An order of service as the Ecumenical Prayer cycle turns to Switzerland, Austria, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Andorra ...

Worship Ecumenical Centre, Monday 1 March 2010

This week the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle invites us to pray for the countries of Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, and for the churches in these countries

This order of service was put together by Rudolf Renfer LWF director of Human resources

Welcome – Invocation

God of the past
Who has fathered and mothered us
We are here to thank you.

God of the future
Who is always ahead of us
We are here to trust you.
God of the present
Here in the midst of us
We are here to praise you.

God of life
Beyond us, within us
We rejoice in your glorious love.

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

Hymn: In Dir ist Freude (stand)
Verse 1 in German, Verse 2 in French, Verse 3 in Italian

Prayer of Repentance and Forgiveness
Spirit of joy, through you, Christ lives in us, and we in Christ.
Forgive us when we forget you and when we fail to live in your joy.
Spirit of God, forgive us, and lead us to life in you.

Esprit d’amour, tu nous lies par amour, à toi-même et à ceux et celles qui nous entourent,
dans les liens de famille, la communauté des amis et à nos places de travail.
Pardonne quand nous faisons tort à ceux et celles que nous aimons
et nous détournons de l’amour de nos amis.
Esprit de Dieu, pardonne-nous et conduis-nous à vivre en toi.

Geist des Leibes Christi, verbinde uns in einer Kirche
durch deine lebensspendende Gnade und Hoffnung.
Vergib uns unser Stückwerk beim Aufbau deiner Kirche
und unser Versagen, deine Liebe in die Welt hineinzutragen.
Geist Gottes, vergib uns und führe uns zum Leben in dir.

As the dove gently settles on the tree, receive the gift of peace.
As the flame rises free with light and warmth, receive the gift of life.
As the wind moves and dances around the earth, receive the gracious gift of the Spirit
Amen
(In Spirit and in Truth, Worship Book WCC Assembly Canberra 1991)

Hymn sung by the Focolare Community

Bible Readings

Psalm 140 - Read in Romansch
Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers; protect me from those who are violent.
who plan evil things in their minds and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s, and under their lips is the venom of vipers.
Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent who have planned my downfall.
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net,
along the road they have set snares for me.
I say to the Lord, “You are my God; give ear, O Lord, to voice of my supplications.”
O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer, you have covered my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot.
Those who surround me lift up their heads; let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Let burning coals fall on them! Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!
Do not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil speedily hunt down the violent!
I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall live in your presence.

Luke 13, 4 - 5
“Those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them – do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Sermon: Risk, chance, crisis ... Rudolf Renfer

Hymn sung by the Focolare Community

Prayer of intercession
Lord, our God,
We thank you that any crisis is not only a risk, but also a chance.
We thank you that human disasters are not a fatality and that its consequences have nothing to do with punishment or disobedience.
We thank you to show us how and where we can repent, how and where we can assume our responsibilities and struggle for the justice of the poor.

We pray today for Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland, privileged small countries in Europe. We pray that their high standard of living will allow them to be examples of justice and good behavior among the nations of the world. We pray for the churches in these countries who live with a tradition of many centuries of Christian faith and service.

We pray for the ecumenical movement and for all organizations in this house. Give them the wisdom to assume the risks and to grasp the chances, in order to see any crisis as an opportunity for improving their witness and presence among the churches in the societies all over the world.

And we pray with the words of Nikolaus von Flüe, a Swiss monk of the 15th century:

You, my Lord and my God,
Give me all that leads me to you.
You, my Lord and my God,
Take away from me, all that separates me from you.
You, my Lord and my God,
Take me away from myself and offer me entirely to you.

The Lord’s prayer (said by each in our own language)

Hymn “Nada te turbe” (stand)
Verse 1 in Spanish, 2 in German, 3 in Italian

Blessing
O Lord, you have mercy on all,
take away from us our sins,
and mercifully set us ablaze
with the fire of your Holy Spirit.
Take away from us the heart of stone,
and give us a human heart, a heart to love and adore you,
a heart to delight in you,
to follow and enjoy you,
for Christ’s sake.


Hymn sung by the Focolare Community