Malawi — 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 Malawi, a nation in southeastern Africa landlocked by Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Malawi is known for the friendliness of the people, the diversity of its geography, and lives up to the name given it by the people who have inhabited this land for generations, The Warm Heart of Africa.

Scripture Reading—Doctrine and Covenants 150:7

These are portentous times. The lives of many are being sacrificed unnecessarily to the gods of war, greed, and avarice. The land is being desecrated by the thoughtless waste of vital resources. You must obey my commandments and be in the forefront of those who would mediate this needless destruction while there is yet day.

Prayer for Peace

Kathy McGuire

We know that you have created us that we might have joy. And yet, by using our free agency we have created pain. We know that the example of Jesus was an example of love and compassion. Yet, we often choose to hate and to fear and to ignore the needs of our companions on this journey. The world which you have created and so generously given to us feels the pain of our choices and groans to be liberated from the chains we have created for it.

Free us, O God. Create in us clean hearts and pure visions. Infuse us with a desire to be agents of peace in a world of suffering and need. Clear our minds that we might see truthfully the steps which can be taken to bring healing and reconciliation to all your creation. Help us to recognize you and to respond to you as you move within each of us, guiding us toward the perfection that is already ours and out of which comes a deep yet resounding call for peace in all the world.

You have called us by our names. You know us intimately. You know our capacities. Then you have given us the greatest gift of calling us by your son’s name. We are called Christians. Let that name and that Christ-spirit unite us with all the world rather than separate us from our fellow humans. Then as Christians may we be healing agents in a universe that ever calls us forward.

For the sake of your universal kingdom we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Hymn

Today’s hymn is “For Beauty of Meadows” number 142 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 Prayers of the People this day begin with ourselves and then, enlarging life’s circle, move outward to include those we know and love, to strangers and enemies, to the entire world, and to all of creation.

Will you pause for the next few moments in the quiet of this sanctuary, away from the worries of the world, to silently add your own thoughts and prayers to the prayers of the people?

Pause.

God of all time and space, I stand waiting for your peace to enter my broken and chaotic soul, just as you wait for me to pause long enough to breathe and simply be. May your peace fill the space that I now create with my breath and my being. Hear my often-impatient cry, “Be with me, O Prince of Peace, and make me whole.”

Pause.

Source of our being, we stand waiting for your peace to enter our broken and chaotic relationships, just as you wait for us to pause long enough to invite you in. May your reconciling presence bring us to a point of apology and forgiveness, of offering and receiving, and unity. Hear our impatient cry, “Be with us, O Prince of Peace, and make us one.”

Pause.

Lord of all Earth’s people, the world stands waiting for your peace to calm the warring nations, to stem the tide of violence we inflict against one another, just as you wait for us to stop the madness long enough to see one another as family. We remember all nations, including Malawi, the country we pray for today. May your profound compassion for your children flow within us. Enable us to surrender our hatred and fear and be filled instead with your loving kindness and mercy. Hear our often-impatient cry, “Be with our human family, O Prince of Peace, and make us one.”

Pause.

Creator of all, your creation stands waiting for your healing touch to restore all living things to oneness and wholeness, just as you wait for us to revere what you have given us as a sacred gift. May your generous offering of water, earth, air, and all that has life remind us of our physical and spiritual connection with everything that was, is, and will be. Help us honor our call as stewards of the Earth. Hear our impatient cry, “Be with our Earth, O Prince of Peace. Make all things one.”

Pause.

We ask for this blessing of your peace in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Musical Reflection

Sending Forth

Make every breath one of thanksgiving;

Make every deed a channel of justice;

Make every thought a peaceful one;

Go in peace.



