A service praying for Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and for the upcoming assembly of the Conference of European Churches

Worship in the Ecumenical Centre, Monday 6 July 2009
Praying for Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela

Called to one hope in Christ

Welcome

Opening words
The love of God our Father be with you all.
Amen.
The peace of Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Illumine and inspire us.

To be more patient,
give us strength Lord
To become peacemakers,
equip us Lord.
To be right,
give us your light Lord.
To accept our faults,
give us humility Lord.
To be in solidarity with those who suffer,
make us sympathetic Lord.
That our actions be guided by love,
give us your Spirit Lord

Song: You are the Light
You are the Light we see You are the truth we know. You are the life we live.
You are the hope, you are the joy you are the song we sing
Within our hearts your light,
within our minds your truth
Within our lives your love
living your Hope spreading your joy, singing your beautiful song.

Prayer
God we pray for all those
Who, following the example of Jesus, search and work for peace,
proclaiming and building your reign.
Increase their strength and fill them with your grace.
Amen

Isaiah 40. 28-31
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

Thuma Mina 212
Many are the Light beams verse 1 in German

Ephesians 4.1-6 read in Spanish, French and English
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Thuma Mina 212 Many are the Light beams
Verse 2 in English

Sermon by Angela Schnepel

Many are the lightbeams
Verse 3 in Spanish and English

Intercessory prayers with Nada te turbe as sung response

God of all creation, you help us to see and hear things differently
Open our eyes and ears to the needs of your world and its people
Teach us to pray with all your people across the face the earth.
We are called to one hope in Christ

Nada te turbeNada te espante
Quien a Dios tiene nada le falta
Nada te turbe
Nada te espante
Solo Dios basta

God of all who wander across the face of the earth,
We pray for people whose work takes them away from home
For transient and migrant worker
For people trafficked across continents
Grant them comfort and justice.
We are called to one hope in Christ

Nada te turbe

We pray this week particularly for the people and churches of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, asking that you may be with them in the daily challenges they face.
Strengthen the witness of individual Christians in the towns and villages
Inspire the churches with a spirit of ecumenism that they may work more closely together We are called to one hope in Christ

Nada te turbe

We pray for our work in this place, for relationships with and between our colleagues.
We pray for the general secretaries and officers of the organisations based in the ecumenical centre.
We pray this week for delegates preparing to attend the assembly of the Conference of European Churches in Lyon. Strengthen and bless all colleagues working for the assembly and grant that the assembly may bear witness to us all being called to one hope in Christ.

Nada te turbe

The Lord’s Prayer (said by each in their own language)

Blessing

Final song La Paz del Senor TM 187
Verse 1 and 2 in Spanish
Verse 3 and 4 in English