Today in our prayers we remember the people of Nepal.

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

Nepal is in South Asia bordering China and India. It is home to eight of the ten tallest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.

Scripture Reading – Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may depart

  and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

  and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,

  says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Prayer for Peace

Donna Boyd

Lord,

We live in a war-weary world. We long for a peace beyond the absence of war. We pray for knowledge of a whole peace. We pray for your presence in our hearts guiding us to nobler efforts and more perfect understanding.

Our efforts are meaningless without your word. We sense that peace is an essential word for our time. May our comprehension lead to the spread of your peace

In the name of your Son, the Prince of Peace, we pray for the coming of his kingdom as peace fills the Earth. 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 Nepal, 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.