Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Christmas Day — World Peace
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Good afternoon, and on this
Christmas Day we welcome you to this sacred place, and thank you for
joining us in worship. Each day in this Temple dedicated to the pursuit
of peace, we pray to God for peace in our world. On this day of our
Savior’s birth we pray for world peace. We pray, that for this one day,
people may reach out to their neighbor and embrace them as family. We
pray that war and violence will be halted so that all may remember the
birth of the one who came to teach us the ways of peace. And perhaps
this one day of peace may touch our hardened hearts and soften them that
we may know the ways of peace throughout the rest of the year.
Come, let us enter into this worship with joy and celebration as we pray
for peace in our time, and for the whole human family. |
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| Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:8-11 NRSV |
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For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery
and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples:
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my
God;
for he has clothed me… with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before
all the nations. |
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Prayer for Peace by Hiroshi Yamada,
Independence, Missouri |
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Dear Lord God:
After a year's journey we have once again gathered before you to
celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ.
As we look back at this passing year, the joy and thanksgiving overflow
from our hearts. Some of us that are here may have come through pain and
grief. Some may have had a year better than past years. Others of us may
have had the happiest and the most fulfilling year. Regardless of the
kind of journey we may have had, we are all grateful that you have had
us gather before you in this beautiful sanctuary to jointly experience
your presence.
Today a joyful noise is being heard in many parts of the world. The
children are singing the carols in the choirs. The youths are playing
the Christmas pageant at the churches. Santas are in the towns. We see
the joy and twinkle in the children's eyes and happiness glows in their
mothers' faces, as they gather by the Christmas tree.
O Lord, we are so grateful for this joy, happiness, and peace we are
experiencing. We pray that the children's eyes will not be clouded by
the fears of wars and that the tears of sadness will not be shed on
their mothers' faces. Our memories are still so vivid that we cannot
forget—the tears of innocent children crying for hunger and thirst, the
pains in mothers' faces with no milk in their bosoms to feed the babies.
We have seen scarcity in the midst of affluence. Tragedy in the midst of
peace.
We shall remember, O Lord, these cries as those of our own children and
these pains as those of our own companions, even in the midst of our
celebration. You sent us your Son, because you loved the world, you
loved us all, that we all would have life, and not perish. And so today,
O Lord, we return our thanks to you in our commitment and services to
those who are bruised and afflicted so that they may be freed from
bondage.
Bless and guide us as we continue our journey into the new year. We pray
these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. |
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Hymn - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing -
Hymns of the Saints #252 |
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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 is great! God is so good! We praise you and thank
you for the plan of our salvation, and the plan for all humankind to
live at peace, one with another. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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O Lord, we have not always been at peace, or even kind to one another.
Forgive us, we humbly pray, and open our minds and our hearts to see
your will for our lives. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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There are many nations at war with one another on this Christmas Day. We
pray for them to choose to lay down their arms and find peace within
themselves as well as with their enemies. We also pray for the leaders
who will seek to guide their nations as they search for peace with
justice. Bless their efforts with your Holy Spirit, we humbly ask. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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The people gathered here today also have needs and concerns. We ask for
your comforting spirit and your guidance to direct our thoughts and
actions. We desire to be a people of peace. Teach us of your peace, we
pray. |
| 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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Accept our earnest humble plea, Great God. Help us to be at peace, to
teach peace, and to build peace. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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Our service is finished for today, and we thank you for
your gift of presence. We invite you to remain for the ministry of music
and pray or meditate for as long as you may wish.
Thanks be to God for the plan of peace. Thanks be to God, and to each
other, Peace! Go in God's name and teach peace, and the God of all
nations will guide us. |
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| Ministry of Music |
