Prayer
INVOCATION
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O Lord, give us the joy of your saving help
and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the + Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SONG
♪ Kosketa minua Henki
PSALMODY
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles (Psalm 107:1-9)
One: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Many: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
One: Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Many: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
One: Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
Many: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
One: Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.
Many: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
One: Glory to God, Source of all being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever.
Many: Amen.
SCRIPTURE: John 3:14-21
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
L: Holy Wisdom, Holy Word.
C: Thanks be to God.
REFLECTION: Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, Church of Norway
Song
♪ Se, vi gaar upp till Jerusalem/Lo, How we Walk to Jerusalem
Words: Paul Nilsson, 1898 Swedish pastor, Music: Danish folk melody, translation by Per Harling
- Lo how we walk to Jerusalem.
In these times of Lent we gather
to watch Jesus suffer for our sake,
to bring Earth and Heaven together.
- Lo, how we walk to Jerusalem.
Who can with the Lord be praying,
and drink of the painful cup and say?:
“God I am your will obeying”.
- Lo, how we walk to Jerusalem,
the pain on the cross to witness.
The sacrifice of the Lamb of God
is made for our sins, in Jesus.
- Lo, how we walk to Jerusalem,
the city of peace and brightness.
The Saviour has said that he will be
forever with us in his rightness.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
From the rising of the sun to its setting, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
In this time of worries and anxieties after a year with COVID we pray
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
That the people of God in all the world may worship in spirit and in truth, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
That the church may discover again the unity that is your gift, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
That the nations of the earth, may seek ways that make for peace. We pray this week especially with the countries of Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
We are thankful for:
- the spectacular beauty of the changing landscape of forests, lakes, mountains and glaciers
- churches that are advocating and implementing measures to redress climate change that is dramatic here and throughout the world
- those who have opened their doors and hearts to people migrating to these lands
- the support for justice, peace and interfaith work that comes from these countries. Let us pray,
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
We pray for:
- the poor and marginalized who struggle in these rich countries
- the safety of people and wildlife as we hear news of thousands of earthquakes in Iceland that may signal volcanic activity. And being reminded of the need for sustainable lifestyles, lived in harmony and in rhythm with the Earth, we pray for the churches and people of this region who are modelling sustainable practices in various sectors.
- growing openness to becoming more multi-ethnic, multi-faith societies
- those who are affluent that they will contribute to making the world and their societies more just for all.
- a Church that is prepared to be a voice in the struggle for indigenous people rights. Let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
That the whole creation, laboring to be born anew, may be set free to enjoy the glorious liberty of the children of God, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
For all those needs for which we pray this day, we take a moment to name them before you now, either speaking aloud, writing them in the chatroom, or silently in our hearts...
…we pause for a moment…
For these and all other prayers that are known by you, we pray,
Lord, show us your way and make us willing to walk it.
A PRAYER FOR THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Dear Heavenly Father,
we bring before you our despair about climate change.
It feels so bad, when so many forms of life are threatened,
but still the nations are not able to work together to alleviate the problem.
O Lord, help humankind to choose a better road, so we could find peace!
Thank you for your promise to be with us, no matter what.
Thank you for all the gifts that you give to your world
through air, wind and the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for nourishment, power and joy.
Let your Holy Spirit flow strongly in us and in your world.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Panu Pihkala, Finland, from Luontokirkkovuosi (LK-kirjat, 2013))
THE LORD’S PRAYER (in many languages)
SENDING FORTH
Go!
Go in haste!
Never stop walking out of the church room,
out from peace and tranquility, into the noise and discomfort,
out, to laughter and tears.
Carry with you the living bread,
as a treasure in your hands and your heart .
Share it over and over again.
It will always be enough, as long as you continue to break it.
Come!
Never stop coming back to this place!
Never arrive empty-handed.
Bring with you the cry that is pressing just behind your lips.
Let it be heard in this room.
Bring with you the hunger that is never stilled,
the fight that is not yet won.
Bring someone who has always been at your side without you knowing it.
Here is the meeting place - in the light of God's face.
(Hans Olav Moerk, Norway; English translation Kari Veiteberg, from the worship at the Church City Mission in Oslo)
The peace of Christ be with you all!
We share the peace of Christ.
