Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Poland
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Lonely
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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It is good to be with you here
in this place of peace, and I welcome you. 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 lift up the people of Poland in our prayers. Located in
central Europe, Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be
overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a
Soviet satellite country following the war, and labor turmoil in 1980
led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that
became a political force, and by 1990 swept parliamentary elections and
the presidency. A program designed during the early 1990s enabled the
country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central
Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high
unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor
rural underclass. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in
2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country
largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of European
organizations.
It is written that God's grace is sufficient that it is enough. We meet
today to learn this lesson as we engage in worship. May our encounter
with God's grace result in the deepening of faith and enlarging of hope. |
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| Scripture Reading: Psalm 5:1-3, 11-12 IP |
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Take note of my words, Adonai!
Understand my sighs!
Listen to my cry for help, my Ruler, my God—
for it is to you that I pray.
Adonai, every morning you hear my voice,
every morning I put my requests before you, and I wait. |
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Prayer for Peace by Michael J. Hahn of
Independence, Missouri |
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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 - Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
- Sing a New Song #34 |
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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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Let us be still now in this place of safety that God's
grace may bathe our souls in peace. We give praise and honor to our God
who has visited our souls with such grace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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In the light of such grace and glory we become keenly aware of the stain
sin has left on our souls. We seek for further cleansing. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We lift the people of Poland up to you, God. Be with them and bless them
as they continue to walk on the path of peace, and may every nation be
woven into your tapestry of peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We lift to you our human family, whatever their nation or race, color or
creed. May we embrace each one as brother or sister in your love. Help
us to put aside our differences, our all too human concerns that
separate and divide us and prevent us from truly being the children you
would have us be. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We pray for those gathered here this day. Guide us and direct us as we
seek to do your will. |
| 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.
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| The People Pray in Silence |
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Beloved Creator, you have watched generations come and go throughout the
stretches of time. We are reaping the harvest they planted. And we plant
for those who follow after us. Grace our harvesting and our planting. We
want to do our part in the creation of a universe at peace with itself.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We will conclude our service this afternoon with
ministry of music. You are invited to remain to pray or meditate in the
quiet of this place for as long as you may wish.
Eternal God who broods over the world's billions, we leave this place of
quiet beauty aware that our place to serve is out in the world. May our
labors bring honor to you. |
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| Ministry of Music |
