta resolución de esta guerra y el fin de esta invasión.
Pedimos paz y seguridad para todos los ucranianos.
Pedimos líderes sabios y audaces que sean inteligentes, creativos y comprometidos con el bien de todos.
Pedimos la paz en el continente europeo.
Pedimos, y promulgamos con nuestros cuerpos, un mundo donde la guerra y la agresión nunca sean una opción.
Pedimos que la verdadera justicia y la paz reine sobre toda la tierra.

Frustra a los sanguinarios y hambrientos de poder, Dios (1).
No tengas a bien a los codiciosos.
Destruye los planes de los malvados.
Confunde la mente de los malhechores.

De alguna manera, sabemos que también debemos amar al enemigo de Ucrania (2).
De alguna manera, debemos buscar compasión de Dios para los invasores.
De alguna manera, sabemos que debemos encarnar la paz y el perdón de Cristo (3).
De alguna manera, no debemos permitir que el mal gane al final del día. Ayúdanos.

Oh Dios, la guerra nos lleva a los mismos confines de nosotros mismos -
Los bordes de nuestra propia humanidad;
Nos lleva tan lejos que no tenemos más remedio que recordar nuestra divinidad, que somos imagen de Dios, Imago Dei,
Si descansamos en Aquel que ama a todos.
Cristo nos deja su paz con nosotros (4),
Hagamos que la humanidad se agarre de ella.

Amén


1) Salmo 57:3

2) Mateo 5:44

3) Juan 20:22,23

4) Juan 14:27


Litany for Ukraine

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As Russia continues its unprovoked and evil invasion of Ukraine, we pray to the Lord for our siblings there.
This prayer is intended to be prayed aloud in congregations or gatherings of any size, with attribution.

God, we are heartbroken for our Ukrainian siblings
For all who are suffering,
For all who are displaced,
For all who are fighting,
For all who are dying,
For all who are fearful,
For all who are resolute, 
For all who feel hopeless.

We are sad and sick at heart
That war has once again been waged on innocents, on anyone.
We lament and mourn this tragedy
And commit to lending our strength and love to those in the fight,
Even as we ask for all bloodshed to cease.
As Christ has shamed violence, so do we.

We ask for a quick resolution to this war and an end to this invasion.
We ask for peace and safety for all Ukrainians.
We ask for wise and bold leaders who are clever, creative, and committed to the good of all.
We ask for peace on the European continent.
We ask for, and enact with our bodies, a world where war and aggression are never an option.
We ask for true justice and peace to reign over all the earth.

Thwart the bloodthirsty and power-hungry, God (1).
Deny the greedy.
Lay waste to the plans of the wicked.
Confuse the minds of evil-doers.

Somehow, we know we must love Ukraine’s enemy with them (2).
Somehow, we must tap into the compassion of God for these invaders.
Somehow, we know we must embody the peace and forgiveness of Christ (3).
Somehow, we must not let evil win the day. Help us.

Oh God, war brings us to the very ends our ourselves -
The edges of our own humanity;
It takes us so far that we have no choice but to remember our divinity, our Imago Dei,
If we are to continue in Love at all.
Christ left his peace with us (John 14:27),
Now let humanity take hold of it.

Amen

  1. Psalm 57:3

  2. Matthew 5:44

  3. John 20:22,23



Litany for Afghanistan

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Thanks for reading and subscribing.
You can find archived litanies here, and purchase my book here.
Attribution guidelines are here.

This is a prayer for Afghanistan as that nation is in the midst of great turmoil and fear, in light of the US withdrawal after 20 years of occupation and war, and the return of the rule of the Taliban.

God, we remember to you those suffering in Afghanistan:
Non-combatants in fear for their lives and livelihoods, 
Women and girls historically abused and oppressed by the Taliban, 
Troops and workers watching the dissolution of decades of work, 
Soldiers mourning lost comrades, 
All who have worked and hoped for a better future for Afghanistan. 

We don’t claim to understand everything about what’s happening there,
But we know pain and chaos when we see it. 
The people of Afghanistan are our family; 
When they hurt, we hurt. 

God, bring peace and comfort to the Afghan people. 
Let the land no longer be a place of war and conflict. 
Bring just government and leaders who are fair and upright. 
Let inequality and oppression be relics of the past. 
Upend the cause of the unjust and destroy the plans of the wicked.
Restore the nation of Afghanistan to its truest beauty, it’s sacred home.

Forgive us for ways we, our government, our military, have been complicit in the chaos there.
Guide our government and military authorities in the path of insight (1).
May they learn to wield power in ways that help and not harm, 
To prevent war rather than perpetuate it, 
To know when to intervene on behalf of the vulnerable,
And when to mind their own business. 

We pray, here and abroad, for people and governments
That act justly and love mercy, 
That work persistently for the good of all, 
That protect and serve the vulnerable,
That uplift the oppressed,
That root out injustice. 

May God’s good community, your Kin-dom family,
Come on earth as it is in heaven. 

Amen

1) Proverbs 9:6


Litany for No More War

On this Epiphany day, please join Red Letter Christians today in a prayer vigil at 6pm (in your timezone). If you can’t attend a larger gathering, grab whomever you live with or nearby, light a candle, share a moment of silence and #prayforpeace. This litany may be used (with attribution, please) in any prayer gathering focused on peace. Please share and pray. #nowarwithiran

We must cultivate peace in our own hearts first, allowing the Peace of Christ to root there. This is our work as we pray for peace in the whole earth.

God, we come now to cultivate peace in our hearts
That it may reverberate outward.
We ask that the Peace of Christ, 
The peace beyond understanding,
The peace that blesses enemies,
The peace that turns the other cheek,
The peace that leaves vengeance in your hands,
The peace that seeks empathy,
The peace that practices justice and compassion,
The peace that dissolves ego - 

This baffling and impossible possibility,
This radical peace,
Would rest upon the whole world now,
At home in our hearts, and abroad. 

We do not want to witness more loss of life,
More destruction of homes and livelihoods,
More degradation of land and waterways,
More human suffering.

We do not come to peace lightly.
We know that true peace disrupts violent patterns.
We are not expecting convenience or ease. 
And still, we want true peace;
That our nation may know no more war,
And our children inherit no more suffering. 

Oh God, put a stop to war [with Iran] before it begins.
Raise up peace in the hearts of war-mongers,
Let the egos of the violent be silenced,
And let us move into a more beautiful future;
Our feet firm and confident on the Path of Peace (1),
Our words and actions rooted in the Peace of Christ.  

Amen

  1. Luke 1:79

Litany for Strength (Proper 16, Year B)

Much of the book of Ephesians is a re-imagination of how followers of The Way should respond to ordinary yet oppressive paradigms, subverting and disarming them. This litany is inspired by a reading of the Lectionary epistle for the week, from Ephesians 6, in which the author re-imagines weapons and weaponry in light of the paradigm of Christ. We no longer require conventional weapons and armor - they won't get us anywhere in this work. We need imagination and presence and persistence instead, the mind of Christ. We are invited into a new kind of strength, one that looks altogether different than violence, subjugation, and hierarchy; one that elevates Love's authority above all.

 

God, we live in soul-testing times
God, give us strength.
Times when evil is cloaked as politics and religion
God, give us strength.
When moral catastrophe is normal
God, give us strength.
When lies are told more often than truth
God, give us strength.

We put on the whole armor of God,
Belt of truth,
Breastplate of righteousness,
Peace at our feet,
Shield of faith,
Helmet of salvation,
Sword of the Spirit,
Daily rhythm of prayer (1).

We strengthen ourselves - not to kill
But to bring life!
To set free!
To wage peace!

Because we know that our enemies don’t wear human flesh,
But are found in systems, power structures, age-old traditions,
Powers of darkness,
Forces of evil;
And our best arms and ammunition
Are the love and light of Christ.

For freeing prisoners and making the dead rise,
God give us strength.
For breaking down injustice and resisting despair and apathy,
God, give us strength.
For undoing broken paradigms and rebuilding healthy ones,
God give us strength.

We ask for help, that we may be strong in times of trouble,
Steadfast under pressure,
Kind in the face of evil,
Peaceful in the wake of chaos. Amen

1) Ephesians 6:13-17

Litany for 9/11

Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This litany will also be posted on Godspace. I have reposted it here for the sake of my catalog.


God, we remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
We know that you remember them too, and are keeping them in your care.

We acknowledge the pervasiveness of violence in our world:
    Sometimes it explodes with intent to kill
And has its success, as on 9/11.
And sometimes it creeps in subtly:
    In attitudes and mindsets, in worldviews and passing words.
We find it even here in our own hearts.

Cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and restore us to justice.
We rely upon your mercy.

Grant that we may forgive those who have committed atrocities against us
And remember them also to your merciful love.
We hear your words to us: “Do not resist an evil person;” (1)
We are baffled and astonished at this instruction.
We have no paradigm for understanding a peaceable kingdom,
Other than your example.

Console us in our grief, Oh Lovely One.
Speak to us in our confusion.
Guide our feet on the path of peace. (2)
Be to us a light in darkness,
A lamp of peace drawing us lovingly in.

Amen


(1) Matthew 5:39
(2) Luke 1: 78-79
 

A Bilingual Litany: Litany for Wars (English/Arabic)

My friend Sara, who is from Jordan, helped me with some Arabic phrases for bilingual litanies. "Emnahna al salam" means "grant us peace."

em-NAH-HH-nah AHL sa-LAHM (you make the H-sound as a syllable)

I encourage you to try saying the phrase out loud, even if the words feel strange in your mouth, to speak in solidarity with those Arabic-speakers whose nations are at war and in deep suffering. Your willingness to discomfort yourself in this small way then becomes its own kind of prayer: stumbling, mis-pronounced, and self-conscious, but heart-felt. I have Syria in mind for this litany, but the name of any war-torn nation may be substituted.

God, wars rage and nations are in turmoil.
Emnahna al salam.
Only the power of God can turn hearts and minds toward peace.
Emnahna al salam.

In your mercy, look upon the people of Syria.
Emnahna al salam.
Look upon the poor and vulnerable;
Emnahna al salam.
Look upon the sick and wounded;
Emnahna al salam.
Look upon the government and political leaders;
Emnahna al salam.
Look upon those whose pockets are lined by war;
Emnahna al salam.
Look upon those who are caught up in violence and cannot see a way out.
Emnahna al salam.
Bring your justice and mercy swiftly.
Emnahna al salam.

Spoil the plans of those who instigate trouble because of greed and power-hunger.
Emnahna al salam.
Rescue those who are suffering from violence and unjust government.
Emnahna al salam.
Fill the hearts of those who can help with compassion and strength.
Emnahna al salam.
Empower leaders whose hearts understand the goal of Love, and who enact justice.
Emnahna al salam.

May the spirit of Christ, the Prince of Peace, be strong in that region.
Emnahna al salam.

Amen

Litany for November 2015

Oh Great God, we lean upon your compassion and mercy today. Our hearts are troubled, our minds disturbed, and our spirits reach out to you for the sake of our sisters and brothers across the world.
Bring true justice to the world, Oh God.

We lift up the families in Kenya whose loved ones were murdered in the attack on Garissa University.
Give them comfort, Oh God.
We lift up those around the world who are bought and sold into slavery, with little hope of escape.
Give them hope, Oh God.
We lift up those refugees fleeing their home countries, Syria and others, because their lives are endangered and terrorized by war and corruption.
Give them respite, Oh God.
We lift up those in Japan whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by earthquake.
Give them shelter, Oh God.
We lift up those living and dying amidst civil war in Yemen
Give them safety, Oh God.
We lift up the loved ones of those killed by suicide bombers in Beirut, Lebanon, and those who were wounded in the attacks there.
Give them healing, Oh God.
We lift up the people of Paris, those whose lives were extinguished by bombers and gunmen, and those who remain in mourning.
Give them peace, Oh God.

Where there are violence, terror, war, and trauma,
Bring the Way of Peace.
Where there are suffering, mourning, and heavy hearts,
Bring the Balm of Gilead.

We cling to the hope of Christ, whose kingdom is now and not yet, coming and near; whose ways are unexpected, whose love never fails, and whose justice will rule the earth.
Come, Lord Jesus

Grant us ways to participate in advancing your kingdom and your justice, through prayer, service, hospitality, generosity, kindness, and love.

We say with the Psalmist:

      Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
      Your faithfulness to the skies.
      Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
      Your justice like the great deep.

Amen