Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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East Timor
Would you like to learn
more about East Timor?
Visit
Lonely
Planet. |
Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Good afternoon, and welcome to
this sacred place as we worship and pray for peace. 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 East Timor in our prayers. The
first new nation of the 21st century is located in Southeast Asia. East
Timor was a Portuguese colony from the 17th century until 1975. When the
Portuguese left, Indonesia invaded and annexed East Timor which resulted
in many Timorese deaths over two decades. The United Nations condemned
Indonesia's occupation, and in 1999 a UN-organized referendum showed
that most East Timorese wanted independence. The United Nations guided
East Timor to independence in 2002. The new country is the poorest in
Asia, but oil in the Timor Sea promises future revenue.
May the God of all people guide our worship so that we may be able to
say, "Yes, Lord, it is good to meet with you. Enlighten us and teach us,
we pray." |
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| Scripture Reading: Isaiah 54:10 NRSV |
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For the mountains may depart, and the hills
be removed;
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of
peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you. |
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Prayer for Peace by L. Dean Carper,
Shenandoah, Iowa |
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Our God and Creator,
We acknowledge your supreme power over all nations of every race. Help
us to recognize your love for all people. May we strive to be
instruments in your hands to be a part of the peace building process.
Where hate and fear divide the nations may tenderness and hope unite.
May your love heal the physical and emotional scars of this strife-torn
world.
Remove the shroud that limits our vision of your eternal purpose and the
building of your kingdom. Remove from us the blinders that keep us from
seeing others as you see them.
With hope, faith, and courage may we always strive to replace scorn and
bigotry with truthfulness and righteousness.
Deliver every nation from the grip of the tyranny of war and poverty. We
look forward to the day when these plagues will be no more and the
nations shall beat swords into plowshares.
Grant us your peace and let it begin with us. Amen. |
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Hymn - We are People of God’s Peace
- Sing a New Song #6 |
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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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As we are together, praying for peace, let us be truly
with each other. Let us be aware of the source of being common to us all
and to all living things. We praise you, Great God. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Evoking the presence of the Great Compassion, let us fill our hearts
with our own compassion—towards ourselves and towards all living beings.
Let us pray that all persons realize they are brothers and sisters, all
nourished from the same source of life. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We especially remember East Timor at this time. May all warfare cease
and may each person be able to find peace as they heal from the scars
inside and out. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of suffering to each
other. Let us live in a way which will not deprive other living beings
of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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With humility, with awareness of the
existence of life, and of the sufferings that are going on around us,
let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth. |
| 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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Hear our collective prayers, O God, that your peace may become the peace
of this world. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We conclude our service today 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.
Let us leave this house and become the peacemakers we are called to be.
The God of peace will be our guide and our blessing. Amen. |
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| Ministry of Music |
