Remember with clear eyes the uncountable cost of war.
Remember with deep sorrow those who killed and were killed.
Remember with grief the blood-stained battlefields.
Remember with horror the destroyed neighbourhoods.
Remember with tears the trail of people fleeing their homeland.
Remember with compassion the bereaved and the wounded.
God sees Hagar. God sees the one who is enslaved and oppressed, God sees the one who is assaulted, God sees the one who runs away out in despair. God sees Hagar, but do we see Hagar? Her story is in scripture, but we don’t give much thought to Hagar.
Three stories of peace in the midst of violence: Jehoshabeath, J.S. Woodsworth, and John Witmer. Every action for peace makes a difference.
God of angel armies, hear our prayer
for your beloved world.
Cast out the demon of bomb dropping.
Cast out the demon of rocket hurling.
Cast out the demon of bullet shooting.
Cast out the demon of hostage holding.
Cast out the demon of civilian persecuting.
It’s a great big world you’ve made, God,
and we are small bits upon it.
The mountains, the glaciers, the bounding oceans,
the mass of the earth beneath our feet,
the reach of the stars, and the galaxies stretching
to infinite distances, known only by you.
Give us a universal vision, to see our planet as you do.
Could there be peace on earth, could it begin with me?
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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