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Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013 Ecumenical Worship Service
[L: Leader R: Reader A: Assembly]
Prelude/Procession – Dalit Drumming (St Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Mississauga)
Words of Welcome [GREETINGS FROM BISHOP MICHAEL PRYSE] REV RIITTA HEPOMAKI
Congregational Hymn: What a Friend We Have in Jesus
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.
L: Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Let us in silence acknowledge the presence of the triune God in our midst.
SILENCE
OPENING MEDITATION (READ BY MEMBER OF ST THOMAS SYRO)
by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
R: Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
into ever-widening thought and action
A: Into that heaven of freedom, let my country awake.
BHAJAN. SUNG BY THE ST THOMAS SYRO MALABAR ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CHOIR. (Please join in with the chorus)
[Every moment I praise you, merciful Lord!... I wake up to praise you Lord…I praise you with all my voice, Almighty God I adore you…When I come to you for mercy, I am filled with your merciful love in my heart…Give me the grace to be with you, o Lord, all my life…Give me the grace to see you in my heart so that I can praise you all my life…Even if I am in the midst of the darkness, sea, or fire your mighty hands are there to protect me…I have a beautiful song in my heart to offer you, give me the grace to sing that song…Give the word, o God, to your servants, Almighty God, Jesus Christ!..When you are at my side I will not be afraid of any wounds or sins].
A. (Please join in with the chorus): Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Oh Ente Daivame, Aaraadhana [Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Oh my God, I adore you].
PRAYER OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING:
LIEUT.-COLONEL SUSAN VAN DUINEN: We praise you dear God our loving parent for creating us in all our diversity. For the gift of our many cultures, languages, religious beliefs, customs, traditions, and ethnicities we thank you! We thank you for the many church traditions which have kept our churches strong and active even in places where they are a minority. Teach us to celebrate our different identities and traditions in our communities, so as to forge bonds of friendship and fellowship leading us to greater unity.
The assembly responds by singing the first verse of “Behold, How Pleasant”
The assembly responds by singing the second verse of “Behold, How Pleasant”
REV DALE ROSE: We praise you Holy Spirit for the gift of mutual interdependence and solidarity that has been our heritage as peoples and churches. Teach us to treasure the bonds of unity we enjoy as we beseech your continuing presence with us. Inspire us on our journey towards full visible unity among us, and with all those peoples and movements that engage in the struggles for life.
The assembly responds by singing the third verse of “Behold, How Pleasant”
CONFESSION OF SIN
REV JOHN JOSEPH MASTANDREA: We know that in Christ we are already one. In spite of this, our human weakness has not always led us to witness to this reality. Let us now confess our sins of disunity and seek the Lord’s healing.
L: Come now Jesus into our midst ...
A: and heal us and our disunity. Lead us into the paths of righteousness so that all can find life.
L: Come now Jesus into our midst ...
A: and teach us how to listen to the cries of those who are pushed into the margins.
L: Come now Jesus into our midst ...
A: and inspire us to work together with all those who strive for liberation so as to build unity within your broken body.
L: In humility we come to your feet, dear God as we remember our sinfulness and the disunity for which we have been responsible.
A: We confess that we are divided by human conditions and humanly constructed social barriers that keep us as churches apart. (John) We ask for your forgiveness that we have often used our history and our past as churches to discriminate against each other and hurt the unity that Christ has called us to. Forgive us our disunity as to continue to strive for unity, in the precious name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
L: If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
Hear the voice of Jesus:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
to proclaim release to the captives."
In the name of + Jesus Christ,
I proclaim to you
that your sins are forgiven and you are released.
The joy of the Lord is your strength,
and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are yours forever.
Amen.
Passing of The Peace
Namaste Music & Lyrics – Mark Hayes Joint Choir; Conductor – Vaira Gertners; Piano – David Smits
Old Testament Reading: Micah 6:6-8
REV. RIITTA HEPOMAKI, EASTERN SYNOD, ELCIC
‘With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
L. Word of God, Word of Life. A. Thanks be to God.
TESTIMONY OF FAITH: HELI KOPTI ST ANDREW’S ESTONIAN LUTHERAN CHURCH
The year was 2008.
The place, Khandamal, in Orissa State located in central India. Now, Orissa is one of the poorest parts of India, traditionally associated with the most discriminated sections of society. Where 80% of the population are know as “Dalits”, “untouchables”, those considered outside of the caste system.
When violence broke our in 2008, angry mobs came looking for Sarah Digal, she wasn’t there. She had fled, five children and mother-in-law in tow, to the safety of the jungles a kilometre away. So, they set ablaze all that she had left behind, a framed picture of Jesus, a Bible in Oriya, utensils in the kitchen, some clothes, mats and linen. By the time Sarah tiptoed back, when she saw it was safe, her home was gone. What was left was burning embers, ashes and smoke. The neighbours came to commiserate with her. Sarah took a good look, stood erect, and pulled her sari firmly over her head. She began to pray. “Lord, forgive us our sins. Jesus, you are the only one. Save us from our misfortune. Free us, Lord.” The words were tumbling out. Sarah’s children slowly joined her. She was weeping as she pleaded with God for deliverance. Her neighbours and others around her joined her. It is a simple bond of human compassion and a strong reminder her that nothing can sever a woman from her God. “I will die. But I will not stop being a Christian,” Sarah said through her tears.” A staunch and brave Dalit Christian woman!
EPISTLE READING: GALATIANS 3:26-28
ARCHBISHOP COLIN JOHNSON,
For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
L. This is the Word of the Lord A. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: CELTIC ALLELUIA. CHOIRS SING ONCE, ALL JOIN IN TO REPEAT.
GOSPEL READING:
CARDINAL COLLINS
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to..Luke 24:13-35 A. Glory to you, Lord!
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they
did not see him.’ Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
L. The Gospel of the Lord. A. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
“LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE THEE” COMP. NATALIE SLEETH. NEW DAWN MORAVIAN CHURCH CHOIR
HOMILY REV DR GARY V. NELSON, PRESIDENT, TYNDALE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE AND SEMINARY
UBI CARITAS COMP. JAMES BIERY SENIOR CHOIR OF ST MICHAEL’S CHOIR SCHOOL.
During song: [a collection will be taken to support the work of the Canadian Council of Churches in promoting the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity]
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
DEACON NURHAN IPEK
Merciful God: as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.
DEACON NURHAN Introduces and leads the Confession of Faith: APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.*
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN
1.Blest are they, the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blest are they, full of sorrow;
they shall be consoled.
Refrain
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you, holy are you.
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the kingdom of God!
2. Blest are they, the lowly ones;
they shall inherit the earth.
Blest are they who hunger and thirst;
they shall have their fill. Refrain
3. Blest are they who show mercy;
mercy shall be theirs.
Blest are they, the pure of heart;
they shall see God. Refrain
they are the children of God.
Blest are they who suffer in faith;
the glory of God is theirs. Refrain
5.Blest are you who suffer hate,
all because of me.
Rejoice, be glad, yours is the kingdom;
shine for all to see. Refrain
PRAYERS FOR UNITY
FR. WALTER MAKARENKO: Walking in conversation, let us recognize all the efforts of the ecumenical movement towards the realization of the unity willed by Christ for the Church.
A: Send your Spirit to strengthen our resolve and deepen our conversations to realize Jesus’ prayer in us.
L: Walking with the broken body of Christ, we are painfully aware that we are still unable join in the breaking of the bread together. Hasten the day when we can realize the fullness of fellowship at the Lord’s table.
A: Inflame in our hearts the desire to overcome all that divide us so that we can see one Christ in our brokenness.
FR ELIAS KIRIJIAN: Walking towards freedom, let us remember along with Dalit communities other people facing similar kinds of discriminations and may the unity of the Churches be a sign of hope in situations of injustice.
A: Strengthen our churches’ commitment to create spaces in our society and our communities welcoming them in our midst and ensuring that they could live in dignity and freedom. Allow us to be transformed by their gifts and presence.
L. Walking as children of earth, we realize us that we are pilgrims in the wonderful gift of creation given to us. Let us respect the earth as your creation and make us sensitive to the care of it.
A: Let your Spirit renew life in creation and make us attentive to the suffering of the landless people who are often the bearers of a tradition of prudent care of the earth and its resources.
VERY REV. DOUGLAS STOUTE: Walking as friends of Jesus, let us accompany the oppressed communities all over the world, in overcoming centuries of shame to find freedom and dignity.
A: Enlarge and deepen our fellowship and friendship with you and with each other so that we will remain faithful and truthful to your calling.
L: Walking beyond barriers, let us build communities of unity and equality.
A: Grant us courage so that we can overcome cultures and structures that hinder us from recognizing the presence of God in each other!
REV. DR. KAREN HAMILTON Walking in solidarity with women like Sarah and other victims of discrimination and injustice, let us be shaken out of our apathy.
A: Encircle us with your love, as we affirm the image of God in each one we encounter. Enable us to do justice by breaking through social structures of inequity.
L.: Walking in celebration, we come to recognize the unity we share in different levels in our communities as a profound testimony to a gospel of faith and hope. Let the unity of our Churches be celebrated respecting the diversities as a richness that derives from the life of the Trinity.
A: Allow us to recognize and celebrate in the joy of the rich diversities of human life born out of the struggles for dignity and survival of all people in midst of oppression as a sign of your abiding faithfulness to people. In Christ’s name we raise all these prayers O God. Amen.
COMMISSION AND BENEDICTION
FR WILLIAM MAKARENKO,FR ELIAS KIRIJIAN, REV DOUGLAS STOUTE, REV. KAREN HAMILTON
L: Stand before us, gentle God as a reminder of the purpose you have for each one of us and our churches. Walk before us, brave Christ, and lead us on the path to unity. Call us into abundant life, Holy Spirit, as we turn to each other and to God.
A: Send us into the world to heal and to be healed. Amen.
Closing Hymn: Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
1. Lord, whose love in humble service
bore the weight of human need,
who upon the cross, forsaken,
worked your mercy's perfect deed:
we, your servants, bring the worship
not of voice alone, but heart;
consecrating to your purpose
ev'ry gift which you impart.
2. Still your children wander homeless;
still the hungry cry for bread;
still the captives long for freedom;
still in grief we mourn our dead.
As you, Lord, in deep compassion
healed the sick and freed the soul,
by your Spirit send your power
to our world to make it whole.
3. As we worship, grant us vision,
till your love's revealing light
in its height and depth and greatness
dawns upon our quickened sight,
making known the needs and burdens
your compassion bids us bear,
stirring us to ardent service,
your abundant life to share.
4. Called by worship to your service,
forth in your dear name we go,
to the child, the youth, the aged,
love in living deeds to show;
hope and health, good will and comfort,
counsel, aid and peace we give,
that your servants, Lord, in freedom
may your mercy know and live.
Postlude: O Day Full of Grace. Wayne L. Wold David Smits, organ