Light in the Broken Places* 
                                                                   Prayers of Lament, Healing, and Courage
                                      following the tragic events at Pulse Orlando  on June 12, 2016
										         June 14, 2016
These prayers are all written by UCC ministers.  Permission is given for all of these prayers to be taken and adapted for use in appropriate settings. See citations at end of service.

Time of Musical Preparation						            David Debick
  
A Time of Welcome

Words of Welcome/Call to Worship 	
We gather in grief.  
But we do not grieve as those who have no hope 
for we are a people of resurrection.  
We gather in anger.  
Not a helpless, vindictive anger, 
but one that will be transformed into effective action 
as we bear faithful witness to God’s just and peaceable realm.  
We gather in solidarity.  
Whatever our sexual identity or orientation, 
we are all members of the LGBTQ family 
since we are God’s children together.  
We gather in community.  
We reach out to Hispanic friends and neighbors 
who have experienced devastating losses.  
We gather in fellowship.  
In fellowship with one another, 
and with the Muslim community, fellow children of Abraham 
with whom we stand shoulder to shoulder in opposition to Islamophobia.  
We gather in love.  
Determined that hate will not rule the day, 
we affirm our calling to love even those who would do us harm.  
We gather in memory.  
Remembering the victims, the injured, their families and communities.  
God has not forgotten them, and neither shall we.  
We gather in prayer.  
Opening ourselves and our world up to God’s healing grace.  
We gather in worship.  
We reject all idolatries including the idolatries of ideologies and guns.  
We worship the God revealed in Jesus Christ who came 
that we all might have life, and have it more abundantly.  
									The Rev. James Moos

Opening Hymn       “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”     #472 The New Century Hymnal

Opening Prayer (one)	                                                                          
  
Oh God, there is too much violence, too much hurt, too much anguish and loss. 
       	 	There is too much misuse of religion to justify the hurting of others. 
Take the anguish of our hearts and the hearts of so many, and hold us. 
        		Hold especially those whose family members and friends have died 
               	as a result of the violence in Orlando. 
In our grief let us not be paralyzed, 
         		but rather emboldened to foster a different way. 
Let our tears water the seeds of compassion 
         		and foster a renewed commitment to understanding and love. 
Let this begin where we live 
         		and may it spread into the world. Amen.
The Rev. David Long-Higgins
A Time of Remembrance

Reading the Names                                                                               Dámaris Vélez and Andy Lang

A Time of Reflection

Jeremiah 31:15		
Thus says the Lord:
A voice is heard in Ramah,
   lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
   she refuses to be comforted for her children,
   because they are no more. 

Reflection                             by Lee Ann Bryce, pastor, First Congregational UCC, Fort Worth, TX

"I do want to thank Rev. West and Celebration Church 
for hosting this vigil 
and providing a place for the community to come together.
This is a beautiful church 
and we’re grateful to be here, 
but I want to talk for a moment about gay bars. 
I came out as a lesbian many years ago 
and I’ve noticed that at times, 
particularly early in our movement for equality 
gay bars have been referred to as a sort of necessary evil; 
at one time, they were one of the few public places 
where LGBTQ people could meet and be in community. 
The truth is
long before we were widely welcomed in churches, 
we were welcomed in gay bars.
And so to me, gay bars and nightclubs, 
many of them at least, 
are like churches. 
Or at least like churches should be – 
places where you are welcomed just as you are. 
Places where you can gather with loving, supportive community 
and sort of get bolstered up 
to go back outside to our homophobic world. 
I know that I have always felt a kind of safety 
at the gay bars I’ve been to; 
like I could let my hair down. 
Some very important things have happened 
on the holy ground of gay bars 
through the years. 
It was when drag queens at a bar called the Stonewall Inn, 
put their foot down, 
put their magnificent 6-inch heels down 
and said, we will not be targets any longer, 
that’s when our movement was born. 
They were victimized by violence and brutality, 
just as patrons of gay bars have been ever since. 
The Rainbow Lounge comes to mind.
I can imagine the men and women at Pulse Orlando 
feeling safe, having fun, dancing, laughing. 
They did not sign up to become martyrs, 
but that is exactly what they have become; 
innocent victims of the unforgivable crime 
of simply being themselves. 
The changes and chances of life are indeed unpredictable 
and outside of our control.
And so [today], 
we remember those who lost their lives 
in this crystallized act of hatred. 
We grieve their loss. 
We pray for their families and friends who grieve. 
And we pray for those who lie in hospitals, 
clinging to life at this moment; 
people who will forever bear the wounds of this terrible attack. 
We open our hearts, 
and we gather all of them in.
And we strengthen our resolve 
to end the violence and abuse 
perpetrated against LGBTQ people 
whether it happen in gay bars 
or hastily deleted tweets 
or school board meetings. 
May the tragic deaths of the patrons at Pulse 
not be in vain 
but may they lead to lasting change against all acts of violence."

Jeremiah 31:13
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
   and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
   I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 
 
                                                              A Time of Prayer

Song                                                 “Ferry Our Prayers”                        #105 Sing! Prayer and Praise

Pastoral Prayer               (all)          

Merciful God, 
     		we pray this afternoon for those who are afraid: 
give them courage. 
For those who dwell in anger, 
            		finding outlets for their rage in scapegoating, blame, and violence, 
            			change their hearts. 
For those who have long lived without safe spaces, 
and who seek sanctuary in the context of community, 
give them love. 
For those who have been excluded and marginalized, 
kicked out and told they are less-than, 
hold them in love. 
For the fifty who died, 
the more than fifty who cling to life, 
their friends, family, and all who gather in grief today, 
grant comfort and peace. 
Bless our time together, our words, our songs, our prayers. Amen.
Rev. Nicolette Siragusa, Rev. Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy

Closing Song:                                 “In All Our Living” (all verses)                     #499 TNCH

Blessing in a Time of Violence    

Which is to say
this blessing
is always.
Which is to say
there is no place
this blessing
does not long
to cry out
in lament,
to weep its words
in sorrow,
to scream its lines
in sacred rage.
Which is to say
there is no day
this blessing ceases
to whisper
into the ear
of the dying,
the despairing,
the terrified.
Which is to say
there is no moment
this blessing refuses
to sing itself
into the heart
of the hated
and the hateful,
the victim
and the victimizer,
with every last
ounce of hope
it has.
Which is to say
there is none
that can stop it,
none that can
halt its course,
none that will
still its cadence,
none that will
delay its rising,
none that can keep it
from springing forth
from the mouths of us
who hope,
from the hands of us
who act,
from the hearts of us
who love,
from the feet of us
who will not cease
our stubborn, aching
marching, marching
until this blessing
has spoken
its final word,
until this blessing
has breathed
its benediction
in every place,
in every tongue:
Peace.
Peace.
Peace.				by Jan Richardson

*****
* Thanks to composer Leonard Cohen for title image.
We are grateful to David Debick, music director at Brecksville United Church of Christ, for his beautiful music; to the Rev. Jim Moos, Dámaris Vélez, Andy Lang, the Rev. Susan Blain and all who shared their gifts in preparing and leading today’s service. A special word of thanks to our Publishing, Identity and Communication Ministry Team, Bob Lormor and Dan Hazard, for sharing this service by live-streaming.

****
Words of Welcome and Call to Worship by the Rev. James Moos, Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministries, UCC.  Used with permission. Opening Prayer by the Rev. David Long-Higgins, pastor of David’s United Church of Christ in Canal Winchester, Ohio. Used with permission. Reflection  by Lee Ann Bryce, pastor, First Congregation UCC, Fort Worth, TX. Used with permission. Blessing: “Blessing in a Time of Violence” at http://paintedprayerbook.com/ © Jan Richardson. janrichardson.com. Used with permission. Pastoral Prayer by the Rev. Nicolette Siragusa and  Rev. Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy, delivered at a vigil on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol Building.