Somalia — map

Gathering in Silence

Call to Prayer

Lighting of Candle

Invitation

In the name of Jesus Christ, welcome to this sacred space that “stand(s) as a towering symbol of a people who knew injustice and strife on the frontier and who now seek the peace of Jesus Christ throughout the world.”

—Doctrine and Covenants 161:2b

Today in our prayers we remember the people of Somalia, a nation in the Horn of Africa and bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and Kenya. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland and has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era.

Scripture Reading— Psalm 7:6-7, 9-10 NRSV

Rise up, O Lord, in your anger;

lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;

awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment.

Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,

and over it take your seat on high. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

but establish the righteous,

you who test the minds and hearts,

O righteous God God is my shield,

who saves the upright in heart.

Prayer for Peace

Fred W. Winterton

Our Gracious Heavenly Father,

We are thankful for the access we have to you through the grace and reconciliation of your Son, Jesus Christ.

We thank you for the assurance of your continuing love and concern for us through the many trials and difficulties of our lives.

As we entreat you for peace in our troubled world we are mindful of our many deeds of inhumanity to one another by which fear, insecurity, poverty and brokenness have become much of our human experience. We acknowledge these as symptoms of deeper emotional causes—as extensions of our inner conflicts.

We recognize the need for repentance at personal and corporate levels, where we have so often ignored the principles of power relationships. We further recognize, that in petitioning you for peace, we have no rightful claim on your mediation in our troubles while we persist in denying to our fellows the rights of freedom, acceptance, equality and social justice we jealously guard for ourselves, and which underline many of our problems.

Our prayer, dear God, is not that you will offset the just consequences of our sinful ways, but that you will open our eyes to the more peaceful pursuits of life, and engender in our hearts a more compassionate attitude toward the plight of those who are under-privileged and downtrodden.

Assist also, those in roles of government throughout the world to effect the necessary reforms in political, economic, and social affairs which will lessen the tensions of war and hostility, and establish a world based on respect for the rights of all.

Moreover, may the peaceable presence of your Holy Spirit so rule in the inner courts of our lives that we will be living emissaries of peace for you in all the dimensions and interactions of our lives.

This we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymn

Today’s hymn is 400 in Community of Christ Sings, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” Sing or silently reflect on the meaning of the text as it is sung. Hymn number 400.

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 Prayers of the People will begin with individuals and groups, then move out from this Temple of peace to include the human family and the planet.

You are invited to join in prayer and meditation as you close your eyes and imagine yourself held in God’s loving hands. Be aware of your current needs, known to you and the one who calls you by your name.

Pause.

God of my life, may I receive your love, peace, and healing.

Pause.

Imagine someone who is close to you being held in God’s loving hands. Perhaps this person is a good friend or someone with whom you are struggling.

God of relationships, may this person receive your love, peace, and healing.

Pause.

Envision all the people of the world, every nation and tribe, every town and village. Imagine those that live in oneness, as well as those ravaged by war and violence.

God of all peoples, may these communities receive your love, peace, and healing. We remember all nations, including Somalia, the country we pray for today.

Pause.

Behold all that God has created. See the beauty of the Earth. Recognize the brokenness and destruction we have caused. Imagine all the beauty and the damage held in God’s loving hands.

God of creation, may this planet receive your love, peace, and healing.

Pause.

May this spirit of peace and compassion for ourselves, others, all people, and the Earth remain alive in us this day. Amen.

Musical Reflection

Sending Forth

Take the peace you have found today in this sacred space with you into the world—renewed and inspired to act.

Go in peace.