Singapore — 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 Singapore, a sovereign city-state located in Southeast Asia. It lies one degree north of the equator and has a tropical rain forest climate with no distinctive seasons.

Scripture Reading—Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer for Peace

Marvin Foss

Great and Marvelous God Almighty,

Creator, redeemer and sustainer; you are love, and mercy, and glory, and justice and peace. You are our hope, and our guide and our salvation.

Thank you for accepting us in our great sinfulness. We, your children, have fallen victim to temptations of power, wealth, fame, status, and the temporary pleasures of life. Our minds have been plagued with envy, hatred, greed and pride. Too often we see others as less important than ourselves; as being not worthy of those things they have that we want to have; as being in the way of our success. It has led many of us to lie, and to cheat, and to steal and even to kill. We have sent young men and women into harm’s way without good cause or reasoned thought. Millions have died senselessly from Agincourt to Gettysburg to Normandy to Khe Sanh to Helmand Provence. We have tolerated poverty, disease and environmental devastation worldwide, sometimes even considering it to be your will.

Lord God, forgive us when we disastrously lose our way; when we forget that we are called to fulfill a great mission. Grant us, we pray, the kind of faith that will embrace your peace, that will ardently proclaim your peace, that will sue for peace, that will lift an ensign of peace, that will make proposals for peace and that will generously and abundantly share your peace. Your peace must begin with each one of us and we then must spread it to everyone we touch. We must! It is our reason for being. Help us to fully realize how important it is for every one of us to be your peace in this world.

Bless us with strength and commitment as your peacemakers. We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Hymn

Today’s hymn is “Dear God, Embracing Humankind” number 194 in Community of Christ Sings. Sing or silently reflect on the meaning of the text.

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 Singapore, 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.