Today in our prayers we remember the people of Mozambique.
In the name of Jesus Christ, welcome to this service of peace. “The rise of Zion the beautiful, the peaceful reign of Christ, awaits your wholehearted response to the call to make and steadfastly hold to God’s covenant of peace in Jesus Christ.”
—Doctrine and Covenants 164:9b
Mozambique is on the southeast coast of Africa and bordered by the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa.
Scripture Reading—Hebrews 10:23-25 NRSV
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Prayer for Peace
Lu Mountenay
Creator God,
We come as a community aware of your presence which unites us and thankful for your spirit which makes us one.
As we anticipate your guidance and prepare for your participation in our work, may all we do demonstrate our faith in the possibility of the peaceable kingdom.
May we be enthused with the message that war and death hold no permanent dominion over us because of your sacrificial lamb.
May we increase our witness so that peace in our heart spills out into the world. May we have the courage to speak out against war; and may our faith be rewarded by the support of peacemakers everywhere.
Our trust is in you and your ways. We know it will happen. Yea, Lord...we believe!
Hymn
“Lord, Prepare Me”
Community of Christ Sings 280
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 Mozambique, 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.