Today in our prayers we remember the people of Liechtenstein.
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
Liechtenstein is in the Upper Rhine valley of the European Alps, bordered by Austria and Switzerland. It is the fourth-smallest country in Europe with an area of just over 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) and an estimated population of 37,000.
Scripture Reading – Psalm 46:1-2, 4, 10-11
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High. “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Prayer for Peace
Esther Steward
Yahweh:
May we be inspired by compassion, as we work as peacemakers. May we embrace: respect, healing, redeeming, restoring, strengthening and encouraging ways, so that all may know their great worth and potential for growth and service to you.
May we find new ways to build up, support, empower and allow those willing to be generous with their time and talents, and in their ministry, to use their giftedness with trust, not stifling or dictating to them.
May we someday know the wholeness of shalom envisioned by you, our Creator.
May we always speak the truth in a loving way.
We realize peacemaking was one of the central passions of Jesus’s life. May the Holy Spirit move, breathe and live among us until it becomes our passion as well.
Please look upon us now with mercy and grace, for we are divided in so many ways. Give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in faith, trust, joy, hope, love, peace and service. Please show us the way to make peace, finding unity in our diversity and, in response to the great worth you have for all persons.
Please give us clean hearts to build your peaceful kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.
Hymn
Choose a favorite hymn of peace and justice.
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 Liechtenstein, 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.