Today in our prayers we remember the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
In the name of Jesus Christ, welcome to this service of peace. “Listen to the Voice that echoes across the eons of time and yet speaks anew in this moment. Listen to the Voice, for it cannot be stilled, and it calls you once again to the great and marvelous work of building the peaceable kingdom.”
—Doctrine and Covenants 162:1b
Antigua and Barbuda is located between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and consisting of two major inhabited islands.
Scripture Reading—Psalm 104:33-34 NRSV
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
Prayer for Peace
Daniel Clifford, written at age 7
Dear God, please give peace on earth so that there is no more fighting, war, and hunger.
I pray that people will not hurt each other but will learn to love each other.
Thank you, Jesus, for when you calmed the sea. Help us to know that calm, which your peace can bring.
When the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost the disciples were afraid, but you gave them your peace. Please give us that peace too.
Please forgive us, Lord, for all the bad things we have done, the bad things we did this morning, and last night.
You were there in the beginning, you have always been there, and you are with us now.
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.
Please join with me in today’s prayer and meditation; quiet your breathing and embrace God’s eternal grace as you become aware of your own responses to the guided prayers of the people.
Pause.
God, you are the still point of the circle within which all creation is found. I yearn to connect with your spirit of peace and experience the companionship of your presence in this moment. May I abide in the center of creation’s circle with you?
Pause.
Creator of horizons, help us draw the circle wider to include those I know and love, and even those I struggle to understand and accept. Fill this circle with the gifts of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and peace. Give us the desire to include all whose paths cross ours into a place where acceptance is offered freely. Draw our circle wider.
Pause.
Giver of dreams, let the peace we’ve dreamed of expand to embrace all your children. We remember all nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, the country we pray for today. Within this circle may we see the other as brother and sister, and act as mutual stewards of one another. You call us to live without borders that exclude. Help us to draw the circle wider still.
Pause.
God of all living things, your world longs to be whole and in harmony. The dream of shalom includes caregiving for the water, earth, air, and all that has life in one great family. You created us with interdependencies. Give us mutual respect and tender care for all. Let this be our song: Nothing on your created Earth stands alone but lives in shalom with all other living things. Draw the circle wide open.
Pause.
Architect of life and peace, may we be blessed by your vision of shalom this day. May our minds, hearts, and spirits be wide enough for all to find a home. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, God’s shalom. Amen.
Musical Reflection
Sending Forth
May blessings of peace
Be realized today
Through the Source, Savior, and Spirit.
Go in peace.