Prayers of Lament for Times of Violence: A Liturgical Response

We are in a moment of intense anger, fear, and sorrow. On September 10, prominent activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of a large crowd in Utah. This comes after only two months ago, two Minnesota state representatives (and their spouses) were shot in their homes. Of the four victims, Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband died. These tragedies remind us of those who are taken from us daily by violence in the United States and around the world. They are not statistics. They are profound losses, no less tragic for being less known.

Pastors cannot control how politicians react to violence, but we can shape our own community response. Liturgy is a powerful tool at our disposal—the right prayers can help congregations process tragedy through a biblical lens.

The Need for Community Lament

Instead of offering commentary, we felt it would be more constructive to offer laments that you can use in your services.

Why a lament?

While they're not very common in our services, they are an important feature of worship. We have a whole book of the Bible dedicated to lamentation and about a third of the Psalms are laments. The need to lament is a deep human need that God has recognized and dignified in his revelation.

Laments can be raw. We come to God with our pain, sorrow, and even anger. We are "real" with God. But the lament shapes the trajectory of our faith, aiming for trust in our loving Creator—even if at first that trust is aspirational.

Two Prayers of Lament for Your Congregation

We have designed two responsive laments with that model in mind. They focus on our response to violence—we feel they will be appropriate in this and other times of local or national tragedy. They are political, not partisan. They emphasize the sanctity of life and Christian witness.

The first is more traditional in style, especially suited for the Prayers of the People and framed with the "Agnus Dei" prayer. It is designed to fit into the Prayers of the People, though it is flexible and can be used elsewhere.

The second is more contemporary in style, using responsive readings drawn directly from scripture to frame the laments, starting with Cain and ending with the promise of resurrection and restoration.

We hope that these prayers assist you in acknowledging the pain of violence your community and pointing toward the way of Jesus.