(Adapted from Psalm 72:1-10, & Amos 5:24)
God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry
Please help those of us who are rich to be honest and fair just like you, our God.
May we who have such abundance be honest and fair with all your people, especially the poor.
Let peace and justice rule every mountain and fairness flow as a river that never runs dry.
God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry
May we your people defend the poor, rescue the homeless, and crush everyone who hurts them.
May we be as helpful as rain that refreshes the ground, to those who are treated unjustly.
Let the wholeness and fairness of your kingdom live forever like the sun and the moon.
God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry
Because you our God rescue the homeless and have pity on those who hurt
May we who are rich stand up for the poor and let peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
Let God’s kingdom of justice and fairness reach from sea to sea, across all the earth.
God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry
Today is Ascension Day - the day on which we commemorate Jesus ascension into heaven where he now sits at the right hand of God. For me this day is closely associated with Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit which we celebrate next week. Here is a liturgy I wrote recently that focuses on this, though I must confess most of the credit must go to our St Alban's rector John Leech whose sermon last week I have drawn on heavily.
God whose glory fills our world
God whose life is closer than breath
God whose love is stronger than death
God, this God of life and love
Has sent an advocate to save us
Jesus Christ the righteous, now at the right hand of God
Not to condemn but to bring full life
Not to accuse but to redeem
Not to reject but to draw close
God, this God of life and love
Has sent an advocate to save us
Jesus Christ the righteous, now at the right hand of God
God who hears the cry of our seeking souls
God who sees the pain of our suffering bodies
God who feels the loss of our grieving spirits
God, this God of life and love
Has sent an advocate to be with us forever
The Spirit of truth abides with us eternally
Before us to teach and lead,
Within us to comfort and heal,
Around us to shield and protect,
God, this God of life and love
Has sent an advocate to be with us forever
The Spirit of truth abides with us eternally
LITURGY FOR LENT
Leader: God all loving and all caring, We come before you with hesitant steps and uncertain motives All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: We want to sweep out the corners where sin has accumulated And uncover the places where we have strayed from your truth All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: We ask for courage to open our eyes and unstop our ears That we may be aware of all that distracts us from a whole hearted commitment to Christ All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: We want to see ourselves as you do and live our lives as you intended Expose in us the empty and barren places where we have not allowed you to enter All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: Reveal to us our half-hearted struggles Where we have been indifferent to the pain and suffering of others All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: Create in us a clean heart O God and put a right Spirit within us Nurture the faint stirrings of new life where your spirit has taken root and begun to grow All: Our hearts are parched from wandering in a desert of sin Leader: We long for your healing light to transform us, for you alone can make us whole In your mercy shine upon us O God and make our path clear before us
Ps 103
Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17
Matt 4:1-11
Reflect on the gospel and spend some time thinking about those things that vie for your attention and distract you from a whole-hearted commitment to Christ. Think particularly of ways you discriminate against others who are part of God’s international community · Because of race, class, gender or colour · Because of culture, disabilities or body type· Because of intellect or educational differences
Write down your areas of struggle on a piece of paper. If you have a wooden cross available nail or tape your distractions to the cross. Alternatively you may like to place them in a fireplace or a bowl and set them alight. Discuss how you could use this Lenten season to bring reconciliation and healing in these places Leader: God you are good and upright and you instruct sinners in your ways Show us how to break down the barriers separating us from each other, All: Lead us through the wilderness sin has created to find new life Leader: Forgive us for the times we have abandoned the poor, the disabled and the homeless, Teach us to live by the law of love in unity, peace and concord All: Lead us through the wilderness sin has created to find new life Leader: Forgive us for the ways we exclude people of different race, culture or gender Guide us that we may come to mutual understanding and care, All: Lead us through the wilderness sin has created to find new life Leader: Draw us into your community to embrace those with whom we need to be reconciled Grant that all who seek to heal divisions between peoples may have hope All: Lead us through the wilderness sin has created to find new life Leader: Show us your ways, O Lord < Teach us your paths and guide us towards your truth For you are God our Saviour and our hope is in you O God of peace and love, You came in Jesus as our peace, And broke down the dividing walls Be with us as we count the cost of our responsibilities To our neighbours near and far (Akuila Yabaki, Fiji)
Amen
Liturgy for Epiphany
Leader: Today we enter the tragedy of our world. We are weighed down by the heartbreaking deaths of millions of infants from hunger and disease. We grieve with those who carry the burden or AIDS and share the sufferings of those who are oppressed. We want to reach out with the love and compassion of a God who cares deeply for all who suffer and are in pain
All: Let us share God’s pain for our broken world
Leader: God we thank you for those who have responded to your call to be loving and compassionate towards the poor, the vulnerable and those at the margins. We remember those who have left families and homes and loved ones to become messengers of hope to a world in need.
All: May God’s love fill us and reach out through us to our needy world
(Silence)
Leader: Have mercy on us son of the living God Healer of lepers Feeder of the hungry Releaser of the oppressed Bringer of wholeness Eternal God, loving and compassionate Have mercy upon us
Psalm 72
Deuteronomy 15: 1-11
Mark 12: 28-34
1 John 3:16-23
Lord have mercy Christ have mercy Lord have mercy
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, amen
Leader: God you have drawn us into community with the poor, the needy the homeless and the abandoned. Let us respond with love and compassion to their needs
All: Let us share God’s love with our needy world
Leader: Open our eyes to see those who suffer the chains of injustice and strengthen us to reach out to do whatever we can to untie the cords of their yoke All: Let us share God’s love with our needy world Leader: Open our ears to hear the cries of those who are oppressed and help us to use our gifts and our talents to bring them into your freedom All: Let us share God’s love with our needy world Leader: Open our hearts to those who are hungry and grant us generous hearts so that we might share abundantly out of your bounty All: Let us share God’s love with our needy world Leader: Open our lives to provide for the poor, the wanderer and the naked and enable us to reach out with your love and compassion towards all All: Let us share God’s love with our needy world. Lord let us remember that Jesus’ epiphany as Son of God reaches across time and space. As we gather may we embrace God’s call to come and see, come and follow, go and tell. May we remember that we are called to show your love to others so that they too may know you as son of God and experience the hope that your message brings.Come and see The light of God has come into our world To proclaim God’s justice and love It has overcome the darkness and brought new life Come and follow Christ our king has redeemed our world He draws us into a loving family From every tribe and family and culture Go and tell The Spirit has equipped us for service To love our neighbours as we do ourselves To bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth Come and see, come and follow, go and tell In God’s Son the nations of the earth will put their hope The glory of the Lord shine upon you, and scatter the darkness from before your path, that you may ever walk in his light and live in God’s kingdom as bearers of light Amen
Four bright red candles nestle in a bed of greenery around a central white candle. At breakfast each morning we light the appropriate candles, symbolic of the fact that Christ is our light in the darkness of the world. During the first week of Advent only one candle is lit. Then a fresh candle is lit each week until on Christmas Day all the candles are set alight to welcome Christ. Their brightness shines over our breakfast table throughout the twelve days of Christmas. As the candles burn brightly, we read the daily scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary, focusing on our anticipation of the coming of Christmas and our celebration of Christ’s birth.
At this busy season of the year this short ritual helps me refocus my energy beyond the consumer culture to my faith. It brings tremendous refreshment and renewal to my spirit. In fact I now like to do most of my Christmas shopping before the beginning of Advent so that it does not interfere with my time of reflection and renewal.
Advent Liturgy
O Emmanuel we wait for your light, In hope all the peoples of the earth wait,
(Silence)
We watch and wait, expecting new light to shine as the season of joy approaches We wait in anticipation for God’s light to penetrate the darkness and radiate within us We watch and wait and prepare our hearts for the promised coming of Emmanuel – God with us, God for us, God in us We wait with repentant hearts to prepare the way of the Lord We watch and wait for the coming of the One who broke down the barriers separating us from God, from each other and from God’s creation We wait in hope for our Redeemer, to bring God’s love into our broken world We watch and wait to be transformed by God’s holiness so that we might serve in God’s kingdom as bearers of light and guide others to the Light We wait expectantly for God’s Saviour to come and dwell in our midst We await and celebrate the coming of God’s Kingdom with its promise of shalom, of wholeness, of reconciliation and abundance for all. We wait for the fulfillment of God’s covenant, for God’s Kingdom to come in its fullness Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become God’s people And the glory of God’s Kingdom will be revealed and all people will see it together We wait expectantly attentive to all the signs of Christ’s coming. Into our world of darkness, into our places of strife Into our troubles and weaknesses, Come, Lord Come down, come in, come among us and awaken us to your presence Come to lead the captives from their prisons, and the oppressed into freedom Come to bring peace in the midst of war, Come Lord Come down, come in, come among us and awaken us to your presence Come to provide abundance in the midst of hunger, and life in the barren desert Come to offer comfort in the presence of mourning, Come Lord Come down, come in, come among us and awaken us to your presence Come to those who are in need, and to those who are sick, Come to those who are in despair, Come, Lord Come down, come in, come among us and awaken us to your presence Into our joys and celebrations, into our homes and loved ones Into our work and our achievements, Come, Lord Come down, come in, come among us and awaken us to your presence
Read daily scriptures from Revised Common Lectionary
After each scripture say together:
We wait in anticipation and hope for your coming O Christ
Light a candle as a reminder of those you pray for who need to see the presence of Christ more fully realized in their lives
Lord may we be attentive to all the signs of your coming May we bring glimpses of peace in a world at war And the offer of freedom for those who are oppressed. May we see generous giving in the midst of hunger And plant splashes of green in a sea of pollution. May we be bringers of healing to those who are sick And offer hope to those who are in despair. O Christ we long for your coming. Hasten that day when those who seek you in every nation will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south and sit at table in Your Kingdom. Hasten the day when your Kingdom will come in all its glory and suffering and pain and sickness and oppression and death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a great multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy and love together in your kingdom.
Calm us to wait for the gift of Christ; Cleanse us to prepare the way for Christ; Teach us to contemplate the wonder of Christ; Touch us to know the presence of Christ; Anoint us to bear the life of Christ
AMEN
This is an Advent Posts for the Johannine Advent Blog project hosted by Brother Maynard. Participating bloggers are:- Brother Maynard
- Lainie Petersen
- Peggy Brown
- Sonja
- Adam Copeland
- John the Shepherd
- Rob Robinson
- Christine Sine
- Lori Bjerkander
- Julie Clawson
- Cindy Bryan
- Robin Dugall
- Lyn Hallewell
- J. Michael Matkin
- Eric G.
- (Formerly Emerging) Grace
- Matt Stone
This last weekend we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives and into our world. I love this story as it is recounted in the second chapter of Acts. Having worked in many cross cultural situations I know that there is nothing more frustrating than lack of understanding with a person from another culture who speaks another language. I can imagine the delight of this gathering literally from across the known world - Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judea, Cappadocians, Asians, Egyptians, Libyans visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. All of them heard the disciples in their own languages. I suspect that the understanding went far deeper than language, however. I think that through the power of the Holy Spirit all of those gathered on the day of Pentecost were able to understand the cultural traditions and nuances that so often cause misunderstanding and conflict.
The story of Pentecost is a story of a wonderful international cross cultural gathering. God's Holy Spirit draws us all into a new family in which we are able to understand and break down all the cultural barriers that separate us and create conflict. In spite of our cultural differences we are, through the power of the Spirit, enabled to understand each other and treat each other as equals, with love and mutual care.
Peace in the Middle East is not possible without cross cultural understanding not just between Israelis and Arabs but also between Jews and Christians and Muslims. Perhaps this is part of the reason God asks us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This holy city of God is special to people of so many traditions and cultures. Without understanding and without the power of the Holy Spirit working within it there will never be peace.
Take Action
1. How could you help to break down barriers & foster understanding between peoples of different cultures in the Middle East?
2. What does it mean for us to be drawn into community with the peoples of Palestine?
3. What implications does the message of Pentecost have in relation to the topics addressed in this newsletter?
A Liturgy for Peace
God blesses those who work for peace, For they will be called the children of God. (Matt 5:9)
(Silence)
God of peace you call us to peace. Peace within and peace without Peace before and peace behind Peace on right and peace on left Christ of peace you call us to peace. Peace with brother and with sister Peace with neighbour and with stranger Peace with friend and with foe Spirit of peace you call us to peace. Peace in work and in play
Peace in thought and in deed Peace in word and in action Grant us peace O God of peace.
Psalm 122 (New Living translation)
1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached. 4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people— make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel. 5 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.
6 Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. 7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.
John 14:23-27 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn't love me, won't obey me. What they have heard me say doesn't really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.Our Father who is in heaven hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. God all powerful and all knowing encircle us Keep love within and fear without Keep peace within and violence out Circle us with your presence
God all loving and all embracing encircle us Keep wholeness in and disease without Keep care within and selfishness out Circle us with your love God all mighty and all caring encircle us Keep truth within and injustice out Keep acceptance in and prejudice out Circle us with your peace God may we be instruments of your peace today In a world divided by war and strife May we be your reconcilers In a world of hurt and pain May we be those who care for our enemies In a world that kills and maims May we be those who heal and restore God lead us with your peace Amen
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