An All Saints and All Souls Day sermon by the Venerable Colin Williams, general secretary of CEC

Chris has taken up rowing again. Back home in Canada it was his main leisure activity. But since he came to Geneva to work as an intern at an ecumenical agency there’ve simply been too many things going on. But these last couple of weeks he’s found his way into the Geneva rowing club. And so it was that last Saturday morning he found himself up early and rowing all by himself on the Rhone. Quite unexpectedly, he found himself caught up with the beauty around him. The intense autumn colours, the silence, the blue sky, the mist rising from the river – it was he said awesome. The beauty of his surroundings took him out of himself and beyond himself He was somehow caught up in something much bigger than himself.

It was the sort of experience captured two hundred years ago by the English poet William Wordsworth. In one of his best known poems he writes about the intense effect that his native surroundings in the English Lake District in the North West of England had upon him:
There was a time when meadow, grove and stream,
The earth and every common sight
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light ,
The glory and the freshness of a dream

There are moments when particular places particular circumstances take us out of ourselves and point us beyond ourselves. In the Celtic spiritual tradition – the spiritual tradition which goes right back to the first arrival of Christianity in Britain in the decades after Christ’s death and resurrection – places that give us an opening into the wonder and glory of God revealed in his creation are called 'Thin Places’ . There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are always only three feet apart – but that in thin places that distance shrinks so that the two almost touch each other. The present day Irish poet Sharlande Sledge has written about thin places:-

‘Thin places’ the Celts call this space
Both seen and unseen,
Where the door between this world
And the next is cracked open for a moment
And the light is not all on the other side.
God shaped space. Holy

Today is All Saints Day – the day when we give thanks for all the saints who from their labours rest.
And so it is a day when we celebrate the thinness of the divide between heaven and earth. We are reminded that Gods will is that the divide will become so thin that it will be broken down by the power of his love. Isaiah expresses that in our readings this morning:………..

In Revelation too the vision is of a new heaven and a new earth meeting and mingling as the home of God is set among mortals ‘and I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying ‘ See the home of God is among mortals. Visionary poetic language – expressing a profound reality – that in Jesus Christ the things of heaven touch the things of earth and transform them – water is transformed so that it has the power to reshape our lives, bread and wine are transformed so that in and through them we may feed on Christ.

And in the story of the raising of Lazarus, we see Jesus too demonstrating how in him the thinness between earth and heaven is dissolved. To his dead friend he calls ‘Lazarus come out’ And the barrier between earth and heaven breaks open And the dead man comes out and is set free

All Saints Day is all about remembering that there is no unbridgeable gulf between the things of earth and the things of heaven. In strict Catholic theology the doctrine of the saints itself declares that. The saints spend eternity making intercession for us to the Father so that through their prayers for us in heaven our earth-bound brokenness may be healed. Some if us will buy into that theology. Many of us will not. But whatever our theology there is a much wider agenda on this day. All Saints Day is all about proclaiming that we are called to play our part in revealing the glory of heaven in the humdrum existence of our everyday world – the glory of heaven which admits of no division, the glory of heaven which admits no foes nor friends but one equal communion and identity, the glory of heaven where there is no sound of warfare but the harmony which comes from profound fellowship. In and through the Christian Gospel the boundary between earth and heaven is so thin that that glory bleeds into our world – and our calling as servants of the Gospel is to play our part in making that thinness even thinner

The Christians of the city of Leipzig in the East of Germany knew that 20 years ago. 20 years ago Communist rule in the east of Germany was in its death throes. We know that now with the benefit of hindsight. The Christians of Leipzig don’t know that then. They had no reason to know that within a very few weeks the Berlin Wall would fall and oppression would be at an end. In those October days of 1989 Christian Fuehrer was the pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. His church had become the focus of hopes and yearnings of many citizens of his city for a new beginning. Every Monday evening since 1982 there were prayers for peace at 5.00 in St, Nicholas Church. They couldn’t be publicly advertised. But everyone knew about them. Sometimes the numbers of those attending became very low. But in 1989 the numbers began to grow. At the beginning of September, though the negligence of the authorities, western TV camera teams were able to get footage of what was happening. The following Monday people traveled from all over East Germany to join in.

But there were dangers attached to this. Already in September police had brutally attacked people emerging from St. Nicholas Church, And this was the year of the brutal repression of demonstrators by the Chinese authorities in Peking, an action expressly praised by the East German Leadership.

The crucial date was Monday, October 9 1989. It was known that extra army units had been drafted into Leipzig. 2 days before, demonstrations in Leipzifg had been violently put down. It became known that that weekend beds had been cleared in the Leipzig hospitals in advance of Monday. That Monday during the day many who were known to be participants in the peace prayers received threatening phone calls. Someone rang from one of the local barracks to say that the Communist party chief had given orders that St. Nicholas Church was to be cleared. Schools were closed early. Factories were closed and the workers told to come and occupy St. Nicholas church. The prayers went ahead . There was great anxiety about what would happen as the congregation emerged from the church. Whether they would be fired on. What they discovered as they emerged astonished them. Despite all the threats, 70,000 people had gathered outside the church to offer their support for those making prayer for peace and to protect them by their presence. What struck Christian Fuhrer was that they each held a candle. They were holding it with one hand and shielding the flame with the other. ‘For that he wrote ‘they needed both hands, so that the option to take hold of a candle became the option for powerlessness.’ Together the 70,000 walked the ring road of the city, past the St. Thomas Church where Bach had made his name, past the famous Gewandhaus from which the city orchestra took its name, right round the city. And the message was clear. On that night, the glory of heaven the glory of God’s Kingdom, was too bright to be extinguished by the shoddy power politics of a discredited regime. The boundary between the things of earth and the things of heaven seemed very thin indeed. Through the courage and determination of those people, Leipzig at that moment seemed a thin place .

Our calling is no less clear than it was for those followers of Jesus Christ twenty years ago in Leipzig. To make our community, our city, our world, the whole of the earth a thin place. A place in which not just through the beauty of his creation but also through our action, the things of heaven touch the things of earth and the glory of God’s Kingdom is revealed. Through our action, the poor cared for, racial injustice opposed, the hungry fed, the good ness of God’s creation preserved, the sick and the lonely comforted, through our action demonstrating that heaven is indeed no more than three feet away from earth - and need in fact be no distance at all.

Copyright (c) Colin Williams

Persisiting until justice prevails

The following order for morning prayers was put together by Fulata Mbano Moyo.
Morning Prayer in the Ecumenical Centre - 26 October 2009
Persisting until justice prevails

L: I am because we are
A: Since we are therefore I am
L: As God’s creation, we are interconnected and interdependent
A: We are of the same essence
L: When one suffers injustice, we all suffer as interconnected and interdependent
A: Together we commit to seeking justice for each other

Song: Word of justice ~ Agape 107 verses 1-4 in English and 1-4 in French

Remain standing for Gospel: Luke 18:1-8: Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ 6And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

Song: Word of justice ~ Agape 107 verses 5-8 in English and 5-8 in French

Short reflections: Persisting until justice prevails

Sharing stories of deep belief and persistence

First sharing ~ Responsive song: Senzenina

Second sharing ~ Responsive song: Senzenina

Prayers of intercession
Everlasting God, whose justice is fulfilled in love, we give thanks to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the faithful witness of your churches in the islands of Comorros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. We praise you for the lives and work of those who witness in hardship, In multi-cultural and multi-religious contexts,
in deep poverty, always exposed to killer diseases, yet sharing the good news of your love through their empowering word and through work for social and economic justice.
Gracious God, we pray for your continued presence through the Holy Spirit, to strengthen the ministry of the churches in the public and political arenas, that the abundant life promised in the Gospel may become real in the lives of people.

Sing: Mayenziwe

We pray for your church throughout the world, teach us to live your love in justice and your justice in love throughout our daily lives. Teach your church to love the gospel it preaches and to love those to whom the gospel is preached.

Sing: Mayenziwe

Free prayer or silence

We stand to say together in our different languages the Lord’s Prayer

Blessing ~ Mayenziwe

Celebrating Diwali with the people in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

The following order of worship was put together by Deenbandhu Manchala

Morning Prayer Ecumenical Centre, Geneva
October 19, 2009

Celebrating Diwali with the people in
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Introduction

Call to worship
(To repeat each line after the leader: No.8 in Agape)

Asa to maa sad ga ma ya
Ta ma somaa jyo tir ga ma ya
Mri tyor maa am ri tam ga ma ya
Om shanti, shanti, shanty

(Lead me through quest to what is real, from the dark night guide me to the light. From death take me to the realms of living.)

Praise and thanksgiving

God be praised at all times.
Our adoration we proclaim.
We seek God’s presence, and discover holy ground everywhere.
We long for God’s guidance, and find the Spirit in each other.
We know that God is good.
God’s goodness is our refuge and our hope.
In the vastness of your purposes, O God,
We celebrate the risky smallness of our part.
In the holiness of your touch,
We celebrate the fragile fingerprints of human hands.
In the greatness of your salvation,
We celebrate the fumbling of our ideas.
In the light and knowledge of all you are and all you do,
We wait, we wonder and we rejoice.
In the stillness and the moment,
We build a bridge of adoration.
In the glory of our diversity,
We forge a bond of hospitality.
In the work we do this day,
We weave with God’s splendid tapestry
Amen.

Scripture reading: Mark 10:35-45 (Read in Sinhala)

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Reflection

Intercessory Prayers

Gracious God, as we come together in prayer, we remember Sri Lanka – a nation that has bled for several decades which continues to groan in pain in the miseries of thousands of displaced people. We remember before you this morning those who have suffered the most in the conflict, the innocent civilians, those victimised and those who are striving for peace and reconciliation. Heal this nation, O great healer, restore and rebuild this wounded nation. We continue to pray for the people of Iraq who are also in a seemingly endless predicament of death and destruction. Grant peace and life to the people of these nations and to all of us.

Khuda ya Rahem kar (to be sung after each prayer - No: 42 Agape)

Compassionate God, we live in a world that is constantly under the spell of something tragic and shocking. Because of their frequency our attention and response are often distracted quickly from one to the other. Yet, we remember today the victims of the recent tragic natural disasters that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds and thousands of people – of the earth quake in Indonesia, of the tsunami in Samoa and of floods in India and the Philippines. We pray for the vulnerable – the rural and urban poor, the destitute children and the aged. Grant help, strength and hope that they too may experience your salvation in ways it matters most.

Khuda ya Rahem kar

Merciful God, we remember millions of hungry, homeless and malnourished people of these nations and everywhere even as their governments strive hard for place in the world market. We especially pray for the 350 million of them in India, the home for half of the world’s hungry people. Have mercy on them. Rekindle love and justice in the hearts of people. Grant wisdom to the leaders to realise that their fulfillment is possible only in their ability to protect the vulnerable and not in making the powerful invulnerable.

Khuda ya Rahem kar

God of life, we pray for the churches and Christian communities in these countries which exist and seek to witness as fragmented minority communities, often in extremely hostile situations. We thank you for their courage and commitment. We also pray that you inspire them to seek unity among themselves and with all people of goodwill, with people of other faiths, and with people’s initiatives for peace, justice, human rights, environmental protection so that the world may believe that you have ordained life, life for all in love and human togetherness. Amen

Hymn: Those who wait upon the Lord, Shall renew their strength (No:95 Agape)

Benediction

In the light of the resurrection despair is always premature.
God has a project in today’s events.
In paths we have not known, God leads, turning gloom into hope.

May the triune God accompany us in this journey of hope today and the days to come, Amen.

A service for the international day of prayer for peace

An Order of Service for the International Day of Prayer for Peace Ecumenical Centre 21 September 2009
(The order of service that follows includes a meditational walk in the labyrinth of peace which uses the picture here as a labyrinth of peace. the outline is an interpretation of the logo for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation which will take place in Jamaica in 2011)

The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace. (Ps 29.11)

In the name of the triune God we gather
to pray for peace
to find courage to continue on the path of peace
to share the promise of peace
in a world where violence does not have the last word.

The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace. (Ps 29.11)

Song: Travel on travel on …
Travel on, travel on, there’s a spirit that is flowing, a spirit that is flowing night and day. Travel on, travel on with the spirit that is growing, the spirit will be with us all the way. Travel on, travel on with the river that is flowing, the spirit will be with us all the way. Geh den Weg, geh den Weg, denn du gehst ihn nicht aleine, der Gute Geist wird stark und hilft dir viel. Geh den Weg, geh den Weg, denn du gehst ihn nicht aleine, ein guter Geist geht mit dir bis zum Ziel.(2x) Voyageons, voyageons, car l’Esprit nous interpelle, l’Esprit chante en nous le jour et la nuit. Voyageons, voyageons, car l’Esprit nous interpelle, L’Esprit nous conduira sur le chemin (2x) In the kingdom of heav’n is our end and our beginning and the road that we must follow every day. Travel on, travel on to the kingdom that is coming, the kingdom will be with us all the way. (2x)

Prayer
Almighty God and Creator, you are the Father of all people on the earth. Guide, we pray, all the nations and their leaders in the ways of justice and peace. Protect us from the evils of injustice, prejudice, exploitation, conflict and war. Help us to put away mistrust, bitterness and hatred. Teach us to cease the storing and using of implements of war. Lead us to find peace, respect and freedom. Unite us in the making and sharing of tools of peace against ignorance, poverty, disease and oppression. Grant that we may grow in harmony and friendship as brothers and sisters created in your image, to your honour and praise.
Amen.
Dusting violence off our feet, preparing to walk in the paths of peace
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. (John 13.5)

As we prepare to enter into the labyrinth of peace we take time to shake the dust of violence off our feet, to confess our own violence and to hold before God in prayer some of the desperate situations of violence in the world.

Confession and litany
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps. 34.14)
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

God who is the creator, redeemer and sustainer of life in all its fullness,
We ask for your strengthening power to support the victims of violence in the Congo:
we bring before you women and girls who are denied the joy and abundance of life because of the violence perpetrated against them.
Forgive us for the occasions when we have remained silent in the face of such suffering.
Forgive us for the times we have failed to name the violence as a sin and an offence against you.

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps. 34.14)
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Sing: ten piedad – from Misa Cubana Señor, ten piedad de nosotros. Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros. Señor te piedad de nosotros. Si, ten piedad de nosostros.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
Jesus Christ, our brother and saviour,
who walked the roads of the Holy Land and lived as one of her people,
walk with those who find their roads blocked and their families divided through illegal actions in an occupied land.
Jesus Christ, our brother and saviour,
who challenged injustice and offered new definitions of power,
challenge us to express non-violent support to all who suffer and to speak out against the injustice they experience.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever

Sing: ten piedad – from Misa Cubana Señor, ten piedad de nosotros. Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros. Señor te piedad de nosotros. Si, ten piedad de nosotros.
Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. (Psalm120.6)
Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

Compassionate God, who through the death of your son on the cross, suffers alongside wounded humanity,
We remember communities and peoples around the world who have been victims of genocide and mass crimes against humanity.
We bring before you the people of Sudan and Rwanda.
Comfort those who mourn.
Sustain those who live with the scars of violence.
Bless all who work for truth, reconciliation and the healing of memories.

Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. (Psalm 120.6)
Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.
Sing: ten piedad – from Misa Cubana
Señor, ten piedad de nosotros. Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros. Señor te piedad de nosotros. Si, ten piedad de nosostros.

Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10)

A time of silence and time to name other places and people facing violence, to name and confess our own violence.

Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10)

Promise of forgiveness and peace
In Christ God promises us that all things can be made new and that we are forgiven.
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54.10)

Going on a walk of peace and stepping into the labyrinth …
At different places in the chapel you will find water, stones, salt and light. Next to them are biblical verses for you to pick up and think about and maybe take away with you. You may also like to light further candles, pick up a stone, dip your hand in the water, put some salt in your pocket …
To reach them and to walk in the labyrinth you will need to move around, wander about and perhaps step out of your worship comfort zone. It may be best to take off your shoes to walk in the labyrinth. You may find that you bump into other people on your walk or that you have to make space for them. Although each of us will make sense of this spiritual walk for peace in our own way we all need to remember that we can only begin to build peace if we do it together.
Some of you may prefer to remain seated, rather than walk around. The version of the labyrinth printed on the cover can also be followed slowly with your finger.

Before walking we will listen to the words of the prophet Micah, we will rise to sing and then set out.

Reading: Micah 4 1-4
In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.

Sing: Caminando (at end)
A guided walk in the labyrinth of peace (you can also do this by tracing your finger slowly on the outline)
Starting is about stepping into the unknown, daring to commit, leaving cynicism behind: yes my contribution to peace-making can make a difference. Take your first step into the labyrinth at the bottom of the heart. Be prepared to meet others on your way and to greet them in peace.
Slowly follow the path from the bottom to the top of the heart and then all the way round the other side, the path will end. Have we reached the end of the road, what do we do?
Take a step forwards in faith, make a quantum leap. Often peace-making requires an act of imagination to go forwards. Step forwards onto the next finger of the path each time the path seems to end.
You will go backwards and forwards, covering the same ground time and again. Perhaps this speaks to you of the grinding hard work of building peace, of sometimes getting lost in the details.
As you reach the point where the two outer parts of the heart meet you will need to decide either to turn left and gently leave the labyrinth or turn right and go over the same broken pathway again, perhaps as a way of symbolising the detailed work of stop - start advocacy.
When you decide to leave the labyrinth try to reflect on what resources you need to be a better peace maker. Offer this need to God in prayer.

Four symbols
Water speaks to us of life, of Christ the living water; it speaks also of our physical and spiritual thirsting. In today’s world it speaks to us very clearly of the need for justice for those who do not have access to clean drinking water.

Stones speak to us of the need for all our action for peace to be grounded in real projects. Stones remind us of Christ our cornerstone and of the call to each of us to be transformed and be a living stone.

Light reminds us of Christ the light of the world and also of our own need for enlightenment as we try to follow paths of peace, ways which overcome violence.

Salt is so often only noticed when it is missing. Christ calls his followers to be the salt of the world. What does that mean for us today?
As we discover the four symbols and walk in the labyrinth we will sing Dona nobis Pacem There will also be some silence to walk in. We begin to find our way back to our places as the worship leader invites us to say together the Lord’s prayer in our different languages
Setting out in the joy of the Spirit
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news. (Isaiah 52.7)

Say No to Peace!
Say "No" to peace
if what they mean by peace
is the quiet misery of hunger,
the frozen stillness of fear,
the silence of broken spirits,
the unborn hopes of the oppressed.

Tell them that peace
is the shouting of children at play,
the babble of tongues set free,
the thunder of dancing feet,
and a father's voice singing.

Say "No" to peace,
if what they mean by peace
is a rampart of gleaming missiles,
the arming of distant wars,
money at ease in its castle,
and grateful poor at the gate.

Tell them that peace
is the hauling down of flags,
the forging of guns into ploughs,
the giving of fields to the landless,
and hunger a fading dream.
Copyright Brian Wren.

Sing: Goudeloupe Alléluia
Alelouya! Alelouya! Alelouya! Se lespwi-sen ka fè nou viv Alelouya ! Résisité avè Jézi-kri, avè Jézi-kri, avè Jézi-kri Nouska fómé on sél fanmi avè Jézi-kri, avè Jézi-kri.
Aleluia, Aleluia, Aleluia The Holy Spirit gives us life. Aleluia! Risen to new Life in Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ. We form one closely knit family in Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ.

The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace. (Ps 29.11)

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news. (Isaiah 52.7)

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55.12)

May the Spirit of peace grant us great joy
As we walk in the ways of the Prince of peace.

As we leave let us offer one another a sign of peace in the name of Christ.

Sing Caribbean alleluia
Hale, Hale Hale lujah! Hale, Hale Hale lujah! Hale, Hale Hale lujah! Halelujah, Haleluja!

Responsive prayers for the opeing of the renovated main hall in the ecumenical centre Geneva

The following prayers were said by members of central committee before they entered the newly renovated Main Hall on August 26 2009

Dialogue of Praise
*****
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
Unless a city is of God, those who guard it keep watch in vain.
*****
God set the earth itself on its foundations,
so that it cannot finally be shaken.
*****
Every house and gathering-place is built by someone,
yet the architect of all things is God.
*****
We give God thanks that we are called to gather in this space.
How good and pleasant it is when God's family dwells together in unity!
*****
In this room many have laboured and rejoiced in the service of Christ.
We give thanks to the Lord for so great a cloud of witnesses.
*****
Today we dedicate this room in honour of Willem A. Visser 't Hooft.
And we remember all who have been inspired by him.
*****
Praise to you, Lord God, for those who have led us on your way.
May their memory be eternal!
*****
Grant that we may be worthy successors to such leaders.
Bless our mission and our ministries, that we may be one in Christ.
*****
For one may plant, and another may water,
but it is the Triune God alone who gives the growth.
*****
Grant that we may be worthy successors to Vim Visser 't Hooft,
and may we dwell in that Christian unity toward which he pointed us.
*****

"One generation shall praise the Lord's works to another,
and shall declare the mighty acts of God."
*****
In 1965, this hall,

given by the family of the late Anne Douglass Dillon,
was dedicated in the presence of

WCC general secretary W.A. Visser 't Hooft
to the vision "That they may all be one".
Today we commemorate

the first general secretary of the World Council of Churches,
a transformational figure in the ecumenical movement,
by naming this space "W.A. Visser 't Hooft Hall".
*****

*****

Lord, help us hear afresh these words of the Apostle Paul:
"According to the grace of God given to me,
like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation,

and someone else is building on it.
Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.
For no one can lay any foundation

other than the one that has been laid:
that foundation is Jesus Christ." (1Cor.3:10-11)
*****
To God be all glory, thanks and praise! Amen.
*****

I have a prayer ...

This prayer ended the contribution by young people at the end of the general secretary's speech at the WCC central committee

I have a prayer ...
May our gifts and talents be offered in a right way in God's mission.
May our youth be prepared in a better way - in order to be able to understand their mission and be used to serve in this time.

That the breath of the Holy Spirit be with us during this important meeting, embracing us with wisdom and giving us sensitive eyes and ears to his operation among us, giving light to face the future of teh WCC and the ecumenical movement in this century and holding our hands to follow his way. In times of crises, disillusion, despair, in the desert of this oppressive world may the Holy Spirit be the fresh cloud that leads in the day and the fire that leads us in the night, giving us strength, faith and hope to see God's plan for us.

“E le fefe ai lo’u loto” – My heart shall not fear - a meditation by Faautu Talapusi

This heartfelt and authentic meditation was preached by Faautu Talapusi on Monday 17th August
The accompanying liturgy for the Ecumenical Prayer cycle prayers for the Pacific can be found here.

Every evening, growing up, our family would gather together for prayers as most Samoan families do. And every month my two sisters and I were given a verse or a chapter within the Bible to memorize for the following month’s evening prayers. At the time, it felt like a burden and it was sometimes done reluctantly and at other points, especially long ones with much resentment, because instead of going out to play… I was stuck home memorizing verses upon verses.

I started to think and pray about what message I wanted to share with you today. I asked myself, what is the biggest issue I am facing, and how is God guiding me in discerning a way forward? And boy I should have been more specific because I came up with a LOT of issues which I guess is always part of one’s journey. And as I thought and thought about this… I realized that in all these “issues” I’m dealing with, there were always two constants – the first one, and this is very familiar to everyone was fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of consequences, fear of being judged, fear of being rejected, fear of not being good enough, fear of losing something or someone important… fear. And the second constant was more positive, and this came from snippets of some verses I memorized years ago “O le Atua o lo’u malamalama ia, ma lo’u faaolataga, o ai ea se ou te fefe ai” – The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. “E le fefe ai lo’u loto” – My heart shall not fear. “Ina faatalitali atu ia I le Alii, ina loto tele ia, e faamalosia foi e ia lou loto; ina faatalitali lava ia I le Alii” - Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

These verses and the many which my dear parents imposed on us (and I say this lightly for today I am thankful for that) have accompanied me in my life through its ups and downs. There are many times, I can get so caught up in my fears that I begin to doubt – sort of like when David asks for reassurance when he says Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! And I think it’s not a doubt about God, but a doubt that these fears will overcome my thoughts and actions and eat me up inside such as How am I going to own up to an honest mistake and not fear the worse? Will I be able to trust a friend again despite their lies and dishonest actions? Do I have it in me to go forth and be the best I can be in all aspects of my life? Can I do it? How will I do it? And the questions keep coming and coming - but it’s like, no matter what….God is always there, accompanying me – always the constant, always reminding me that He loves me – despite all my flaws, my shortcomings, my let downs and my doubts. That even if I don’t know what the future holds or how I will deal with things, God’s love is going to get me through it all, just like it got me through the last 28 years I mean, He did send his only Son Jesus Christ, to share the Good News and eventually put him on that cross for me and you didn’t He? If that ain’t love… I don’t know what is…

And so today dear friends, looking at the bigger picture:
Each and everyone of us in this chapel, have personal matters to grapple with, struggles which can sometimes overtake our lives. We each have issues we must face and must address be it within ourselves, within the family, with friends, at work and/or in general.

For the WCC, the Central Committee is coming up next week and true, it will address a lot of questions many of us have but there will certainly be a lot of unknowns after that and this can be applied to many organizations today – will it get back on its feet financially, what about the programmes and their direction and how about the staff? Is there anything certain in its future?

For the Pacific Islands, its churches and communities – there is the constant threat of climate change amongst other things – when the water levels rise to the point that our islands are inundated and uninhabitable what then? How do you deal with a whole country without land, not a single inch of land? Is that still a country? How do you take a culture, its people and identity and transport everything to a foreign land? How do you tell people that they must leave the land that buries their placenta, and their ancestors under water? How does one do this?

For the global community, it’s even more overwhelming and absolutely staggering. HIV AIDS, poverty, war, violence, political instability, famine, natural and man-made disasters, religious intolerance, the financial crisis etc etc etc….

Do you see how these can get a hold of us, overcome us, never let us go and eat us up from the inside out?
I do. But I also see our God’s awesome love. Constantly there. Accompanying us. Guiding us, through the doubts and fears towards His light, telling us that we must continue in our struggles, we must do what is right, we must live our lives as a witness to the Gospel, we must keep up the fight for justice, for peace, for tolerance and for love – within ourselves, amongst ourselves, in our work, our family life and all around us.
For as the apostle Paul said “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is our light and our salvation.

Amene

Our next song, is a continuation of today’s meditation.

Praying with the people of the Pacific

Ecumenical Centre Morning Worship, Monday August 17, 2009
This service was prepared by Faautu Talapusi who works at the Pacific desk of the World Council of Churches and with ACT Development.

Welcome

Call to Worship
God who walks on the water of our fears,
Stretching out a hand to hold us firm,
And telling us not to be afraid:
We come to worship you in faith

God who speaks to us in story and word,
In each other, and in life itself:
We come to worship you in faith,
For you are our God and we are your people
Amene

Song – Pasifika (first 3 verses and chorus)
Let all the islands rise and sing
And to our God their praises bring
On strings and drum His might proclaim
To shout the glory of His name

Chorus
Pasifika, Pasifika
With throbbing reef and coral shore
For fish and shell and mighty whale
For all God’s gifts our thanks we pour

And when we see the stars at night
The many worlds which cross the sky
The sun and moon which give us light
We lift our hearts to God on high

The children playing on the shore
The sounds of laughter which we hear
Their love increasing more and more
Remind us that our God is near

Scripture Reading: Psalm 27 – read responsively
1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
5For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Halle Halle Halle

Scripture Reading: Romans 8, 31-39

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Halle Halle Halle

Reflection - by Faautu Talapusi

Song: The Lord is my Light

Prayers of Intercession
God of love - who is with us, around us and in us, we give you praise and thanks. For the Good News that was brought to us by your son Jesus Christ, Our Light and Salvation.
Oh Lord hear my prayer

God of mercy – we pray for the people and churches of Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kanaky and Tahiti. We pray that they continue to bring witness to your Word as they struggle against political instability, economic uncertainty and the consequences of climate change.
Oh Lord hear my prayer

God of healing – we pray in particular for the people of Tonga, mourning the loss of beloved ones who perished in last week’s boating accident. We also pray for the leaders of the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, whose faith is being hindered and tested. May your love and mercy be with them all through these difficult times.
Oh Lord hear my prayer

God of life – we pray for each and everyone in this chapel today, for our family and friends, for our colleagues in the Ecumenical Center and for our work. May your Word continue to inspire and motivate us as we face our own struggles and uncertainties and remind us not to be afraid.
Oh Lord hear my prayer

God of all creation – we put before you our Earth and all its inhabitants – from the smallest insect to the biggest animal. We pray that we always keep in mind, that through whatever struggle and obstacle we face, your unconditional love will always accompany us.
Oh Lord hear my prayer

Lord’s Prayer (in language of choice)

Song – Pasifika (last 2 verses and repeat chorus)
The palms which bend towards the sky
The clouds which hurry to and fro
the birds which fly both low and high
Give joy to men on earth below

Pasifika, Pasifika
With throbbing reef and coral shore
For fish and shell and mighty whale
For all His gifts our thanks we pour

To God the Father, God the Son
And God the Spirit, praise be done
May Christ the Lord upon us pour
The Spirit's gift for ever more


Benediction
Lord God, you open wide your love for all.
We open our lives to one another and to you.
In your Spirit we go to do our daily work.
May our worship become our living and our living become our worship.
Amene.

An order of morning prayer for Australia and New Zealand

Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre - Tuesday August 10, 2009
In the week the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle remembers Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia

This morning’s prayers are from Living Water, Thirsty Land, the 2009 Mission Prayer Handbook of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Prayer
Spirit of the living God
We seek your word this day
To hear, to heal, and to befriend
As comfort on our way.

Spirit of the living God
Uphold us through this day
As we reach out in your name
May others see your way.

Spirit of the living God
Touch minds and hearts today
That word, image, or touch
Can bring one to find the way.

Spirit of the living God
We come to seek your way
Encourage, risk and call us
To be your people this day.
Amen.

Psalm 91
Paraphrased for Arnhem Land, Aboriginal-owned land in the north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory in Australia
You who live in the shelter of ancient lands
Who rest deep in the shade of God’s grace
You will say to the Creator
“You are my refuge and my campfire
You are my God in whom I trust.”
For it is God who will give you freedom
When your life feels like a trap
And sickness and grief fill your days.
It is God who will stretch out wings of safety
Like a whistling kite in a hot afternoon sky
Spreading its wings over the land below
And calling out sounds of hope.
Because of God
you will not fear the terror of the night
Or the sorrow and struggle of the day
For you there will be no aching hunger
when you lie down
No destruction around you when you wake.
Because you have made God your place of safety
Because you have chosen God’s Spirit
as your homeland
You will know peace in the midst of trouble
And around your campfire
there will be love and wisdom.
Though you walk through harsh country
Your feet will not be hurt by sharp stones
For I will walk beside those who love me,
You are my clan, I know you by name.
When you call out to me I will answer you.
I am at your side in the time of trouble
I honour my relationship with you
With fullness of life I will satisfy you
And to you I will bring salvation.

Reflection: Have you seen Christ lately?
As the road outback unfolds like a ribbon, I look for the telling signs of a Christ-like figure that matches the road and the image within my mind.
Gnarled old trees bend to usher me on through corrugations and dust and casually I look in case I see the Christ within my mind.
An emu runs with a determined stare followed by several more, ignoring me and my road ahead, passing by until it is no more.
The faded homestead now left empty and bare flickers through the mallee scrub. A house, once a home of laughter and tears, now stands open to the elements and years and still I look for the Christ in my mind: could I possibly see Him here?
The whitened bones of a lonely steer glisten in the heat of the day, discarded and broken though once prized and nurtured; surely I couldn’t see Christ here.
A family of four, wide eyed and expectant, welcome me into their home. Their hopes have been sucked dry by the cancerous drought, as day after day the rains pass them by.
Could it be here that I find the Christ in my mind?
In the distance ahead a ramshackle pub quivers in the heat of the day and in the silence of the bar a knowing nod welcomes me this day.
Words are spoken of good times and hard, a laugh, a curse is mixed with what was needed to say and a departing handshake all cracked and hard sees me on my way. Could this have been the Christ of my mind?
As the night sky closes and the birds call their rest in the dark protective trees and as silence falls in the great outback, I know that I have seen Christ in all of these.
Dennis Cousens
Frontier Services Cunnamulla Patrol

Silence

Prayer
Gracious Lord, you are a wonderful God who surrounds us with
your presence. Help us remember that your glory can be seen
everywhere, in moments of trial and hardship as well as times of
happiness and prosperity. Remind us to always search for you.
Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Go now to love and serve the Lord. Go in peace.
Amen. We go in the name of Christ.

Song For you deep stillness by Julie Perrin