Worship in the Ecumenical Centre on 11 January 2010
The Baptism of Christ
Praying for Cyprus, Greece and Turkey
Welcoming Olav Fykse Tveit as WCC General Secretary
Music
Words of welcome
Glory to the Father and to the Son
And to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever.
Amen
Sing: Ameni
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendour.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace! (from Psalm 29)
Sing: Kyrie eleison ~ Thuma Mina 41
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Sung three times)
Prayer
Do everything in common: unite in one prayer, one petition, one mind, one hope, in love and faultless joy.
All this in Jesus Christ, and there is nothing better than he. So make haste all of you, to come together as one temple of God, around one altar, around the one Jesus Christ, who came from the one Father, while still remaining one with him, and has returned to unity with him.
St Ignatius of Antioch
Sing: Kyrie eleison ~ Thuma Mina 41
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Sung three times)
Prayer of confession (in Spanish)
Let us confess
the secret sins in the hidden spaces of our lives
which hold us in fear and anguish
keeping us from God and from each other.
Let us confess
the words of judgement we have withheld in our societies,
the compromises we have made which allow evil to multiply,
producing harvests of destruction and death.
Let us confess
the complacency with which we live in disunity,
the ease with which we keep our prejudices
refusing to be the one people of God for which Jesus prayed.
Sing: Kyrie eleison Thuma Mina 41
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Sung three times)
Words of grace
God from whom nothing is hidden
And who knows the motives of our hearts,
Forgives us our sin
And declares to us the joyful truth
That we are a liberated people.
Reading ~ Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up”, and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Please stand to sing and remain standing for the reading in Greek of the gospel.
Sing: Thuma Mina 55
Hale, Hale Haleluja
Hale, Hale Haleluja
Hale, Hale Haleluja,
Haleluja, Haleluja!
Gospel Luke 3.15-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Sing: Thuma Mina 55
Hale, Hale Haleluja
Hale, Hale Haleluja
Hale, Hale Haleluja,
Haleluja, Haleluja!
Sermon – Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
Sing: Thuma Mina 243
Refrain: Jesus Christ the life of the world!
Jesus Christ the life of the world!
To live is to be open in body, soul and mind,
receive what Christ has promised - God’s breath for humankind. Refrain
Wer leben will, muss leiden an allem, was zerstört,
Durch Christus überwinden, was noch dem Tod gehört. Refrain
To live is to grow daily in ways that lead to life
God’s kingdom, one, yet varied, encompassing all strife. Refrain
Wer leben will, muss eins sein mit allen, die Gott liebt,
und Schanken niederbringen, wo Christus Zeichen gib.
Jesus Christus das Leben der Welt!
Jesus Christus das Leben der Welt! ~ Copyright (c) Dieter Trautwein
Prayers of intercession
God, you called creation into being: We pray for the oikoumene, your whole inhabited earth. Throughout this week we remember particularly the people and churches of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. We give thanks for the rich culture and history of these lands, and for a Christian faith extending back to the apostolic age. We ask your blessing on all who inhabit these nations today; and we pray for reconciliation where there has been hostility, for the healing of memories, that divisions may be overcome.
Sung response: Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take away all fear
~ Thuma Mina 154
God, your word is a light upon our path: We pray for the peoples and leaders of the world, that your light of love may guide them, and that all people everywhere may follow your path of justice, peace and fellowship. We pray for the persistence of international organizations, that they may help establish right relations in accordance with your will.
Sung response: Avive la flamme pour éclairer la nuit et ôter toute peur
God, the way of your Son Jesus Christ calls us to life: We pray for Christians and churches throughout the world, that we may all be guided by the gospel of Christ. We pray in particular for those in situations of oppression and persecution. We pray for the leaders and members of Christ’s church across the globe, and for Christian unity.
Sung response: Zünd an ein Licht, das Hell macht die Nacht and alle Angst vertreibt
God of justice and mercy: We pray for all people who face suffering from the effects of weather and other natural calamities. We pray for all who struggle against the perils of climate change, environmental pollution and economic exploitation. We pray for those who fall prey to the forces of warfare, violence and injustice. Transform all human hearts for the better, and open our ears to your assurance: “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
Sung response: Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take away all fear
God of new beginnings: At this start of a new year we pray for your blessing upon our work in this place, for the mission of the Christian world communions and all ecumenical organizations. We pray for the general secretaries and directors of church-related organizations based here, and for their colleagues: John Nduna (ACT), Colin Williams (CEC), Jenny Borden (EAA), Irene Banda (ECLOF), Peter Kenny (ENI), Ishmael Noko (LWF), Setri Nyomi (WARC) and Michael Wallace (WSCF). Today we pray especially for Olav Fykse Tveit as he takes office in the World Council of Churches.
As we pray for our leaders and our colleagues, we pray also for ourselves, asking you to bless and strengthen all of us in our service on behalf of the churches.
Sung response: Avive la flamme pour éclairer la nuit et ôter toute peur
Hear our prayers, Lord. And hear us as we pray together, with conviction, in our own languages, the prayer that Jesus taught his followers to say.
The Lord’s Prayer – each worshipper prays in the language of his or her choice
Sing: God is love, his the care
God is love, God’s the care,
Tending each, everywhere.
God is love, all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
So that all might know him!
Refrain
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise Him!
None can see God above;
We can share life and love;
Thus may we Godward move,
Seek God in creation,
Holding every nation.
Refrain
Jesus lived on the earth,
Life and hope brought to birth
And affirmed human worth,
For he came to save us
By the truth he gave us.
Refrain
To our Lord praise we sing,
Light and life, friend and King,
Coming down, love to bring,
Pattern for our duty,
Showing God in beauty.
Refrain
Lyricist: Percy Dearmer (1867 - 1936)
Music and Lyrics Copyright Public Domain
Blessing
Sing: Ameni
Please remain in the chapel for some short greetings before moving to the main lobby for coffee and galette des rois, be careful not to break your teeth on the fève!
Special thanks from the worship committee to Keith Dale from Holy Trinity for playing the organ and leading our music this morning.
This service was put together by the Ecumenical Centre's worship committee.
Prayers are copyright WCC unless otherwise indicated.
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