Minnesota Council of Churches
The Minnesota Council of Churches hereby
Recognizes 2015 as the centennial year of the Armenian Genocide;
Officially and expressly condemns the failure of the domestic and international authorities to come to terms with the yet unanswered questions about this atrocity and; Hereby calls upon all its member churches, during all services on Sunday April 19,
2015, to pray for the victims of the Armenian Genocide and for all those, past and present, who have fallen victim to violent acts based on hatred of a people, community or state because of gender, religion, race, nationality or ethnic identity.
The following prayer is suggested: Blessing: Armenian Genocide Prayer
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April 19, 2015 Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe: We ask your blessing on the people gathered here today, all of whom stand in the cause of witness, memory, and the ongoing struggle for justice.
We ask you to grant rest to the souls of all who perished in the genocides of the past and present and especially to the million and a half souls
lost, 100 years ago, in the Armenian Genocide. Remember the fallen, O Lord; cast your blessing on those who survived; and bestow your peace on their descendants.
On this most solemn occasion the 100th year of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide we painfully acknowledge that the world has not yet learned the vital lesson, and has not done enough, to expunge the plague of genocide.
And so we ask, Lord, that you will shine your light into the dark corners of the world, to expose cruelty and injustice wherever it afflicts Innocent people so that the genocides experienced by so many peoples will never be repeated anywhere on the face of this earth.
We pray that you will inspire our leaders with wisdom, compassion, and resolution in the face of evil. Our world today exists in a time of uncertainty; and in such a time, O God, we seek above all to know and perform your will. We pray that you will remember the precious
sacrifices being made today in the name of faith and religious liberty; that you will shepherd the downtrodden out of the darkness of tyranny; and that you will steer our entire world to a new dawn of peace, justice, and dignity for all your children.
Finally, we thank you for the bounty and liberty of this great country of America. Bless this land and her people, Lord, so that she may continue to be a beacon of hope to our world.
For all of these things, may your name be praised from generation to generation.
Amen.
Source: Minnesota Council of Churches