Meditation
Peace is the heart of God
but how shall we find peace between people?
There can be no flower of peace
from the seeds of discord;
there can be no fruit of peace
from the root of injustice;
there can be no reaping of peace
from the sowing of oppression.
But when in our thoughts
we honour God and our neighbours,
when in our words
we encourage those who are lonely or depressed,
when in our actions
we seek justice and freedom for all,
then peace breaks out with happiness
in all the places where people meet
and women and men, young and old,
join in the tongues of all the nations
to praise the Prince of Peace,
Jesus, Emmanuel, God alongside us.
John Johansen-Berg (England)
Litany of World Peace
God of Peace and Love, we bring our prayers to you,
trusting in your grace and mercy.
We pray for peace among the nations,
where neighbour fights neighbour over politics and religion,
rising up against each other over power and resources,
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
We pray for peace among the governments of the world,
where policies and laws bring conflict and strife,
needs of the many, dominated by the wants of a few,
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons,
That rather than the dropping of bombs and the shooting of guns,
there will be the sharing of bread,
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
We pray for peace among the world,
wherever diversity creates hatred and fear,
wherever difference divides and creates social enemies,
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
We pray for peace within homes,
wherever there is violence and abuse within the family,
wherever there is provocation that leads to insult or injury,
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
Christ speaks: Peace, be still!
Breathe upon us the gentleness of your peace.
Inflame our hearts with a desire for your justice.
In the name of Christ
Amen
Susan Pickering
Call to Worship
Jesus said;
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.”
We are called to be peacemakers,
to stand against injustice, inequality and oppression
For injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Let us gather,
as the children of God,
committed to the call to peacemaking.
We gather, as the children of God,
God of peace is our refuge.
Let us worship God
Susan Pickering
Prayer of Confession
God of peace, for choosing to put our trust in weapons of war:
We come before you in sorrow and confession.
God of Life, for our silent complicity with the industry of death:
We come before you in sorrow and confession.
God of generosity, for supporting the arms trade
through our work or our taxes,
or for profiting from it through our shares and investments.
We come before you in sorrow and confession.
God of hope, for our doubts and despair in the face of evil.
We come before you in sorrow and confession.
God of courage, for our fear to speak out of to take bold action.
We come before you in sorrow and confession.
Amen
Helen Boothroyd (Holy Ground)
Prayer of Intercession
God of the poor and marginalised,
God of the victims of oppression and of war,
we cry to you for peace in our world.
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Help us to act for peace.
We pray for all victims of the arms trade worldwide.
People in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan…………
and many other places where conflict has been prolonged and exacerbated by the flow of arms, or where money spent on arms is depriving people of their basic needs.
We hold before God all those who have lost loved ones, lost limbs, lost sanity, lost homes, lost livelihoods, lost hope as a result of the trade in arms.
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Help us to act for peace.
We pray for leaders and decision-makers, that policies may be redirected towards peace and human rights, rather than the continuation of war and oppression.
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Help us to act for peace.
We pray for all who are involved in the arms trade,
that they may realise the real consequences of their actions.
We pray for the conversion of hearts and minds;
and for the conversion of the arms industry towards productive purposes.
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Help us to act for peace.
We pray for ourselves.
Give us the courage to speak out against the export of death.
Give us the strength to work for an end to the arms trade.
Give us the resolve to withdraw our financial support,
even at a cost to ourselves.
We offer these prayers in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace.
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Help us to act for peace.
AMEN
Helen Boothroyd (Holy Ground)
Closing Prayer
Divine Peacemaker, Radiant Goodness,
we turn to you as our source of peace and love.
Keep us mindful of your transforming presence.
May we share your goodness and love,
with all whom we come in contact each day.
As we leave let us take your love into the world,
May the whole of creation be at peace.
(Joyce Rupp, adapted)
Blessing/Dismissal
Let us go out into the world with joy,
being led to call for peace for the whole world.
Calling for an end to conflict,
building partnerships for peace,
calling for dignity for all.
Continue to offer prayers,
Seeking justice that is coupled with mercy and compassion.
May the blessing of God, who is love, grant us a desire to see peace.
May the blessing of Christ, the Prince of Peace, grant us a deep sense of peace;
And may the blessing of the Holy Spirit be the crane of peace, who flies among us and between us, resting upon us and leading us on the pathway of life.
Amen
Susan Pickering
