It's All Saints Day, so of course we sang "For All the Saints" in worship. But this year is different for lots of reasons. David Gambrell wrote some new verses to the hymn for this year to help us lament and reflect on the losses and challenges of this past year. He said: “In the original hymn, each stanza ends with a double ‘alleluia.’ In 2020, I felt like we might need to sing the Kyrie Eleison — ‘Lord, have mercy.'" He suggests these be inserted between the 1st and 2nd stanzas of the original hymn. They are also make good prayers of intercession.
Here they are:
For lives cut short, no time or space to grieve; for saints and servants you have now received; for all who still bear witness and believe: O Lord, have mercy. O Lord, have mercy.
For those oppressed and murdered by the state; for systems built by centuries of hate; for justice now — no longer will we wait: O Lord, have mercy. O Lord, have mercy.
For dreams deferred, for lost and stolen breath; for friends beset, beleaguered and bereft; for days to come when love will conquer death: O Lord, have mercy. O Lord, have mercy.
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