Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/623149
January/February 2016 45 s t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e P C U S A Light of the World, we bask in your glow in the midst of Epiphany or as we prepare for Lent, and we give thanks for the many ways your warmth comforts the whole world. We cele- brate the gift of the divinely human hands and feet that came among us, then boldly gifted grace to all peoples. We especially praise you for . . . Yet, as we wake to a new day, we cannot escape the world's sto- ries of sadness: Violence and war for political power and authority. Fear and terror that drive us to close our borders. People who do not have even the most basic of necessities. And our hearts weigh heavily with the needs of our communities, congregations, friends, families and loved ones: Violence shows our brokenness as human beings. We cannot escape the urge to see one another as "other" or to want an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But we know that you claim us for a life worthy of our calling. Guide us to put aside our own needs and lift up what is best for the whole body: In the tension of joy and despair, hope and longing, we call out to you, O God. We trust that you are behind us, before us and alongside us as we yearn for and work toward your kingdom here on earth. Until that fulfillment, we commit ourselves to live bound to you rather than this world. Amen. Larissa Kwong Abazia is the director of church relations at Princeton Theological Seminary and vice moderator of the 221st General Assembly. A Shared Prayer t t t BY LARISSA KWONG ABAZIA A Prayer for Peace, Sherry Shine I t's hard to watch the news (or sometimes use email or social media) without seeing the violence that's unfolding in so many places around the world. Prayer is a way that we can be defiant about the brokenness and sin that blares through our screens and radios. We proclaim hope because we trust in God, who knows our pain. And we name aloud that hope in community, drawing strength from one another. Because nothing could be more appropriate than a prayer through which we interact with one another, I invite you to pray with me. Let us embrace the peace, hope, joy and love brought right into our neighborhoods and communities by Christ's presence. Let us pray.