The following prayers are drawn from the resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 1986, and were prepared by an ecumenical group in the former Yugoslavia.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Grace be to you and peace, from God who is and who was and who is to
come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the
dead, and the Ruler of the rulers on earth. O maginify the Lord with me.
Let us exalt the name of the Lord together.
Let us confess our sins against God and one another. Lord we have sinned
against you and against our sisters and brothers.
Lord have mercy.
Christ, our divisions oppose your will for the church and prevent our
common witness to you.
Christ have mercy.
Lord, we have not loved you in our sisters and brothers who, like us,
are created in your image, but who are different from us.
Lord have mercy.
May the Lord have mercy on us, forgive our sins, renew us as one people
and bring us to life everlasting.
Amen.
In the name of those who search for a more complete unity among Christians,
who pray and work for this goal, let us exchange the sign of peace. May
it be a symbol of reconciliation with God and one another, and growing
unity and love in the Spirit of Christ. May the peace of Christ be with
you.
And also with you.
(Exchange of handshakes or other sign of peace).
(...)
Lord, our God, you are a God of peace. In your Son Jesus Christ you
have brought into the world the Word of reconciliation and you have called
us to be peacemakers.We pray for those who are victims of wars and oppression,
remembering at this time the lands of the former Yugoslavia, for those
whose lives are threatened, those whose human dignity is denied, those
who are persecuted for their race or ethnicity. We pray for those who suffer
under hatred and injustice.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Give to the church here and everywhere the courage to speak your name
where peace is threatened and violence dominates the human condition. Give
us the strength to make visible your reconciling love in our everyday life.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Deliver us from misunderstanding, prejudice and self-righteousness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Keep us faithful in our commitment and witness, so that the world may
know the peace that is You.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, accept the prayers of your people. In your great mercy,
look with compassion on us and all who turn to you for help. To you we
give glory, now and forever.
Amen.
Last updated: 2001/11/03