Candle of Peace Fourth Advent Prayer

Hear our prayer for peace this morning;
the peace of the earth, felt bodily,
our feet on this good ground,
our eyes towards the stars;
the peace of fellowship, around us now,
Christians joining here to worship
and to praise the God who made us;
the peace of the ages, because we know
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
who rest in your presence;
the peace of harmony and love,
people working together to care and to comfort,
making sure that no one is forgotten.
There is so much peace to celebrate,
gifts from your hand.
Hear our prayer for places where we still need peace:
for all who are in pain, or facing sickness, especially ______
for the newly bereaved, who are trying to go on alone,
for the places in our world where violence reigns,
we think especially of Syria, and Gaza,
and for the homegrown violence in our own communities
where people are hurt by those they love.
We want peace to grow,
we want to be your ambassadors for peace.
Show us this week how we can make a difference,
through our presence, through our resources, through our prayers.
The angels came with a message of peace on earth so long ago;
that message still echoes, it still calls our name.
We want love on our lips as we go this week,
looking to see you in the faces of all we meet.  Amen