Confessions on the 5th Anniversary of the Iraqi War

Yesterday we read the following during our two worship services. It's a Litany of Confession- where the Pastor reads the light print, and the community responds with the dark. It was written by Shane Claiborne

It was incredibly powerful for me and my own personal spiritual journey. Once again, reminding me that I am a child of God...not a child of America.

Regardless of religion, I hope that this confession moves you spiritually.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Free us from the bondage of sin and death
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

For the victims of war
Have mercy
Women, men and children
have mercy
The maimed and the crippled
have mercy
the abandoned and the homeless
have mercy
the imprisoned and the tortured
have mercy
the widowed and the orphaned
have mercy
the bleeding and the dying
have mercy
the weary and the desperate
have mercy
the lost and forsaken
have mercy

O God- Have mercy on us sinners
Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our scorched and blackened earth
forgive us
for our caesars and our herods
forgive us
for the violence that is rooted in our hearts
forgive us
for the times we turn others into enemies
forgive us
deliver us, O God
Guide our feet into the way of peace
hear our prayer
Grant us peace

From the arrogance of power
deliver us
from the myth of redemptive violence
deliver us
from the tyranny of greed
deliver us
from the ugliness of racism
deliver us
from the cancer of hatred
deliver us
from the seduction of wealth
deliver us
from the addiction of control
deliver us
from the idolatry of nationalism
deliver us
from the paralysis of cynicism
deliver us
from the violence of apathy
deliver us
from the ghettos of poverty
deliver us
from the ghettos of wealth
deliver us
from a lack of imagination
deliver us
deliver us, O God
Guide our feet into the way of peace

We will not conform to the patterns of this world
Let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds
with the help of God's grace
let us resist evil wherever we find it
with the waging of unjust war
we will not comply
with the legalization of murder
we will not comply
with the slaughter of innocents
we will not comply
with laws that betray human life
we will not comply
with the destruction of community
we will not comply
with the pointing finger and malicious talk
we will not comply
with the idea that happiness must be purchased
we will not comply
with the ravaging of the earth
we will not comply
with principalities and powers that oppress
we will not comply
with the destruction of peoples
we will not comply
with the raping of women
we will not comply
with governments that kill
we will not comply
with the theology of empire
we will not comply
with the business of militarism
we will not comply
with the hoarding of riches
we will not comply
with the dissemination of fear
we will not comply

today we pledge our ultimate allegiance...to the kingdom of God
we pledge allegiance
to a peace that is not like Rome's
we pledge allegiance
to the gospel of enemy love
we pledge allegiance
to the kingdom of the poor and broken
we pledge allegiance
to a king that loves his enemies so much he died for them
we pledge allegiance
to the least of these, with whom Christ dwells
we pledge allegiance
to the transnational church that transcends the artificial borders of nations
we pledge allegiance
to the refugee of Nazareth
we pledge allegiance
to the homeless rabbi who had no place to lay his head
we pledge allegiance
to the cross rather than the sword
we pledge allegiance
to the banner of love above any flag
we pledge allegiance
to the one who rules with a towel rather than an iron fist
we pledge allegiance
to the one who rides a donkey rather than a war-horse
we pledge allegiance
to the revolution that sets both oppressed and the opressors free
we pledge allegiance
to the way that leads to life
we pledge allegiance
to the slaughtered lamb
we pledge allegiance
and together we proclaim his praises. from the margins of the empire to the centers of wealth and power
long live the slaughtered lamb
long live the slaughtered lamb
long live the slaughtered lamb