[This morning, I was asked by the Bishop of Nevada to write the order of service for a vigil to be held in response to the shooting in Las Vegas today. This is what I sent him. It was intentionally written so as to easily be adapted for use in response to any mass shooting, bombing, terrorist attack, or similar situation.]
A Vigil in Response to an Act of Mass Violence
This order is suitable for use by a community of faith in the aftermath of a mass shooting, bombing, terrorist attack, or similar incident, whether locally or elsewhere in the nation or the world.
The liturgist strongly discourages both the inclusion of music and the celebration of a Mass in this service. However, at the discretion of the officiant, either or both may be added. The Mass should follow the form of either Eucharistic Prayer A or B. If hymns are to be sung, they ought to be situationally appropriate, familiar to the congregation, and not prohibitively difficult for the average person to sing.
If there is no Mass to be celebrated, this service may be led by a deacon or layperson, substituting “us” and “our” for “you” and “your” in the Benediction.
Any offerings collected should be donated to help those affected by the tragedy being commemorated.
It is appropriate, if possible, for tea lights or other small candles, preferably equal in number to the number of persons who have been killed, to be used. Candles should be lit prior to the service, and remain burning in a conspicuous part of the worship space during the service. They may be extinguished afterwards by an acolyte or other appointed person.
The service may be held either indoors or outdoors, weather permitting. In either case, care should be taken to ensure that any open flames are used safely and extinguished fully.
The Invocation
All stand as they are able.
Facing the people, the officiant begins:
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My own peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God, whose only Son came to preach peace to the nations: Hear us, we beseech You, and comfort us with Your steady Hand, as we come before You this [day/night] in the wake of unspeakable violence. In a world that seems hopeless, help us to remember that our hope rests always in You, and in the resurrection of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
The Readings
At the discretion of the officiant, the following readings may be substituted for those suggested:
Old Testament: Job 19:25-27a; Wisdom 3:1-5,9.
Psalm: Psalm 23; Psalm 27.
It is strongly recommended that either the Revised Standard Version or the New Revised Standard Version be used for all readings, with the exception of Psalm 23, which may be read from the King James Version.
Please be seated for the first lesson.
The people are seated.
A Reading from the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 41:9-10, 13
But you, whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are My servant, I have chosen you, and will not cast you off”; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The people may stand for the Psalm or remain seated, depending on the custom of the parish. It is suggested that the Psalm be spoken rather than chanted. although either is acceptable.
Psalm 130 can be found in the service bulletin, or on page 784 in the Book of Common Prayer. We will read the Psalm responsively by half-verse.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I called to You, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let Your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If You, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?
For there is forgiveness with You; *
therefore You shall be feared.
I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for Him; *
In His word is my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
With Him there is plenteous redemption, *
and He shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever; world without end. Amen.
Please be seated for the second lesson.
The people are seated.
A Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
II Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
All stand for the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew.
Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Matthew 5:1-9
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, Lord Christ.
At this time, brief, topical, and appropriate remarks may be offered by the officiant or other appointed person if desired. This is optional.
If remarks are to be offered, the people may be seated for their duration, and then asked to stand again before “The Lord be with You”.
If no remarks are offered, the people remain standing, and the officiant continues with the litany.
The Litany
The Litany is said in three parts: Intercessory, Prophetic, and Penitential.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
All kneel as they are able. Silence is kept for a moment before the litany.
When ready, the deacon or appointed lay intercessor begins:
God the Father, You gave the Law that Your people might live in peace,
Have mercy upon us.
God the Son, You suffered violence for the sake of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit, You bind us together in a community of love,
Have mercy upon us.
Holy Trinity, One God, You model for us the perfect and holy relationship in which You intend for all people to live:
Have mercy upon us.
[Silence]
The Intercessory portion of the Litany begins:
For all victims of violence, and particularly for those affected by the [shooting] in [Las Vegas, Nevada], we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who have been injured, that they might be restored to health, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who are afraid, that they may know Your perfect love which casts out fear, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who mourn, that they may be comforted in their distress, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who have died, that they may be received into Your compassionate embrace, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
[Silence.]
For the first responders, firefighters, chaplains, nurses, and all others who work to restore order, heal the wounded, and care for the needs of the community, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all volunteers who give of their time and resources to meet the needs of those affected by this tragedy, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For leaders, both in the Church and in the government, who strive for greater peace, compassion, and understanding in the world, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
[Silence.]
The Prophetic portion of the Litany begins:
That the world may one day be free of violence, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
That war and bloodshed may one day be no more, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
That we may no longer desire revenge when we are wronged, but Your justice, which is mercy and grace, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
That each of us might be empowered and equipped to work toward a just and peaceful society, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
That all people might be united to seek the cause of Your Kingdom, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
[Silence.]
The Penitential portion of the Litany begins:
We ask Your forgiveness for the ways in which we ourselves are complicit in the problem of violence in the world.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for any harm we have done to one another.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for any unkind words we have spoken against one another.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for any prejudice, bitterness, or hate we harbor in our hearts.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for any ill we have wished upon one another.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for the times when we have repaid evil for evil.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for the times when we have been slow to forgive.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We ask Your forgiveness for all we do, think, and say which falls short of Your command to us to love one another.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us,
And help us to show mercy to one another.
Silence is kept for a time. Kneeling, all pray together:
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.
The officiant may add the following as a concluding collect:
O God, You made us in Your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus Your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish Your purposes on earth; that, in
Your good time, all nations and races may serve You in
harmony around Your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
All stand.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
The people greet one another with a sign of God’s peace.
The Collects
The following collects are read by the officiant, deacon, or other appointed person, and the people respond to each with, “Amen.”
In Times of Conflict:
O God, You have bound us together in a common life. Help us,
in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront
one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work
together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Our Enemies:
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
Your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before You,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Guidance:
Heavenly Father, in You we live and move and have our
being: We humbly pray You so to guide and govern us by
Your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our
life we may not forget You, but may remember that we are
ever walking in Your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
If the service is held in the evening, it is appropriate that the compline prayer attributed to St. Augustine be said by all:
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give Your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for Your love’s sake. Amen.
Following the collects, silence is kept for several minutes.
The Dismissal
When ready, the officiant continues:
Please stand.
All stand for the dismissal.
Life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen.
The altar party processes out of the worship space in silence. The people are dismissed.
12 thoughts on “A Vigil in Response to an Act of Mass Violence”
Denise Turner Spreen
Simply beautiful
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Carleton MacDonald
This is a perfect service. I write some liturgy for my church and I’m going to keep this, if it is all right with you.
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soundingsilence
Thank you. I have shared your creation on Facebook.
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Amanda Rowcliffe
Dear Anna – this is beautiful in its intention and sacred words. Thank you…This healed my heart a bit this morning. I will use it this evening when I say the Daily Offices at Ascension Church in Knoxville, TN
Amanda
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Lorelei Auld
This is beautiful! Please tell me how to subscribe.
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Anna Howell
Sure! Just scroll down in the sidebar (right-hand side) until you see “Click the button below to receive emails whenever I post something new.” Underneath that, there’s a button labeled “Follow Sulfur-Free Jesus”. Click that and you’ll be taken to the subscribe page!
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Marie
This is simply lovely. Thank you. I’m linking on my collection of liturgy resources.
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Anna Howell
I’d love to see your collection! Can I have a link?
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Bishop Andrew Waldo
Anna. So gracious, compassionate and true. Thank you for this gift. Blessings in Christ, Andrew Waldo
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Anna Howell
Thank you so much, Bishop. Looking forward to your visit to St. Christopher’s on the 22nd.
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Matthew
Beautiful.
I especially thought the following was relevant to our cultural moment:
“That we may no longer desire revenge when we are wronged, but Your justice, which is mercy and grace, we pray to You, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.”
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