God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, NRSV)
Leader: The prophet Micah raises his voice in a question, and across the centuries it comes to our ears,
to our consciousness.
Side 1: Micah’s question, though ancient, is timeless.
We, too, must seek our calling to peace in our lives,
peace in our time.
Side 2: Micah’s question, though ancient,
calls us to reflection and to action.
Leader: Yes, God calls us to consider our actions and attitudes. What do we cease, and what do we begin,
as we seek to do justice?
Side 1: We pray for a ceasefire in us – a ceasefire of words and actions which keep us from relating to all of God’s children
with compassion, kindness and respect.
All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Side 2: We pray for a ceasefire of thoughts and behaviors
that take advantage of any power and status we might hold
in our churches, our homes, our neighborhoods, our work settings. All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Leader: God calls us to consider the state of our hearts as we seek to exhibit loving kindness. Side 1: We pray for a ceasefire of abuse and violence again women and children.
Give us voices when others are silent when abuse happens. All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Side 2: We pray for a ceasefire of bullying and threatening behaviors. Give us courage to speak truth to abusers
and offer a gospel of change and grace.
All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Leader: God calls us to walk humbly in our life of faith
with our Creator, the world, and other people.
Side 1: We pray for a ceasefire in thinking
that we can live without the grounding guidance of God.
Give us the grace to humbly turn to God when we are broken in spirit.
All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace. Side 2: We pray for a ceasefire of destroying and abusing
the goodness and sacredness of God’s precious earth. All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Side 1: We pray for a ceasefire in building walls
which keep out people who are different from us. Create in us an attitude that helps us to see all people
as beloved children of God.
All: O God, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Side 2: We pray for a ceasefire of using God’s Word as ammunition for judgment. Give us humble hearts to receive the gracious invitation
to transformation for ourselves first before trying to change others.
All: Yes, make us a people who preach peace, build peace, live peace.
Leader: O God, who hears all our prayers, hear these prayers for peace – – for a ceasefire, for a transformation of our lives and our world. We pray this in the name of the One who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Christ.
All: Amen! May it be so!
Connie Burkholder Heartland Center for Spirituality/Dominican Sisters of Peace July 2012
Ceasefire – theological Reflection – This year, On Earth Peace’s Peace Day campaign theme is “Praying for Ceasefire.”
September 21 is the International Day of Prayer for Peace, and the International Day of Peace – observed by hundreds of thousands around the world. Each year, on or near this day, many thousands of people around the world lift a message of hope in their communities and for the world. In many places, a vision for a ceasefire is observed or organized.
What does it mean to “cease?” The Bible tells us to cease doing a number of things. We should “stop” or “not do” these things. Jesus teaches us to cease worrying about the future. He teaches to cease chasing things that do not matter and focus on what truly matters, the things of God. We are taught to cease hatred and retaliation.
The other side of this is the “do” or “be” teachings. Do love justice. Do forgive. Be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. In the scripture, not only do we learn what not to do, we learn what we should do, who we should be, who we should follow, and how we should worship. These things are not separated but intermixed.
The word ceasefire brings to mind war-torn streets, with civilians caught in the middle, or maybe an agreement that has stopped the fighting “for now” but may fail at any moment. A ceasefire means that the fighting or violence ceases—at least for a moment.
For this year’s Peace Day we are expanding ceasefire. What would it mean to have a ceasefire in your church, community, workplace, or family? What might it looks like to stop the fighting for just twenty-four hours? For some people, praying for ceasefire really will mean praying for a break in armed conflict – on your streets or somewhere else in the world. For other people a ceasefire will mean praying for a break in the arguments that divide their congregation or for a ceasing in domestic abuse, even just for twenty-four hours. In any case, praying and preparing for a ceasefire where you live will take inspiration, vision and work.
Let’s learn from the scripture. As we pray for a ceasefire, whatever the type, let’s also pray that this break in the fighting, or struggle, or arguments would be filled with joy, peace, and understanding. As we pray for peace and ceasefire, may we also pray for the wisdom for action. May our prayers for a ceasefire lead us to a pause in violence, and may we fill this pause with the positive ingredients for a lasting and spreading peace.
— Matt Guynn, On Earth Peace, and Nate Hosler, Church of the Brethren and National Council of Churches
May 2012
1.
Two Prayers
For devotional use or adaptation for your public event.
2. (Romans 5:3b-5)
“We know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance character; and character, hope.”
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
God, we ask you to pour out your Holy Spirit anew.
As in the day of Pentecost:
Fill us with a new language, the language of the gospel of peace.
Reach each person in language we know.
As your children suffer in violence grant us perseverance in the struggle for peace
Shape our character to hope in you.
Fill us with the hope of things “yet unseen.”
–Nate Hosler, Church of the Brethren and National Council of Churches May 2012
Jesus, our Reconciliation
You have given us reconciliation
May we be reconciliation
Help us to put you above ourselves
Help us to put our neighbors above ourselves Where there is fighting grant us peace. Where there is hurt grant us healing.
Where there is a lack of love show us your love and teach us to love one another.
Turn to someone near you and say. . .
The peace of the Lord be with you!
Turn to someone else and say
The love of the Lord be with you!
Turn to someone else and say
May we cease from worry!
Turn to someone else and say
I’m not gonna worry today!
Find someone else and say
May we cease from the way of Violence and enter the way of Peace!
Find someone else and say
The violence is already over !
Find someone else and say
A new day is coming!
Find someone else and say
May we learn to live in the peace of Christ!
Find someone else and say
May we learn to love our neighbor!
C0mmunity
Responsive Prayer
SInuthisbrestpointsivle eprayeHr, the lreaeder shouts out the phrases and has the community repeat them back. Freely adapt to fit your cultural or faith context!
Turn to the same person and say
I love you, neighbor!
Find someone else and say
Let’s pray for the violence to stop! The violence in our homes is over!
The violence in our streets is over! (and/or name specific issue of concern)
The violence in our faith communities is over! (and/or name specific area of faith-related violence)
The violence with the earth is over! (and/or name specific area of environmental devastation)
The violence between countries is over! (and/or name specific countries)
Invite people to pray in pairs or small groups with whoever is near them.
— Matt Guynn, On Earth Peace. May 2012
A living peace church offering
www.onearthpeace.org
http://prayingforceasefire.tumblr.com/resources