An order of Worship for March 10th - Lent 6 - Praying with Myanmar and Thailand

This order for Monday morning worship was prepared by Simon Oxley
Morning Prayer 10 March 2008 ~
In the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle this week we pray for the peoples and churches of Myanmar and Thailand

Gathering Hymn – Comfort Comfort Now My People
Greeting and Welcome

Opening sentences
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
without you we do not know how to worship God with all our heart and mind.
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
without you we do not know how to pray with commitment and passion.
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
without you we cannot understand God’s word to us.
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
without you we cannot love ourselves and each other.
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
without you we do not know how to work for the Kingdom.
Let us learn from you, Lord Jesus:
so that we may become more like you.

Prayer from Thailand
O God, our Father,
the fountain of love, power and justice,
the God who cares,
particularly for the least, those suffering the most and the poorest among us.
O God, Lord of creation,
Grant us today your guidance and wisdom,
So that we may see the human predicament for what it is.
Give us courage and obedience so that we may follow you completely.
Help us, Lord
to bear witness to the cross of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who alone is the reason for hope
and in whose name we pray.

Hymn
As for the next few weeks in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle we will be praying for countries in Asia, we sing God of Asia, God of All

Old Testament Ezekiel 37.1-14
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."
Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.

Responsive Psalm Psalm 130
Out of the depths
I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with the Lord is great power to redeem.
It is the Lord who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Gospel Luke 11.1-4.
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

Reflection ~ Simon Oxley

Hymn
Christ Be Our Light

Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people, light for the world to see.

Refrain – Christ be our light. Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light. Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled, longing for hope, many despair
Your word alone, has pow’r to save us. Make us your living voice. REF

Longing for food, many are hungry. Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others, shared until all are fed. REF

Longing for shelter, people are homeless. Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others, walls made of living stone. REF

Many the gifts, many the people, many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another, making your kingdom come. REF

Prayers
This week in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle we remember the peoples and churches of Myanmar and Thailand. We especially remember:
those who are working towards non-violent solutions to the military and ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. those working in Thailand to support refugees from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
those working on behalf of exploited children, particularly those in the sex trade.

Silence for our prayers

Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each bring to mind one headline from today’s news and pray to the Lord for the people in that situation.
Silence for our prayers

Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each bring to mind one member of our family, a friend or a colleague who stands in need of our prayers.

Silence for our prayers

Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each think about the work we must do today and offer it to the Lord.

Silence for our prayers

Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Lord not only hear us but give us the love and strength to act so that we may become an answer to the prayers we have offered. Amen

Lord’s Prayer each in our own language

Closing Prayer (Stand)
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.
Amen

Closing Hymn
Hakuna Wakaita sa Jesu (There’s No One Like Jesus -once in Shona, then in English)