An order for morning prayer in Easter time

The following order for morning prayer was put together by Yvette Milosevic

Ecumenical Centre, Geneva an order for morning prayer in Easter time Tuesday, 1st April, 2008

L Eternal God, as you created humankind in your image,
Women and men, male and female, renew us in that image:

All: God the Holy Spirit, by your strength and love
Comfort us as those whom a mother comforts:

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death and resurrection,
Give us the joy of those whom pain and suffering become,
In hope, the fruitful agony of travail:

All: God the Holy Trinity, grant that we may together
Enter into new life, your promised rest of achievement and fulfilment,
world without end. Amen

L. You are the gathering one
Who calls us into community with the whole creation;

All: to live in harmony
To cherish and renew
Let us worship the God who makes us one.


HYMN Tuma Mina No. 9 (Verse 1 Shona , 2 German, 3 English)

PSALM 123:

Men To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Women As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.

Men Have mercy upon us, O Lord,
Have mercy upon us,
For we have had more than enough of contempt.

Women: Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease,
Of the contempt of the proud.

All: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen


READING: John 20: 23-31
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Sing: Tuma Mina 46 in Spanish

A Prayer of Intercession

Lord Jesus, bruised for and by our iniquities, risen for our salvation, please receive our prayers for all your world. Especially we pray this Easter for those members of your human family who are dying, and for all who are grieving their passing.

Wherever this day death arrives with the roar of bombs or the rattle of machine guns, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever today death arrives with the malnutrition and disease of refugee camps, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God, with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever today death arrives with the assassins knife or the bullet of the hit man, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever today death arrives with the swallowing of illegal drugs or the insertion of an injection needle, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever death arrives today with the squeal of car tyres or the shouts of an alcoholic brawl, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever death arrives today despite the best of medical care, and watched over by loved ones, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Whenever death arrives today as a most welcome friend to those whose bodies are wasted and who long to go home, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

Wherever death has left in its wake desolate loved ones, desperate orphans, or angry people looking for revenge, come risen Christ Jesus;
Come quickly living God with your Easter light and salvation.

God of Easter, let it be written indelibly on our mind and soul, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, nothing can sever us from your grace. Let is be so written that we awake each morning with faith and hope ingrained, and with love ready to flow through every deed we do, to the glory of your wonderful name!
Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

O God of Peace, we pray for the peoples and churches of Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. We thank you for the amazing diversity of life. There are many species of plants and animals which are found in these countries and nowhere else.
We pray for the Chinese inhabitants of Brunei who have been denied citizenship and face discrimation. We pray for peace among the many ethic groups within these countries.
God of Peace,
Hear our prayer.

O God of Love, help us to be the voices of Your vision of hope and love. Help us to grow in our own faith, so as to be able to reach out in faith to others of faith, instead of condemning them or shutting them out because of our own small-mindedness, ignorance or fear
God in your love,
Hear our prayer

O God of Compassion, we ask you to open us to one another and to enable us to see that of God in each of our colleagues. Enable us to reach out to each other for support, break down barriers between us, help us to care for the vulnerable and sick, and to share with those in need.
God in your Compassion,
Hear our prayer


THE LORD'S PRAYER (each in your own language)

CLOSING PRAYER

L: Let us now go and take up the tasks
Which have been given us for this day and for this week.

All: Let us go forward in faith and trust
Because God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is with us.
Amen