Shared at the Armenian Genocide Remembrance service held 24 April, 2019, at Christ Church, Dublin, Ireland, (slightly adapted for Worship Words).
Each section to be read by a different reader.
We remember the descendants of the Armenian, Assyrian, Greek and Chaldean, people scarred by the violence over a century ago and pray for the healing of painful memories. We pray for nations and peoples still contending with the horror of war, and for men, women, and children whose lives are blighted by the violence, cruelty and abuse of others.
God of grace, hear our prayer.
We remember all our 1.5 million who were martyred during the 1915 Genocide, due to mass deportation, starvation and disease. We remember the surviving orphans and their descendants that they will be comforted and be filled with peace and love conquering hatred and vengeance. May Christ, whose resurrection we celebrate, grant them strength and courage to over-come.
God of grace, hear our prayer.
We remember the various conflicts and disharmony between peoples and nations. We remember the Sumgait Massacres in 1988 and those who lost their lives, from both sides, in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We pray for the rulers and politicians of both sides to work toward and promote peace, building their nations and improving the lives of their people.
God of grace, hear our prayer.
We pray for our suffering world. For enmity and strife between nations. For inequality and poverty that is affecting people of various backgrounds. We remember the victims of violence, discrimination and persecution — like the Yezidies, Muslims and Christians — in all forms in our world today. May the nations embrace that which we all aspire to: ‘nations shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war or the strong dominate the weak any more’… but rather be compassionate and supportive to one another making peace as their ultimate goal.
God of grace, hear our prayer.
We pray that the people and government of modern-day Turkey will no longer deny the atrocities that were committed by their ancestors against the Armenian, Assyrian, Greek and Chaldean people a century ago, but acknowledge the wrongs and strive to pursue peace and reconciliation.
We pray that Ireland, as a small nation, [one might insert ones own nation or area] will become an instrument to bring about that peace and reconciliation.
God of grace, hear our prayer.
Photo: Armenian Peace Garden, Dublin, Ireland — photo by Ana Gobledale
The Khachkar Memorial (Stone-cross) for Ireland, designed by Aram Hakhumyan, carved by Artak Hambard Zumyan, erected by the Armenian Church and community in Christ Church Cathedral garden, in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide ‘Mez Yeghern’.
