Document
Prayer
Lord of life, God of love,
here and now, I offer you my whole life.
Like the master bends the bamboo, and carves deeply into it,
form me and use me.
Make me a good instrument, that the Holy Spirit can blow into,
and teach me to sing your song. Amen
(Pilgrim Prayer, 230)
♪ Joy to the World
Responsive Psalm 146
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Scripture Reading – 1 Samuel 1: 19 – 28
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”
21 The man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that he may appear in the presence of the Lord, and remain there forever; I will offer him as a nazirite for all time.” 23 Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems best to you, wait until you have weaned him; only—may the Lord establish his word.”] So the woman remained and nursed her son, until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Moment of Silent Reflection
Prayers of Intercession
O God of love, we pray for the churches of both South and North Korea that they may live no more with confrontation and conflict. Free them to open our hearts and pray for each other as sisters and brothers, and through praying together, recover their national community with love.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
Lord of Mercy, forgive the past negligence in not achieving reunification, that is, real liberation. Hope for reunification has disappeared, although lips still sing of ‘Our wishes for Reunification” hearts which longed for oneness have become hardened.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
O Lord, forgive for not having merciful hearts and inspire your people to yearn for peace and reunification with sincere love and trusting hearts, confessing their sin. We pray that the wounds caused in the times of blaming each other with resentment can be healed through the love of Christ on the Cross.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
Help all to dream again of reunification. Lead all to break down the walls and respect each other. Guide them not to brag of military alliances and not to continue the present hostile policies.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
O God of Peace, we pray that there be no more war in this land, and that there will be pride in global society of the trust and friendship of the north and the south. Help your people to embrace each other, not with careless words and slogans, but with a burst of sympathy from the bottom of our hearts.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
Open your people to love each other, proud that all are your children and that they are sisters and brothers of one blood. Prepare them for the space of Grace that will enable them to share the Agape meal and to wash each other’s feet.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
O Lord, we pray you keep watch over the people in this land. Make them righteous to obey your command, ‘Love your enemy,’ and to realize that we, the Church, are called to be peacemakers. We pray that our national reunification be realized before long. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Peace.
Hear us and have mercy Lord.
(Pilgrim Prayer, 232, adapted)
The Lord’s Prayer (in our many languages)
Benediction
Keeping peace in our hearts as we go out into the world.
Help us, O God, to live with courage and love,
following Jesus, our Lord.
Guided by your Spirit’s power, who helps us share the good news far and wide, keep alive in us your vision as we move toward your heavenly land. Amen
(Pilgrim Prayer, 227)
