Daily Prayer for Peace
Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.

Map of the Bahamas

Flag of the Bahamas
The Bahamas

Would you like to learn more about The Bahamas?
Visit Lonely Planet.
 
Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of Candle

Invitation
  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.
 
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 2:12-14, 26-27 INT
  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.
 

Prayer for Peace by Steven Shields, Seoul, Korea
  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.
 

Hymn -  Behold a Broken World, We Pray - Sing for Peace #21

 
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.
  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
  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
  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
  Let us pray now for the special concerns and needs of those who are gathered here this day.
The People Pray in Silence
  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
  Hear our prayers, O God, as we offer ourselves to be instruments of your peace. Amen.
 
Sending Forth
  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.
 
Ministry of Music