A Liturgy of Prayer, Justice and Lament
Last Sunday, we announced in the Daily Bruin that the university was planning a virtual prayer gathering to grieve injustice, and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many others.
As the university pastors, chief diversity officer, Intercultural Resource Center and Portland Seminary have convened this week to discern the university’s best response to these acts of injustice, we acknowledge, and are convicted by, the call of our brothers and sisters of color nationwide, who are asking the faith community to take action, and not to simply settle for a prayer service.
After days of discernment and prayer, we believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding our community to be people of prayerful action. And so, in lieu of a prayer service, we offer you this liturgy, which is a compilation of prayers, songs and readings that have been ministering to us in these days. We invite you to use this liturgy in your own prayer time or with a community of close friends.
We believe that prayer is the vehicle that God uses to direct our actions, and so together we pray “on earth as it is in heaven,” and with expectancy we anticipate how God will use his people at George Fox University.