Genocide Remembrance
This day is set aside in the calendar of the church to hold in remembrance those who have died and those whose lives have been severely damaged as a result of acts of genocide: the systematic and intentional destruction of a people by death, by the imposition of severe mental or physical abuse, by the forced displacement of children, or by other atrocities designed to destroy the lives and human dignity of large groups of people. This day is chosen for the commemoration because the international community recognizes April 24 as a day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide, the systematic annihilation of the Armenian people during and just after World War I.
Tragically, human history is littered with such atrocities and the Armenian Genocide was far from the last such mass extermination of people in the twentieth century. One need only mention Croatia, Nazi Germany, Zanzibar, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, East Timor, Cambodia, Afghanistan, the Kurds, and Tibet, and this is by no means a comprehensive list. The unflinching resolve of people of faith, in prayer and in action, is critical if the travesty of human genocide is to be curbed and eventually stopped. HWHM
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/ttyjpbkv
Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard;
proclaim to the ends of the earth:
The Lord has freed his people, alleluia. Isaiah 48
Mighty and merciful God,
lover of justice and equity,
you call us to support the weak,
to help those who suffer,
and to honor all people.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
make us advocates for your justice
and instruments of your peace,
so that all may be reconciled
in your beloved community;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. BCW2018
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Kevin Keil ©
Tune:
Refrain:
Come and bring light to a people in darkness.
Come set us free from the chains we have made.
We are your people, the flock that you tend.
Lord, open our eyes once again.
1 To the ones brokenhearted: Open our eyes.
To the plight of the poor: Open our eyes.
To the innocent children: Open our eyes.
Teach us compassion and love.
2 To the victims of violence: Open our eyes.
To the ones who seek justice: Open our eyes.
To those sitting in prison: Open our eyes.
Teach us compassion and love.
3 When a color divides us: Open our eyes.
When the darkness surrounds us: Open our eyes.
When we choose to look elsewhere: Open our eyes.
Teach us compassion and love.
4 To those full of life’s sorrow: Open our eyes.
To the needs of the lowly: Open our eyes.
To the ones who seek peace: Open our eyes.
Teach us compassion and love.
5 To those suffering illness: Open our eyes.
To those trapped by addiction: Open our eyes.
To those lost or forgotten: Open our eyes.
Teach us compassion and love.
PSALMS
Psalm 119:1-32
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9wwyccr)
1 Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way *
and walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies *
and seek him with their whole heart.
3 For they who do no wickedness *
walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast charged *
that we shall diligently keep thy commandments.
5 O that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep thy statutes!
6 So shall I not be confounded *
while I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart *
when I shall have learned the judgements of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy ceremonies *
O forsake me not utterly.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way *
even by ruling himself after thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee *
O let me not go wrong out of thy commandments.
11 Thy words have I hid within my heart *
that I should not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord *
O teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I been telling *
of all the judgements of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies *
as in all manner of riches.
15 I will talk of thy commandments *
and have respect unto thy ways.
16 My delight shall be in thy statutes *
and I will not forget thy word.
17 O do well unto thy servant *
that I may live, and keep thy word.
18 Open thou mine eyes *
that I may see the wondrous things of thy law.
19 I am a stranger upon earth *
O hide not thy commandments from me.
20 My soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire *
that it hath alway unto thy judgements.
21 Thou hast rebuked the proud *
and cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 O turn from me shame and rebuke *
for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 Princes also did sit and speak against me *
but thy servant is occupied in thy statutes.
24 For thy testimonies are my delight *
and my counsellors.
25 My soul cleaveth to the dust *
O quicken thou me, according to thy word.
26 I have acknowledged my ways, and thou heardest me *
O teach me thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the way of thy commandments *
and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth away for very heaviness *
comfort thou me according unto thy word.
29 Take from me the way of lying *
and cause thou me to make much of thy law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth *
and thy judgements have I laid before me.
31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies *
O Lord, confound me not.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments *
when thou hast set my heart at liberty.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 119:1-32 (Clarence P Walhout ©)
https://tinyurl.com/yeynxnxm
1 Blessed are those who heed the law of God,
who seek to do no evil or injustice.
They are the LORD’s who walk in all his ways.
O help us, LORD, to follow your commandments.
With upright hearts we strive to do your will.
Forsake us not; we want to learn your precepts.
2 How can the youthful keep their actions pure?
By taking care to honor all your statutes.
I will not wander from the ways of God.
With all my heart I seek your truth and justice.
I always keep your word within my heart;
I meditate upon your perfect goodness.
3 Open my eyes that I may see your law.
Your faithful truths are all that I delight in;
O do not hide them from my sight, O God.
I do but wander if you do not guide me;
my soul is longing for your righteousness.
LORD, be my counselor and patient teacher.
4 Protect me from the arrogant and proud;
they scorn and laugh at those who seek your pleasure.
Sometimes I am depressed and sad at heart;
revive my soul according to your precepts.
Melt sorrow; put false ways far from my path.
Give me again your gracious understanding.
PRAYER
Holy God,
you are just in all your ways
and your commandments are the greatest of treasures.
Give us understanding of your law
and direct us according to your will
that we may be faithful in serving you
for the sake of Jesus our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Isaiah 45:20-25
Assemble yourselves and come together;
draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge—
those who carry about their wooden idols
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”
Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
shall come to him and be ashamed.
In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Gopsal https://tinyurl.com/5e4vwew5
1 Rejoice! The Lord is King,
your Lord and King adore;
mortals, give thanks and sing,
and triumph evermore:
Refrain:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
2 Jesus the Saviour reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when he had purged our stains,
he took his seat above: [Refrain]
3 His kingdom cannot fail;
he rules o’er earth and heaven;
the keys of death and hell
are to our Jesus given: [Refrain]
4 He sits at God’s right hand
till all his foes submit,
and bow to his command,
and fall beneath his feet: [Refrain]
5 Rejoice in glorious hope;
Jesus the judge shall come,
and take his servants up
to their eternal home: [Refrain]
Refrain:
We soon shall hear the archangel’s voice;
the trump of God shall sound: rejoice!
READING: Colossians 1:15-23
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel.
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Germany https://tinyurl.com/yk8w98f4
1 Ere the blue heavens were stretched abroad,
From everlasting was the Word;
With God he was, the Word was God,
And must divinely be adored.
2 By his own power were all things made;
By him supported all things stand;
He is the whole creation’s head,
And angels fly at his command.
3 But lo! he leaves those heavenly forms;
The Word descends and dwells in clay,
That he may converse hold with worms,
Dressed in such feeble flesh as they.
4 Mortals with joy beheld his face,
The eternal Father’s only Son:
How full of truth, how full of grace,
The brightness of the Godhead shone!
5 The angels leave their high abode,
To learn new mysteries here, and tell
The love of our descending God,
The glories of Immanuel.
READING: John 7:14-24
About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?” Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing unjust in him.
“Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. Because of this Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
CANTICLE John 11:25-26; Job 19:25-27; Romans 14:7-8; Revelation 14:13
(David Charles Walker, https://tinyurl.com/4f8te9xt)
I am Resurrection and I am Life, says the Lord.
All who have faith in me shall have life,
even though they die.
And all who have life,
and have committed themselves to me in faith,
shall not die for ever.
As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth.
After my awaking, he will raise me up;
and in my body I shall see God.
I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him
who is my friend and not a stranger.
For we have no life in ourselves,
and none of us become our own master when we die.
For if we have life, we are alive in the Lord,
and if we die, we die in the Lord.
So, then, whether we live or die,
we are the Lord’s possession.
Happy from now on
are those who die in the Lord!
So it is, says the Spirit,
for they rest from their labors.
THE PRAYERS BCW2018
People of God,
for the sake of the world that God so loves, let us pray.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
We pray for peace in every nation—
that people will turn their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks
and study war no more.
Pray for the peace of the church.
We pray for peace in Christ’s body—
put an end to fear and fighting,
and help us to proclaim in word and action
the good news of salvation to all.
Pray for the peace of this community.
We pray for peace in this place—
for safety in our homes and streets,
for the prosperity of our neighbors,
and for the health of family and friends.
God of the future,
make us ready for the coming of your reign,
when you will bring everlasting peace
and renew the face of the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Gracious God, keep us working and praying for the day
when your justice will roll down like waters,
and your righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Replenish our strength and stir up our hope
as we look for signs of your coming reign.
And fill us with the peace that passes understanding—
the deep peace of Jesus Christ our Savior,
in whose holy name we pray. Amen. BCW2018
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCW2018Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
CCP Celebrating Common Prayer, © The European Province of the Society of Saint Francis 1992
The main scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalm 56 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 57 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. Psalm 58 is in the version sung by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html.
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2026 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
Oremus 