Martin Luther King excerpts from a "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

Excerpts: Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, 16 April 1963
MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:
While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas… But since I feel that you are men of genuine goodwill and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement…
I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference… We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations all across the South--one being the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary…
Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Graeco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town…
Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny…
…You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being… You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. I just referred to the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood…
…I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice, and that when they fail to do this they become dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress… injustice must…be exposed, with all of the tension its exposing creates, to the light of human conscience…
I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth of time. I received a letter this morning from a white brother in Texas which said: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great of a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost 2000 years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." All that is said here grows out of a tragic misconception of time. It is the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively. I am coming to feel that the people of ill-will have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God…
…Let me rush on to mention my other disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions… But despite these notable exceptions I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say that as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say it as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen…
I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at her beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlay of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over again I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave the clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when tired, bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?" …the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century …
I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no fear about the future … We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands…

Never before have I written a letter this long (or should I say a book?). I’m afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell other than write long letters, think strange thoughts and pray long prayers? …Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation, with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
Martin Luther King, Jr.

An order for morning prayer - ecumenical prayer cycle Canada

The following order was prepared by Theodore A Gill and included a fascinating reading from Stephen Neil's A history of Christian Missions , about which more soon.

Morning Prayer - The chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva
Tuesday 4 August 2009 - The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle focuses our attention this week on Canada and the USA


Huron carol, by Jean de Brébeuf, c. 1641

’Twas in the moon of wintertime, when all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead.
Before their light, the stars grew dim, and wondering hunters heard the hymn:
Jesus, your King, is born, Jesus is born. In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender Babe was found;
A ragged robe of rabbit-skin enwrapped His beauty round.
And as the hunter braves drew nigh, the angel song rang loud and high:
Jesus, your King, is born, Jesus is born. In excelsis gloria.

The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on the helpless Infant there.
The chiefs from far before Him knelt with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
Jesus, your King, is born, Jesus is born. In excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free, O you of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy who brings you beauty, peace and joy.
Jesus, your King, is born, Jesus is born. In excelsis gloria.

Prayer (United Church of Canada)

L: We come to you, O Lord, with thanks and praise for Creation.
We are thankful for the passion of the young,
for the youth among us who push us all to recognize
the urgency of the environmental crisis.

All: Thank you, Creator and giver of passion.

L: We are thankful for the insights of our Indigenous
brothers and sisters who draw on their
tradition and teach us about the sacredness of all
Creation and how to live in kinship with it.

All: Thank you, Creator and giver of passion.

L: We are thankful for the inspiration of those
among us who have already begun to live their
lives in ways to show a caring for the earth,
water, and the skies.

All: Thank you, Creator and giver of passion.
We thank you, God, for all signs of hope
that keep us from despairing
and point us toward new ways of living. Amen.

John 6 :35-40

Intercessions (based on a prayer of Karl Barth at the Basel city men’s prison)

Lord, be and remain the God of our salvation in the realm above
and amid the perplexities and frustration of human ventures and current events.
Transform us by your grace.

Tell and show all people that no one is lost to your sight,
but that no one can escape your sight, either!
Transform us by your grace.

Make yourself known everywhere
as the Lord of the pious and the godless, of the wise and the fools, of the healthy and the sick.
Be and remain the God of our salvation.

Be the Lord of our poor churches, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox – and whatever else,
the Lord of righteous and of unrighteous governments.
Be and remain the God of our salvation.

Lord of Israel, and God of all nations, we join in prayer this week for your whole Creation,
and in particular for the people and churches of Canada and the United States of America.
Teach us that none is lost to your sight, but also that none may escape your sight.

Be the Lord of the well-fed and of the underfed,
and also of those who are called to speak and write,
whether they produce creations that are good or not so good.

Be our protector in whom we all may trust, our source of grace in whom we find forgiveness,
as well as the Judge to whom we will be responsible on the Last Day,
just as we are responsible to you now.
This we pray through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Jesus says: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.

Bless the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
Go forth in the power and love of the Triune God.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sermon by Thedore A Gill on the Bread of Life

Monday 3 August – Morning prayer: Exodus 16:11-18, John 6:28-35
These are the notes that Theodore Gill based his sermon on - I hope to offer a podcast soon to give you the full experience!

“I am the bread of life.”

I need hardly tell a congregation including so many people from Stuttgart that the LWF will hold its worldwide assembly next year in that city. The theme of the assembly will be “Our Daily Bread”.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We know that the Lord is gracious and merciful. And so we trust God to answer that petition and to supply “our daily bread”.

Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”, and in the 6th chapter of John he draws a parallel between the grace he offers us and the gift of manna in the time of exodus, the bread from heaven given daily to a hard-pressed people. This manna was not to be hoarded but gathered fresh each day, with a double portion served up on the eve of Sabbath. The bread from heaven, the bread of life, is daily bread, spread before us for the taking.

* * *

D.T. Niles, who preached the opening sermons of both the First and Fourth WCC Assemblies, at Amsterdam in 1948 and at Uppsala twenty years later, famously remarked that Christian mission is like “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”. We know where to find bread because Jesus tells us, “I am the bread of life.”

In another sermon related by Matthew and closely related to the prayer for daily bread, Jesus also said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Or, in Luke’s simpler report, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they shall be satisfied.”

D.T. Niles suggested that, even as we are satisfied, we must continue to seek fresh bread each day. And we have an obligation to tell others where to obtain it. Providing bread to the hungry remains an essential concern and calling for the people of God. We seek unity and community in Christ the Bread of Life, providing the church a strong base for the work of mission, diakonia and the sharing of necessities like fresh bread, clean water, basic shelter, ministries of social justice and healthcare.

In teaching us to pray, our Lord does not suggest that each of us pray for “my daily bread” – “Give ME this day MY daily bread” – No. We pray for our daily bread, a gift to share with others, just as we address the whole prayer to Our Father.

To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to recognize our neighbour’s hunger as well as our own. It is essential for us to keep in mind that a loaf of bread has no purpose in itself. Bread is meant to be shared – blessed, broken and given to the imperfect and undeserving – so that we, the imperfect and undeserving, may be transformed. Bread is to be offered in Jesus’ name to neighbours and even to enemies, for it is intended for all the world.

This is the good news: God reaches out to us daily, and calls us to reach out to others in the spirit of Jesus Christ, the bread of life, our daily bread for whom the world hungers.
Amen.

The Bread of Life as we pray for the USA and Canada

The following order was put together by Theodore A Gill

Monday Morning Chapel Service,Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, 3 August 2009

This week the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle calls our attention to
the people and churches of Canada and the United States of America.

Call to worship – Psalm 117
Give glory to the Lord, all you nations!
Sing God’s praises, all peoples of the earth!
For great is God’s goodness towards us,
and God’s faithfulness is eternal.
Praise the Lord! Amen.

Thuma Mina 69 Je louerai l’Eternel (in French, German and English)
Je louerai l’Eternel de tout mon cœur. Je raconterai toutes tes merveilles,
je chanterai ton nom. Je louerai l’Eternel de tout mon cœur.
Je ferai de toi le sujet de ma joie. Alléluia!

Ich lobe meinen Gott, von ganzem Herzen. Erzählen will ich von all seinen Wundern
und singen seinem Namen. Ich lobe meinen Gott, von ganzem Herzen.
Ich freue mich, und bin fröhlich, Herr, in dir! Halleluja!

Praise, I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart. O God, I will tell
the wonders of your ways, and glorify your name. Praise, I will praise you, Lord,
with all my heart. In you I will find the source of all my joy. Alleluia!

Opening prayer

We do bring you praise and thanks, O Lord. Be with us as we gather, and bless your church.
Show mercy to your creation, and to your people everywhere.
Forgive us our sin, and strengthen our spirits to pray in the power of your Spirit.
Be with all who are in need, and inspire us to reach out to one another in faith and love.
Bring your mercy, justice and peace into all the world, especially where violence flares.
We pray for all nations,
and this week especially for the people and churches of Canada and the United States.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and grant us your peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: Amen.

A reading from Hebrew scripture: Exodus 16:11-18

Le Seigneur dit a Moïse: J’ai entendu les plaintes des Israélites. Dis-leur donc
ceci de ma part: Ce soir vous mangerez de la viande, et demain matin vous aurez du pain en suffisance; ainsi vous saurez que moi, le Seigneur, je suis votre Dieu.

En effet, le soir, des cailles arrivèrent et se posèrent sur tout le camp, il y avait une couche de rosée. Lorsque la rosée s’évapora, quelque chose de granuleux, fin comme du givre, restait par terre. Les Israélites le virent, mais ne savaient pas ce que c’était, et ils se demandèrent les uns aux autres: Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Moïse leur répondit: C’est le pain que le Seigneur vous donne à manger. Et voici ce que le Seigneur a ordonné: Que chacun en ramasse la ration qui lui est nécessaire; vous en ramasserez environ quatre litres par personne, d’après le nombre de personnes vivant sous la même tente.

Les Israélites agirent ainsi; ils en ramassèrent, les uns beaucoup, les autres peu. Mais lorsqu’ils en mesurèrent la quantité, ceux qui en avaient beaucoup n’en avait pas trop, et ceux qui en avaient peu n’en manquaient pas. Chacun en avait la ration nécessaire.

Thuma Mina 112 Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees (in English)

A reading from the Fourth Gospel: John 6:28-35

Ils lui demandèrent alors: Que devon-nous faire pour accomplir les œuvres voulues
par Dieu? Jésus leur rèpondit: L’œuvre que Dieu attend de vous, c’est que vous
croyiez en celui qu’il a envoyé.

Ils lui dirent: Quel miracle peux-tu nous faire voir pour que nous te croyions?
Quelle œuvre vas-tu accomplir? Nos ancêtres ont mangé la manne dans le désert, comme le dit l’Ecriture: Il leur a donné à manger du pain venu du ciel.

Jésus leur répondit: Ce n’est pas Moïse qui vous a donné le pain du ciel, mais c’est mon Père qui vous donne le vrai pain du ciel. Car le pain que Dieu donne, c’est celui qui descend du ciel et donne la vie au monde.
Ils lui dirent alors:
Maître, donne-nous toujours de ce pain-là!

Jésus leur déclara: Je suis le pain de vie. Celui qui vient à moi n’aura jamais faim et celui qui croit en moi n’aura jamais soif.

A meditation on the Bread of Life

A prayer from the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, February 2006 Sung response, Thuma Mina 136 “Bendice, Señor, nuesto pan” (in Spanish)

Giver of all good things: we thank you for answered prayer in the gift of daily bread.
At your command the seed germinates, and grain rises from the ground, and labourers heed the call to work the fields that are ripe for harvest.
By your grace the millers grind and bakers bake, so that families and cities and nations are fed.
Give all the people of the earth their daily bread, we pray.

Bendice, Señor, nuestro pan…

Chef de la maison de la foi, tu connais chaque famille par son nom.
Nous te prions de nous rassembler autour de ta table abondante.
Ouvre nos yeux et nos oreilles, vivifie tous nos sens, afin que nous trouvions
dans le pain si généreusement donné pour tous la preuve de ta souveraineté et de ta providence.

Bendice, Señor, nuestro pan…

Brot des Lebens, du bist die beste Quelle, unseren Leib und Geist zu nähren.
Wenn Frauen und Männer grosse Not leiden und wenig Zuversicht haben,
überrasche uns wieder mit barmherzigen Gaben, die wie Manna scheinen für die,
die dem Tod entgegensehen, die trauern, die leiden und sich verlassen fühlen.
Gib uns unser Brot für jeden Tag und lass es uns willig mit den Hungrigen teilen.

Bendice, Señor, nuestro pan…

Teach us how to pray from our hearts, Lord, that we may come to trust entirely in you.
For you are with us in the gift of daily bread, yet accompany us too in times of fasting, poverty and want.
Keep us in your love, and grant that we too may show love to you and to our neighbours.
Hear us now as we pray, each in our own language, the prayer that Jesus taught us…

The Lord’s Prayer (each in his or her own language)

Thuma Mina 195 Komm, Herr, segne uns (verse 1 in German, 2 in English, 3 in French)
1. Komm, Herr, segne uns, dass wir uns nicht trennen…
2. Blessing shrivels up when your children hoard it…
3. Porteurs de la paix, la paix que tu donnes…

The sending
Nie sind wir allein – We are never alone!
Go forth in that confidence, in the company of God,
to love the Lord and serve our neighbours.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

Praying with the peoples of the Caribbean

Worship in the Ecumenical Centre
27 July 2009
Praying with the peoples of the Caribbean
We listen to God’s word and share bread and wine at God’s table

Musical rehearsal
Welcome

God in Christ has revealed his glory.
Come let us worship.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the Lord's name is greatly to be praised.
Give God praise, you servants of the Lord.
O praise the name of the Lord!

Prayer of praise
Creator God,
how could we possibly not thank you
for the earth you have given to us!
With joy we praise you
for the high mountains and their trees,
for the rushing waters of Caribbean rivers
which give the breath of inspiration
and the joy of fruitfulness,
for the forests so luxuriant in foliage,
the glorious tall trees
and the abundance of temperate climes.
Still more, we praise you
for the wisdom for living,
and the commitment which our dignified
and courageous ancestors taught us,
the neighbours in whom we became acquainted with you.

Sing: Thuma Mina 137 Let us talents and tongues employ,
Let us talents and tongues employ
reaching out with a shout of joy:
bread is broken, the wine is poured,
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Christ is able to make us one,
at his table he set the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express.
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Jesus calls us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God (Immanuel) everywhere!
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Words by: Fred Kaan, 1975
Music by: Adapt. Doreen Potter, 1975

Psalm 145
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Please stand for the Gospel and to sing : Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia

Gospel Reading John 6 1-21
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’
When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.

Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia

Meditation

Sing: Break the bread of belonging by Brain Wren
Travelling, travelling over the world, people can be out of place,
Dashing for freedom, looking for work, needing a friendly face:

Refrain: Break the bread of belonging; welcome the stranger in the land.
We have each been a stranger, we can try to understand.
Break the bread of belonging, fear of the foreigner still blows strong;
make a space for the strangers, give them the right to belong.

Some have fled by terror by night, hiding from bullets by day, weary and hungry in fear of their life, seeking a safe place to stay:

Some are far from the people they love, driven by family need, tired and exploited, doing their job, thinking of children to feed:

Travelling, travelling over the world, no-one should be out of place.
What would we say then if we were alone, needing a friendly face?

Prayers and Lord’s prayer
To you, O Lord
On bended knees
Our heads we bow in prayer:
That you may hear
Our cry for blood-drenched lands
And their exhausted people,
who have seen too much death
and have been afraid too long
to understand your love,
comprehend your presence,
acknowledge your goodness
and concern for them, a battered people;
yearning for freedom
as they bear your cross…

Silence and time to pray aloud for people and places …

Communion
We take bread
Symbol of labour – exploited degraded,
Symbol of life:
We will break the bread
Because Christ, the source of life,
Was broken for the exploited and downtrodden.

We take wine symbol of blood,
spilt in war and conflict,
Symbol of new life.
We will drink the wine
Because Christ the peace of the world,
was killed by violence.

Now bread and wine are before us,
The memory of our meals,
Our working and talking;
The story which shapes us,
The grieving and the pain,
The oppressor who lies deep in our own soul;
The seeking and the loving.

And we give thanks and praise to God our creator
for all that holds us together in our humanity;
That binds us to all who live and have lived,
Who have cried and are crying,
who hunger and are thirsty,
Who pine for justice, and who hold out for the time that is coming
With all of them and with all the company of heaven we rise to sing hosanna!

Le lo le lo lay lo. Le lo le lo lay lo. Le lo le lo lay lo lo lelole le lai. (2x)
Holy, holy, holy God of power and might (2x)
Heaven and earth are full of your glory(2 x)
Hosana, hosanna, hosana in the highest! Hosana, hosanna, hosana in the highest!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord (2x)
Hosana, hosanna, hosana en los cielos

Our Lord and friend Jesus Christ, on the same night that he was betrayed,
took bread and gave you thanks;
He broke it and gave it to his disciples saying:
“Take eat; this is my body which is given for you.”
In the same way after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks;
He gave it to them saying:
“Drink this all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this as often as you drink of it in remembrance of me.”

This is the death we celebrate.
This is the new life we proclaim.
This is the vision we await.
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
(source Eucharist of Liberation from Living Beyond our Means WSCF, 1985, altered.)

Prayer and epiclesis

The Lord’s prayer (said by each in the language of their heart)

Invitation and Communion

Post-communion prayer

Blessing
May God bless us with wisdom
to care for creation.
May God bless us with love
to share what is given to us.
May God bless us with hope,
to live inspired lives.
Go in peace and be witnesses of hope.
Amen

Following the blessing you are invited to share signs of peace with one another, saying “Christ’s peace by with you”.

Praying for Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico

Worship Monday, July 20th, 2009
Praying for Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico

This liturgy was put together by Suzanne Tomaiouli as we prayed according the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle for Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico


Welcome and Opening Remarks

Opening Hymn – Pescador de hombres/Lord, You Have Come to the Seashore
Verses 1 and 3 in Spanish, verse 2 and 4 in English

Prayer
Visionary God, architect of heaven and earth,
Unless we build in partnership with you we labour in vain.
Help us work to create cities modeled more faithfully on the plan of your Kingdom- communities where children are respected and encouraged, where young people can express themselves creatively, where the experience of old people is called on and valued
Where the insights and gifts of all God’s people are fully realised
Where shared gardens and plots bloom in once derelict places
Where all cultures and traditions are honoured and celebrated on soulful, carnival streets
Where gay couples can dance to the beat of their hearts
Homeless people are received with loving arms and open borders
News vendors cry Hosanna! All are fed and loved and set free…
O God, our maker, open our eyes to new possibilities and perspectives, organisations and projects, structures and outlooks….
Help us to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
To break down the barriers within ourselves that prevent us from reaching out to neighbours and making peace; to rebuild communities based on understanding and justice, illuminated with the true light of Christ. Amen

Neil Paynter

Reading from the Old Testament Judges 1: 1-8 (read in Spanish)
Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

Gospel Mathew 5:16-25
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny

Song – Peace Be To These Streets
1.Paz a este lugar, paz a este lugar
Paz a este lugar en el nombre del Señor

Refrain – Walk here, Lord, draw near, Lord, pass through these streets today, Bring healing, forgiveness, here let your living waters flow.

2.Amor en este lugar, amor en este lugar, amor en este lugar en el nombre del Señor Refrain

3.Paz a este lugar, paz a este lugar, Paz a este lugar en el nombre del Señor Refrain

Holy Ground Litany – Iona Community

City streets city centre outskirts, edges, margins, concrete jungle cardboard city wasteland urban wilderness Housing estate slum shanty town bed-sit penthouse dockside development barrio shipyard high rise tower block tenement prison shop doorway park bench street corner railway arches under bridges underground stations ghettos of poverty ghettos of privilege

Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground

Brass knuckles revolvers hand grenades uzi machine guns STEN guns whips chains Broken bottles fists nails scratching tearing bleeding hating mines machetes

Quitense las sandalias, porque el suelo que pisan es sagrado.

Fences walls barbed wire noise din clamour chaos rubbish heat stench fast cars traffic jams exhaust fumes gridlock shopping malls multiplex cinemas parks playgrounds back yards allotments rooftop gardens church cathedral mosque gurdwara synagogue temple

Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground

Carnival procession orange parade street theatre street preacher buskers pavement artist street vendor big issue sir? Big issue, madam? Vagrants beggars users junkies wheelers and dealers

Vuélvanse y miren, no escondan sus rostros de Dios

Civil unrest racial tension rioting petrol bombs Molotov cocktails, gang killings, car hijacking burned out cars roadblocks barricades riot shields water cannon rubber bullets tear gas

Turn aside and look; do not hide your face from God

Neighbours strangers young old black white women men gay straight transgender lost found lonely in a crowd homeless on the streets curb crawlers street children pimps street workers soup runs night shelters credit unions dole queues needle exchanges pain healing poverty wealth

I have seen the misery of my people….I have heard their cry indeed I know their sufferings


Prayers of Intercession
– response ‘Our God, come and free us. Lord, come quickly to our help.’

We pray for peaceful settlements in border disputes between countries, for the comfort and healing of the families and loved ones of those who have been killed and for those who have simply disappeared without a trace, that due process of law will be achieved and just punishment meted out to their killers.
Our God, come and free us. Lord, come quickly to our help.’
We pray for an end to human rights abuses by the military, and the repentance and conversion of those who benefit from corruption and the drug trade. We pray for justice, education and empowerment for the indigenous peoples of these countries, as well as those who are unemployed, and those who must work in sweatshops under difficult and often dangerous conditions.
Our God, come and free us. Lord, come quickly to our help.’

We pray for street children and all those living in poverty. We pray for women forced into the sex trade or into migrating in order to support their families
Our God, come and free us. Lord, come quickly to our help.’

The Lord’s Prayer – in the language of your ‘heart’.

Christ has come to turn the world upside down:
To humble the powerful and to lift up the lowly
Christ has come to turn the tables:
To topple vain idols and to stand with the poor
Christ has come to proclaim God’s kingdom:
(men) to feed the hungry,
(women) to give sight to the blind,
(men) to strengthen the weary,
(women) to set the prisoners free.
Christ has come to turn the world upside down
To overthrow the present order with a revolution of love.

Blessing
May the God who shakes heaven and earth,
whom death could not contain,
who lives to disturb and heal us,
bless you with power to go forth
and proclaim the Gospel. Amen

Closing Hymn - Santo Santo Santo Los Querubines

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

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

Called to one hope in Christ

Welcome

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sermon by Angela Schnepel

Many are the lightbeams
Verse 3 in Spanish and English

Intercessory prayers with Nada te turbe as sung response

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

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

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

Nada te turbe

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

Nada te turbe

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

Nada te turbe

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

Blessing

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

Meditation on Ephesians 4.1-6

The following short sermon was preached on Monday July 6th in the Ecumenical Centre chapel by Angela Schnepel, Vikarin of the Bremen Landeskirche. Angela has been doing part of her curacy based at the WCC in the Decade to Overcome Violence programme.
The theme of hope which the service as a whole took comes from the CEC assembly in Lyon "Called to One Hope in Christ".

Meditation on Ephesians 4:1-6

In the WCC programme called “public witness” which I have been working with, we have something you could call “Staff Team Values”. At our last programme staff retreat we defined a list of ideas how we understand our work and service and in what way we should interact with one another. The first point states: “We value our role as prophetic witness as found in our biblical tradition…” This is a conviction that could be shared by all of you. While working here at the Ecumenical Centre we are undertaking prophetic witness. This is what the text in Ephesians 4:1-6 is about. Verse 2 speaks of leading “a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called”. Do have a closer look at the text, on your worship-sheets.
The text goes on in verse 3 to telling us how to live in a way that is worthy of this vocation. Living worthy to one’s calling means interacting with our fellow human beings in a particular way: “with all humility and gentleness, with patience and with bearing one another in love”. During the discussion about our staff team values one of the colleagues said: “We do not need to be friends with everybody, but we do need to work together.” That is true. We cannot chose our colleagues. There are some we like better than others. And then there may be conflicts about work, controversial opinions how best to do things….
Here, the Bible text gives us advice how to behave in love, also when our relationships are complicated. Nevertheless we shall bear the other in love. Bearing the other in love does not mean falling in love with them, nor to become their best friend. But it means to see the other as being a beloved child of God, as part of the same and one community and therefore caring about and for them. In this way Christian love is an expression of responsibility towards the other person: it shows “gentleness” and “patience”.
Behaving in this way, we make real “efforts to maintain the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace”. In the Ecumenical Centre we try to live in unity as Christians of different confessions. This means also trying to live unity in the service we do together in our teams. And not only unity within the team, but also within the programmes and within the whole institution … and unity within the WCC, the CEC, the LWF, the WSCF, and all the other organizations. And then of course networked unity between all of our organizations in the Ecumenical Centre.
Living out unity is not easy. We know this. Within the house there are different opinions and from time to time fiery discussions. Among and between confessions controversies remain. But we must carry on with our efforts for unity, because God calls us to have hope as we read in verse 5. Having hope is not a sensation, neither a sudden feeling, nor a reflection on what is likely or probable. To have hope is not a personal decision but a vocation. God tells us to have hope. So we have no other choice. That is why hope is so important. Hope is like a motor which takes us forward. Hope tells us to carry on, to continue our work in spite of the financial crisis and all other difficulties.
Let us believe in unity as the common goal in all our programmes, projects and activities. This common goal of our work shall also have its reflection in living community with colleagues here in the house.
Our hope of unity has a steady foundation. This is the “one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Let us set our hope in the Lord. He is the one, who empowers us in all the work we do in his name.

Copyright (c) Angela Schnepel

Red threads and beads for a rare pearl ...

On Friday July 3rd a group of us gathered invited by a friend who will soon leave Geneva. We talked and shared stories and we threaded beads. The threading helped us to focus on our feelings, our hands had something to do and we could more easily listen to one another.
We were sad and emotions were high ...
What follows is a reflection I prepared before the evening.

Red threads and beads for a rare pearl …

In French the phrase une perle rare meaning a precious pearl, a rare jewel or stone, and it’s also a way of referring to a person. Calling someone une perle rare is a way of honouring their uniqueness, their beauty, their contribution – it’s a way too of saying they are brilliant and fabulous! ;-)

So N … this evening we celebrate your brilliance and fabulousness, how precious you have been to us in this place. To do that we have brought beads with us and some red thread.
We are going to thread our rare pearls onto le fil rouge. This phrase le fil rouge makes me smile because there’s a lot of biblical, feminist, mythical and birthing imagery in the red thread. However, it’s also very difficult to translate – “common thread” maybe the best we can do for now.

You’ll maybe remember the story from Greek mythology of Ariadne who helped Theseus escape the minotaur’s underground labyrinth by giving him a thread to follow – perhaps that thread was a red thread, or maybe a golden thread, or perhaps a prehistoric fluorescent thread that could be seen in the dark. The fearful threatening mythical beast in the labyrinth of life can be escaped by following a thread, a golden thread, a red thread, a common thread – given to the hero by a woman …

The Bible also has a red thread, Rahab, a woman said to be of dubious morals, supposedly hung a red thread at her window for Joshua and the Hebrew people to be able to enter Jericho. The subsequent story as it is told in the Bible is of a bloody battle, noisy shofar calls and walls falling down. But stories are not always history, today no archaeological traces of a battle can be found around Jericho. I like to think perhaps Rahab’s saving, liberating red thread was actually the work of convincing the leading men who visited her bed from both inside and outside the walls that they could live together in constructive and just peace. And we all know the need for a strong common red thread of peace with justice in that part of the world today.
Rahab the prostitute is one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Mary’s child, called Jesus.

The red thread is also the umbilical chord, the common thread that transmits DNA but which has to be cut if child and mother are to have a chance to live.

Today we are going to string pearls onto a red thread for you, some of our pearls may not really be beads but each comes with prayers, hopes and good wishes. As each person puts something onto your fil rouge they may want to say something, dance something or sing something. In the end we hope that this thread will be a bit like a rosary or prayers beads, fragile vulnerable pearls of remembrance, meaning, laughter and tears. Something for you to take with you if there is still room in your shipment home.

But then we thought that you might like to thread something onto a common thread for each of the people you have invited today. A way of affirming that each of us is a rare and precious pearl.
All of this threading, praying, remembering and celebrating, is also a way of saying that even when we think that we have lost the plot completely or cannot sense the common thread, there really is a way through the crazy, sometimes dangerous labyrinth of life and there are many pearls to be found on the way, if only we take time to notice.

So thanks N … to you for giving us this time to notice how beautiful you are, how beautiful each of us is, for honouring us with this invitation and for encouraging us to pick up the common thread of life.