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Prayers and readingsPrayer of ConfessionCompassionate Creator, Loving Parent, forgive us for all the devastation we arewreaking on your beautiful and bountiful creation through our wars, our acts of terrorismand abuse, and our self-centred behaviour as individuals, communities andnations.Forgive us our cynicism and our blindness as we tend to sit on the sidelines and doand say nothing as these acts of violence occur around us.Forgive us our tendency to point the finger of blame at people of other faiths, nationalitiesand racial groups when things go wrong.Give us the courage in these gloomy situations to be peacemakers in your name, readyto follow the way of the cross rather than the tempting path of finger-pointing, warand violence.Open our eyes that we may see that the way of the cross through non-violent deedsand words is only way to overcome evil without creating new forms of evil in its place.We pray this in the name of Jesus, the One whom we desire to follow on the path ofpeace. Amen.—Larry Kehler, Winnipeg, Man.Congregational prayerYou could use a prayer format that creates a listing of the names of people from the storiesused in the service, from the congregation, or from current events. These names could beput into sentence prayers to which the congregation responds with, “Lord, hear ourprayer” or “Lord, bring us peace.” For example:Just as the leaders of our churches worked to create alternatives to fighting,help us also to be creative peacemakers.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the early Anabaptists, who set the example of being willingto suffer to follow you.Lord, hear our prayerJust as Sam Martin stood firm in resisting wearing a uniform and everythingit represented, please empower us to stand firm in our witness for peace.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the young men who served as conscientious objectors,so that today we can learn form their witness.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the many people who have withheld taxes and facedfinancial risk to resist paying for war.Lord, hear our prayerGive wisdom to those in power to make even the small choices that resist violence.Lord, hear our prayer...Continue to fill in, according to your church’s particular circumstance and focus.19 Resources for worship