Sunday, February 21, 2008

Call to Silence and Opening Meditation
Song Hiney Mah Tov u-Mah Nayim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad (How good and lovely it is for us to be together as brothers and sisters.)

Reader:
Before the gate has been closed,
Before the last question is posed,
Before I am transposed.
Before the weeds fill the gardens,
Before there are no pardons,
Before the concrete hardens.
Before all the flute-holes are covered,
Before things are locked in the cupboard,
Before the rules are discovered.
Before the conclusion is planned,
Before the closing of God’s hand,
Before we have nowhere to stand.
Bless us with peace.

Reader:
Grant peace, goodness and blessing, grace, kindness and mercy,
to us and to all Your people Israel, and to all who dwell on earth.
Bless us, our Creator, all of us together
through the light of Your Presence.

Truly through the light of Your Presence, Adonai our God,
You gave us a Torah of life—
the love of kindness, justice and blessing, mercy, life, and peace.

May You see fit to bless your people Israel
at all times, at every hour, with Your peace.

Praised are You, God, who blesses Your people with peace.

Song (“Sim Shalom,” by Julie Silver, text Jewish Liturgy):

Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Chein va-chesed, chein va-chesed v’rachamim (2x) v’rachamim

Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, Yisrael amecha, v’al kol yosh-vei tevel

Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)

(Grant peace and happiness, blessing and mercy, to all Israel, your people, and to all who dwell on earth.)

SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT
Two or more Readers:

Words there are and prayers, but justice there is not, nor yet peace.

The prophet said:
In the end of days, God shall judge between the nations;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruninghooks.

Although we must wait for judgment,
we may not wait for peace to fall like rain upon us.

The teacher said:
Those who have made peace in their house,
It is as though they have brought peace to all the world.

Peace will remain a distant vision until we do the work of peace ourselves.
If peace is to be brought into the world,
we must bring it first to our families and communities.

The psalmist said: See peace and pursue it.

Be not content to make peace only in your own household;
Go forth and work for peace wherever men and women are struggling in its cause.
Reader:
God gave us
the power of speech, that magic gift
by which each soul, unique and separate,
yet shares its life with others.
Though each individual,
unaided and alone, is weak and helpless,
God’s gift of love brings us strength:
Not by might nor by power,
but by God’s spirit—
the thirst for knowledge,
the urge to create,
the passion for justice,
the will to give love and loyalty.
Sometimes we have lived at peace with one another,
but all too often we are deaf
to the divine wisdom within us,
preferring the law of the jungle,
preferring war to peace,
preferring evil to good.

Reader:
May we find peace with those we love,
growing together over time.

May we be at peace with ourselves
And with the labors that fill our days.

May we fashion peace in our world
With wisdom and gentle patience.

Song: (“Shalom Rav,” music by J. Klepper and D. Freelander, text Jewish liturgy)

Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
Ki Atah hu Melech Adon l’chol ha-shalom. 2x)
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
V’tov b’einecha l’vareich et amcha Yisrael,
B’chol eit u-v’chol sha-ah bishlomecha.
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)

(O grant abundant peace to Your people forever, for You are the Sovereign of peace. May it please You to bless us and to bless all Your people with Your peace at all times and at all hours.)

Reader:
Let there be love and understanding among us. Let peace and friendship be our shelter from life’s storms. May God help us to walk with good companions, to live with hope in our hearts and eternity in our thoughts, that we may lie down in peace and rise up wanting to do God’s will.

Reader:
Give me no gift of weapons
nor feelings of victory.
I want no triumph.
Let me fight, but lose!

Give me heroic stubbornness in love,
unending heart,
to give friendship without measure,
to forgive without end.

Only grant me strong bright senses
to bring happiness, to help, to hear the needs
of even a pulse-beat,
the call of any person.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mary

(INSERT)

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Song: (“Oseh Shalom,” music by Nurit Hirsch, text: Jewish liturgy.)

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’im’ru Amen.
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yoshvei teiveil, v’im’ru Amen.
(May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens make peace for us, all Israel and all who inhabit the earth.)

Call to Conversation: (World poetry on peace)
“LET PEACE PREVAIL IN THIS WORLD” Ravi Sathasivam/Sri Lanka
When you look for peace
then the peace lies within you.
When you search for peace
then it is not hard to find.
When you want to keep peace alive
then you allow white doves to fly over you.
When you make peace with others
then the whole world lives in your heart.
When you let peace be in the world
then you live in a wonderful world.
When you allow peace to flow around the world
then your hateness will go and love will flow.
When you open the door for peace
then peace is welcome to your lives.
Let the peace prevail in our wonderful world.


“ALL TORAH’S PATHS ARE PATHS OF PEACE—PRAYER REFLECTION” Lewis Eron
True peace cannot be found on a one-way street.
It’s a bit more real on single-line rail tracks
If there are turn-asides to let trains pass.
Four-way intersections train us to take turns.
Stop signs and traffic lights and turning lanes and rest stops promote real peace.
Good rules and good feelings and a little sense
Make for safe driving.
But true peace can only be found when traffic moves smoothly
Through a crowded city,
Or quickly down an eight-lane freeway.
No grid jams, no fender benders, no blasting of horns
Granting the right of way, being alert, forgiving others,
Both hands on the wheel and not riding the brakes
Moving together, not bumping each other on our different journeys
To the same final goal.
That’s peace.
That’s coming home.


“IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE” Lao-Tse

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.

CLOSING SONG:
YIH’YEH SHALOM (There will be Peace) (by Rick Recht)

1) When we hear one another there will be peace in the world.
When we understand one another there will be peace in the world.
When we love one another there will be peace in the world.

Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom ba-olam.
Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom.

2) When we believe one another there will be peace in the world.
When we learn from one another there will be peace in the world.
When we work with one another there will be peace in the world. (CHORUS)

3) When we believe that peace will come, we can see the beauty in everyone
When we believe that peace can be, we are children of one family. (CHORUS)