Though the weeping break the heart

Prayers at Choral Evensong at Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor on Thursday 24 February

From this evening’s Lessons: When Judah turned, the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to the Holy One, and the priests blew the trumpets; and the people of Judah raised the battle shout. Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. (2 Chronicles 13; John 19)

Too often we’re people of the battle shout;
People whose energy and efforts are channelled,
Distorted,
Towards acquisition and conquest,
Towards possession and suppression,
Towards our story, our way, our life.

Too often we’re people of the battle shout;
And so people of suffering and death.

You call us, O God,
To be people like that other disciple,
The one who runs so fast to your empty tomb
That he leaves Peter behind;
The one who loved you so much
That nothing would hold him back from finding you risen;
The one who, yearning for something beyond suffering and death,
Something greater than suffering and death,
Something truer than suffering and death,
Ran that morning
As though life depended on it,
Pulse racing,
Breathless
For living.

Too often we’re people of the battle shout;
But you call us to life.

So we pray, God, this night
For the people of Ukraine;
For all those caught up in the battle shout,
The battle in front of them and behind them;
For all those whose way now will be suffering and death.
Abide with them,
With the love of the disciple,
Giving lost sons mothers and grieving mothers sons.

We pray, God, this night
For the enemies of freedom and peace;
For those who blast the trumpet;
For those who relish the battle in front of them and behind them.
Abide with them,
A sword of conscience and judgement;
Cut to the quick.

We pray, God, this night
For a world where the silent beating
Of an empty tomb
Is louder than the battle shout;
Though our breathlessness be fear;
Though the weeping break the heart.

When Judah turned, the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to the Holy One, and the priests blew the trumpets; and the people of Judah raised the battle shout. Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. (2 Chronicles 13; John 19)