Prayer for remembrance Sunday

Was privileged to lead worship and preach at Hillhead Baptist Church, and to consider the hopeful imagination of  Isaiah 25.1-9. There were several beautiful if poignant moments – the thoughtful, compassionate and challenging five minute multi-media presentation by the Bible Class; music that included the trumpet and the violin accompanying important words from hymns old and new. And near the end a prayer for ourselves, for the Church and for the world, that we might learn the words of the song that will silence the song of the ruthless.

Lord lead us in the ways of peace –

make us witnesses of reconciliation –

give us a holy impatience with short cuts and political expediencies.

And yes, give us courage to question assumptions

that conflict is inevitable in a globalised, polarised and destabilised world.

Help us to see all those structures of violent power,

of oppressive ideas, of instilled hostility,

as part of that great song of the ruthless,

and help us to silence it –

by persistent, patient actions of peace,

by resilient, responsive acts of reconciliation,

by gentle, gracious words of goodness

by faith-filled, faithful prayers of friendship

by holy, hopeful gestures of  healing,

So may the song of the ruthless be silenced,

by the song of the redeemed.