Welcome: Beth
This past Monday, September 21 was the International Day of Peace. It marked the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations charter. On Monday, the Quaker United Nations Office led FCNL and more than 170 peacebuilding organizations from around the world in calling on the international community to recommit to the founding vision of the United Nations – which is a commitment to international peace and friendly relations among nations.
Today, we join in this recommitment to peace with a special prayer gathering. Instead of a sermon, we will spend time this morning praying, meditating, reflecting, and singing about our commitment and dedication to peace that is so central to our faith as Quakers.
Will you join us now in an Opening Meditation for Peace - by Thich Nhat Hanh
As we are together, praying for peace, let us be truly with each other.
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Let us maintain a half-smile on our faces.
Let us beware of the source of being common to us all and to all living things.
Evoking the presence of the Great Compassion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion – towards ourselves and towards all living beings.
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all brothers and sisters, all nourishes from the same source of life.
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of suffering to each other.
Let us plead with ourselves to live in a way which will not deprive other beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live.
With humility, with awareness of the existence of life and of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth. Amen
Jesus’ Message of Peace: Bob
When it is hard for us to find peace in our hearts, peace with our neighbor or peace in the world, we turn to Jesus, known as the Prince of Peace, to show us the way. Let us take the next few minutes to reflect on Jesus’ message of peace. Let us think about how Jesus calls us to live this message: by praying for peace, by working for peace and becoming makers of peace, as sons and daughters of God.
Jesus, You said to Your disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” You know how much our world needs Your gift of peace, yet in so many places there is unrest, conflict, and war. Help us through the power of your Spirit to transform human hearts and give the people of the world a desire for peace as we pray:
Prayer: Beth
Loving God, conflict, unrest, and war destroy people’s lives. It is an expression of despair, a last resort, a dependence on violence to settle differences and disagreements. God of peace, you gave us Jesus to show us the way to a true and lasting peace. Help those who are in conflict and at war to long for peace. Open their minds and hearts as well as our own so that all people might hear your message of peace and allow it to take root in our lives. Amen.
Reading: Bob
A Reading from Isaiah 2:2-5:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”
He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Prayer: Beth. (from the World Council of Churches)
You have called us to be one, to live in unity and harmony, and yet we are divided: race from race, faith from faith, rich from poor, old from young, neighbor from neighbor. O Lord…break down the walls that separate us, tear down the fences of indifference and hatred; forgive us the sins that divide us, free us from pride and self-seeking, overcome our prejudices and fears, give us courage to open ourselves to others, by the power of Your Spirit make us one. Amen.
Reading: Beth Matthew 5: 1 – 11
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Prayer: Bob
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Keep us from being preoccupied with money and worldly goods, and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Let us not be impatient under our own burdens and unconcerned about the burdens of others.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled."
Make us thirst for you, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread your influence in our private lives and in society.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to condemn.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."
Free us from our senses and our evil desires and fix our eyes on you.
Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.
Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs."
Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice; and do not let us discriminate against our neighbors and oppress and persecute them.
Prayer for Tolerance: Beth
Prince of peace! Grant that we might be peacemakers. You told us to love without exclusion. Grant that our Meeting might be disposed and available to know and appreciate the values of other religions, to dialogue with them and all men and women of good will, so that all nations and peoples will understand each other and work for peace.
We pray that we ourselves and all of our fellow humans might grow in respect for the dignity of the person and their inalienable rights.
God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the heart of our battles for justice and truth, not to confront each other in hatred and bitterness, but on the contrary, to work together in tolerance and respect.
Yes, Lord, imprint on us your love for those who are different from us. Amen.
Prayer for the Environment: Bob
God, Creator of the universe and all things, our profound peace also depends on the good management of our environment. You made us your partners and co-workers, trusting us and entrusting us with your creation. Give us wisdom and respect to use natural resources in such a way that nothing will suffer from our abuses and that creation will not turn against us by way of uncontrollable upheavals, but that as a result of good management, future generations might praise you for your goodness and the gift of creation. Amen.
Prayer for Inner Peace: Beth
Grant us your peace, not like the peace the world gives, but the peace that penetrates soul and spirit, joints and marrows, feelings and thoughts of the heart; the peace that shapes our intelligence and fills our thoughts with all that is true, all that is honorable,
all that is right,
all that is pure,
all that is kind,
all that merits approval,
that is virtuous and worthy of praise.
O Eternal One, fill our beings with the values that form the basis of true peace, genuine peace in the image of the Prince of peace. Amen
Queries: Bob
Now, let us enter a time of waiting worship. To help us center down American Friends Service Committee has provided a set of queries to ponder regarding our commitment to Peace:
1. How can I nurture the seeds of peace within myself, my community, and the world?
2. How can I work to eliminate hatred, injustice, and both physical and institutional violence?
3. How can I be more open to seeking the goodness in people who act with violence and hatred?
4. How can I work to settle disputes within the organization and the community with love and sensitivity for all involved?
5. How can I increase my understanding of nonviolence and use it in all my interactions?
Benediction: Beth (written by Brian McLaren)
May we feel in our innermost being a beautiful and holy dissatisfaction,
a hunger and thirst for true aliveness.
May that holy dissatisfaction ignite in us a holy refusal
To remain stuck where we have been.
May that holy refusal break open our hearts to a holy hope,
So that the wind, wine, and fire of the Holy Spirit will fill us all.
May we learn to live in the way of love,
May we experience, enjoy, and embody God as Jesus did,
As the radiant light of perfect compassion for all creation.
And may we find or form our flocks,
And may ten thousand flocks and more arise together
In a great spiritual movement of justice, joy, and peace.
But first,
May we feel in our innermost being a beautiful and holy dissatisfaction.
Resources:
· 1www.mwc-cmm.org : Peace Sunday 2019 Worship Resources
· Prayer Service for Peace Prepared by Pauline Krupa
· https://www.afsc.org/testimonies/peace