Opening Prayer
Creator God, we celebrate the great blessing of human dignity in your image - our bodies, our ideas, our gifts – all that is strengthening us each day to continue to struggle and open up ways for the world to become a different, inclusive and fair place regarding the rights and access to services.
We are remembering the many women who have trail blazed and made valuable contributions to stopping violence against women and to claiming our rights.
We remember the many men who are walking alongside the women on this path.
We form a chain to celebrate this moment, giving thanks to God for creating us in God’s image and likeness, vulnerable and strong, sensitive, intelligent and courageous, struggling day by day and making our voices heard.
We are the church. We gather in the presence of God, who is our protector, who holds us in God’s arms, helps us, strengthens us, loves us and promises fullness of life to God’s sons and daughters.
Song: ຈົ່ງມີຄວາມເຊື່ອໃນພຣະອົງເຖີດ (Have Faith in Him) Lao Christian Song
ຈົ່ງມີຄວາມເຊື່ອໃນພຣະອົງເຖີດ ພຣະອົງເປັນທຸກສິ່ງ
You have to have faith in belief in God. God is everything
ເປັນທຸກຢ່າງ ທີ່ໃຈຂອງເຮົາເຝົ້າເພິ່ງພາ
and all things. Our Hearts are near/close to God
(*) ມີຄວາມເຊື່ອຫນ້ອຍຫນຶ່ງ ພູເຂົາກໍເລື່ອນໄດ້
Having a little faith can move the mountain
ປ່ຽນສິ່ງຮ້າຍຫນັກໃຈກາຍເປັນດີ
Change the weak into being strong
ຮ່ວມຄວາມເຊື່ອຮ່ວມໃຈ ຮ່ວມກັນໃຊ້ລິດເດດ
Put your faith in your heart/mind
ຈະໄດ້ເຫັນເຖິງການອັດສະຈັນ
Then you will see a miracle
ເບິ່ງຄົນັ້ນທີ່ເຂົາຫາຍ ພຣະເຍຊູຊົງຮັກສາ
Look at the lost person. Jesus is the one who is watching
ຕາມພຣະສັນຍາທີ່ຊົງປະທານໃຫ້
According to the Scripture/Promise. The Words given to us
ບໍ່ມີເຫນຶອສິ່ງໃດແລ້ວທີ່ຈະຍາກເກີນໄປ
There is nothing more than that. There is nothing difficult about it
ມາຮ່ວມໃຈເຊື່ອໃນພຣະເຍຊູ (*)
Come gather and believe in Jesus
ມາຮ່ວມໃຈເຊື່ອໃນພຣະເຍຊູ
Come gather and believe in Jesus
ມາຮ່ວມໃຈເຊື່ອໃນ.....ອົງພຣະເຍຊູ.
Come gather and believe in Jesus alone
Responsive Psalm 85: 1 – 2, 8 – 13
LORD, you were favourable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin.
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
Glory be to the Father, and the to Son, and the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Scriptures – John 20: 11-18
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Reflection Rev. Lusmarina Campos Garcia (ACT Forum Brasil)
Prayers of Intercession
For women in leadership positions who are facing challenges and constant need to prove their capacity and abilities. May churches and organizations focus on structural changes that are accommodating different styles of leadership. For deep reflections on the how power is used as life giving instruments and not equating with control and submission. Let us pray to God.
Response: Merciful God, Make us your instruments of change.
For our mothers and grandmothers whose lives shaped ours; for our daughters and granddaughters whose lives will be shaped by ours; may we cherish and renew the ties that bind us with love, hope and courage to build a new earth. Let us pray to God.
Response: Merciful God, Make us your instruments of change.
We pray for the church: for wisdom to teach the inclusive Gospel, for hospitability embracing all diversities, for courage in advocacy and prophecy; for diaconal actions transforming injustices.
Response: Merciful God, Make us your instruments of change.
The Lord’s Prayer (in our many languages)
Blessing
May the Wisdom Sophia bless our day and our night
May the love of Christ touch us with hope and new visions
May the God of Life lead our steps for justice
May the grace of God embrace us and give us peace. Amen