An order for morning prayer for the ecumenical prayer cycle praing for Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, San Marino and Switzerland

This order of service was put together by Theodore Gill. I highly recommend his meditation on the words of the institution in 1 Corinthians called Discerning the Body which I have also posted.


Morning Prayer ~ Ecumenical Centre, Geneva ~ Wednesday 5 March 2008

The ecumenical prayer cycle bids us pray this week for the people and churches of Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland.

Opening sentences

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
God’s greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.

Prayer
Eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you have spoken to us.
In your Son, you have revealed yourself as the Word:
You have made yourself perceptible and accessible to us
in the flesh, in this world. We are not alone.
The revelation of your name does not lack illumination.
You have taken a human face, which you show to us.
By means of a human voice, we can hear what you say to us.
We do not live in a world without God.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.

[Adapted from Karl Barth, Prayer. 50th anniversary edition (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2002), p. 32]

Song: Lumière de Dieu, Thuma Mina (three times, in French)

1 Corinthians 11: 17-29

Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.

Meditation: Discerning the body

Prayer

At the New Delhi assembly in 1961, the World Council of Churches vowed
to build “one fully committed fellowship, holding the one apostolic faith,
preaching the one gospel, breaking the one bread, joining in common prayer
and having a corporate life reaching out in witness and service to all”.

We confess that a common table and the sharing of one loaf elude us still,
that common prayer remains a subject of dispute,
that common witness too often is blocked by rivalries among Christians.

God, have mercy upon us. In your grace, transform us.
By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, lead us to work and worship together,
that we may share in one Eucharist,
to the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (each prays aloud in his or her own language)

Reprise: Lumière de Dieu, Thuma Mina 150 (three times, in French)

Blessing

The peace of the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be upon you, and remain with you always.
Amen. Thanks be to God!