Service of Lament for the Filipino community
INTRODUCTION
Yesterday, our Vancouver community experienced a devastating tragedy when nine people were killed during the Lapu Lapu festival, a celebration of Filipino culture and heritage. In response to this horrific attack on our Filipino brothers and sisters, we have adapted our planned service this morning to create this vigil. While details are still emerging and we await more information, we felt it was important to gather immediately to offer prayers, support, and solidarity with those affected by this senseless violence. This service is our community's immediate response to stand with the grieving and to begin the process of healing together.
CANDLE LIGHTING
The Christ candle is lit.
One: And now we light the Christ candle,
recalling the life of Jesus, his teachings,
his way of love, and his unending presence with us.
We invite Christ’s spirit to be with us now in this time of sorrow
INVITATION TO WORSHIP
One: We gather today in sorrow and solidarity
All: We gather to remember precious lives lost
One: We stand with our Filipino siblings
All: We stand united against violence and hatred
One: As we mourn, may we also find strength in community
All: May our tears water seeds of healing and peace
One: May we open our hearts to comfort and compassion. Amen
INTROIT: "Spirit, Open My Heart" - More Voices 79 (1-3)
Refrain
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart.
1. God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that’s kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear
to your grace I now surrender.
2. Write your love upon my heart
as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory.
3. May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ,
may we welcome one another.
READING: PSALM 23:1-4
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me."PRAYER OF LAMENT
God of all peoples, We come before you with broken hearts. Nine lives taken too soon. Families forever changed. Our Filipino community shaken to its core. We cry out in anguish and ask, "Why?" In this festival of joy turned to sorrow, be with those who mourn. Hold close the injured and traumatized. Wrap your loving arms around the Filipino community as they grieve. We also lift up those who serve in the aftermath of this tragedy - the paramedics who responded with urgency, the police who work tirelessly to understand what happened, the investigators who seek truth and justice, and all who bear witness to this pain. Grant them courage, wisdom, and resilience in their sacred work. Help us to be instruments of your peace and healing. AmenHYMN: "When Pain of the World Surrounds Us" - Voices United 598
1 When pain of the world surrounds us
with darkness and despair,
when searching just confounds us
with false hopes everywhere,
when lives are starved for meaning
and destiny is bare,
we are called to follow Jesus
and let God's healing flow through us.
2 We see with fear and trembling
our aching world in need,
confessing to each other
our wastefulness and greed.
May we with steadfast caring
the hungry children feed.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's justice flow through us.
3 The church is a holy vessel
the living waters fill
to nourish all its people,
God's purpose to fulfill.
May we with humble courage
be open to God's will.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's spirit flow through us.
4 We praise you for our journey
and your abundant grace,
your saving word that guided
a struggling human race.
O God, with all creation,
your future we embrace.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's changes flow through us.
SILENCE FOR REFLECTION
(3 minutes of silence)
READING: REVELATION 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."
COMMUNITY PRAYER
One: For the souls lost, we pray
All: Receive them into your eternal peace
One: For their families and loved ones
All: Grant them comfort and strength
One: For the Filipino community in Vancouver
All: Surround them with love and support
One: For all affected by this tragedy
All: Bring healing to body, mind, and spirit
One: For the first responders who rushed to help
All: Sustain them in their service and care
One: For the medical teams treating the injured
All: Guide their hands and grant them wisdom
One: For the police and investigators
All: Give them strength and clarity in seeking justice
One: For those who witnessed this horror
All: Heal their trauma and give them peace
HYMN: "Each blade of grass" - More Voices 37
1. Each blade of grass, ev’ry wing that soars, the waves that sweep across a distant shore, make full the circle of God. Each laughing child, ev’ry gentle eye, a forest lit beneath a moon-bright sky, make full the circle of God. 2. Each silent paw, ev’ry rounded stone, the buzz that echoes from a honey’d comb, make full the circle of God. Each fire-brimmed star, ev’ry out-stretched hand, the wind that leaps and sails across the land, make full the circle of God. 3. Each icy peak, ev’ry patterned shell, the joyous chorus that the dawn foretells, make full the circle of God. Each cosmic hue, ev’ry creature’s way, all form the beauty of this vast array, making full the circle of God.NAMES AND REMEMBRANCE
(As we await information about those lost, we honor each precious life taken too soon)
One: Today we light candles for each life lost
All: May their memory be a blessing
(Light candles in silence, pausing after each one)
One: Though we may not yet know their names, we know they were:
All: Beloved children of God
One: Members of families and communities
All: Bearers of hopes and dreams
One: Participants in a celebration of culture and heritage
All: Each one irreplaceable
(Moment of silence)
One: We honor their presence at the Lapu Lapu festival, a gathering meant for joy and cultural celebration
All: May their spirits find peace
One: We hold space for their stories yet to be told
All: And commit to remembering them with dignity and love
(Bell or chime rung nine times)
PRAYER RESPONSE: "Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying" - Voices United 400
Lord, listen to your children praying,Lord, send your Spirit in this place;Lord, listen to your children praying,send us love, send us power, send us grace!
STORY/REFLECTION/SHARING
(Invite community leaders or members to share reflections or memories)
HYMN: "Guide My Feet" - Voices United 640
1 Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom;
lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
the distant scene, one step enough for me.
2 I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path, but now
lead thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years.
3 So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still
will lead me on,
o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
the night is gone;
and with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.
DEDICATION PRAYER
One who created all nations and peoples,
As a community, we dedicate ourselves to:
Standing against hate and violence
Supporting our Filipino brothers and sisters
Working for peace and understanding
Creating a world where festivals remain celebrations
Remembering those we have lost
Help us turn our grief into action, our sorrow into solidarity. Amen.
HYMN: "We Shall Go Out with Hope of Resurrection" - Voices United 586
1 We shall go out with hope of resurrection;
we shall go out, from strength to strength go on;
we shall go out and tell our stories boldly;
tales of a love that will not let us go.
We'll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted;
we'll dream our dreams of hurts that can be healed;
we'll weave a cloth of all the world united
within the vision of new life in Christ.
2 We'll give a voice to those who have not spoken;
we'll find the words for those whose lips are sealed;
we'll make the tunes for those who sing no longer,
expressive love alive in every heart.
We'll share our joy with those who still are weeping,
raise hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief,
we'll leap and dance the resurrection story,
including all in circles of our love.
BLESSING
One: May the God of all comfort be with you
All: And give us strength for each new day
One: May the love of community surround you
All: And help us heal together
One: May the Spirit of peace guide our steps
All: As we work for a better tomorrow
One: Go in peace, and may the memory of those lost inspire us to create a world of justice and love.
All: Amen.