Document
Opening
Lord, make us realize that our Christianity is like a rice field:
when it is newly planted the paddies are prominent,
but as the plants take root and grow taller,
these divided paddies gradually vanish,
and soon there appears only one vast continuous field.
So, give us roots that love grows, and help us grow in Christian fellowship and service,
that your will be done in our lives, through our Saviour, your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
(Pilgrim Prayer, 209)
Psalmody
The LORD sits enthroned forever, You, O God, have established your throne for judgment. May we rejoice in your deliverance!
You judge the world with righteousness; You judge the peoples with equity. May we rejoice in your deliverance!
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. May we rejoice in your deliverance!
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you have not forsaken those who seek you. May we rejoice in your deliverance!
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion.
Declare God’s deeds among the peoples.
May we rejoice in your deliverance!
– Psalm 9:7-11
Song: Nada te turbe
A reading from Matthew 25:45-47
“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.
One: Word of God, Word of life.
Many: Thanks be to God.
Time for Silent Reflection
Prayers
One: Eternal God of life, praise be you for your wonderful love and your grace poured out on our behalf. Today we come before you with complete trust to intercede for the situations that affect all of us and rob so many of the joy of life.
Silence
One: We give you thanks:
- For the peoples and churches of East Timor (Leste Timor), Indonesia, and the Philippines
- For the gift of fresh and clean water, for rain and running streams and deep lakes
- For the gift of human reason and ingenuity that can further work towards justice and equity
- For the wondrous diversity of creation and those who seek to be good stewards.
- For the bold witness on the impact of climate change and the efforts to reverse it.
- For what else do we give thanks? (Out loud, in the chatroom, or in the silence of our hearts)
Silence
One: And we pray:
- For all those who live in unsanitary conditions, without clean, flowing water
- For all countries where flooding or drought or rising sea levels threatens sanitation systems, contaminating drinking water, and spreading diseases
- For governments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, that they will eradicate corruption, establish justice and peace, and work effectively for the wellbeing of all their people
- For all the victims of violence, torture, drug and human trafficking, and human rights violations, that those responsible might be held accountable
- For all those affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and for the rebuilding of communities afterwards
- For all the efforts to build bridges between diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religious beliefs
- For those suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually in this time of pandemic, bring wholeness and healing, O God, we hold before you those we now name in our hearts who are ill...
- For what else do we pray? (Out loud, in the chatroom, or in the silence of our hearts)
Silence
Righteous God, your love is for all, without preference or prejudice. Awaken that joy and
thanksgiving within us that we live our lives as a ceaseless prayer. We ask this in the name of
your Son, Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (in our many languages)
Blessing
May the blessings of God the Father, who created us from the soil of the earth,
May the blessings of God the Son, who was born in a manger, in unhygienic conditions,
May the blessings of God the Holy Spirit, who resides within both the rich and poor, ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’, brood over us as mother over her children, now and for evermore.
Amen.
The peace of Christ be with you all!
Let us share the peace of Christ with one another.
