Estonia — map

Gathering in Silence

Call to Prayer

Lighting of Candle

Invitation

In the name of Jesus Christ, welcome to this service of peace. “Listen to the Voice that echoes across the eons of time and yet speaks anew in this moment. Listen to the Voice, for it cannot be stilled, and it calls you once again to the great and marvelous work of building the peaceable kingdom.”

—Doctrine and Covenants 162:1b

Today in our prayers we remember the people of Estonia, a nation in Northern Europe facing the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. The territory of Estonia consists of a mainland and 2,222 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea.

Scripture Reading—Alma 16:219, 222

"Humble yourselves, and continue in prayer to him; cry to him when you are in your fields, and over all your flocks; cry to him in your houses, and over all your household, morning, midday and evening; cry to him against the power of of your enemies; cry to him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. ...And when you do not cry to the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer to him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

Prayer for Peace

Davy Jones

Father, we are a fractured people. We see your children as “others,” alien to us. We cloister ourselves in insular colonies of like thought and consider no other viewpoint. We shout others down when we should listen to them.

Hosanna! Save us!

Our world, our nations, our communities, our households all suffer in our voluntary and militant separation. We forget the mighty Love that unites us not just in Christendom, but among all Your children.

Help us to see with your eyes. Help us to seek reconciliation. Help us to answer with love and friendship when we are confronted by anger and division. Help us welcome when our instinct is to withdraw.

Help us see your beloved Son in the faces we encounter every day.

Amen.

Hymn

Today’s hymn is 211 in Community of Christ Sings, “Humble Yourself.” Sing or silently reflect on the meaning of the text as it is sung. Hymn number 211.

Prayers of the People

As we enter a time of guided prayer, meditation, and musical reflection, you are invited to offer silent prayers or meditate during the moments of quiet. The context for our Prayers of the People begin with ourselves and move outward, in rippling waves to those we know and love, to strangers and enemies, to the entire world, to all of creation.

Will you join with me in this time of prayer and meditation acknowledging your soul’s yearning for God’s presence and peace? Silently join your heart with God’s.

Pause.

O God of love, grant us your peace. We struggle with insecurities and fears, weighed down with issues that affect our sense of worth and wholeness. Grant us peace that calms the inner turmoil of our souls and affirms that we are beloved.

Pause.

O God of life, grant us your peace. We strive for relationships that are fair, equitable and filled with compassion, yet we often find ourselves enslaved in conflicts with others, even those we love. Grant us the strength to listen with our hearts first that we may grow in deeper connection with those whom we call friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family.

Pause.

O God of hope, grant us your peace. We have grown weary of the sounds of war, violence, oppression and diminishment of men, women and children, yet we fail to heed your urgent invitation to act for justice. Grant us the courage to extend our hands in acts of mercy, service, and peacemaking. We remember all nations, including Estonia, the country we pray for today.

Pause.

O God of all creation, grant us your peace. We understand that we are made of the same substance as all living things, yet fail to grasp your vision of the sacredness of creation. Make us more aware and weave us into oneness. Grant us a glimpse of your love for creation in all its forms and the compassion to act in ways that respect and honor the genius of your universe.

Pause.

O God of peace, we offer ourselves as vessels of your grace and peace, so that from where we stand, waves of your loving presence will emanate to bless your world. In and through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Musical Reflection

Sending Forth

Live simply. Value others.

Honor the Earth. Walk in sacred footsteps.

Go in peace.