Rev. Matthew Westfox, associate pastor at All Souls Bethlehem Church, a Unitarian congregation in Kensington, works for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and was asked to say a few words of prayer as part
of a vigil in Union Square that was held in honor of Dr. Tiller, an abortion doctor, who was murdered in his church on Sunday.

 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. Angry in the face of cold-blooded
murder. Angry 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.

 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.

 BENEDICTION

 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.