An order of worship for Lent ~ 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The following order of worship was prepared by Revd. Theodore A. Gill who works in the communications department of the World Council of Churches.

Morning Prayer ~ Ecumenical Centre, Geneva ~ Monday 3 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.

Welcome
We welcome all who join in prayer, and today we greet the plenary planning
group of the Joint Commission on Faith and Order.


Call to Worship

We will extol you, our God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forevermore.

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]

Hymn: Réveille-toi, peuple fidèle – all 3 verses, in French
Genevan Psalter, Psalm 33. Melody by Louis Bourgeois, Geneva 1544.
Taken from Cantate Domino

Scripture lesson: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 ( read in French)

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint, for me the one whom I name to you.”

Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, Samuel looked on and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look upon his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel,and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said,“Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Hymn: God Moves in a Mysterious Way

Meditation: Bright Designs, and Our Disorder

Ascription of praise

The Lord is faithful in every word,
and gracious in each deed.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in every way,
and kind in every action.
The Lord is near to all who call on God,
to all who call upon the Lord in truth.
God fulfills the desire of all who are faithful;
the Lord hears their cry, and saves them. Amen.

Hymn: It Is Good to Sing Thy Praises

Prayers of intercession

Lord of all creation, we pray for this world, for its environment, for the universe that surrounds us. This week we pray especially for the nations of this earth, for the United Nations and for the particular lands of Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland.

Sung response: O viens, Esprit Créateur, et renouvelle la face
(tune: next page) de la terre. Viens, Saint Esprit !

Lord of the Exodus: you led your people out of the house of slavery, when slavery seemed inevitable. After the tragedy of the crucifixion, you revealed your purpose for all humanity in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Sung response: Komm, du Schöpfer Geist, erneuere das
Angesicht der Erde. Komm, Schöpfer Geist!

You offer your people hope, when all seems hopeless. Remind us again that, with you, all things are possible. Teach us to doubt the inevitability of any human plan. Prove to us the power of repentance, and the triumph inherent in all those things that make for peace.

O viens, Esprit Créateur, et renouvelle la face
de la terre. Viens, Saint Esprit !

Almighty God: We pray for your church, and for all whom we are called to serve.
We pray for those who suffer, for those who mourn, for those who are consumed by confusion, for the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the asylum-seeker. We pray for members of other faith communities, and for those who seek spiritual direction. We pray for those whom we once remembered regularly in our prayers, but have since neglected. Hold them all in your heart, Lord; for you alone are faithful.

Komm, du Schöpfer Geist, erneuere das
Angesicht der Erde. Komm, Schöpfer Geist !

Hear our prayers, O Lord, have mercy upon us, and grant us your peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Blessing

Sending hymn: Nita mwimbiya Bwana
kwa kuwa Yeye Ameniona