Prayers of Confession:
1. You look into the hearts of your people, God and see the truth of who we are.
Forgive us if we judge according to outward appearance or social stereotypes.
Forgive us when we judge without considering what it is you see.
Open our eyes to your truth and open our hearts to others. Amen
Gayle MacDonald
2. God of Easter joy, we want the world to be different, but we resist changes in our own lives.
We want you to reign in our midst, but we want you to do it our way.
We want to live by faith, but we are ruled by our doubts.
As fearful as we are, we dare, right now, to open the closed doors of our minds and hearts to let you in. Let us know we can take refuge in you and find the new life Christ offers.
Kyrie: LORD, HAVE MERCY UPON US
CHRIST, HAVE MERCY UPON US
LORD, HAVE MERCY UPON US
3. I confess things I have done or left undone which have kept me from finding and sharing life in all its fullness. (silence)
We confess those things which our governments have done or left undone which are making life more difficult for those who are vulnerable among us. (silence)
We confess things which your church has done or left undone that are not just, not kind, not faithful. (silence)
Assurance of Pardon
Children of God, lift up your spirits for we are reconciled by grace so that we can live in a new heaven and new earth where all are one. THANKS BE TO GOD
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
1. A list of issues that we encounter in community ministry
- lack of decent, affordable housing
- lack of adequate income, including adequate income for those requiring social assistance, to pay for the necessities of life.
- food, especially issues of nutrition for children, the elderly, students, psychiatric survivors.
- Racism experienced by visible minority groups in our city.
- Employment - need for secure jobs paying a decent wage
- Immigration - especially reuniting families
- Isolation
2. From Gatherings
"Therefore we seek from you life, abundant life:
We pray for those who are in grief, asking for them comfort;
For those who are anxious about their future, asking for them hope;
For those who are struggling with the challenges of child rearing, asking for them wisdom;
For those young people who are looking for work, asking that they might find the chance they need;
For those who are trying to maintain humane and caring institutions in government, business or education, even while resources are disappearing, we ask courage, patience, and determination.
For ourselves also, and for those we love, we ask for life in its fullness.
All these prayers we bring to you, God, through the one who shows us joyful life at its fullest. Jesus Christ our Lord."
Rod Sykes, McDougall U.C., Edmonton, Alta
3. The Lord's Prayer: a Latin American paraphrase
Our Father and Mother,
who is in us here on earth,
holy is your name in the hungry who share their bread and their song.
Your Kingdom come,
which is a generous land which flows with milk and honey.
Let us do your will,
standing up when all are sitting down,
and raising our voice when all are silent.
You are giving us our daily bread in the song of the bird and the miracle of the corn.
Forgive us for keeping silent in the face of injustice,
and for burying our dreams, for not sharing bread and wine, love and land, among us, now.
Don't let us fall into the temptation of shutting the door through fear;
of resigning ourselves to hunger and injustice;
of taking up the same arms as the enemy.
But deliver us from evil.
Give us the perseverance and the solidarity to look for love,
even if the path has not yet been trodden,
even if we fail;
so we shall have known your Kingdom which is being built forever and ever.
Amen.
Hymns - Voices United:
268, 412, 424, 595, 600, 602, 603, 606, 646, 649, 697, 701, 713
Scripture Readings:
Lectionary Gospel Readings for May 2:
Acts9:30-43 Psalm23 REV7:9-17 John10:22-30
See Sermon starters in Gatherings p. 20
See also sheet entitled SCRIPTURES RE POVERTY
Commissioning
Go now into God's world, with a daring and tender love.
Go now with eyes open to the beauty of God's creation,
Hearts filled with Christ's love to share,
And hopes lifted by the Spirit's ever-abiding relationship.
Wendy Bily, Ladner P.C., Delta, B.C.
Minutes for Mission
see March 28,2004 and July 4th 2004
