Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11

O God, our hope and refuge,

in our distress we come to you.

Shock and horror of the tragic day have subsided,

replaced now with an emptiness,

a longing for an innocence lost.

We come remembering those who lost their lives

In New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.

We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants

who demonstrated the greatest love of all

by laying down their lives for others, most of whom they didn’t even know.

We commit their souls to your eternal care

and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.

We come remembering

and we come in hope,

not in ourselves, but in you.

As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken and are shaken again

and again,

we are reminded of the illusion of security.

In commemorating this tragedy,

we give thanks for your presence among us

in our times of need and always.

We seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth,

you, our guide and our guardian.

Amen.