Daily Prayer for Peace  | |
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Daily Prayer for Peace
Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Paraguay
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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We greet you today in the name
of Jesus, the living Christ. Come join us as we gather for worship and
prayer in this sacred place. Each day in this Temple dedicated to the
pursuit of peace, we pray to God for peace in our world. In addition,
each day we pray for a different country.
Today we will remember the people of Paraguay in our prayers. Located in
South America, Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of
its territory in the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance. Agriculture
dominates the economy of this landlocked country, 3 percent of whose
property owners control 80 percent of the land. The completion of the
Acaray hydropower project in 1976 brought self-sufficiency in
electricity with the world's largest hydroelectric dam completed in
partnership with Brazil in 1991.
Blessed is the name of our God who is mindful of us as we worship in
faith and joy. |
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| Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:38-48 INT |
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You’ve heard the commandment, ‘An eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist an evil
person. When someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer the
other. If anyone wants to sue you for your shirt, hand over your coat as
well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go two miles.
Give to those who beg from you. And don’t turn your back on those who
want to borrow from you.
You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor—but hate your enemy.’ But I
tell you, love your enemies and pray for your persecutors. This will
prove that you are children of God. For God makes the sun rise on bad
and good alike; God’s rain falls on the just and the unjust. If you love
those who love you, what merit is there in that? Don’t tax collectors do
as much? And if you greet only your sisters and brothers, what is so
praiseworthy about that? Don’t Gentiles do as much? Therefore be
perfect, as Abba God in heaven is perfect. |
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Prayer for Peace by Michael J. Hahn,
Independence, Missouri |
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To you Great God of all the universe, we desire to come
close to you now with adoration and joy. We seek the comfort of your
spirit, the warmth of your breath, the touch of your embrace. We call to
you, and whisper your name, and listen for your word. We are here in
this sacred space to offer this prayer for peace. May our prayer rise up
to you as incense on the holy alter.
O God of all, we share the desire of our hearts for peace. We are tired;
we are weary; we are burdened with the talk of war and battle. We long
for peace in our world like the bird for its nest. Help us, O God, to be
builders of peace.
O Creator God, you who have made us all, every one who lives and
breathes - we weep for peace. Without your spirit we wander aimlessly,
without purpose, without hope, without joy. Help us, O God, to travel
the road of peace.
O Merciful God, we long for that redemptive relationship with the one
who made us and loves us the most! We are your children, created on the
master’s wheel, tempered in the refiner’s fire, nurtured and grown in
the planter’s soil. We look to you now for a father’s blessing and a
mother’s tender caress. Help us, O God, to harvest peace.
O God of riches, may we who have much live out your peace in ways that
bear fruit in the lives of others. May we be just, humble, and full of
grace and love, as we follow the example of Jesus, the great Peacemaker,
in whose name we pray, Amen. |
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Hymn - Lord of All Hopefulness - Hymns of
the Saints #185 |
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Prayers of the People
Please join us now, praying the Prayers of the People. During the
moments of silence, you are invited to pray silently or meditate. |
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God of all that is, all that ever was, and all that
shall come to be: We praise you, and ask you be with us as we pray for
peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We give thanks for this time of remembering your goodness, your loving
care, your guidance and your plan for all your creation to be at peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Forgive us when we have not remembered and have been guilty of actions
and thoughts that did not promote peace. We do desire to be your people
of peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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This day, O God, we remember the nation of Paraguay and its people who
struggle daily for peace and acceptance and justice. Be near them to
bless and guide, we pray. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We would also remember the concerns and petitions of those gathered here
this day. Guide us, we pray, that we will not add to the problems of the
world, but will be part of the solution. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Please use this space to pray for any
current concern or event in our community, city, state, nation or world
that you feel needs to be held up to God for prayerful consideration. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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O God who is peace, God who is hope, and God who is concerned with all
creation, guide us and bless us as we go forth to serve the Divine
purpose created in us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We conclude our service today with Ministry of Music. We
invite you to remain in the quiet of this place to pray or meditate for
as long as you may wish.
May the God of Paraguay, all of South America, the islands of the seas
and the great continents go with you as leave this place to proclaim
peace. |
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| Ministry of Music |
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