A Vigil of Repentance in Remembrance of the Victims of Abortion

Transcription

1 A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO THE LCMS lcms.org International Center The Luran Church Missi Synod

2 Worshipers enter silence. A VIGIL OF REPENTANCE The bell(s) may be tolled memory of children sla, both unborn newly born. L O Lord, open my lips. R my mouth will declare Y praise. L Make haste, O God, to deliver me; R make haste to help me, O Lord. R Glory be to Far to Son to Holy Spirit; as it was begng, is now, will be forever. Amen. Praise to, O Christ, Lamb of salvation. Benedicam Benediction L Let bless Lord. R Thanks be to God. L The grace of Lord Jes Christ love of God communion of Holy Spirit be with you all. R Amen. The bell(s) may be tolled. Lights are turned up. Worshipers may rema pews for personal reflection prayer. L The Lord be with you. R also with you. L Let pray. Gracio Far, as heavens are higher than earth, so are Y ways higher than ways Y thoughts higher than thoughts. We do not underst disregard for work of Y hs wanton destruction of human life that has taken place se past years through atrocity of abortion. But we are not here to underst. We are here to remember. We are not here to underst. We are here to trt. Help remember. Help trt. In Jes holy name. R Amen. Adapted from Lurans for Life s Memorial Service for Victims of Abortion. Acknowledgments Unless orwise dicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Stard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Luran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishg Hoe. 2 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 15

3 Clelight Remembrance Cles may be lit a manner appropriate to local settg. L For you formed my ward parts; you knitted me toger my mor s womb. (Psalm 139:13) R In him was life, life was light of men. (John 1:4) L Jes said, I came that y may have life have it abundantly. (John 10:10b) Hymn Jes Loves Me LSB 588 & 1 2 s s loves loves me! me! & Lit - He has tle Refra ones washed to a- & Yes, s & Yes, s This He I who know, died Him way my be-long; s,. loves me! loves me! For Heav-en s Bi - gates ble to They Lets tells o- me pen L A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, becae y are no more. The are His weak, lit - but tle Yes, s He child Bi - ble tells me so. wide. is come strong... loves me! w so. Hymn Lord, Keep Us Steadfast Y Word LSB 655 & 1 Lord, 2 Lord 3 O keep Com - s fort - & & by Lord u - Son we strife de - of ni - ceit lords ty stead - fast Christ, Y er of Readg Exod 1:15 22 Then kg of Egypt said to Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah or Puah, When you serve as midwife to Hebrew women see m on birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live. But midwives feared God did not do as kg of Egypt commed m, but let male children live. So kg of Egypt called midwives said to m, Why have you done this, let male children live? The midwives said to Pharaoh, Becae Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, for y are vigoro give birth before midwife comes to m. So God dealt well with midwives. people multiplied grew very strong. becae midwives feared God, he gave m families. Then Pharaoh commed all his people, Every son that is born to Hebrews you shall cast to Nile, but you shall let every daughter live. L O Lord, have mercy on. R Thanks be to God. May or a - on sword lone; earth; pow r price - Would De - Sup - Y make less Word; known, worth, Curb For Send those peace wrest fend port Y kg - ho - dom ly brg sg lead to Y naught praise out all He e - ter - of death from Church fi - has nal - to who are Y that nal done. ly. life. 14 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 3

4 Readg Matw 2:16 18 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by wise men, became furio, he sent killed all male children Bethlehem all that region who were two years old or under, accordg to time that he had ascertaed from wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by prophet Jeremiah: A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, Rachel weepg for her children; she refed to be comforted, becae y are no more. L O Lord, have mercy on. R Thanks be to God. Dialog of Sorrow Hope L A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, becae y are no more. R For you are God whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mng becae of oppression of enemy? (Psalm 43:2) L A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, becae y are no more. R I say to God, my rock: Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mng becae of oppression of enemy? (Psalm 42:9) L A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, becae y are no more. R My eyes long for y promise; I ask, When will you comfort me? (Psalm 119:82) Responsive Prayer L Let pray for nation, a nation richly blessed by God, but a nation that tragically sanctions murder of so many children. R Lord, have mercy upon nation change hearts. A brief silence is observed after each petition. L Lord, Y mercy, hear prayers. We pray for Church, a Church richly blessed by God s grace, but too often silent as nocent are beg slaughtered. R Lord, have mercy upon Y Church change hearts. L Lord, Y mercy, hear prayers. We pray for women men strugglg with a crisis pregnancy. R Lord, have mercy upon m help m choose life help support m. L Lord, Y mercy, hear prayers. Let pray for mors fars who are sufferg aftermath of an abortion. They, too, are its victims. R Lord, have mercy upon m help m fd healg cross of Jes help share this forgivg love with m. L Lord, Y mercy, hear prayers. Let pray for children, born unborn. R Lord, have mercy upon children Y grace brg m to fullness of life that have promised Y Son. L Lord, Y mercy, hear prayers. As we remember children whose lips never had a chance to speak it, we pray Lord s prayer. R Our Far, who art heaven... 4 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 13

5 L Becae of what we do not know, grief is heavy, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Our hope lies what we do know. We know we are loved. R I have loved you with an everlastg love; refore I have contued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3b) L We know we are forgiven. R God shows his love for that while we were still sners, Christ died for. (Romans 5:8) In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved sent his Son to be propitiation for ss. (1 John 4:10) L We know we are not forsaken. R Behold, I am with you will keep you wherever you go. (Genesis 28:15a) L We know God is always at work for good. R we know that for those who love God all thgs work toger for good, for those who are called accordg to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) L In God s love, God s forgiveness, God s presence, God s goodness is comfort hope. R But thanks be to God, who gives victory through Lord Jes Christ. (1 Corthians 15:57) L A voice was heard Ramah, weepg loud lamentation, becae y are no more. R My soul melts away for sorrow; strengn me accordg to y word! (Psalm 119:28) L Blessed are those who mn, for y shall be comforted. (Matw 5:4) R Be gracio to me, O LORD, for I am distress. (Psalm 31:9a) L Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep lament, but world will rejoice. will be sorrowful, but y sorrow will turn to joy. (John 16:20) R My eye wastes away becae of grief; it grows weak becae of all my foes. (Psalm 6:7) L Keep y voice from weepg, y eyes from tears, for re is a reward for y work, declares LORD (Jeremiah 31:16) R Even though I walk through valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; y rod y staff, y comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) L ransomed of LORD shall return come to Zion with sgg; everlastg joy shall be upon ir heads; y shall obta gladness joy, sorrow sighg shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10) He who testifies to se thgs says, Surely I am comg soon. (Revelation 22:20a) R Amen. Come, Lord Jes! (Revelation 22:20b) 12 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 5

6 Hymn I Am Jes Little Lamb LSB 740 & 1 I 2 Day 3 Who am so hap - by day, & heart I staff Shep - herd s am; stay. lamb? & Knows In - By my need to pleas - His an - & day bids to me His same, go breast, s at py ant gel lit - home, as tle a - I Litany of Remembrance lamb, way, am, For When my I when Shep - hun - my herd ger, short well pro - vides me, pas - tures leads me; host at - tend - ed, E - Where There ven with - calls qui - me et His L Millions of babies have been murdered through abortion. This is comprehensible. Perhaps that is why we do not mn for m as a nation way we mn for children lost tragic accidents or natural disasters. But let remember m. Let remember m as dividuals y were. Let remember m as gifts from God whose lives were cut short before y could serve Him accordg to purpose for which y were created. A brief silence is observed after each petition. L Let remember sons daughters that were never born. R Little arms that never stretched out askg to be held. A brief silence is observed after each petition. Ev - E - er s ven glad is now at my gent - life ly s is guides me, feeds me, end - ed, Loves When He me I shall ev - thirst, fold by my wa - ters arms to name. flow. rest. ry He me A Rite of Hope Comfort L One of reasons to remember past tragedy is so that it will not be repeated. One of reasons to remember tragedy that still contues is so that we can be motivated to brg it to an end. Let give an offerg memory of those millions of babies. Let offer selves. R Our Far heaven, we offer selves to ask that e varied gifts have given to serve Y Kgdom. Particularly today we ask that give opportunities willgness to e gifts to witness, word deed, to sacredness of life. Help speak up for those who cannot speak for mselves. Help defend those who cannot defend mselves. Help love support those facg difficult life choices. Help love forgive brg healg of Gospel to those who have made wrong choices. We offer selves so that ors may see give glory to through Jes Christ Lord. Amen. L When filled with grief, we turn to God for comfort reassurance, which can come only from Him. He does not expla to why He allows modern-day slaughter of nocents womb. He does call faith, midst of darkness of abortion, to acknowledge Him to be heavenly Far, who has given His first best Christ Jes. R What n shall we say to se thgs? If God is for, who can be agast? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all, how will he not also with him gracioly give all thgs? (Romans 8:31-32) L Our grief over abortion is compounded becae abortion deprives children of opportunity for Holy Baptism, refore, raises paful questions we cannot answer with certaty. We entrt such questions hurtg hearts which ask m to fite compassion wisdom of God. R Oh, depth of riches wisdom knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments how scrutable his ways! For who has known md of Lord, or who has been his counselor? (Romans 11:33-34) 6 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 11

7 Hymn Shepherd of Tender th LSB 864 & b 1 Shep O &b &b. love du - pared Sermon um - did mor - Christ Offerg herd are are ev - g of er j. truth Word, feast pride, ten - ho - great be 5 So now, till we die, Sound we Y praises high joyful sg: Infants all throng, Who to Church belong, Unite to swell song To Christ, kg! phant kg, a - base tal pa of God, &b Our Lead here so plea might do where der ly High Through Heal - Of Our de - er ho - staff vio of ly We That None By come from calls Y. J chil - save not dren dis - have brg race da; trod;. youth, Lord, Priest; guide, Y s s on en -. ways; strife. love; song.. Guid - O Our name deep dur - To Help Make jo give from g all - have shep - sub - pre - herd, Christ, Y - Y a - faith j self s, tri - O to sg dis - grace va; g Word. praise. life. bove. strong. L Let remember brors sisters who were never able to play with ir siblgs. R Their laughter was never heard. L Let remember teachers who were never able to teach pastors who were never able to preach. R Wisdom that was never shared. L Let remember physicians, nurses, technicians, researchers or medical professionals through whom God s h of healg was never able to be extended. R Mercy that was never shared. L Let remember bess people cageo leaders who were never able to extend a godly fluence upon nation. R Godly examples that could never be followed. L Let remember farmers who would never reap fruits of earth. R Wholesome, hardworkg lives that were never lived. L Let remember laborers whose hs could never form or craft or build. R Productive lives that never were. L Let remember artists micians who will never be able to express joys sorrows with m for ors to identify with appreciate. R Works of art never seen, melodies never heard. L Let remember little girls who will never hold nurture a child of ir own little boys who will never grow up to be fars. R Generations yet unborn never to be. L Let remember those children with special needs that will never touch hearts ways no one else could. R God s unique purpose for m never realized. 10 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 7

8 L Let remember those who would have been born to, less than desirable circumstances. R Opportunities for God to shape form do mighty thgs through sufferg taken away. L Millions all dividuals, all gifts from God, all capable of beg ed by God for His purpose, all deprived of first most fundamental right right to life. R Most tragic of all, dividuals for whom Christ died who would never be able to hear of His precio love. L There are or victims of abortion, victims who have not died, but who have been wounded. Let remember mors of aborted children who, weakness, desperation fear, listened to voices of death. R Lift ir hearts to, O God, that y might know s of abortion, lay ir burden at foot of cross receive forgiveness hope Jes Christ. L Let remember doctors, counselors, all who have been deceived by Satan to see abortion as a solution to difficult problems of life. R Lift ir hearts to, O God, that y might know s of abortion, lay ir burden at foot of cross receive forgiveness hope Jes Christ. L Let remember selves, members of Body of Christ, who ignorance or fear have been silent when we should have spoken; passive when we should have acted to defend least of se. R Lift hearts to, O God, that we might know s of abortion, lay burden at foot of cross receive forgiveness hope Jes Christ. L Let remember fars of aborted children who, unwillg or unable to protect a defenseless life, are conflict with ir responsibility to ir preborn child, to mor of that child, to God. R Lift ir hearts to, O God, that y might know s of abortion, lay ir burden at foot of cross receive forgiveness hope Jes Christ. L We remember grparents of aborted children who, unable or unwillg to protect a defenseless life, are conflict with both ir conscience God. R Lift ir hearts to, O God, that y might know s of abortion, lay ir burden at foot of cross receive forgiveness hope Jes Christ. 8 / A Vigil of Repentance Remembrance of Victims of Abortion / 9