Pakistan — map

Gathering in Silence

Call to Prayer

Lighting of Candle

Invitation

In the name of Jesus Christ, welcome to this sacred space where we are called to, “above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ’s vision of the peaceable Kingdom of God on earth. Courageously challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God. Pursue peace.”

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:3b

Today in our prayers we remember the people of Pakistan, located in South Asia and bordered by India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China.

Scripture Reading—Psalm 23 NRSV

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil;

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

Prayer for Peace

Dan Belcher

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, we approach you this day on behalf of all peoples. We come in humility. We desire to increase our fellowship with you. As your children, and servants, we have experienced your divine favor and have been touched to the high level of the best in us that comes from you. Thank you for such quality to that inspiration into our lives.

Our individual encounters with your Holy Spirit have seen us through the trails of life. We are grateful for that support and nurture from your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Our hearts have jumped with joy by our fellowship with your Spirit.

We want to emulate the serenity of your kingdom to deal with the unevenness, the disparity and harshness of some bitter times and painful experiences in our lives.

OUR PETITION THIS DAY is that within the mind and soul of each we may aspire and desire to be agents of concord and harmony rather than that of discord and confusion. May your peacefulness heal the breeches between persons. May dysfunctional families feel your healing Spirit, and, may we become reconciled to those estranged. In today’s world: we must live amid unresolved tensions within ourselves. We recognize the large gap between world governments and your kingdom.

OUR FURTHER PETITION is that we better establish right relationships between ourselves, our families, the communities of Christ, and our place among those within the society and culture of our daily living.

We desire to offer our giftedness and commitment in all we are or may become. We desire your kingdom in our midst. We want to share it with others. Our prayer is: “There is a peace that cometh after sorrow, of a hope surrendered, not of hope fulfilled: A peace that looketh not upon tomorrow, but calmly on a tempest that is stilled.”

Our prayer is for: “A peace which lives not now in joy’s excesses, nor in the happy life of love secure: But in the unerring strength the heart possesses, of conflicts won while learning to endure.”

We desire: “A peace that is in sacrifice secluded:

A life subdued, from will and passion free: ’Tis not the peace which over Eden brooded, But that which triumphed in Gethsemane.”

Challenge us to be emissaries and ambassadors in the JOY OF PEACE that comes from you. We pray for strength and insight that our labor will fail you.

IN THE NAME of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Christ seal upon those who have ears to hear that measure of your Holy Spirit wherein they may ascend to such high calling of:

peace within themselves, peace among their families, as peace emissaries to their communities, and peaceful inter-action in the community of Christ.

IN THE NAME OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE, our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Hymn

Today’s hymn is 247 in Community of Christ Sings, “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.” Sing or silently reflect on the meaning of the text as it is sung. Hymn number 247.

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 Pakistan, 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.