An order of morning prayer for All Saints Day

Morning Prayers in the Ecumenical Centre
All Saints Day Monday 1 November 2010
Praying with the peoples and churches of
Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Greetings and call to worship

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34)

Sing:
Bless the Lord my soul and bless God’s Holy name
Bless the Lord my soul, who leads me into life

Prayer of confession
Compassionate God, forgive us for the times we do not follow the path of your son Jesus Christ and forget or despise our brothers and sisters.
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

God of Forgiveness,
Help us to treat everyone fairly and with dignity. Teach us your way of love.
Christ, have mercy
Christ, have mercy

Loving God, have patience with us even when we make wrong choices.
Clothe us with your righteousness.
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

Words of forgiveness
Hear and believe the good news of the gospel:
God is love, and in Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Thanks be to the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Amen.

Sing: Bless the Lord my soul and bless God’s Holy name
Bless the Lord my soul, who leads me into life

Ephesians 2:19-22
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

Please rise to sing Haleluya! Pelo tsa rona – Thuma Mina 114 –
and remain standing for the gospel reading

Gospel reading Matthew 5: 1.12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘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.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sing Haleluya! Pelo tsa rona – Thuma Mina 114

Reflection By Canon John Gibaut

Prayers of remembrance and intercession
God of mercy and compassion
As we gather our hearts and minds in prayer grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may be united in prayer with the peoples of Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As we remember them we pray for healing:
of memories, of injured bodies and minds, of relationships.
O Lord hear our Prayer

God of peace and justice
We pray for all victims of war, for the living and for the dead.
In the face of genocide, of rape, of grinding poverty and outrageous greed
We pray for peace, for transformation and an end to weeping
O Lord hear our prayer

God of eternity
We remember and give thanks for all who have inspired us on the journey of life and faith. For their love and work and witness we give you thanks. In the silence of our hearts and aloud we name them: (names are read – please feel free to add names)

The Lord’s Prayer said in our different languages

Sing: La Paz del Señor – Thuma Mina 187
verse 1 in Spanish, verse 2 in German verse 3 in English verse 4 in French

Closing responses
On our hearts and our houses
The blessing of God
In our coming and our going
The peace of God
In our life and believing
The love of God
At our end and new beginning
The arms of God to welcome us and bring us home. Amen
(From the Iona Community)