An order of worship - praying for the Indian Ocean Islands

MORNING PRAYER
Monday 25th October, 2010

Dieu, mon ami
Tu me fortifies
Dieu, mon bouclier, mon secours
Tu veilles sur moi
Tu me donnes du large
Car tu m’aimes
Tu es la lumière de ma lampe
Tu éclaires ma nuit
Grãce à toi, Dieu, je franchis la muraille.
Pour cela, je te célébrerai
Le matin, et le soir
Maintenant et toujours.
Amen.

Thuma Mina 134: Laudate omnes gentes
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.
Luke 11: 5-13
And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

Reflection - by Faautu Talapusi

Thuma Mina 156: Oh Lord, hear my prayer (English, German, French verses)

Prayers
In the ecumenical prayer cycle this week we pray for the people and churches of theIndia n Ocean islands: Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. We pray for the churches and communities of these islands and the different struggles they are facing and in particular, the effects of climate change.
God of mercy, we silently bring our prayers before you…
Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each bring to mind one headline from today’s news and pray for the people in that situation.
God of love, we silently bring our prayers before you…
Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each bring to mind one member of our family, a friend or a colleague who stands in need of our prayers
God of mercy, we silently bring our prayers before you…
Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Let us each bring to mind the work we must do today and offer it to our God.
God of love, we silently bring our prayers before you…
Your kingdom come. Your will be done.

Hear us dear God, and may your persistent love give us strength and courage to act so that we may become an answer to the prayers we have offered.
Amen.

Lord’s prayer (in our own languages)

Thuma Mina 108: Ream leboga (X3)

Lord God, you open wide your love for all.
We open our lives to one another and to you.
In your spirit we go to do our daily work.
May our worship become our living and our living become our worship.
Amen

Have a blessed and awesome week! 

A meditation by Theodore Gill on images of the invisible and how we are all called to be icons

Images of the invisible - a meditation by Rev. Theodore Gill for the opening of an icon exhibition in the Ecumenical Centre chapel on Monday 19 April 2009

This morning we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. For the next two weeks, this ecumenical chapel plays host to the exhibition of icons you see around us, painted by contemporary artists Josette Laissue and Didi Marmoud.
Icons have been described by admirers as windows into the kingdom of heaven, and also as mirrors that aid us in our spiritual self-reflection.
“Icon” comes from the Greek word for “image” – it is used in the Septuagint, the early Greek translation of Hebrew scripture, when God is said to create humankind in God’s own image (the word applies neither to a man nor a women, but all of “humankind…male and female”; Gen.1:27). And the word appears again in the hymn near the beginning of Colossians, when we are told – somewhat paradoxically, it has seemed to many – that Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15).
The whole notion of theological imagery is confusing. The phrase “image of the invisible” is not easily grasped. It is part of the mystery of Christ and the challenge of being Christian. How can anything, or anyone, be a “true” image of the invisible?
I hope it is not anti-ecumenical to observe that a lot of nonsense has been preached by Christians about icons and representational art. But as in many things ecumenical, the nonsensical element is not easily identified or agreed by all parties.
One of the prime commandments of Hebrew scripture forbad the making of graven images, much less bowing down to them. The psalmist’s opinion was harsh:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell…
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them. (Ps.115:4-6,8; cf. Ps.135:15ff)
And during periods of great reforms, as in the days of Hezekiah or Ezra, we are told that decorations including representational sculptures and similar idols were stripped from the Temple in Jerusalem – despite elaborate, apparently positive descriptions in some books of the Bible and instructions explaining their purpose in acts of worship.

In the early centuries of the Christian church, paintings and drawings began to appear in catacombs and surface structures, and in the margins of written works. Among many, the term “graven image” was understood as a three-dimensional object, so two-dimensional illustrations were accepted long before Christian statuary appeared. The development of the Christian “icon” had begun.
But by the 8th century, and encounters with an expanding Islam and its call to reject artistic representation of any living thing, a controversy arose within the Byzantine church. New traditions of iconography had evolved, traditions that have borne fruit in this chapel today. But not everyone was pleased – the so-called “iconoclasts” inaugurated a reform of Biblical proportion against what they called “the evil art of painters”. The iconoclastic Synod of Hieria in 754 A.D. condemned the use of such art:
If anyone ventures to represent the divine nature of the Word after the
Incarnation with material colours, let him be anathema! ...If anyone shall
endeavour to represent the forms of the saints in lifeless pictures with material
colours which are of no value (for this notion is vain and introduced by the
devil), and does not rather represent their virtues as living images in himself,
let him be anathema!
It is important to hear that last injunction – and not lightly dismiss the inconoclasts as mere haters of art: their point was that we are called to become images of the virtues of God, in ourselves, and not to be distracted by showy objects outside ourselves. When empowered by grace to appear more Christ-like, we are the “icons” God approves.

The Second Council of Nicaea met in 786 and 787 to address the iconoclastic controversy. It was pointed out that the symbol of the cross was universally accepted as a sign of Christ’s sacrifice and an object of devotion. The proceedings of the council concluded:
…like the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross, the revered and holy
images, whether painted or made of mosaic or of other suitable material, are
to be exposed in the holy churches of God, on sacred instruments and
vestments, on walls and panels, in houses and by public ways… The more frequently they are seen in representational art, the more are those who see them drawn to remember and long for those who serve as models, and to pay these images the tribute of salutation and respectful veneration. Certainly this is not the full adoration in accordance with our faith, which is properly paid only to the divine nature, but it resembles that given to the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross and also to the holy books of the gospels and to other sacred objects.

This was a significant word, but it was not the final word. To this day, generations of iconoclasts arise – and one such generation had great influence on the faith traditions of some of us who are here today, particularly on the Reformed tradition as it arose in parts of Switzerland like Zürich and Geneva. To see the great church art of the middle ages in these cities, one must visit a museum. But a substantial number of heirs to the Swiss Reformers have had second, third and fourth thoughts about art and iconography.
Even in the 16th century, not all were in agreement. Martin Luther commented on the rejection of the arts by contemporary exponents of the radical reformation…
I am not of the opinion that all the arts should be banished and driven away, as
some zealots want us to believe; but I wish to see them all, especially music, in the service of God who gave and created them… Would to God that I could persuade those who can afford it to paint the whole Bible on their houses, inside and outside, so that all might see; this would indeed by Christian work. For I am convinced that we should hear and learn what God has done, and especially what Christ suffered. But when I hear these things and meditate upon them, I find it impossible not to picture them in my heart. Whether I want to or not, when I hear of Christ, a human form hanging upon a cross rises up in my heart, just as I see my face reflected when I look in water. Now if it is not sinful for me to have Christ’s picture in my heart, why should it be sinful to have it before my eyes?

And for now, let us accept Luther’s implication that, yes, some works of art may serve as windows to the kingdom, or as mirrors of the soul. We peer into icons, as we look through a pane of glass or into a pool of water, wondering what may lie beyond or beneath. We look closely, hoping to glimpse an image of the invisible.
Philip, we are told, wanted to see God more clearly, yet Jesus suggested he was already seeing all that was needed. “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” he said. And he added, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” (John 14:8-10). And later, Jesus prayed that all his followers might share in the divine: “…may they all be one: as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us” (John 17:20f).
Whether the art on display represents a set of windows to heaven or mirrors for reflection, or some combination of the two, icons invite us to consider our own potential as images of divine love – and to re-conceive our own lives as a means of portraying the reality of Christ in the world.
Even so, we may also affirm with Paul (1Cor13:12) that, for now, we see through a glass, dimly… but one day we shall see face to face.

Service for the lenten campaign to end violence against women

Worship in the Ecumenical Centre
Monday 15 February 2010
A service to launch the Lenten campaign for an end to violence against women

Is there anyone among you who,
if your child asks for bread, will give her a stone? (Matt. 7:9)

Words of greeting and introduction

Silence

Call to Worship
In the beginning the Spirit God danced over the void.
It was a dance of creation, of joy, of freedom of wholeness, of power. . .
And God, knowing that all that is good is shared,
held the Earth tenderly and yearned for relationship.
And humanity was born in the yearning of God.
We are born to share the earth.
(adapted from: Blessing the Earth, Carter Heyward, USA)

Sing: Schweige und höre ~ Thuma Mina 23
Schweige und höre, neige deines Herzens Ohr, suche den Frieden (3 times)

A litany of violence against women from the Bible
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the region, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. (Gen 34:2)

Choose life. (Deut. 30.19)

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. (Judges 19:25)

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

But he refused to listen to Tamar, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
On the day that Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom decided to kill him. (2 Samuel 13:14; 32)

I have set before you life and death.

On Zion and everywhere in Judah our wives and daughters are being raped.
(Lamentations 5:11)

I came that they may have life.

Let me send out my daughter instead. She's a virgin. And I'll even send out the man's wife. You can rape them or do whatever else you want, but please don't do such a horrible thing to this man. (Judges 19:24)

Choose life. (Deut. 30.19)

Sing: Fais taire nos voix ~Thuma Mina 23
Fais taire nos voix, ouvre nos vies à la foi, donne nous ta paix.

Please rise holding your stone in your hand as we listen to the gospel of Christ

Gospel reading John 8:2-10
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

Sing Gloria à Dios ~ Thuma Mina 56

Prayer of confession and laying down of stones
(After each prayer a stone is laid down, at the end of the formal confession everyone is invited to come forwards and lay down their stone in a communal act of confession. If you wish to say a word of confession aloud you are welcome to do so.)

God of heaven and earth before you we confess our sin
God of transformation hear our prayer
Sing: Nkosi Nkosi, yibaneceba. Krestu Krestu, yibaneceba.

We confess the terrible physical and sexual violence that so many women and girls across the globe are subjected to.
God of transformation hear our prayer
Sing: Nkosi Nkosi, yibaneceba. Krestu Krestu, yibaneceba.

We confess how even into our own time scripture has been used to justify violence against women and their exclusion from a full role in society.
God of transformation hear our prayer
Sing: Nkosi Nkosi, yibaneceba. Krestu Krestu, yibaneceba.

We confess a violent culture which turns women's bodies into sexualised commodities and sees women as part of the spoils of war and commerce.
God of transformation hear our prayer
Sing: Nkosi Nkosi, yibaneceba. Krestu Krestu, yibaneceba.

We confess the structural violence of our institutions including the church which too often exclude women from decision-making, power or authority.
God of transformation hear our prayer
Sing: Nkosi Nkosi, yibaneceba. Krestu Krestu, yibaneceba.

(please move forwards to lay down your stones)

Assurance of forgiveness and transformation
There appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment”. When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. (Luke 13:11-13)

Let us stand to listen to words we can trust, words which help us and our societies to stand up straight, be transformed and walk humbly in God's paths. (please rise)

Behold says God I am making all things new.
I will wipe every tear from their eyes (Rev. 21:5, 4)

For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)

In the name of Christ we are forgiven,
Alleluia, amen!

Stand firm O stand firm (sung three times)

Meditation

Stand firm oh stand firm (sung three times)

Prayers

Great God we give you thanks that you call us out of silence to name hidden and domestic violence.

Today we pray for all those women who despite suffering from violence, continue to care for family and children, to grow and prepare food, carry water, earn a living and offer support to others.

We pray for women who are trafficked as domestic or sex workers; for women who are raped and do not know how to find words to name their pain or a way into the future.

We pray for transformation of our societies which often find it easier to judge the victims of violence than to solve the problems of injustice

We pray that women's voices may be heard and taken into account in all peace and reconciliation work.

We pray for a transformation in the violent way many men act towards and think about women.

We pray for right and just relations between women and men that together we may transform and overcome violence in all its forms and learn to celebrate our diversity and interdependence

We look forward to the age of peace, when violence is banished, both women and
men are able to love and to be loved, and the work and wealth of our world is justly shared.

Silence or free prayer

Lord's Prayer

Benediction
May the God of Eve teach you to dance.
May the God of Hagar bring you comfort in the desert.
May the God of Miriam bring companions to you when you struggle.
May the God of Deborah teach you courage for your battles.
May the Christ who knew Mary and Martha show you the way of balance.
May the Christ who healed the bent-over woman heal your pain.
May the Christ of Mary Magdala send you out to proclaim your story.
In the name of Christ who is the memory, hope and authority of the future.

Sing Ameni

Copyright (c) Jane Stranz / WCC

“Watch and Pray” Prayers for the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

“Watch and Pray”
Prayers for the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
That walls of division today may be overcome

(At lunchtime on 9 November 2009 we met at the pieces of the Berlin wall in the garden of the ecumenical centre. A visitor from outside the house asked so which side was in the east and which in the west? I explained that it would not have been possible to paint the eastern side with gaffitti. This led me to say during our prayers that we were lighting the candles on the wrong side - it was not Helmut Kohl who brought the wall down but people with candles and courage on the other side!
I put this service togther, plagiarising what Stephen has been writing on Holy Disorder. Using also by my own diary extracts from that extraordinary year in the GDR - that's where the idea for using Psalm 126 came from. I also remember Friedrich Schorlemmer at the end of a particularly difficult day simply saying let's close this session by singing the Luther peace hymn which is why I chose Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich to end with. I can remember being very moved by its wonderful minor melodies and the fact that everyone apart from me knew the words. I also love the footnote at the bottom of the love of God is broad like beach and meadow - saying that the GDR government was concerned that the words of the hymn were criticising the state using religious language!)

Wir feiern diese Andacht im Namen Gottes,
der Himmel und Erde gemacht hat.
Im Namen des Vaters, des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes.
Amen

Sing: Bleibet hier und wachtet mit mir, wachte und betet, wachet und betet.

Psalms 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

Sing: Bleibet hier und wachtet mit mir, wachte und betet, wachet und betet.

Matthew 26. 36-46 (read in German)
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’

Some memories from the Gethsemane Church in Berlin, October and November 1989
On 2 October 1989, the Gethsemane church, under its inspiring and committed pastor, Bernd Albani, had started a vigil for people who had been unjustly imprisoned after demonstrations calling for change. A month later, on 7 October 1989, as the SED celebrated 40 years of the GDR, demonstrators gathered on the Alexanderplatz and started marching towards the Palace of the Republic where the festivities were taking place. Ranks of police beat them back, arresting and beating demonstrators indiscriminately - the scene portrayed at the beginning of the film "Goodbye Lenin". Many demonstrators then made a U-turn towards the Gethsemane church, about 2 kilometres away, where they took shelter inside the church while the police sealed off the area around the church. For two days there was an uneasy standoff, those who had taken shelter couldn't leave but the police were not prepared to storm the church.
"Watch and pray" - this is the motto for the series of events that has been taking place this autumn in the Gethsemane church to mark 20 years of the peaceful revolution and the felling of the Berlin Wall.
This morning, the Gethsemane church hosted the central ecumenical service for state and religious leaders to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the wall, just a kilometre or so away from where the church is located.
On the evening of 9 November, however, the church is holding another service of public remembrance. The 9 November marks not only the 20 years since the opening of the walls, but the anniversary of the "Kristallnacht" - the night of broken glass or the state pogrom night - when throughout Germany, Jewish Germans and their houses of worship and property were attacked by the Nazis.
9 November was also the day that the German monarchy handed over power to the elected politicians in 1918. Two days later the armistice was signed.

We pray and light candles for overcoming divisions and walls in today’s world

The love of God is broad like beach and meadow
The Love of God is broad like beach and meadow,
wide as the wind and an eternal home.
God leaves us free to seek him or reject him,
The gives us room to answer Yes or No.
The Love of God is broad like beach and meadow,
wide as the wind and an eternal home.

We long for freedom where our truest being
is given hope and courage to unfold.
We seek in freedom space and scope for dreaming,
and look for ground where trees and plants can grow.

The Love of God is broad ...

But there are walls that keep us all divided;
we fence each other in with hate and war.
Fear is the bricks and mortar of our prison,
our pride of self the prison coat we wear

The Love of God is broad …

O judge us Lord, and in your judgement free us,
and set our feet in freedom’s open space;
take us as far as your compassion wanders
among the children of the human race.

The Love of God is broad ...

Anders Frostenson (1906 - )
Tr. Fred Kaan (1929 - )© Stainer and Bell, London .

In the archives of the GDR State Secretary for Church Affairs there is a paper that expresses concern about this hymn and states that it must not be published in the GDR, describing the text as a means of trying to discredit the state using religious language.

Lord’s Prayer - dans nos différentes langues

Closing prayer
Across the barriers that divide race from race…
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide the rich from the poor…
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide people of different faiths…
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide Christians…
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide men and women, young and old…
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.

Song
Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich,
Herr Gott, zu unsern Zeiten.
Es ist doch ja kein andrer nicht,
der für uns könnte streiten,
denn du, unser Gott, alleine.

An All Saints and All Souls Day sermon by the Venerable Colin Williams, general secretary of CEC

Chris has taken up rowing again. Back home in Canada it was his main leisure activity. But since he came to Geneva to work as an intern at an ecumenical agency there’ve simply been too many things going on. But these last couple of weeks he’s found his way into the Geneva rowing club. And so it was that last Saturday morning he found himself up early and rowing all by himself on the Rhone. Quite unexpectedly, he found himself caught up with the beauty around him. The intense autumn colours, the silence, the blue sky, the mist rising from the river – it was he said awesome. The beauty of his surroundings took him out of himself and beyond himself He was somehow caught up in something much bigger than himself.

It was the sort of experience captured two hundred years ago by the English poet William Wordsworth. In one of his best known poems he writes about the intense effect that his native surroundings in the English Lake District in the North West of England had upon him:
There was a time when meadow, grove and stream,
The earth and every common sight
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light ,
The glory and the freshness of a dream

There are moments when particular places particular circumstances take us out of ourselves and point us beyond ourselves. In the Celtic spiritual tradition – the spiritual tradition which goes right back to the first arrival of Christianity in Britain in the decades after Christ’s death and resurrection – places that give us an opening into the wonder and glory of God revealed in his creation are called 'Thin Places’ . There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are always only three feet apart – but that in thin places that distance shrinks so that the two almost touch each other. The present day Irish poet Sharlande Sledge has written about thin places:-

‘Thin places’ the Celts call this space
Both seen and unseen,
Where the door between this world
And the next is cracked open for a moment
And the light is not all on the other side.
God shaped space. Holy

Today is All Saints Day – the day when we give thanks for all the saints who from their labours rest.
And so it is a day when we celebrate the thinness of the divide between heaven and earth. We are reminded that Gods will is that the divide will become so thin that it will be broken down by the power of his love. Isaiah expresses that in our readings this morning:………..

In Revelation too the vision is of a new heaven and a new earth meeting and mingling as the home of God is set among mortals ‘and I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying ‘ See the home of God is among mortals. Visionary poetic language – expressing a profound reality – that in Jesus Christ the things of heaven touch the things of earth and transform them – water is transformed so that it has the power to reshape our lives, bread and wine are transformed so that in and through them we may feed on Christ.

And in the story of the raising of Lazarus, we see Jesus too demonstrating how in him the thinness between earth and heaven is dissolved. To his dead friend he calls ‘Lazarus come out’ And the barrier between earth and heaven breaks open And the dead man comes out and is set free

All Saints Day is all about remembering that there is no unbridgeable gulf between the things of earth and the things of heaven. In strict Catholic theology the doctrine of the saints itself declares that. The saints spend eternity making intercession for us to the Father so that through their prayers for us in heaven our earth-bound brokenness may be healed. Some if us will buy into that theology. Many of us will not. But whatever our theology there is a much wider agenda on this day. All Saints Day is all about proclaiming that we are called to play our part in revealing the glory of heaven in the humdrum existence of our everyday world – the glory of heaven which admits of no division, the glory of heaven which admits no foes nor friends but one equal communion and identity, the glory of heaven where there is no sound of warfare but the harmony which comes from profound fellowship. In and through the Christian Gospel the boundary between earth and heaven is so thin that that glory bleeds into our world – and our calling as servants of the Gospel is to play our part in making that thinness even thinner

The Christians of the city of Leipzig in the East of Germany knew that 20 years ago. 20 years ago Communist rule in the east of Germany was in its death throes. We know that now with the benefit of hindsight. The Christians of Leipzig don’t know that then. They had no reason to know that within a very few weeks the Berlin Wall would fall and oppression would be at an end. In those October days of 1989 Christian Fuehrer was the pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. His church had become the focus of hopes and yearnings of many citizens of his city for a new beginning. Every Monday evening since 1982 there were prayers for peace at 5.00 in St, Nicholas Church. They couldn’t be publicly advertised. But everyone knew about them. Sometimes the numbers of those attending became very low. But in 1989 the numbers began to grow. At the beginning of September, though the negligence of the authorities, western TV camera teams were able to get footage of what was happening. The following Monday people traveled from all over East Germany to join in.

But there were dangers attached to this. Already in September police had brutally attacked people emerging from St. Nicholas Church, And this was the year of the brutal repression of demonstrators by the Chinese authorities in Peking, an action expressly praised by the East German Leadership.

The crucial date was Monday, October 9 1989. It was known that extra army units had been drafted into Leipzig. 2 days before, demonstrations in Leipzifg had been violently put down. It became known that that weekend beds had been cleared in the Leipzig hospitals in advance of Monday. That Monday during the day many who were known to be participants in the peace prayers received threatening phone calls. Someone rang from one of the local barracks to say that the Communist party chief had given orders that St. Nicholas Church was to be cleared. Schools were closed early. Factories were closed and the workers told to come and occupy St. Nicholas church. The prayers went ahead . There was great anxiety about what would happen as the congregation emerged from the church. Whether they would be fired on. What they discovered as they emerged astonished them. Despite all the threats, 70,000 people had gathered outside the church to offer their support for those making prayer for peace and to protect them by their presence. What struck Christian Fuhrer was that they each held a candle. They were holding it with one hand and shielding the flame with the other. ‘For that he wrote ‘they needed both hands, so that the option to take hold of a candle became the option for powerlessness.’ Together the 70,000 walked the ring road of the city, past the St. Thomas Church where Bach had made his name, past the famous Gewandhaus from which the city orchestra took its name, right round the city. And the message was clear. On that night, the glory of heaven the glory of God’s Kingdom, was too bright to be extinguished by the shoddy power politics of a discredited regime. The boundary between the things of earth and the things of heaven seemed very thin indeed. Through the courage and determination of those people, Leipzig at that moment seemed a thin place .

Our calling is no less clear than it was for those followers of Jesus Christ twenty years ago in Leipzig. To make our community, our city, our world, the whole of the earth a thin place. A place in which not just through the beauty of his creation but also through our action, the things of heaven touch the things of earth and the glory of God’s Kingdom is revealed. Through our action, the poor cared for, racial injustice opposed, the hungry fed, the good ness of God’s creation preserved, the sick and the lonely comforted, through our action demonstrating that heaven is indeed no more than three feet away from earth - and need in fact be no distance at all.

Copyright (c) Colin Williams

Responsive prayers for the opeing of the renovated main hall in the ecumenical centre Geneva

The following prayers were said by members of central committee before they entered the newly renovated Main Hall on August 26 2009

Dialogue of Praise
*****
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
Unless a city is of God, those who guard it keep watch in vain.
*****
God set the earth itself on its foundations,
so that it cannot finally be shaken.
*****
Every house and gathering-place is built by someone,
yet the architect of all things is God.
*****
We give God thanks that we are called to gather in this space.
How good and pleasant it is when God's family dwells together in unity!
*****
In this room many have laboured and rejoiced in the service of Christ.
We give thanks to the Lord for so great a cloud of witnesses.
*****
Today we dedicate this room in honour of Willem A. Visser 't Hooft.
And we remember all who have been inspired by him.
*****
Praise to you, Lord God, for those who have led us on your way.
May their memory be eternal!
*****
Grant that we may be worthy successors to such leaders.
Bless our mission and our ministries, that we may be one in Christ.
*****
For one may plant, and another may water,
but it is the Triune God alone who gives the growth.
*****
Grant that we may be worthy successors to Vim Visser 't Hooft,
and may we dwell in that Christian unity toward which he pointed us.
*****

"One generation shall praise the Lord's works to another,
and shall declare the mighty acts of God."
*****
In 1965, this hall,

given by the family of the late Anne Douglass Dillon,
was dedicated in the presence of

WCC general secretary W.A. Visser 't Hooft
to the vision "That they may all be one".
Today we commemorate

the first general secretary of the World Council of Churches,
a transformational figure in the ecumenical movement,
by naming this space "W.A. Visser 't Hooft Hall".
*****

*****

Lord, help us hear afresh these words of the Apostle Paul:
"According to the grace of God given to me,
like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation,

and someone else is building on it.
Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.
For no one can lay any foundation

other than the one that has been laid:
that foundation is Jesus Christ." (1Cor.3:10-11)
*****
To God be all glory, thanks and praise! Amen.
*****

order of prayers for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal

SERVICE OF MORNING PRAYER
The Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva
Monday 13 October 2008

This week the ecumenical prayer cycle calls attention to
the nations, churches and peoples of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal

Prelude

Opening prayer
O God, we come before you with unclean hearts, selfish minds, unworthy spirits.
In your grace, you touch us and make us whole and sound.
We dance before you with joy. We sing in freedom. We swim in your love.
We give you thanks and praise for your grace.
We pray that you will touch us, again and again,
and show us the way toward true happiness.
In your triune name we pray, O Lord.
Amen.

Thuma Mina 16 – Veni Creator

Reading from Holy Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7
Soyez toujours joyeux d’être unis au Freuet euch in dem Herrn allewege, und
Seigneur. Je le répète: Soyez joyeux! abermals sage ich: Freuet euch!
Manifestez de la douceur envers tous. Eure Lindigkeit lasset kund sein allen
Le Seigneur viendra bientôt. Menschen! Der Herr ist nahe!
Ne vous inquiétez vous de rien, Sorget nichts, sondern in allen Dingen lasset
mais en toute circonstance demandez à eure Bitten im Gebet und Flehen mit
Dieu dans la prière ce dont vous avez Danksagung vor Gott kund werden!
besoin, et demandez-le-lui avec un cœur Und der Friede Gottes, welcher höher ist
reconnaissant. Et la paix de Dieu, qui als alle Vernunft, bewahre eure Herzen
dépasse tout ce que l’homme peut com- und Sinne in Christus Jesus!
prendre, gardera vos cœurs et vos esprits
en Jésus Christ.

Thuma Mina 52 – Alleluia

Reflection

Prayer of Intercession (Response: Thuma Mina 94 – La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre)
Eternal God, you call us to rejoice. Forgive our tendency towards gloom.
Remind us that your good news is glorious, and lead us into your courts with joy.

La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre devant toi; la nuit comme le jour est lumière.

Lift our lives out for their accustomed ruts, our minds out of their comfortable rants.
Lift our hearts into your presence through the revelation of your gracious will for us.

La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre devant toi; la nuit comme le jour est lumière.

Teach us how to love you, and to worship you in joyousness of spirit.
Teach us joyfully to love one another, to bring your light into one another’s existence.

La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre devant toi; la nuit comme le jour est lumière.

Wherever practical difficulties lie as snares in our neighbours’ paths,
wherever the forces of markets obscure hope for people’s futures,
wherever war or natural catastrophe amplify the temptation to despair,
shed your light upon our world, and grant that we may reflect your goodness.

La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre devant toi; la nuit comme le jour est lumière.

Hear our prayers, O God: those we utter aloud, and those we pray in silence…
Hear us as we pray for all the world, and especially this week for your grace in
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

All this we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught disciples to pray…

The Lord’s Prayer (said by each of us in his or her own language)

Sending prayer
Compassionate Lord, you know that we would prefer to have power over the storm,
a secure home, a life protected from the winds and every other threat.
Yet we gather here to ask your help in learning to live with the storms that come,
to grant us shelter among friends, to provide strength when our plans end in failure.
Build us up, Lord, again and again.
And grant that we may ever rejoice in fellowship with you, and with one another.
Amen.

Thuma Mina 134 – Laudate omnes gentes

Postlude

This service was written and put together by Theodore A. Gill

Liturgy for the international day of prayer for peace

International Day of Prayer for Peace
21st September 2008

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace (James 3:18).

Talofa! Kiora! Ia ora na! Bula Vinaka! Malo e lelei! Hafa dai! Halo Olgeta! Aloha!
Greetings in a few of the many tongues of the Pacific!

~ Sound the Conch Shell ~

Cultural Presentation (Kava Ceremony)

It is customary in Pacific cultures to welcome (and say farewell) through the traditional Kava ceremony. No important occasion or event takes place without this tradition.

It is important to understand that when serving the kava, the guest (a chief from the visiting group) will drink first and then a host village chief (of equal status) will drink. This process will continue to all visiting chiefs present during the ceremony.

The kava ceremony for the International Day of Prayer for Peace will serve only one (1) kava. It will be served to God.

~ Sound the Conch Shell ~

Our Vigil of Peace

Our vigil of peace occurs in 3 stages: Reading the Tides (a time of thanksgiving) Against the Currents (a time to listen) and; Making New Waves (a time to act)


I. Reading the Tides

Welcome to a time of reflection, transformation and celebration, as we halt canoes and raise our paddles in unity for the International Day of Prayer for Peace.

We rowed and paddled hard for many years. We were caught in storms, rough tides with broken paddles and no hope; we burned in the day and frozen by night; with blistered hands and sore feet; we hungered and we thirst; we missed; we wept; and we prayed.

We rowed and paddled harder for more years. Then we remembered the calm seas; the pleasant breeze; the beautiful sunsets and clear skies; we ate and were full; we smiled; we laughed; and we prayed.

We dock today to read the tides in thanksgiving for the abundant richness the tides have brought to our shores, to acknowledge that we too swim with the currents of violence, pain and injustice, and finally to make new waves to guide our canoes in the way of justice and peace.

(Please rise)

We will row; we will paddle; and we will pray.

Sing ~ People of Peace

Let us pray

Atua, Chief of Chiefs, God
Allow us to drink from the tanoa* of your peace,
Right the course of our canoes to overcome the currents of violence
Give us peace of being at rest, so that peace prevails over any winds that gust through our islands,
Tattoo in our hearts your righteousness and purity
Through all cultures and walks of life, we gather as instruments of peace. Amen.

- Atua of Peace by M. Aunoa, Am. Samoa submitted for IDPP 2008
*tanoa: kava bowl

Sing ~ To God Be the Glory
1. To God be the glory, great things He has done / So loved He the world that He gave us His Son / Who yielded His life an atonement for sin / And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord / Let the earth hear His voice! / Praise the Lord, praise the Lord / Let the people rejoice! / O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son / And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
2. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood / to every believer the promise of God /
The vilest offender who truly believes / that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
3. Great things He has taught us, great things He has done / And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son / But purer, and higher, and greater will be / Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

II. Against the Currents

(Cultural Presentation of Artwork for Annual Focus from churches and projects in Pacific)
As we present this artwork of the logo of the World Council of Churches from the Pacific Islands, we are reminded of its history, its story and its voyage. The boat represents a journey. The cross symbolizes Christianity. The waves signify rough seas and even storms. Conflicts, violence, death and negativity have affected the churches and the ecumenical movement, sometimes threatening the fellowship, but one thing remains constant, the cross which forms the mast of our ship, embodying faith and unity.
As we read the Word of God and meditate to a musical selection, think about the colours of life, the faces of joy and hope, and the cries of helplessness, violence and war in the world. Acknowledge that we too swim with the currents of hatred, pain and injustice and just as others are enemies to us, we are enemies to others.

Scriptural Journey
An adaptation of Proverbs 16: 1-7 by WEAVERS of Fiji

The plans of the mind belong to us,
But the answer of the tongue belong to God
All our ways may be pure in our own eyes
But God weighs the spirit
Commit your work to the Lord
And your plan will be established
All things were made with a purpose
Even the wicked for the day of trouble
The arrogant is an abomination to God
But loyalty and faithfulness atones for iniquity
When the ways of the people please the Lord,
Even their enemies will be at peace

(Musical Selection)

The Beatitudes Matthew 5 3-12

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 those who are reviled, persecuted and falsely accused because of God.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you

(Musical Selection)

(An adaptation of Ephesians 2: 14-18 by A. Mahoe of Hawaii)

For God is our peace who has made us all one,
For God has broken down the diving wall of hostility
To create a new human in place of two,
Make peace and reconcile in one body through the cross
Peace was preached to those who are far
Peace was preached to those who are near
For through the Son, we are in one Spirit to the Father

Sing ~ E toru nga mea from New Zealand (Agape 21)

III. Making New Waves

Testimonies: Witnessing to the Peace of God

(Please rise)

Sing ~ Here I am Lord (in English and Spanish)

I, the Lord of sea and sky, / I have heard my people cry / All who dwell in dark and sin / My hand will save.

Refrain: Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? / I have heard you calling in the night. /
I will go, Lord, if you lead me. / I will hold your people in my heart.
I will break their hearts of stone, / Give them hearts for love alone. / I will speak my words to them. / Whom shall I send?
I, the Lord of wind and flame, / I will send the poor and lame. / I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
(Please be seated)

~
Prayers of Intercession
Sing ~ Kyrie Eleison from Ukraine (Thuma Mina 35)
~

The Lord’s Prayer

We are modest and humble as we commit ourselves through our prayers and our pledges to make new waves of peace beginning with ourselves, our families, communities and the world.
(Please rise)

Sing ~ Pasifika from Pacific Islands

Blessing

Together, we row to the East, paddle to the West, sail to the North and steer to the South with God at the helm of our canoes.
by L. Kolngata, Papua New Guinea for Annual Focus 2008

This Liturgy was put together by Ginger Porter who works in the Decoade to overcome Violence office of the WCC.

Sing ~ Papauta

Praying for Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary

Worship Ecumenical Centre, Monday 15 September 2008
This week the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle invites us to pray for the countries of Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, and their churches

This order of worship was put together by the Rev. Rudolf Renfer who is director of human resources at the Lutheran World Federation

Welcome – Invocation

The world belongs to God,
The earth and all its people
How good and how lovely it is
To live together in unity.
Love an faith come together,
Justice and peace join hands.
If the Lord’s disciples keep silent
These stones would shout aloud.
Lord, open our lips
And our mouths shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

Hymn: Agape 3, A Palavra do Senhor (all the 5 languages)

Prayer
Oh Lord,
When you deliver us from our faults,
And when our heart continues to feel guilty,
Forgive us.

Agape 28 Gospodi Pomiliu - sung response

Oh Lord,
When you open the door of our prisons,
And we still continue to pull down the walls,
Forgive us

Gospodi Pomiliu

Oh Lord, when you call us to live from your grace,
And we keep turning over our forgiven faults,
Forgive us

Gospodi Pomiliu

Readings
Proverbs 3, 13 – 18 (in Romanian)
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding, for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy.

1 Cor 1, 20 – 25 (in French)
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Mt 11, 16 – 19
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates,
‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Message

Hymn Paradiscomnak te szep élö fàja

Prayer of intercession
Because the world is beautiful,
And beauty is a tender thing,
And we want to enjoy life,
But also take up our responsibilities,
We need you, God.

sung response: Sfinte Dumne Zeule

Because human knowledge seems endless,
And we do not know what we do not know,
And what seems to be wisdom for us,
Is seen as folly by those who do not know us,
We need you, God.

Sfinte Dumne Zeule

Because in fact we can live without you,
And are free to go against you,
And are struggling with our convictions of justice,
Trying to stand on the side of the excluded ones,
We need you, God.

Sfinte Dumne Zeule

Because we want to be in solidarity with the countries
Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria and their churches
Witnessing your name and acting in your name,
Resisting to temptations and weaknesses,
We need you, God.

Sfinte Dumne Zeule

Because you came among us
In the man Jesus who was eating and drinking
With impure people and sinners,
And we want to know how to answer to his call,
We need you, God.

Sfinte Dumne Zeule

Blessing
Lord Jesus Christ,
Because you were eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners,
You were looked on as ungodly.

Because you broke bread with the joyful,
You were called a glutton and a drunkard.

Because you broke bread in the upstairs room,
You sealed your acceptance of the way of the cross.

Set our blessing on the bread we break and the company we share,
In the name of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Let us go in peace.
Amen

Hymn: Here I am, Lord

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Refrain:
Here I am, Lord, is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me,
I will hold your people in my heart.

Yo, Señor de lluvia y sol,
Las angustias y el dolor,
De mi pueblo he de sanar sin condición.
Ese duro corazón, con mi amor transformaré.
Quién mi nombre anunciará ?
Quién me seguirá ?

Refrán :
Aquí estoy, Señor, Heme aquí, Señor.
En la noche escuché tu voz.
Guíame, Señor. Yo te seguiré.
En mi corazón a tu pueblo guardaré.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them,
Whom shall I send?

Refrain

An ecumenical order of prayers for Bolivia, Chile and Peru

Worship in the Ecumenical Centre for Monday 30 June 2008
Tenemos Esperanza
A spirituality of resistance

Praying through the ecumenical prayer cycle for Bolivia, Chile and Peru

Welcome

Sing ~ El Cielo canta alegria ~ Agape 22 verses 1 and 2 Spanish, verse 3 English

Image: Copyright Andre Jordan from : If You’re Happy and you Know it

Psalm 69 (extracts)
Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
More in number than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me without cause;
many are those who would destroy me,
my enemies who accuse me falsely.

Sung response ~ Agape 81
Santo, Santo, Santo
i Mi Corazon te adora!
Mi Corazon te sabe decir:
i Santo eres Señor

With your faithful help rescue me
from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
Do not let the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the Pit close its mouth over me.

Sung response: Santo, Santo, Santo (Agape 81)

Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.
Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies.

Please stand to sing ~ and remain standing for the reading of the Gospel

Hale, hale, hale luya
Hale, hale, hale luya
Hale, hale, hale luya
Haleluya, Haleluya

Gospel reading ~ Mathew 10 24 -32 read in Spanish
‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
Whom to Fear ‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Hale, hale, hale luya …

Meditation - Hold on to hope by Jane Stranz

Sing: Tenemos Esperanza verse 1 in Spanish ~ Agape72

Prayers of intercession
We pray throughout this week for the peoples and churches of Chile, Bolivia and Peru.

Spirit of peace, fill all the world with your transforming presence.
May the leaders of all countries rule with maturity and justice.
May all nations have tranquility and their sons and daughters be blessed.
May the people and the flocks and the herds prosper and be free from illness.
May the fields bear much fruit and the land be fertile.
May the face of all enemies be turned towards peace.

Sung Response: Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara / Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara ~ Agape 69

Spirit of unity, we pray for your church.
Fill your people with all truth and peace.
Where we are corrupt, purify us. Where we are in error, direct us.
Where anything in us is amiss, reform us. Where we are right, strengthen us.
Where we are in need, provide for us. Where we are divided, reunite us.

Sung Response: Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara / Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara

Spirit of love, watch over those who wake or watch or weep,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend the sick, rest the weary, give courage to women in childbirth,
soothe the suffering, and bless the dying.

Sung Response: Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara / Oré poriaju vereko Ñandejara

God of Creation, of planting, growth and harvest:
Sow the potential of your Word in our lives, in the midst of this world,
like seed broadcast across a field of fertile soil.
Through the presence of your Son, our Light and our Life,
nurture the tender shoots of faith as they grow strong and tall.
By the power of your Spirit, help us to reap a harvest
of honest belief, unity, justice, peace and love.
Amen.

(copyright (c) WCC - Em Tua Graça)

The Lord’s prayer ~ said by each in their own language

Blessed are the poor…
Not the penniless, but those whose hearts are free.
Blessed are those who mourn…
Not those who whimper but those who raise their voices.
Blessed are the meek …
Not the soft but those who are patient and tolerant.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice …
Not those who whine but those who struggle.
Blessed are the merciful …
Not those who forget but those who forgive.
Blessed are the pure in heart …
Not those who act like angels but those whose life is transparent.
Blessed are the peace-makers …
Not those who shun conflict but those who face it squarely.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice …
Not because they suffer but because they love.
(copyright P. Jacob, Chile, from Wisdom is Calling pp.263-264 ed G Duncan)

Blessing

Sing: Tenemos Esperanza verses 1, 2 and 3 in English or Spanish.

Ecumenical morning prayer for Brazil - prepared by Hannelore Schmid

Morning Prayer, Ecumenical Centre, Friday, 20 June 2008 - Praying for Brazil in the ecumenical prayer cycle.

Call to worship

Come to worship
not out of habit
not out of duty
not because your name is on a rota
not because you will earn points in heaven.

Come to worship
because you love God
because you love yourself
because you love God’s world
because you love God’s people.

We come to celebrate the living God
made present in us and among us.

© Clare McBeath, U.K.

Song: Cantai ao Senhor (TM 3,1st stanza in Portuguese and in English)

Bible Reading – Revelation 21: 1 – 5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

The City of God - meditation by Hannelore Schmid

Intercessions

We pray for hope for the children in our midst,
for the children in the favelas of Brazilian cities
and in the cities of the world.
We pray for the children facing a world torn by conflicts.
All that they ask is time to grow, loving care and
to be able to live the years for which they were born.

Sung response: Kyrie, tem piedade (TM 43)

This is our task today:
to build a world of peace, justice, freedom and truth
where kindness will increase.
A world free from hunger and where people share,
where every person is of worth.
Renew in us your vision of wholeness,
that the rich my restore wealth to the poor
and the poor share blessings with the rich.

Sung response: Kyrie, tem piedade (TM 43)

Into your hands, O God, we commend ourselves.
Send us your spirit to guide our thoughts and direct our wills.
Grant us wisdom to know what is right and power to do what is good.
Refresh in us our sense of calling,
that we may follow Christ in serving others
and live simply with those who simply live.

Sung response: Kyrie, tem piedade (TM 43)

The Lord’s Prayer

Blessing

May the blessing of the God of peace and justice be with us;
May the blessing of the Son who weeps the tears of the world’s suffering be with us;
And may the blessing of the Spirit who inspires us to reconciliation and hope be with us;
from now into eternity.
Amen.
© Clare McBeath, U.K.

Dedication of the Sibiu Deisis icon

Morning service- Monday 9 June 2008 ~ Dedication of the Sibiu “Deisis” icon

Welcome

Hymn: Many are the lightbeams (no. 40)
Call to prayer
L: God is with us, Christ goes with us,
and the Holy Spirit leads us,
through light and shadow,
through heights and depths,
through fire and water, into new life.

All: We worship in the name
of God the Father,
in the name of Jesus Christ,
in the name of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Introduction to the Service
Psalm 36
All: Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Women: Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your judgments are like the great deep.
Men: You save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
Women: How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Men: They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

All: For with you is the fountain of life.
In your light we see light. Amen.
Hymn: Lumière de Dieu (No. 11 – Français, English, German)
Affirmation of faith (Ruthann)

L: We believe, Lord Jesus,
that you are the true light
that enlightens all
who come into the world.

All: We believe
and we confess.

L: We believe, Lord Jesus,
that you are the light of the world,
and that in you
we discover the light of life.

All: We believe
and we confess.

L: We believe, Lord Jesus,
that as we walk in light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and you cleanse us from all sin.

All: We believe
and we confess. Amen. (Jn 1,9; Jn 8,12; 1 Jn 1,7)

Hymn: Lumière de Dieu (No. 11 – Español, Italiano, Français)

Bible reading: John 1,5-14; 3,25-30 (Smaranda)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Now a discussion about purification arose between John's disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him." John answered, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

Meditation on the Sibiu “Deisis” icon - Luca Negro

Hymn: Am văzut lumina cea adevărată (No. 3)

Prayer (from the Romanian Orthodox Tradition)

Lord’s Prayer

Blessing

Liturgy for ecumenical prayer cycle ~ Malawi and Zambia

Morning Prayer at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva for Monday 19 May, 2008.
The following liturgy was put together by Fulata Mbano-Moyo, Rolita Machila, Sydia Nduna and John Nduna who all come from either Malawi or Zambia.

Musical Presentation

Welcome.
We welcome you all to this morning’s worship and in the ecumenical prayer cycle, we remember and pray for the countries and people of Malawi and Zambia.
Let us come together and worship the Lord.

Opening song: Blessed assurance (the Southern African tune).

Call to worship
How good it is to sing praises to our God
It is a blessed assurance
Our merciful God forgives all our sins
For he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting
God fulfills the desire of all who trust Him
He hears our cries and saves us

Prayer
God of love, God of compassion
In the midst of suffering, you journey with us
Constantly reassuring us of your care.
Grant us the joy of this occasion
as we celebrate the blessings and the faith
of the people of Malawi and Zambia,
We know that your love is life.
Amidst death and disease,
Your Spirit comforts us
We are part of Sub-Saharan Africa where HIV and AIDS
Is roaring like a hungry lion devouring both young and old
Yet we still know you caring, providing, healing and smiling your love for us
That is why we can still rejoice in Your being with us! Amen

Hymn- Chimwemwe mwa Yesu- Agape 15-

Reading: 2 Kings 4: 1-7
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves."

Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?"
"Your servant has nothing here at all," she said, "Except a little oil."
Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the doors behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars and as each is filled, put it to one side."
She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one."

But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
She went and told the man of God and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."

Ascription of praise
I will bless the lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth
My soul makes boast in the Lord, my Provider.
When I was in need, I sought the Lord,
and He answered and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to God and be expectant; so your faces shall never lose radiance.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Reflection/ sermon ~ Rolita Machila

Song- The Lord my Shepherd (1.English, 2. Tumbuka, 3.French)

2. Apo ndikuti vyalema
Wakundi-vukuska
Wakundendeska makora
Nkhumu-chinda-mika

Prayers of Intercession
God of love, God of compassion,
In the midst of death and evil, you mercifully look after us:
Protecting, providing and smiling,
Constantly reassuring us of your care.
Grant us the joy of remembering the people of Zambia and Malawi
Who among many brothers and sisters faced with so many life threatening challenges,
still hold fast and celebrate their faith in you.
We pray for forgiveness for being part of those who have stigmatized others
By calling them strange names,
Like “people of strange faiths,” “those with the disease,” “street kids,”
yet there is no one who is not your own beloved creation
Are we not all interconnected as part and parcel of your vast creation?
Teach us to number our days right and be in touch with our own vulnerable interdependence,
That we may acquire a heart of wisdom through Him who walked the mysteries of death and whose life has become our light- Jesus Christ

Sung response- (senzenina)

Almighty and eternal God,
We fervently lift up our eyes to you,
Searching for help and guidance
Come show us how to serve those who are oppressed and marginalized
How to stand alongside those who strive for social justice
Come liberate us from captivity to confessionalism and make us agents of
reconciliation and unity
Give us the will to serve and love you through serving others.

Sung response- (Senzenina)

We thanks you for the peace experienced in Zambia and Malawi,
The peaceful governmental transitions
We still ask for your deliverance from corruption and unaccountable exercise of power
So that your earth may experience a life-giving and love bearing peace, true freedom with justice-to flow like a river and challenge the dry bones of injustice with just love.

We thank you God for the faith in your people of the world.
Send the breath of your spirit so we may speak in our own tongues yet understand and love one another. Through Jesus Christ we pray all this. Amen.

Lord’s prayer ( in our own languages)

Blessing

Go ye out and live the way of love and compassion
Embrace the hope you have in the God of love
Learn from His compassion
Learn to share what you have with those who do not have
Resist the temptation to accumulate more
Work for justice where there is injustice
Love mercy and walk humbly with your God

Sending song: There is no one x 2 like Jesus

Palibe woposa Yesu (3x) Sadzapezekanso
Ndayendayenda konse konse
Ndazungulira konse konse
Ndafunafuna konse konse
Sadzapezekanso

Liturgy for the World Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe

Ecumenical Centre Chapel Monday April 28th 2008

Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe

A service asking for justice, peace and healing in Zimbabwe

Organised by the WSCF and the World YWCA

Call to prayer
We gather to remember and accompany the people of Zimbabwe, in the name of the blessed Trinity, one God, now and forever.
Amen
O Lord, open my eyes,
that I may see the need of others,
open my ears that I may hear their cries,
open my heart so that they need not be without succour.
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor,because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to these places.
Open my eyes and ears that I may, this coming day,
be able to do some work of peace for you.

Song: Uyai, O vanhu ve se, u yai kuna Mambo Jesu (Come all you people, come to our Lord Jesus)

Confession of sins
God of liberation and justice,
Defender of the poor and marginalized,
we seek your guidance.
Give us the vision and confidence to become prophets when resources are looted.
Let us hear the cry of the widows.
Let us feed the orphans.
Let us denounce injustice by the powerful.
May we demand drugs for the sick.
May we demand care for the abandoned.
May we denounce wastefulness by the affluent.
Forgive our silence.
Forgive our complicity.
In your mercy, forgive our condemnation of people living with HIV.
Forgive us when we deal lightly with the wounds of your people.
Forgive the times when we have offered artificial solutions.
Empower us to tackle corrupt systems,
Make us instruments of your peace.
Make us agents of transformation.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen

Reassurance of pardon
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily;
(Isaiah 58)
Almighty God who pardons all who truly repent, forgive your sins, strengthen you by the Holy Spirit, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our redeemer.
Amen

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 85

Song: Verses I and 2 of Rakanaka Vhangeri
(Come and hear now the gospel, hear the good news)

Gospel reading: John 14:15-21

Song: Verse 3 of Rakana Vhangeri

Testimony

Intercessions
Sung response: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we. (Your will be done Your will be done O Lord)

We pray for the political situation in Zimbabwe that it may be resolved quickly and peacefully.
We pray that whatever announcement is made in the near future, peace will be restored to the land.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

We pray that calm leadership will prevail, not leadership fuelled by half-truths and propaganda.
We pray that intimidation and violence will cease.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

We pray that in the face of intimidation and violence people will remain firm in the truth of their convictions and will continue to vote their real desires should there be a runoff.
We pray that if there is a runoff, that it will be done in fairness and peace, with international observers who will truly validate the results.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

We pray that the person of God's choice will be brought into the position of authority.
We pray that the church in Zimbabwe
will remain faithful to minister the Gospel in an uncertain atmosphere.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

We pray for wisdom for retaining security and safety for women,
children and men in Zimbabwe.
We pray for the young people used by politicians,
that they may stand up and refused to be used.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

We pray for courage and strength for the people of Zimbabwe
as they face their current challenges.
We pray that the needed change must surely come through God’s own way.
All sing: Kunda Kwenyu Nga ku it we

The Lord’s prayer - said by each in their own language

Hopes for Zimbabwe
We take a moment to write words of hope and courage for Zimbabwean people.

Song: Tenzi werumu komirai nesu zvi no.
(Christ of the resurrection stand by us now, so that at this moment we are made holy by you).

We carry our words to the Zimbabwean cross in the foyer.

Prayer at the cross
The cross is the way of the lost
The cross is the staff of the lame.

The cross is the guide of the blind
The cross is the strength of the weak.

The cross of the hope of the hopeless
The cross is the freedom of the slaves.

The cross is the water of the seeds
The cross is the consolation of the bonded labourers.

The cross is the source of those who seek water
The cross is the cloth of the naked.

The cross is the healing of the broken
The cross is the peace of the church.


We place our words of courage and hope for the people of Zimbabwe at the foot of the cross.

Blessing
Now go out into the world to sow seeds of peace with justice,
And may:
The God of overflowing creative energy
The Jesus of vast compassion
The Holy Spirit who turns chaos to life enhancing wholesomeness
Be with you as you go.
Amen.

Sources
Call to Prayer pp. 148-49 Shona prayer,“The Prayers of African Religion
Uyai, O vanhu ve se p 113 WCC sixth assembly worship book
Confession of sins Dr. Ezra Chitando
Reassurance of Pardon p 38 A New Zealand Prayer Book
Rakana Vhabngeri No 76 Agape
Kunda Kwenyu p 67 Worshipping Ecumenically
Intercessions YWCA
Tenzi werumu P 124 WCC sixth assembly worship book
Prayer at the cross Tenth century African hymn
Blessing YWCA

Call to an international day of prayer for Zimbabwe

The Call to Prayer from the Anglican Diocese of Harare

A desperate cry from the hearts of Zimbabwe screams across the world.
It calls upon all Christians of every denomination in every nation to focus their prayers, in churches, halls, homes or elsewhere, on Sunday 27th April, 2008 on the critical situation in Zimbabwe, a nation in dire distress and teetering on the brink of human disaster. Let the cry for help touch your heart and mind. Let it move you to do what you can immediately to ensure this Day of Prayer takes place in your country and neighbourhood.
Please pass on this message right now to all the churches and Christian organisations known to you and to the media as well as to everyone anxious to rescue Zimbabwe from violence, the concealing and juggling of election results, deceit, oppression and corruption, and to bring about righteousness, joy, peace, compassion, honesty, justice, democracy and freedom from fear and want.
May a continual strong stream of prayer and supplication flow up to the Lord on behalf of all the people on this Day of Prayer, exhorting His divine intervention throughout the nation.“It is by making the truth publicly known that we recommend ourselves to the honest judgement of humankind in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2)

Some advice to Zimbabweans
“Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
“Stand fast, and do not let yourselves be caught again in the yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) “Make no mistake, you cannot cheat God.” (Galatians 6:7)
“Do not be overcome by evil but overcame evil with good” (Romans 12:21)

Sermon by Simon Oxley on the radicality of Christians praying the Lord's prayer togehter

The following sermon on the Lord's prayer was preached by Rev. Simon Oxley in Geneva on March 10th 2008.


Considering all the things that divide the churches, the Lord's Prayer has caused us very little trouble compared, say, the Creeds and the Eucharist. But should the churches be more scared of people saying the Lord's Prayer than joining in the creeds or participating in the Eucharist together?

Let's have a look at Luke's account of Jesus giving the Lord's prayer.

Reading Luke 11.1-4
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

In Luke, Jesus offers what we now call the Lord's Prayer in response to a specific request. Matthew includes it in a cut and paste collection of teachings, probably drawn from different times and places in Jesus’ ministry.

I have changed my mind about the Lord's Prayer. I had always understood it to be a pattern prayer. In other words, it showed as how we should create our prayers. In terms of intention, rhythm, style and content. This meant that saying the Lord's Prayer itself, word for word, was not so important. However, I now think that Jesus was doing what other teachers of his time did for their disciples. There’s a clue in the request – ‘as John taught his disciples’. A unique and specific prayer was a sign of belonging to the community that gathered around the teacher – the learners, the disciples. If you like, in today’s terms, a prayer came as part of the membership pack, together with the membership card, poster, t-shirt etc.

Not surprisingly, being the prayer that marks people out as being members of the group, the language is our and us – not the usual religious language of I and me. This contrasts with the ‘I believe …’ (even though the words and maybe the concepts are not ours) and the tendency for an individualised reception of bread and wine as being about my relationship with Christ. The prayer is not offered by or about you and me – it’s offered by us but not just for us.

Note the nature of the prayer. It is not just for the interests of the group of disciples, nor indeed for the institutions that we now know as churches. You might expect a prayer in a ‘membership pack’ to be focussed on the group, community or association – for its success, for the achievement of its objectives for its members. Such an interest would be only natural but this is not the way of God, the father of our lord Jesus Christ. The prayer is for the coming of God's kingdom on earth as in heaven. Whether we now like the term kingdom or not, it stands for something beyond our narrow understandings and practice of community, association, council, church or nation. It breaks us out of the narrow confines and self-serving intentions of our institutions and organisations – even the churches and their ways which are precious to us.

In introducing the gospel reading, I contrasted the Lord's Prayer with the creeds and the Eucharist. To offer some challenging caricatures, we could say that the creeds are the radical God confined in sets of words resulting from human political and theological conflict and the eucharist as the radical grace of God being confined in our patterns, processes and interpretations. The Lord’s Prayer is an opening of ourselves up to God – not confining God to our personal or institutional limitations. To pray that God’s kingdom may come is to open ourselves to the possibility that all that we cherish, all that we have built up will be transformed – to be open to the new.

In my academic researches have been reading through issues of the Ecumenical Review. I was struck by early issues, which reflected the enthusiasm and purpose of the ecumenical movement, as embodied in the World Council of Churches.

In the Editorial of the first issue of the Ecumenical Review in 1948, the WCC General Secretary, Visser’t Hooft, wrote about the opening up of ecumenical conversation between the churches in the newly formed WCC. The conversation was:
not merely in order to learn more about each other, but in order to learn more about their common Lord and about His will for the Church.
The whole enterprise was:
a common spiritual adventure, leading to unexpected and surprising discoveries.
The strength of the ecumenical movement:
lies in the fact that it is essentially a humble movement … of those who stretch out their hands to receive from God a fuller knowledge of His truth and for the manifestation of His Church.
In other words, in these early days the ecumenical movement and the WCC were not seen as merely a means of rapprochement between the churches - leading to better relationships and mutual understanding but leaving the churches basically unchanged within their traditions. It was a way of discovering together the new that broke out of the confines of the old. The fact that we have not succeeded and somehow institutionalised denominationalism should not deter us but make us more determined to fulfil these original purposes of ecumenism.

But why did we have the reading from Ezekiel this morning? The Old Testament reading appointed for Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary which many of you will have heard in church. The reading asks the question of the religious establishment, will these dry bones live? One answer given by the Lectionary is to tell the story of the raising of Lazarus from John's gospel. Another answer, which I suggest to you this morning is that saying the Lord's Prayer with its request, for God's kingdom to come, and God's will to be done opens the way for the wind of the spirit to rush through us, transforming our dry bones.

Saying the Lord's Prayer together, if we do so with the intention of and the openness for the radical transformation that God offers to us, is a foundation for the renewal of the ecumenical movement. It breaks us out of the controlling instincts for self-preservation, or even for self-aggrandisement, of the churches into the freedom to which God calls us. Praying for God’s kingdom to come is the most daring and dangerous thing we can do in our worship.
Amen

Copyright WCC/Simon Oxley