Iraq

Invitation

Good afternoon.  I welcome you to this time of worship and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, whose peace we seek for all creation.

Each day in this Temple dedicated to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation and healing of the spirit, we pray for peace and uphold one of the nations of the world.

Today we remember the people of Iraq in our prayers.  Located in the Middle East, Iraq occupies the ancient region of Mesopotamia, a fertile lowland created by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  Today these rivers sustain large areas of irrigated farmland and one of the highest populations in the Middle East.  Beneath the land, Iraq is second only to Saudi Arabia in rich oil reserves. The country's future remains very tenuous with a new government and continuing ethnic tensions, but there is hope for the future of Iraq with the end of the nearly nine-year war and the country reclaiming its sovereignty. 

Each year on the third Monday of January in the United States, schools, federal offices, post offices and banks across the nation close as we celebrate the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is a time for the nation to remember the injustices that Dr. King fought; a time to remember his fight for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all races and peoples; a time to remember the message of change through nonviolence.  He fought for the day when children of all races and color could join together in play, free from fear of violence or hatred. 

As we unite in worship and prayer for peace in our world, we seek just and lasting peace for the people of all nations, and pursue God’s vision of shalom for all creation.

Scripture Reading
—Luke 6:27-28, 35

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great.  You’ll rightly be called children of the Most High, since God is good even to the ungrateful and the wicked. 

Prayer for Peace
— Douglas Porter, Park Holme, Australia

Lord of Creation, all praise and glory unto you who created humankind in your image and gave unto us stewardship over the earth.  Forgive us for our failure to adequately keep that responsibility.  Lord, we have failed in so many ways.  We have failed to come fully into your image, to accept the challenge to follow your ways and to obey your commandments.  We have failed to respond to that call to change our ways given to us through the centuries through your chosen prophets.  And because of this, we have failed to live in harmony with each other, in our families, our society, our culture, and between cultures, and even with our environment.

And now, O God, the world bleeds because of our neglect so that the peoples of the world cry out to you in their suffering and pain.  Hear their cries, O Lord, we pray, and comfort them in their time of need.  Soften the attitudes in hearts and minds of the leaders of the world that peace and harmony might indeed come to all people.  Show us, Lord, how to help heal the pain and to ease the suffering in our midst, and to fulfill your will for us.

The earth also cries out in pain as humankind plunders it motivated by selfishness and greed.  All creation calls and condemns us for our failure to be good stewards over all that has been placed in our care.

Lord, you have challenged all of us to become your instruments of peace.  May we respond to that challenge and accept the responsibility that is laid upon us all, also remembering that our failure to respond causes you to suffer even more. Strengthen us for the task, O God, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.   Amen.

Hymn
Christ Has Called Us to New Visions - Sing for Peace #38

Prayers of the People
Please join us now, praying the “Prayers of the People. During the moments of quiet, you are invited to pray silently or meditate.

O God, our creator, you are the way of peace.  Come into the brokenness of our lives and the earth with your healing love.  Strengthen us for the task of bringing your light and peace to our world wherever there is need.

The People Pray in Silence

We seek your forgiveness for the times when our actions, or failure to act, cause hurt to another or to your creation.  Help us fully embrace the gift of your grace and share generously this gift which is so freely and lovingly offered to all.

The People Pray in Silence

Iraq is striving for a peace-filled future.  Bring peace to those who have endured pain and suffering as a result of oppression and war, and guide world leaders in working together for the good of the Iraqi people and the people of all nations. 

The People Pray in Silence

Fill us, O Lord, with your perfect love which casts out fear, and bind us together in unity as we celebrate the gifts and visions of all who strive to bring forth your kingdom of peace.

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

We thank you and praise you for love that sustains us, for wisdom that directs us, and for the desire that beckons us toward peace in our world.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Sending Forth

Our service concludes with ministry of music, and you are invited to remain in the quiet of this place and pray or meditate as long as you wish.

Strengthened and renewed by Christ’s healing and restoring peace, let us go forth to live out God’s call for just and lasting peace which is for all creation.

Ministry of Music