Prayers of the People 信众的祷告

On this day, our prayer is one of remembrance:

We remember that those who perished

in the Bondi shooting incident in Sydney.

More than numbers,


More than statistics,


More valuable than sparrows;


Each was a person of sacred worth created in the image of God.

Here, at this place and this time,

we pause to remember the untold stories

who injured physically and spiritually this week.

They were people who belonged to the Jewish communities in Sydney and Australia,

Many people living in the coastal area in Bondi, schools and communities.

Lord, have mercy upon this Land and all who mourn on this day.

On this day we lift our prayer for all who survived,

those who lost loved ones and face the terrible responsibility

to keep on living in the midst of death,

to keep on loving in the midst of loss,

to keep on waiting for the news of healing yet may never come.

We pray for children without parents,

parents without children,

spouses missing,


and families torn apart.

Today, we pray for ourselves

and all those with power to help —


those individuals and communities,

synagogues, mosques, churches, and cities

and government agencies entrusted with the resources needed

to relieve suffering, sustain life and rebuild the communities.

We pray for

eyes that are open to see what Jesus sees,


ears that are open to truly hear,


hearts that are open to love as Christ loved,


and lives that respond to our neighbour’s crying.

We pray for loving God, the God of Abraham

We pray for loving our neighbours, as ourselves.

 O God the creator of heaven and earth,

We come to you in our prayers

and to seek understanding of this life

in which death is a ghostly shadow.

Enlighten us, O God,

with your light that overcomes darkness.

Amen.

(Rewritten by Rev Dr Ji Zhang  张骥 based on the prayer

by the United Church of Christ, America)