Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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The
Bahamas
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more about The Bahamas?
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Lonely
Planet.
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Welcome today to 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 the Bahamas in our prayers. A chain
of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas have prospered
through tourism and international banking and investment management
since attaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1973. Tension
exists over bank-secrecy laws and drug trafficking via the islands.
Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for
illegal drugs.
We greet you in the name of God who ordained that all people should live
together in peace and harmony. Let us be thankful for our blessings and
raise a triumphant song of joy to our God. |
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| Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 2:12-14, 26-27
INT |
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I will make a covenant of peace with them;
it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase
their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My
dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be
my people. |
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Prayer for Peace by Steven Shields, Seoul,
Korea |
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Father-Mother God,
Our hearts are broken by the events of our day. Wherever we look, we see
violence--violence through hunger, abuse, economic policies and war.
Yet, while we seem empathetic towards those who are suffering, we are
not yet angry enough to work toward a solution. Make us more aware that
mere thoughts are insufficient to address the needs of the world in
which we live. Help us to see that our brothers and sisters of the human
race need us to be more involved in the activities of life--involved to
the degree that we elect those government officials who will worry more
about human dignity than reelection; involved to the degree that we will
not give a minute's rest to elected officials through aggressive action
demanding their efforts toward solutions.
Restore our relationships, O God--our relationships with ourselves, our
relationships with each other, and our relationship with you. For we
acknowledge that it is only through right relationships that we will
truly understand what is meant by the word peace. We recognize that
peace is a lifestyle that must be continually nurtured. We affirm that
such a lifestyle is what each of us wants to attain. Grant that we may
do so through your power and wisdom. Grant that we may become a people
of peace for your glory, O God.
Bless us now as we seek to understand; as we work toward fulfilling your
purpose in us; as we strive to live lives of wholeness and
righteousness.
In the name of God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the loving
presence in the midst of life. Amen. |
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Hymn - Behold a Broken World, We Pray
- Sing for Peace #21 |
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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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We thank you, God, for your many blessings in our lives:
for friends, family, and those who give particular meaning to our lives. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We confess to you our shortcomings. In your mercy, we ask forgiveness
for our sins, things done and things left undone. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We pray for the nation of the Bahamas, their leaders and their people.
May they know peace in these troubled times. May all realize their worth
as your children. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Let us pray now for the special concerns and needs of those who are
gathered here this day. |
| 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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Hear our prayers, O God, as we offer ourselves to be instruments of your
peace. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We will 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.
Now let us leave as we have worshiped, full of joy and peace. Grant us,
Great God, the blessing to live recognizing that all forms of
intolerance and discrimination because of religion or belief will be
banned from our lives. Go in peace and teach peace. |
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| Ministry of Music |
