A Concord Pastor Comments: One of the most powerful moments of prayer...

Wednesday night (10/3) was one of the most powerful moments of community prayer I've experienced in my lifetime. Our parish offered a prayer service titled, For the Abused and for the Church: a Prayerful Lament.

In this post I'll share with you the order of worship we put together. I hope you'll find it helpful although I'm very aware that experiencing this was so much more powerful than simply reading about it. Those who participated found it prayerful, healing, strengthening, compassionate and compelling. We will offer the same service again soon and I'll give notice of that for those in the area who might want to join us.

So, what did we do on Wednesday night?

We gathered in the church with the lights dimmer than usual.

We began our prayer with Fran O'Brien's moving hymn, In A Time of Pain.
Here are the lyrics:

In a time of pain when confusion reigns
            will you hear our burning cry?
When the wound won’t heal as the truth’s revealed,
            when our anguish just won’t die:
Come save us as you saved your Son
            who was faithful to the end.
God of justice reign, through our sin and shame,
            be salvation, God and friend.

When our leaders fail, when the dark prevails,
            be the path that will guide our way.
When our anger burns may we strive to learn
            to reveal the light of day.
Come save us as you saved your Son,
            in your truth we will be set free.
Teach us how to deal with the hurt we feel.
            may we rise from Calvary.

When the weakest ones have no place to run
            from the terror that haunts their days,
Who will give them peace, make their nightmares cease?
            Who will drive their dark away?
Come save us as you saved your Son,
            who embraced each child in pain.
May your healing balm bring a peace and calm
            that will make us whole again.

Teach us what is just and in whom to trust;
            by your wisdom we will abide.
May the ones with pow’r, in this crucial hour,
            seek the Spirit as their guide.
Come save us as you saved your Son
            from corruption’s deadly toll.
May we rise at last from our shadowed past
            with your love as our guide and goal.

After the song there was a call to prayer in which I spoke of the biblical sense of lamentation and how it might serve our needs in this time of crisis in the Church.

The first scripture was Lamentations 3:17-26.
The responsorial was Bob Hurd's setting of Psalm 42, As The Deer Longs.

Omitting an Alleluia, we sang one of the Lenten gospel acclamations.
The gospel was proclaimed and the homily given by a woman on our Parish Pastoral Council. Here's the homily text:

Jesus betrayed, abandoned, denied by those chosen to be leaders. It has been happening since the very beginning. After the past few months we have a sense of how Jesus felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked God that if it was his will that the cup might pass. I’m sure he wanted to get out of that garden, and what was facing him, and away from the faithless friends. We have probably all wondered if it wouldn’t be for the best for us to run away as fast as we can from an organization that has caused us and thousands of innocents so much agony. By giving of our time and our treasure are we supporting those who have betrayed us all? Yet we are still here, why?

It helps me to think about what followed the agony in the garden. Not everyone abandoned Jesus in his hour of need. Not everyone was traitorous, weak and self-serving. (Point to Stations of the Cross)

His mother Mary was on the path to Calvary and with him at the end, feeling the pain of all mothers whose children have been hurt. Knowing it was facilitated by someone she and Jesus trusted, and that some of his other friends had just stood by and let it happen, must have made it even worse.
Lord, help us to understand the depths of the suffering of others that we may be supports and allies for them.

Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry his cross. Up until the point he was pulled out from the crowd, he was just standing on the sidelines, perhaps a distant admirer of Jesus but not actively involved. Still as Jesus grew weaker he helped him to carry his cross, could not have been easy as Jesus was being insulted left and right.
Lord,help us to be strong at this time, to stand up for those who are helpless.

Veronica wiped the face of Jesus. She saw his agony and,even though it was a small thing, she was steadfast enough to step forward and ease his suffering in the only way she could.
Lord, help us realize that even if we feel helpless to effect change we must still try.

The women of Jerusalem wept for Jesus. Jesus, who is alone and in the throes of agony, still notices their compassion and seeks to comfort them.
Lord, even when we feel abandoned help us to see Jesus in the kindness of others.

Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Joseph watched the crucifixion. How they must have suffered watching the torture of someone they loved, yet they wanted to be there for Jesus.
Lord, help us to be present for those who need us at this time.

Joseph of Aramethea probably risked his life to give Jesus a tomb for burial.
Lord, give us the courage to speak out for what is just.

I’m sure that all who were there for Jesus’ Passion were more than frustrated that their leaders were, at best, absent, and, at worst, traitorous - at the time when they needed them most. Yet they were faithful to Jesus who had done nothing wrong and sacrificed everything for them even after he was betrayed by those who professed to love him. (Point to cross behind altar)
I’m sure they took comfort and strength from each other's faithfulness. I’d like to think that the leaders, when they came to their senses and, after Pentecost, came out of hiding, were also inspired by the others' acts of bravery.

Jesus and his message of love are unchanged.

Lord, even though we sometimes wish that we could run away, give us the gifts of love, strength, empathy, compassion, faithfulness and bravery, so evident in those who supported Jesus through his Passion, that we may continue to live out his message and hold those who lead us accountable to the same. Amen

After the homily we heard Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, offered by one of our pianist and cantor. I didn't record it but for those unfamiliar with the piece, here's Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's performance. What we heard last night was at least this beautiful...

Following Vocalise there was an opportunity for individuals to come forward to a microphone and standing before the altar and crucifix, pray their own lament. As "starters" we offered these phrases in the worship aid: O God... I lift up the pain of... I grieve... I'm angered by... I cry for justice for... my heart is broken by... I plead for... I...

We provided index cards and pens for those who did not choose to come to the mic and invited them to place their written laments in a basket on the altar.
After the individual laments, we prayed the General Intercessions:

• For the consolation and healing
of those who suffer in body, mind and spirit,
victims of abuse and betrayal
by the Church and its ministers;
For faith and hope in the hearts of all who grieve
the harm done to so many innocent people;
For wisdom and grace
in the hearts of bishops, priests, deacons and lay ministers
as they shepherd God’s people through these difficult times;
And for change to restore our trust and confidence
in the Church and its mission;
Let us pray to the Lord…

• For the Pope Francis to act decisively
in the life of the universal Church
and to lead us on the path of Jesus
toward healing and wholeness,
let us pray to the Lord…

• For bishops to shepherd their local churches
with honesty, transparency, accountability and justice,
let us pray to the Lord…

• For pastors to shepherd their parishes
with truth and mercy, with compassion and challenge,
let us pray to the Lord…

• For lay ministers to lead, guide and catechize their people
in the truth of the gospel and the wisdom of the Church,
let us pray to the Lord…

• For all who work closely with victims of abuse
and for the Spirit’s healing anointing on their ministry,
let us pray to the Lord…

• For faith and strength, for perseverance and hope,
and for a renewal of faith
in the hearts of all God’s people
in these painful and difficult days;
let us pray to the Lord…

• For the needs of all the people of our parish,
for those who have asked for our prayers,
and for ourselves,
let us pray to the Lord…

We prayed the Lord's Prayer to conclude the intercessions, followed, as at Mass, with the Deliver us Lord..., the Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles... and the exchange of the sign of peace.

Our closing song was a traditional spiritual, I Want Jesus to Walk With Me:

I want Jesus to walk with me;
I want Jesus to walk with me;
all along my pilgrim journey,
I want Jesus to walk with me.

In my trials, Lord, walk with me;
In my trials, Lord; walk with me;
when my heart is almost breaking,
I want Jesus to walk with me.

When I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
when I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
when my head is bowed in sorrow,
I want Jesus to walk with me.

If you're not familiar with this song, here's a moving solo version of the hymn we sang with piano and flute accompaniment.

After the prayer service, members of the Parish Pastoral Council and I remained for conversation with any who wanted to stay and talk.