Sand or Rock - a liturgy for Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland

Morning Worship, Ecumenical Centre, 2 June 2008
(This liturgy was put together by Roger Schmidt, Simone Sinn, Jessie Kgoroeadira, Rolita Machila and Francis Chan)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.

According to the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
we pray for Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland

Hymn: Haleluya! Pelo tsa rona (Thuma Mina 114)

Prayer with words from Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.’
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Amen.

Hymn: Sanna, sannanina

Scripture Readings

Deuteronomy 11:18-21
18 You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.


We stand for the Hymn and Gospel reading
Rakanaka Vhangeri (Thuma Mina 84), Verse 1 (in English)
Come and hear now the gospel, hear the good news.
Come and hear now the gospel, hear the good news.
We sing it many times again, the gospel’s good news.
We sing it many times again, the gospel’s good news.

Matthew 7:24-29
24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!" 28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Rakanaka Vhangeri, Verse 2 and 3
Powerful is the gospel, very powerful.
Powerful is the gospel, very powerful.
We sing it many times again, the gospel’s powerful news.
We sing it many times again, the gospel’s powerful news.

Let us live out the gospel, live the good news.
Let us live out the gospel, live the good news.
We sing it many times again, go, live the good news.
We sing it many times again, go, live the good news.

Reflection (Roger Schmidt)

Hymn: Let us build a house where love can dwell
(from Marty Haugen, see Evangelical Lutheran Worship No. 641)

Intercessions

God of hope and commitment,
You affirm again and again how precious we are in your eyes.
You are mindful of us and care for us.
You constantly draw us into the realm of your grace and truth.
In that realm we breathe your steadfast love
we hear your encouraging voice
and we feel your committed heart.
We praise you and thank you for all the encouraging experiences
that sustain our lives.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

We pray for this world that is paralyzed by injustice and despair:
Create communities of hope and commitment,
where people sing and dance and laugh,
because they feel your presence,
where they feel their own dignity and rejoice in the other’s dignity,
where belonging and freedom is real.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.

We pray for and with the churches and peoples
in Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland
that they may be constantly renewed through your grace and truth.

We pray for stability and justice, politically and economically.
We pray for all those who suffer
because of the recent anti-immigrant riots in South Africa.
We pray for the displaced people
and all those who provide immediate relief.
We think of those who live in difficult housing situations
and those who are unemployed.
God, help women, men and young people to build bridges and relations where societies are disrupted.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

We pray for this world that has enormous difficulties to live with difference. People with migration experiences are especially vulnerable,
as are people in destabilized economic situations.

God, we need your tangible presence
in order to create a space of hope and commitment
in order to sweep away the sand that makes lives slippery.

We thank you for the songs and poems and stories of hope that emerged from the Southern African region.
We thank you for the well known and less known courageous and committed personalities who enabled political change.
We thank you for the churches and initiatives in Namibia who worked for the establishment of the Basic Income Grant and therefore enable economic change.

We commend all those whom we know in the Southern African region into your hands.
Sustain their lives and their work.
Renew their hope and commitment.
Strengthen our relationships with them.

For with you is the fountain of life;
and in your light we see light.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.

Our Father … (in our many languages)

Hymn: Thuma Mina (Thuma Mina 167)

Blessing and Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.