A Litany for Sandytown

(Adapted from a poem written after the attacks in Oslo and published on July 24, 2011 by http://sarahtellsstories.blogspot.com)

God, there are lots of words we want to say to you,
lots of people we want to pray for with you,
places we want to give into your care.
Hear us as we pray,
Lord in your mercy, be with us all

Today we want to say things to you about Sandy Hook -
we want to say, Why?
What?
We want to say - No!
Lord in your mercy, be with us all

We pray with you for the people of Sandy Hook Elementary,
those who have died.
The children:
Charlotte Bacon,
Daniel Barden,
Olivia Engel,
Josephine Gay,
Ana M. Marquez-Greene,
Dylan Hockley,
Madeleine F. Hsu,
Catherine V. Hubbard,
Chase Kowalski,
       Jesse Lewis,
James Mattioli,
Grace McDonnell,
Emilie Parker,
Jack Pinto,
Noah Pozner,
Caroline Previdi,
Jessica Rekos,
Aveille Richman,
Benjamin Wheeler,
Allison N. Wyatt,
The adults:
Dawn Hochsprung,
Rachel Davino,
Anne Marie Murphy,
Lauren Rousseau,
Mary Sherlach,
Victoria Soto

The family and friends who have lost sisters, brothers,
children, parents, friends ...
the people of Connecticut whose hearts are breaking -
our hearts are breaking with them,
and we know your heart is breaking too.
Lord in your mercy, be with us all

We pray for the emergency services people finding the bodies
Informing the parents and families,
searching for understanding,
while protecting the living.
Lord in your mercy, be with us all

We pray for the person who did this terrible thing, Adam Lanza
for his troubled soul
and we pray for those who are investigating
may calmness and wisdom guide them.
Lord in your mercy, be with us all

We give to you what is your land,
The town of Newtown, the state of Connecticut, our country and our world
may you be known everywhere as peace and love.
may we not forget the children of Sandy Hook and the people of Newtown
in the weeks and months and years ahead, as they heal.
Lord in your mercy, be with us all


Closing Collect:

God of the broken-hearted,
God of the broken heart,
Receive our sighs
too deep for words.
In your time
by your grace
heal us.
In this meantime
hold us
as we weep.
Hold us and rock us
with the rhythm
of your own
grief-struck
quaking
body.
Amen

This is from http://spaciousfaith.com