RCRC - Weekend of Prayer Resources

Prayer for Providers of Women’s Health Care
from Prayerfully Pro-Choice, RCRC

Gracious Provider of Care and Protection, we remember and stand with health care professionals who furnish health care for women. We give thanks for their commitment to protect the privacy of their patients and to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.

We give thanks especially for the doctors and nurses and other health care workers who serve the reproductive health care needs of women. Who train women to use contraception safely and responsibly, who educate teenagers about intercourse and its consequences, who counsel women at risk to conceive children with genetic and hereditary problems, who explore options with women who have problem pregnancies, who refer women to responsible adoption agencies, who support women through abortion services, who recognize the rights of women to make reproductive choices. We pray for an end to the rhetoric and violent acts that target health care providers and pray for the day when health care providers, women and their families can exercise their rights to reproductive choice in security and peace. Help us, Gracious God, to stand together with these courageous and caring people who continue to do your holy work.

Gracious Provider of Care and Protection,
Bless this building and those who work here,
The doctors and nurses and other health care workers
Who provide safe, legal, caring and loving reproductive health services, including abortion, to women in need,
Who recognize the rights of women to make reproductive choices.
They are doing God’s work.
We celebrate their concern and commitment.
Drive away the forces of hatred and misogyny, the powers of evil and ill-will.
Keep away those who wish harm to the staff and the women.
Convert their hearts, open their minds,
End their violence and harassment,
That they might see their errors and repent.
Help them and us to know
That we are all created in your image,
And that you are a God of love and not of hate.
Amen.

O God, giver of life and hope, you are our help in every time of trouble.

We ask your comfort in our grief as we remember a compassionate caregiver, father and grandfather, George Tiller.

We thirst for your justice and peace to be present in us and in our world, that the innocent may be protected from the violence and aggression of the unjust;

We seek your mercy and forgiveness that we may be able to forgive Scott Roeder and others like him for
their violent acts of terrorism against us;

And we pray for a world where women have the right and the freedom to make moral choices for themselves, their families and their communities;

Be with us now in this memorial service to comfort one another, to remember a faithful servant, and to look to the future with hope for a world of compassion, respect for differences, justice, and peace. Amen.

Litany of Remembrance for Dr. Tiller
by Reverend Matthew Westfox

(Two versions, the first as a responsive reading )

Leader: We come together in mourning.
All: To express our grief and sorrow at the murder of a doctor who spent his life helping others. Leader: We grieve for all those who were touched by his life, and tonight are feeling his loss.
All: We come together in mourning.

Leader: We come together in anger.
All: We are angry tonight, and we should be. Angry in the face of cold-blooded murder. Angry at those who would lash out in violence.
Leader: We are angry that someone who did so much to help others was taken from us.
All: We come together in anger. Not to lash out, not to fight, but to cry out from our anger that this must never happen again.

Leader: We come together in celebration and thanksgiving.
All: We celebrate the life of a doctor who did so much to help others. Who day after day refused to let violence and harassment stop him from offering life saving medical services to those in need.
Leader: We give thanks for the doctors and the nurses, the clinical staff and administrators, for all those who work in clinics and hospitals, facing danger and harassment day in and day out to offer services to those who need them.
All: Let us come together in celebration and thanksgiving.

Leader: We come together in solidarity.
All: We come together to remember that we are not alone. To mourn the passing of Dr. Tiller and to give thanks for all he did.
Leader: To stand in solidarity with those patients of Dr. Tiller who remind us that they owe their lives to his work.
All: We stand in solidarity with them, for there is no greater testimony to Dr. Tiller and the goodness of his life’s work.

We come together in mourning.
To express our grief and sorrow at the murder of a doctor who spent his life helping others. We grieve for all those who were touched by his life, and tonight are feeling his loss.
For all the women who will now find it even harder to access needed services, services that may be necessary to preserve their health or even their very lives, because Dr. Tiller is no longer with us.
We mourn the loss that we all feel, the loss of our sense of safety. We are reminded that when one of us is attacked, all of us are attacked.
We come together in mourning.

We come together in anger.
We are angry tonight, and we should be. Anger in the face of cold-blooded murder. Anger at those who would lash out in violence.
We are angry that someone who did so much to help others was taken from us. We bear witness to this terrible act, and stand together to declare that violence against doctor or clinic staff cannot, must not be tolerated.
We come together in anger. Not to lash out, not to fight, but to cry out from our anger that this must never happen again.

We come together in celebration and thanksgiving.
We celebrate the life of this doctor who did so much to help others. Who day after day refused to let violence and harassment stop him from offering needed, often times life saving medical services to those in need.
We give thanks for the doctors and the nurses, the clinical staff and administrators, for all those who work in clinics and hospitals, facing danger and harassment day in and day out to provide abortions to those who need them. Let us come together in celebration and thanksgiving.

We come together in solidarity. This vigil is one of many, as all across the country, people come together in anger, come together in mourning, come together in celebration. We come together to remember that we are not alone. To mourn the passing of Dr. Tiller and to give thanks for all he did. To stand in solidarity with those patients of Dr. Tiller who remind us that they owe their lives to his work. We stand in solidarity with them, for there is no greater testimony to Dr. Tiller and the goodness of his life’s work.

Gracious and loving God, be with all of those brave souls who make abortion possible. Hold them in your loving embrace and keep them safe— doctors, nurses, clinic staff, administrators, janitors and counselors and receptionists—all those who labor to provide abortions to those in need. Bless them and keep them safe from harm and harassment, intimidation and fear. Hear us, O God, as we lift up our voices to you, and say in all you many names- Amen.

Prayer for Clergy and Lay Counselors Who Counsel Women
from Prayerfully Pro-Choice, RCRC

Source of Wisdom, Spirit of Love, we pray for all those persons, both lay and clergy,
who do your holy work of listening to and helping women sort out their options.

Give them a portion of your gentle and nurturing spirit so that their guidance will uphold and respect each woman’s own conscience and beliefs. Help them to withhold judgment and offer hope. Help them to carefully listen and wisely speak. Help them to open themselves to new ideas and put away their prejudices. And may they never unknowingly wound those already in pain.

May your presence in their lives excite them to enhance their counseling skills and nurture your gift of discernment. Enable each of them to offer themselves in holy service even as they strive to maintain themselves as whole persons. And may they see in the face of all who invite them to share their journey of struggle and decision-making your own real presence.

Memorial to Those Injured and Killed All Across the Country
from Prayerfully Pro-Choice, RCRC

We weep for the dead and wounded. Our endeavor is to fulfill their mission. As we name
each person who has been murdered by an anti-abortion terrorist, a candle will be lighted
in that person’s memory.

Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida
Dr. Wayne Patterson of Mobile, Alabama
Dr. John Britton of Pensacola, Florida
James Barrett of Pensacola, Florida
Shannon Lowney of Brookline, Massachusetts
Leanne Nichols of Brookline, Massachusetts
Officer Robert Sanderson of Birmingham, Alabama
Dr. Barnett Slepian of Amherst, New York
Dr. George Tiller, Wichita, Kansas

Let us pause for a moment of silence to remember all those who have lost their lives and
have been injured in attacks all across the country.

Silence

Help us, Gracious God, to remember the sacrifice made by these courageous and caring
people. Help us to rededicate ourselves to continue the work of securing and maintaining
all reproductive health care options for all people.
Leader: As we bless the source of life,
People: so are we blessed.

Benediction: Let the Spirit of Dr. Tiller Live On
by Reverend Matthew Westfox

With the murder of Dr. Tiller our movement, our world, lost a great man. We mourn his loss, but we remember that his spirit lives on. That any time a doctor or a nurse or a clinic practitioner goes to work to provide abortions care to those in need, the spirit of Dr. Tiller lives on. That any time an elected official submits a bill or casts a vote in favor of justice, in favor of clinic defense, in favor of access, that the spirit of Dr. Tiller lives on. That every time we come to a vigil and say “No more violence, no more killings; clinic workers must work in peace,” the spirit of Dr. Tiller lives on. That every time we give of our hearts, through gifts of time, or money, or energy or volunteerism, we make it possible for women to have access to needed services, and the spirit of Dr. Tiller lives on. By doing all we can to make abortions accessible and safe, the spirit of Dr. Tiller lives on.

Gracious and loving God, let your strength flow through all of us. Let all of us honor the memory of this great man, and keep his spirit with us as we work for justice, work for access, and work together to make sure that no doctor, no administrator, no clinic worker is ever murdered again.

I am against violence. I am pro-life.
I am against harassment, intimidation, threats, stalking, bombs and arson. I am pro-life.
I am against murder. I am pro-life.
I am pro-choice. I am pro-life.

This is the day that God has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Today, we join in gratitude for the work of Planned Parenthood, for what has been and what is to be. This work is holy work, service provided by God’s people on behalf of God’s people. We now ask for God’s gracious blessing upon this work, upon this facility and upon all those who will pass through these doors.

We ask for the blessing of commitment. We celebrate 66 years of dedicated service to this community, and we look forward to many more years of building strong families.
May all who undertake this service be blessed with strength, dedication, good humor, compassion. The blessing of commitment; O God, may it be so.

We ask for the blessing of skill. We celebrate the many talents that have brought this facility into being. May this continue to be a place of wisdom, in which knowledge is developed and shared. May healing and wholeness come to all who journey or labor here. The blessing of skill; O God, may it be so.

We ask for the blessing of safety. We celebrate the unity of purpose, the caring and compassion that make possible the distinguished mission of Planned Parenthood. May this be a place of warmth and sanctuary, protected from the storms outside, sheltered from those who would seek to do harm. The blessing of safety; O God, may it be so. We ask for the blessing of hope. We celebrate the vision that has guided Planned Parenthood through its many years of service, and into the future. May this be a place of promise, so that all who enter these doors may find fulfillment and joy. The blessing of hope, O God, may it be so Gracious God, your love surrounds us; your grace uplifts us. Your presence sustains us.

We ask this blessing today so that we ourselves may become a blessing for all whom we encounter. May Planned Parenthood continue to be an instrument of your service, doing the holy work of healing and caring for your creation. O Holy One, may it be so. And let the people say, Amen!

A Memorial Celebration of the Life of Dr. George Tiller
June 4, 2009 - First Presbyterian Church of New Haven

Welcome
A murder in a worship space, in the midst of a congregation gathered to worship God. Unthinkable. The act of a crazed fanatic. And clear evidence of the broken-ness of our society in this day.

As ordained clergy and religions leaders from a wide variety of religious traditions and organizations, we come together today to affirm the value of life, even as together we mourn the tragic and violent murder of Dr. George Tiller.

George Tiller was a member of the Lutheran Church, where last Sunday morning he was serving as an usher. Dr. Tiller was person of strong religious faith, which was a foundation for both his life and his work. His church was celebrating the day of Pentecost, when the mighty winds of God’s Spirit came ushering in a new way of living and of loving.

It is astonishing that such a thing could happen … in a church … in these days.

But we have seen this kind of violence before. Because we live in a society that has not yet fully recognized the legitimacy of women’s reproductive rights. So it is that abortion clinics across our country face the threat of violence daily, as do their doctors and other staff.

Today, we come together to acknowledge our anger, our sadness, our fear, and our hope. And we affirm that this violence must be condemned. And it must stop. We are strong and we are right and we must go on.

This day, we mourn the death of George Tiller, a person of deep commitment, who faithfully spoke for, worked for and stood up for the right of all women to make their own decisions about reproduction and health. He chose to deliver services to the hardest of cases...the women who literally could not come to PPC, and had nowhere else to turn. He and his staff greeted those weary and frightened travelers with warmth and concern. He was an ardent supporter of choice, and an example to so many others who share this commitment. In his work he exemplified care and concern, love and compassion, and dedication to his calling.

We rededicate ourselves to creating a society in which extremism of this sort becomes unacceptable, and in which safe access to the full range of health care and reproductive choices is available to all women and all families.

Prayer
O God, giver of life and hope, you are our help in every time of trouble.

We ask your comfort in our grief as we remember a compassionate caregiver, father and grandfather, George Tiller.

We thirst for your justice and peace to be present in us and in our world, that the innocent may be protected from the violence and aggression of the unjust;

We seek your mercy and forgiveness that we may be able to forgive Scott Roeder and others like him for
their violent acts of terrorism against us;

And we pray for a world where women have the right and the freedom to make moral choices for themselves, their families and their communities;

Readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – Meredith Coleman-Tobias
Psalm 23 – Meredith Coleman-Tobias

Stories of gratitude after abortion

Story #1
From Feministe
In 1994 my wife and I found out that she was pregnant. The pregnancy was difficult and unusually uncomfortable but her doctor repeatedly told her things were fine. Sometime early in the 8th month my wife, an RN who at the time was working in an infertility clinic asked the Dr. she was working for what he thought of her discomfort. He examined her and said that he couldn’t be certain but thought that she might be having twins. We were thrilled and couldn’t wait to get a new sonogram that hopefully would confirm his thoughts. Two days later our joy was turned to unspeakable sadness when the new sonogram showed conjoined twins. Conjoined twins alone is not what was so difficult but the way they were joined meant that at best only one child would survive the surgery to separate them and the survivor would more than likely live a brief and painful life filled with surgery and organ transplants. We were advised that our options were to deliver into the world a child who’s life would be filled with horrible pain and suffering or fly out to Wichita Kansas and to terminate the pregnancy under the direction of Dr. George Tiller.

We made an informed decision to go to Kansas. One can only imagine the pain borne by a woman who happily carries a child for 8 months only to find out near the end of term that the children were not to be and that she had to make the decision to terminate the pregnancy and go against everything she had been taught to believe was right. This was what my wife had to do. Dr. Tiller is a true American hero. The nightmare of our decision and the aftermath was only made bearable by the warmth and compassion of Dr. Tiller and his remarkable staff. Dr. Tiller understood that this decision was the most difficult thing that a woman could ever decide and he took the time to educate us and guide us along with the other two couples who at the time were being forced to make the same decision after discovering that they too were carrying children impacted by horrible fetal anomalies. I could describe in great detail the procedures and the pain and suffering that everyone is subjected to in these situations. However, that is not the point of the post. We can all imagine that this is not something that we would wish on anyone. The point is that the pain and suffering were only mitigated by the compassion and competence of Dr. George Tiller and his staff. We are all diminished today for a host of reasons but most of all because a man of great compassion and courage has been lost to the world.

Story #2
From Feministe
The week we spent in Kansas was one of the toughest weeks of my life, one that I will never forget, nor will I choose to forget, but through my tears of sadness, love helped us through.

We returned home just two days ago, and the pain is ever so fresh, and the memories vivid. A piece of me doesn’t want the pain to ever go away because it is one way for me to stay connected to my son. My beautiful, angelic son, Nathan Jack. Seeing him was one of the hardest things I have ever done, not being able to watch him grow up, or call me “Mommy” is something I will always grieve over, but knowing that we protected and saved him from an existence of hospital stays was our responsibility as loving parents.

We are forever grateful to the Women’s Health Center, the amazing doctor and all staff for being our heaven when we were living in hell.

Story # 3
from Metafilter
My wife and I spent a week in Dr. Tiller's care after we learned our 21 week fetus had a severe defect incompatible with life. The laws in our state prevented us from ending the pregnancy there, and Dr. Tiller was one of maybe three choices in the whole nation at that gestational age. My wife just called with the news of his murder, weeping. I can't really come up with some profound political statement just now, so let me just list some memories of Dr. Tiller.

-I remember him firmly stating that he regarded the abortion debate in the US to be about the control of women's sexuality and reproduction.

-I remember he spent over six hours in one-on-one care with my wife when there was concern she had an infection. We're talking about a physician here. Six hours.

-He told the story of his previous shooting, where a woman shot him twice in both arms as he drove out of his clinic. At first he wanted to run her down with his Jeep, but then he thought "she shot you already George, she'll do it again!"

-I remember being puzzled about a T-shirt he was wearing, which said "Happy Birthday Jennifer from team Tiller!" or something similar. Turns out it comemmorated the birthday of a fifteen year old girl who was raped, became pregnant, and came to Tiller for an abortion. As luck would have it, she was in the clinic the same week as her birthday. So the clinic threw her a party.

-The walls of the clinic reception and waiting room are literally covered with letters from patients thanking him. Some were heartbreaking - obviously young and/or poorly educated people thanking Dr. Tiller for being there when they had no other options, explaining their family, church etc. had abandoned them.

-I remember my wife, foggy with sedation after the final procedure, being helped from the exam table. He had her sit up and put her arms around his neck, and then he lifted her into a wheelchair.

"You give good hugs" she whispered. He paused just for a moment. "You're just fine," he told her.

Words of remembrance

Lynne Randall, Planned Parenthood Federation of America vice president of CAPS (Consortium of Abortion Providers). Lynne has dedicated her life to improving abortion access and care for women, and Dr. Tiller was her hero. Here are some of the things she had to say about George Tiller:

“George Tiller was incredibly kind and respectful. He never lost sight of why he was providing care for women. He saw the direct link of abortion and a woman's need to end a pregnancy and her ability to care for her family and herself.

“He was incredibly brave. Without the backing of a large organization and just out of a sense of service, he provided care that most doctors aren't willing to provide. Many aren't brave enough to stand up to the level of harassment and violence that Dr. Tiller faced personally and professionally.

“He cared for the whole family. He would meet with the patients’ family members who came to Wichita. The support people were counseled together about caring for their loved ones and themselves. He did not isolate them, as too often happens at clinic. He would never ignore the support people. Not George.

“George saw his practice as a reproductive health ministry, caring for women physically, spiritually, and emotionally in a time of crisis.

“George was a family practice doctor in Wichita. He took over his dad's practice. The practice slowly evolved to become an abortion practice. Only then did George learn that his dad had helped many local women end unwanted pregnancies in a quiet, safe way before abortion was legalized.

“George also had the utmost respect for the woman and her body. He would teach other doctors to respect the woman's cervix and not force or rush things. Her cervix is important, he would tell his mostly male colleagues.
“Attitude is everything.” He and his staff would wear buttons with that slogan.

“Clinics all over the country referred women to him for compassionate care.”
RCRC – Kate Lanamann will read a statement from RCRC President The Rev. Carlton Veazey

Prayer for Abortion Providers and Health Center Staff
Gracious Provider of Care and Protection, we remember and stand with health care professionals who furnish health care for women. We give thanks for their commitment to protect the privacy of their patients and to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.

We pray for an end to the rhetoric and violent acts that target health care providers, and pray for the day when health care providers, women and their families, can exercise their rights to reproductive choice in security and peace. Let us pause now for a moment of silence to remember all who have lost their lives, and for those who have been injured in attacks all across our country, especially Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, receptionists from our sister affiliate, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts who were murdered in 1994, and Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered while attending church services on Sunday. (Silence) Help us, Gracious God, to stand together with these courageous and caring people who continue to do your holy work. Amen.

Blessing Song
written by Miriam Therese Winter

Sing we sing of a blessing
Sing we sing of a blessing
A blessing of love, a blessing of mercy.
Love will increase a blessing of peace

Share now, share in a blessing.
Share now, share in a blessing.
A blessing of hope. A blessing of courage.
Love will increase a blessing of peace.

Live, live, live as a blessing.
Live, live, live as a blessing.
A blessing within. A blessing among us.
Love will increase a blessing of peace.

A Liturgy for Dr. Tiller
New York City, NY, June 1st, 2009
Rev. Matthew Westfox

Prayer

Gracious and loving God, known to us by so many different names and so many different faces, tonight, in all our different voices we lift our prayers to you. Prayers for the family of George Tiller. For all those who were touched by his life and are grieving tonight at his loss. We pray tonight for all of us who are afraid, afraid of the threat of violence, but still are willing to stand up and raise our voices for justice. Hear our prayer, spoken with our lips, and spoken in our solemn silence.

Gracious and loving God, be with all of those brave souls who make abortion possible. Hold them in your loving embrace and keep them safe— doctors, nurses, clinic staff, administrators, janitors and counselors and receptionists—all those who labor to provide abortions to those in need. Bless them and keep them safe from harm and harassment and intimidation and fear. Hear all of us tonight as we lift up our voices to you, and say in all you many names- Amen.