Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2018 ‘THAT ALL MAY BE FREE’ Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power (Ex 15:6)

Gathering song / hymn

Opening prayer

Psalm of awe and wonder: Psalm 96 (From The Message)

Sing God a brand-new song. Earth and everyone in it, sing Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing!     Sing to God—worship God!  Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,    Take the news of his glory to the lost,    News of his wonders to one and all! Slide 1 of 7

For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.    His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap;    Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags. God made the heavens—    Royal splendor radiates from him,    A powerful beauty sets him apart. Slide 2 of 7

Bravo, God, Bravo. Everyone join in the great shout: Encore Bravo, God, Bravo!    Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!    In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.  Bring gifts and celebrate,    Bow before the beauty of God,    Then to your knees—everyone worship! Slide 3 of 7

Get out the message—God Rules Get out the message—God Rules!    He put the world on a firm foundation;    He treats everyone fair and square. Slide 4 of 7

Let's hear it from Sky,    With Earth joining in,    And a huge round of applause from Sea. Slide 5 of 7

Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,    Animals, come dance,    Put every tree of the forest in the choir— Slide 6 of 7

An extravaganza before God as he comes,    As he comes to set everything right on earth,    Set everything right, treat everyone fair. Slide 7 of 7

Worship continues with song / dance / drama / video clip

The Word of God Exodus 15:1-17 (NRSV) Commitment Prayer Blessing

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is warrior; the Lord is his name.

‘Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power— your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble.

At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

‘Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods ‘Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendour, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. ‘In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode.’

Reflection taken from one of the Daily Readings: ‘The inheritance of slavery’

The inheritance of slavery and colonialism has meant that the economies of the Caribbean have never been self-sustaining. As a result, they have become dependent upon borrowing on the international markets in order to sustain economic development, which impacts upon the poorest, with regard to things such as transport, health and education. The Church is called to hear the voice of the poor…

I don’t have time to hear beyond the din of the crowd the pointless bleating of some sightless tramp. Just a nuisance. More important things to do. Plans to be completed. Status to be sustained.

The field lies barren, faded flowers crunching under foot The field lies barren, faded flowers crunching under foot. Until God comes to sow from bountiful hand a meadow of new hope and a feast for eyes that were blind.

‘The right hand of God is writing in our land’ Let us sing ‘The right hand of God is writing in our land’

Writing with power and with love; Our conflicts and our fears, The right hand of God is writing in our land, Writing with power and with love; Our conflicts and our fears, Our triumphs and our tears, Are recorded by the right hand of God.

The right hand of God is striking in our land, Striking out at envy, hate and greed; Our selfishness and lust, Our pride and deeds unjust, Are destroyed by the right hand of God.

The right hand of God is lifting in our land, Lifting the fallen one by one; Each one is known by name, And rescued now from shame, By the lifting of the right hand of God.

The right hand of God is healing in our land, Healing broken bodies, minds and souls; So wondrous is its touch, With love that means so much, When we’re healed by the right hand of God.

Reflection / Meditation / Address

Moment of prayerful reflection

Let us pray… Photo: Flickr / Scott Robinson

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of the Exodus, you led your people through the Red Sea from slavery into freedom. Free us from all forms of slavery and everything that obscures human dignity. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of abundance, you provide for all our needs. Help us to rise above selfishness and greed and give us the courage to be agents of justice in the world. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of love, you created us in your image and have redeemed us in Christ. Empower us to love our neighbour and to welcome the stranger. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of the covenant you remain faithful to us even when we have wandered into violence. Put a new spirit and a new heart within us that we may instead be servants of your peace. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of glory, in Jesus you chose to humble yourself and become part of our story. You made your home with a human family, and have adopted us as your children. Help us to remain faithful to our families and communities, and make us one in Christ. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

Lead us by your hand, that we may live. God of the Trinity, you make us one with you and each other. Free us from the self-centredness, arrogance and fear that hinders the full visible unity of your Church. Lead us by your hand, that we may live.

The Lord’s Prayer…

A Song of Unity

Prayer of Commitment

Take us from where we are, to where you want us to be; make us not merely guardians of a heritage, but living signs of your coming Kingdom; Slide 1 of 5

fire us with passion for justice and peace between all people; fill us with that faith, hope and love which embody the Gospel; Slide 2 of 5

and through the power of the Holy Spirit make us one. Slide 3 of 5

That the world may believe, that your name may be enthroned in our nation, that your church may more effectively be your body, Slide 4 of 5

we commit ourselves to love you, serve you, and follow you as pilgrims not strangers. Amen. Slide 5 of 5

The sign of Peace…

Closing song / hymn

Benediction

Credits New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.