PEACE SUNDAY Liturgy
Episcopal Peace Fellowship

November 12, 2006
(originally created 2003: November 9)

Introduction

 Violence surrounds us: open warfare among nations; civil, tribal and ethnic wars within nations; random violence unleashed by gangs; domestic violence in homes; and unexplainable acts by mere children using guns to kill schoolmates, sometimes themselves.  And yet through this all, we are called to witness to a “gospel of peace.”  Our Baptismal vows call on us to “strive for justice and peace among all people” and to “renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God.” 

 As one way of bringing Christ’s call to be peacemakers to the fore of Christian thought, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship encourages parishes and local communities to observe Peace Sunday this year on November 9, 2003.  This is the weekend before the EPF’s 64^th anniversary, and a day on which many of our Christian sisters and brothers from the “historic peace churches” celebrate and pray for peace.

 We encourage all our Episcopal/Anglican sisters and brothers to observe this day of celebration and thanksgiving for all those who have gone before us in the way of peace and this day of prayer and re-dedication of our lives to Christ’s way of redemptive love.  We realize that you may not be able to implement all of these suggestions this year.  Please plan the activities that you are able to do, and let us know about them.  In this way we can strengthen the Peace Sunday program and plan ahead for next year.

 Pre-Sunday Set Up

 It is a good idea to put some time and effort into your congregation  planning of Peace Sunday.  Think about ways that the Gospel of Peace can be brought to bear on your parish  regular Sunday activities: worship, Sunday school, adult forum, coffee hour, etc.  Make available EPF literature (available from the EPF office at 312-922-8628 or from the EPF website) in your tract racks and at a special peace table at coffee hour.  Bring peace and justice issues into the classroom.  The Mennonite Central Committee makes available a Peace Sunday Packet, which, with some modifications to Anglicanize it, can be very helpful.

AT WORSHIP

 Peace is a major theme at any celebration of the Eucharist.  St. John Chrysostom observed that “the Mystery [of the Eucharist] requires that we should be innocent not only of violence but of all enmity, however slight, for it is the mystery of peace.”  Emphasize this element of your community  Eucharistic celebration.  Below are some ideas that might help.

Hymnody

 The Hymnal 1982, as well as the other Episcopal Hymn-books such as Lift Every Voice and Sing II and Wonder, Love and Praise are a wonderful resource and have a wealth of hymns which relate to the Gospel of Peace.  Choose peace and justice related hymns when planning your service  music.  Some possible choices are:

• “God the Omnipotent” - #569 in the Hymnal 1982
• “Lord Christ, When First Thou Cam’st to Earth” - #598 in the Hymnal 1982
• “O Day of Peace that Dimly Shines” - #597 in the Hymnal 1982
• “Thy Kingdom Come, O God” - #613 in the Hymnal 1982
• “God Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens” - #580 in the Hymnal 1982
• “Life Every Voice and Sing” #599 in the Hymnal 1982
• “Lead Us, O Father, in the Paths of Peace” - #703 in the Hymnal 1982

 Other hymns that you might use is “We Are People of God’s Peace,” which can be sung to the tune of “Good King Wenceslas” and “God Whose Love is Always Stronger” (which is available at http://www.brethren.org/genbd/BP/WayOfPeace/GiftOfLoveHymn.htm and for which permission is granted for one-time reproduction).

We Are People of God’s Peace     

We are people of God’s peace as a new creation.            Love unites and strengthens us at this celebration.
Sons and daughters of the Lord, serving one another,
A new covenant of peace binds us all together.
We are children of God’s peace in this new creation,
Spreading joy and happiness, through God’s great salvation.
Hope we bring in spirit meek, in our daily living.
Peace with everyone we seek, good for evil giving.
We are servants of God’s peace, of the new creation.
Choosing peace we faithfully serve with hearts devotion.
Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, confidence will give us.
Christ the Lord is our defense - Christ will never leave us.

 [Text by Menno Simons, 1552; tr. Esther C. Bergen, Mennonite World Conf., 1990]

 Also don’t overlook some of the popular hymns of peace, such as “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.”

Prayer Book Collects for Peace

 Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, "Peace I give to you; my peace I leave with you:" Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly city, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

If peace is what we are working for, then prayer is the place to start.  Using any of the forms of the prayers of the people in the Book of Common Prayer, we can easily include prayers for peace and justice.  The following prayers, tattled from EPF’s Working for Peace in the Parish, have been developed as samples of how intercessions may be made in a style that is harmonious with the particular form:

            FORM I: For all people in our land who are in need, especially for the homeless, for the unemployed, and underemployed, for people fed in soup kitchens, for people lacking needed medical care, for children growing up in poverty and despair, let us pray to the Lord.

            FORM II: I ask your prayers for social justice in our land, especially for jobs with adequate pay, for adequate welfare for the elderly poor and for those unable to work, for good education for all children, and for decent housing and proper medical care for all people.  Pray for those seeking justice.

            FORM III: We pray for victims of religious, racial, and all other forms of oppression throughout the world, for prisoners of conscience and other prisoners, especially those on death row; we pray for all who suffer because of oppression; That they may be released from their suffering.

            FORM IV: Guide us in seeking an end to worldwide arms trade; help our leaders and the leaders of all nations as they work on treaties to stop the development of new weapons and to reduce existing armaments; help us to learn new ways to live in peace and to end our reliance on weapons of mass destruction.  (Silence) Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

            FORM V: For all victims of injustice and oppression, and for an end to military assistance to governments that deny justice and freedom to their people, we pray to you, O Lord.           

            FORM VI: For peace and justice throughout the world, especially for an end to war in (name of country), for justice for the poor of our land; We pray for peace and justice.

Another option is to use a Litany for Peace, such as the following, from The Wideness of God’s Mercy: Litanies to Enlarge Our Prayer by Jeffrey W. Rowthorn:

           A Litany for Peace

            Remember, O Lord, the peoples of the world divided into many nations and tongues.  Deliver us from every evil that gets in the way of your saving purpose; and fulfill the promises of peace to your people on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (Silence)

            From the curse of war and the human sin that causes war;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From pride that turns its back on you, and from the unbelief that will not call you Lord;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From national vanity that poses as patriotism; from loud-mouthed boasting and blind self-worship that admits no guilt;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From the self-righteousness that will not compromise, and from selfishness that gains by the oppression of others;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From the lust for money or power that drives people to kill;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From trusting in the weapons of war, and mistrusting the councils of peace;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From hearing, believing, and speaking lies about other nations;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From groundless suspicions and fears that stand in the way of reconciliation;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            From words and deeds that encourage discord, prejudice, and hatred; From everything that prevents the human family from fulfilling your promise of peace;

            O Lord, deliver us.

            O God our Father: we pray for all your children on earth, and for members of the military of every nation; that they may strive for justice, kindness and peace.  (Silence)

            We pray for the Church in the world.

            Give peace in our Time, O Lord.

            For the United Nations;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

            For international federations of labor, industry, and commerce;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

            For departments of state, ambassadors, and diplomats;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

           For worldwide agencies of compassion, which bind wounds and feed the hungry;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

            For all who in any way work to further the cause of peace and goodwill;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

            For common folk in every land who live in peace;

            Give peace in our time, O Lord.

            Eternal God: use us, even our ignorance and weakness, to bring about your holy will.  Hurry the day when all people shall live together in your love; for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Or this “Litany of Healing and Reconciliation” by Geoffrey Mackey, which would be particularly appropriate if a healing liturgy was included in your worship service:

LITANY OF HEALING AND RECONCILIATION

Let us name before God all those for whom we offer our prayers.

(Silence. The people may add their own intercessions and petitions.)

God Almighty, Creator of Life and Author of Justice:
Have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, Great Physician and Prince of Peace:
Have mercy on us.
Holy Spirit, dwelling among us to make us whole:
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, Perfect Unity of Peace and Truth
Have mercy on us.
We pray to you, Lord God:

For the healing of our bodies: that all sickness,
injury and disability may be removed,
We pray to you, Lord God

For the healing of our minds: that we may be delivered
from confusion, doubt and despair,
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of our hearts: that the burdens of
anxiety, hatred, fear and isolation may be lifted.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of our souls: that we may be forgiven
our sins and reconciled with our enemies.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of our relationships: that we may love
one another with a holy love and always see Christ in
the other.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

For the healing of our homes: that respect, patience,
kindness, and love would dwell in them; and that our
doors would ever be open to those in need. 
We pray to you, Lord God

For the healing of our communities: that we would rise
to the task of aiding those most in need of our help.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of the Church: that all schism and
division may cease, and that we may worship you
in unity and peace.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of our nation: that justice,
compassion, and mercy would prevail.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

            For the healing of the world: that the leaders of
every nation would make for peace and no longer study
war.
We pray to you, Lord God
 

For the healing of the earth: that we would be granted
the grace and wisdom to use rightly the great gifts of
creation.
We pray to you, Lord God

We rejoice in communion with you, Lord Jesus, and
with all those who have gone before us in your way of
peace, justice and reconciling love (especially the
Ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Saints Martin, Francis and Clare,
Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Paul Jones).
We praise you in union with them; and pray that
we, too, may share in the Kingdom of God.

You are the Lord who does wonders.
You have declared your glory among all peoples.
 

            It is you who make wars to cease in all the world.
And to you we give our allegiance.

Let us pray.

(The Celebrant adds a concluding collect.)

The Sermon

The Lessons for the November 9, 2003 (Proper 27B) may not seem to readily lend themselves to a sermon on peacemaking.  However, a closer  look at the Gospel reading will show a glimpse into Christ’s design for economic justice.

Another possibility might be to invite a guest speaker to come address your congregation at the time of the sermon.  Perhaps there is someone in your community who is regularly working for peace and justice: a worker in a homeless shelter, a civil rights activist, a counselor of runaway youth.  If your congregation is a suburban one, consider inviting a minister from an inner-city parish.  

The Offering for Peace

We often speak of “the peace of the Lord” and greet one another with “peace be with you.”  In order to encourage congregations to “put their money where their mouth is,” consider taking up a collection.  Monies can be donated to the Episcopal Peace Fellowship.  If your parish cannot afford to turn over a whole week’s offering to peace work, consider placing a basket for donation on the way up to Communion, or providing envelopes in the bulletin for this purpose.

The Great Thanksgiving

In some places, it may be desirable to use an alternative form of the Great Thanksgiving.  One such form, which emphasizes peace with justice can be found online at:  http://www.elca.org/dcm/worship/peace/ecusa_ep.html

The Blessing

Consider bringing the “Gospel of Peace” to bear on your blessing.  Something such as the following might be used:

            May God, the Author of Justice and Lover of Concord, fill you with grace and peace, that you may know the reconciling power of God’s love.

            May Christ, the Prince of Peace, who has given us the example of radical and reconciling love, empower us to love even our enemies and pray even for those who ill-use us.   

            May the Holy and Live-Giving Spirit, who is everywhere present and fills all things, guide our feet into the way of truth as we strive to live out the Gospel of Peace.

            And the blessing of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.  Amen.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Christian education on Peace Sunday should reflect our call to be peacemakers and witnesses to the Gospel of Peace.  At every level of education, peace with justice can be addressed.

Children’s Sunday School can focus on “So Great a Cloud of Witnesses.” A discussion of various Christian holy women and men - both of the past and the present - can be very fruitful.  Tell the stories of Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Martin of Tours, Bishop Paul Jones, St. Francis of Assisi, Archbishop Tutu and others.  Then discuss how each child can be peacemakers and witnesses for Christ in their own lives: at school, in their families, at play, etc.  Perhaps end with the song, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” (#293 in the Hymnal 1982).  Another option is to have the children create a collage from magazines and newspapers showing people doing works of peace.

Youth and/or young adult Christian education can address coming of age as a Christian in a society of violence and militarism.  A discussion of the booklet Cross Before Flag (available from the EPF can be helpful.  It provides many statements of the Episcopal Church’s General Convention and the Anglican Communion’s Lambeth Conferences which address issues of militarism and violence.  Now would also be a good time to discuss the Christian’s personal attitude to war: conscientious objection, conscientious participation or conscientious resistance.  The Episcopal Church Office of Peace and Justice Ministries can be helpful in this regard and can provide guidelines for the Episcopalian conscientious objector.  EPF has recently completed a new conscientious objection brochure (available online) and has a conscientious objector interest group.  For more information on CO contact David Mycoff.

Adult Forums can be built around any number of relevant topics.  Discussions of selections from Cross Before Flag or of other social policies of the Episcopal Church would be timely.  Especially in this time of great difference of opinion and conviction in the Episcopal Church, the use of “Good News: A Congregational Resource for Reconciliation” might be helpful.  It is available from The Episcopal Divinity School for $5.00 at 617-868-3450 x302 or ndavidge@episcopaldivschool.edu.