Church of Scotland HIV Programme. Recruit four elders to lead worship, plus one reader. Souper Sunday 2015 elder-led service

Transcription

1 Church of Scotland HIV Programme Souper Sunday 2015 elder-led service Service theme: Proclaim release to the captives. (Luke 4:18) This elder-led act of worship may be used on any Sunday of the year. The order of service is offered as a guide to how worship might be led in your Souper Sunday celebrations. Please feel free to adapt it to your own local situation, or to use it in its entirety. Preparations: Recruit four elders to lead worship, plus one reader Bring a skipping rope, a skateboard and a Frisbee (or any other suitable playthings) for the all-age talk Consider using our optional images, leaflets, Powerpoint presentation. Order Gift Aid declaration envelopes* for lunch attenders Prepare a very simple soup and bread lunch for after the service, either in church or (as catering facilities may dictate) at members homes *These resources, along with others, may be ordered or downloaded from All hymns noted here are taken from the Church Hymnary (fourth edition), although other hymns may be substituted.

2 Both readings printed in this order of service are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Order of Service The four elders leading the service enter and sit in the chancel: 1) Worship leader 2) Speaker A (to do first prayer and all-age talk) 3) Speaker B (to do first adult talk and intercessions) 4) Speaker C (to do second adult talk and intercessions) 4) Reader Worship leader: May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Good morning! Worship leader gives welcome and intimations, ending with: Today, our service is a special act of worship led by elders and members of our congregation, as we celebrate Souper Sunday. Since 2010 the Church of Scotland has asked congregations to mark Souper Sunday with a special service on the theme of HIV. This year, we recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, as we focus on how Jesus proclaims release to the captive. Throughout this service we will consider how we can play our part as individual Christians and as the Church together, bringing hope to our world and its many people. At the close of our service, everyone (whether church member or visitor here today) is warmly invited to share in a simple lunch of soup and bread. This will take place in [INSERT NAME OF LUNCH VENUE HERE] where there will also be an opportunity to make a donation to benefit the vital work of the Church of Scotland HIV Programme. And now, let us take a moment of silence as we prepare to worship almighty God.

3 [A FEW SECONDS OF SILENCE] I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. [Psalm 108:3-5] Let us worship God, singing to his praise hymn number 458: At the name of Jesus. Hymn number 458. [ALL SING] Speaker A: Please be seated. The psalmist writes: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. [Psalm 9:1-2] Let us pray: Speaker A: Almighty and everlasting God, In your great power and love, you have brought all things into being: the sun and moon, the stars and planets, the glorious skies which fill our minds with wonder and set our spirits soaring. All these are yours, O Lord. We look to the hilltops and the mountain passes where eagles and ravens fly in majestic splendour, and there too we find so many signs of your glory laid out for all to see. When we consider what you have done in creation, we are amazed by the wonder of this good earth. And when we

4 consider what you have made in each one of us, we are moved to great humility. Every child, every woman, every man is precious in your sight: made in your image and loved by you. Each human being is equipped with our God-given gifts gifts which can be used for good or for ill, according to our own free will. Forgive us, Lord, when we have chosen to use our many powers for our own ends, rather than for the purposes of your good ways. Forgive us when we have let our own selfishness cloud our vision and hold us back from serving you in beauty and in truth. And forgive us, we pray, for those occasions when we have failed to live our lives according to the rule of Christ Jesus your Son, our Lord. Forgive us, now, we pray. [10 seconds of silence] Gentle God, whose love is far greater than we could ever envisage, Bring that love into our lives, we pray. Shed your great light upon us so that we might see clearly your will for us in a world of suffering and need. And guide us in your ways of peace and truth, your ways of reconciliation and recovery, your ways of faith and hope. May we follow Christ s lead, walking his way and living out his Good News among friend and stranger, for we ask this in the Name of your Son, who taught us when we pray to say: All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,

5 for ever. AMEN. Worship leader: Our first reading today is taken from St Paul s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, reading from verse 1 to verse 11. And our reader is [INSERT READER S NAME]. Reading 1: Philippians 2:1-11 (Reader) 1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. AMEN. Speaker A: Thank you [INSERT READER S NAME] for our first reading. Who likes going to play parks? [Lots of hands go up] I ve brought along a couple of things that you might take to your local park. What do I have here? [Skipping rope]

6 Who likes to go skipping? [Some hands go up] And what s this? [A skateboard] Does anyone like skateboarding? [Some hands go up] And lastly, what about this? [A Frisbee] Now, a Frisbee is a wee bit different from a skipping rope and a skateboard. What makes it different? [Get ready for a wide variety of answers!] One of the things that makes a Frisbee different is that if you want to have fun with a Frisbee it s best to use it with a friend. If you try playing with a Frisbee on your own you end up having to walk miles just to pick it up again, but with a friend you can throw the Frisbee backwards and forwards for hours of throwing and catching fun. Other things in a play park are a bit like that too. What are your favourite things at a play park? [Roundabouts, slides, climbing frames, etc, etc., etc.} POWERPOINT OF PLAYPARK EQUIPMENT There are so many great things to do at a play park, but there s one ride in particular that is really quite different from all the rest: the seesaw. If you go to a play park on your own, you can go on the swings, you can go on the roundabout, you can go on the slides, but if you try to go on the seesaw on your own you won t get very far will you? Why not? [Because it takes two people to use a seesaw.] That s right! You just can t use a seesaw on your own. (Or not safely, anyway!) To make a seesaw work, you have to be at one end, and your friend has to be at the other. That way. if you the pair of you want to go up and down, and up and down, and up and down, then each of you can push up off of the ground in turn, and the whole thing works really well. A seesaw is a great way of looking at how the church works. If we came to church each Sunday all on our own, it just wouldn t be the same. Very soon we d get very lonely, and we would find it much harder to do all the

7 things we do in church. And that would be very sad, wouldn t it? More than this: lots of people come into our church building all the way through the week for all the different things that happen here day by day. If we came in and didn t find anyone else here, it would all be a bit dull. But God gives to each one of us in church everyone else in church, so that through our fellowship together we can worship together and play together and work together, to live out the Good News of Jesus in our world together! And it s that togetherness which is so special in our faith. We have the love of Jesus and the help of everyone in church, so we can do great things. Togetherness is what it s all about. Just like in the African country of Malawi, where special clubs called Children s Corners are run by the Church to bring kids together so they can play together, eat and drink together, and learn together. The kids who come to Children s Corners are boys and girls who are very lonely because their Mums and Dads have died. The Church of Scotland HIV Programme has helped set up the clubs, and they are doing a great job at making hundreds of children in Malawi feel part of something really good. As Paul said in the reading which we just heard, as Christians we need to look out for everyone s needs and interests, not just our own. And then we will be able to live exactly as Jesus calls each one of us to live: in a kind, caring, life-changing, world-changing way. It s great to work together! (Just remember that the next time you re having fun with a friend bouncing on a seesaw.) [SHORT PAUSE] Let us pray: God of all the earth, We thank you that you have made us to live our lives together. Help us to look out for the needs of others and to serve them just as Jesus calls us to do.

8 May we play our part in making our families happier, our communities fairer and our world a better place to live for every one of your children. And in all that we do, help us to remember the Good News of Christ, that your love is big enough for each of us and for all! In Jesus Name we pray. AMEN. available through ] Worship leader: Our second reading this morning is taken from the gospel according to St Luke. [INSERT READER S NAME] will read for us from Luke chapter 4, verses 16 to 22. Worship leader: And now we will sing a hymn which reminds us that God is always beside us, helping us in all that we do. Hymn number 213: Every new morning God gives us freely hearts that are thankful, strength for the task. Hymn number 213. [ALL SING] Children leave [Please note: Souper Sunday children s resources are Reading 2: Luke 4:16-22 (Reader) 16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the

9 year of the Lord's favour." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" AMEN. Speaker B: When Jesus spoke in the Nazareth synagogue, what he had to say was momentous. There he was, back in his home town, surrounded, no doubt, by all sorts of family friends, neighbours and others who knew him as the son of Joseph the carpenter. But that homecoming of a local boy was soon to give way to something much, much bigger, as Jesus unrolled the scroll and read from the prophet Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. For Jesus, the call of God was something which prompted him to live out some great values: justice, dignity, love and compassion. The message which Christ both proclaimed and fulfilled in his life was a message of hope for the oppressed of the world. This was Good News 2000 years ago, and it remains Good News today. All those centuries ago, there were many who longed to hear Jesus words and to find out for themselves what they might mean. Right now, in the world of 2015 we know that Christ s message remains vital and valid, not least in the area of HIV. It seems almost incredible to say this, but in our world today ignorance of HIV and prejudice towards those living with the virus are still the major stumbling blocks to dealing with this global health issue. For well over 30 years, HIV has spread around the globe, but despite so

10 many advances in the field, stigma is still a major problem. And tragically, in many of the world s poorest communities, HIV is the leading cause of death among women of child-bearing age. Young girls may be forced into brutal relationships with older men, or else subjected to the torment of child marriage. They may be totally unaware of their partner s HIV status, and so also unaware of their own. And in particularly poor countries, women and children find their problems compounded by inadequate health care, poor access to life-saving medication and the lack of decent supplies of food and clean water. All in all, for many, the arrival of HIV into their lives can bring personal tragedy on a terrible scale, with many locked into lifestyles which they cannot alter. So how can we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, proclaiming release to the captives? The Church of Scotland s HIV Programme helps us to do that in the lifechanging work which it does all around the world, and right here in Scotland. For example, in Abia Presbytery, Nigeria, the church now runs 22 support groups for 1350 people living with HIV in their area. The project provides nutritional supplement, and drugs for the prevention of opportunistic infections. Acceptance and moral support within the groups are equally important, and among members of the support groups there has been a marked decrease in absenteeism from work due to illness or disability. Stigma appears to be reducing within the wider community, and because care and support are more obviously available now, more people are coming forward to be tested for HIV. The success of the project is shown by the clamour for yet more groups to be created. In Namakkal, in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, our partner church has been supporting 100 women and 20 children who are infected or affected by HIV. Many of these women are widows whose husbands died of an AIDS-related illness, and they have been left without any

11 support. The project provides them with nutritional supplements; school fees and equipment are paid for, and skills training offered in bead work, tailoring and animal husbandry. The last report received from this project highlighted just how isolated and desperate many of these woman have become, and it is humbling to realise just how much of a lifeline this project continues to be for so many of them. In a number of areas in Malawi, our partner churches have been setting up Community Based Child Care Centres, in response to the number of children who have lost either one or both parents to HIV and AIDS, and who are reliant on the extended family and grandparents to look after them. With these CBCCs, the children up to the age of 5 are cared for during the day by trained community volunteers, given a good nutritious meal, and given basic nursery style education, with opportunities for play and learning. Once they move on to primary school, help is given with school fees. But the most important aspect is that these orphans and vulnerable children are loved and cared for by their own community. And closer to home, in Edinburgh, Positive Help continues to provide transport to individuals of all ages whose lives are affected by HIV, enabling them to access a wide variety of health and social care services in Edinburgh. All their drivers are volunteers who give up time each week to offer practical support. Here s what one driver, Neil, reported recently: Chris looked really poorly today; I was quite worried about him. We had a good chat on the way back from the hospital, and I stopped the car at his house and we spoke for a while. When I left, he seemed in a much better place. Nigeria, India, Malawi, Scotland just four stories about how our Church s HIV Programme is touching lives. The message of our gospel reading today is plain for all to see, that in Jesus Christ, new life is possible. It is God s will for humanity that we should live in peace and community, one with another. It is our role not just to hear what Jesus has to say, but to act on his life-changing words.

12 And now we praise God, singing hymn number 478: Behold the amazing gift of love the Father hath bestowed. Hymn 478. [ALL SING] Speaker C: Last year, 14,000 people from all over the world gathered in Melbourne, Australia, for the 20th International AIDS Conference: a global gathering of scientists, doctors, academics and many others engaged in work on HIV. The theme of the week-long conference was Stepping up the pace. One of the lessons to emerge from Melbourne was the realisation that, when it come to the HIV epidemic, the world is drawing close to what could be called a tipping point. What does that mean? Well, let s go back to the play park we spoke about at the start of our service, and picture once again a seesaw, able to tip in one direction or the other. A bit like a seesaw, the world s HIV tipping point can go in one of two ways. As any child will tell you, the seesaw can tip to one side, or it can tip to the other. Which way it goes will depend entirely on what the users of the seesaw choose to do. The good news is that all sorts of progress has been made in dealing with HIV in recent years. Scientists now understand the virus as never before, and are working hard to come up with better treatments. Amazingly, the number of people receiving medication increased six-fold from 2005 to 2012, showing what can be done if the world puts its mind to it. A cure and a vaccine may still be many years away, but there is now some basis for hope that HIV might be reined in, and eventually overcome. Drawing upon education, counselling, testing, medical treatment and more, it may be that the spread of HIV could be limited and that would be a great thing.

13 At the International AIDS Conference, delegates were told that if the world really focuses on stepping up the pace of HIV work right now, then in years to come a historic tipping point could be reached, when big breakthroughs would lead on to even more big breakthroughs. That s one kind of tipping point, but there is also another. It has become clear that if the world decides to keep going with HIV investment at current levels, without giving more funds to the tasks being faced, then disaster might be round the corner. If our governments carry on dealing with the virus as they are doing currently, the sad reality is that our response to the crisis will not be enough. Within a couple of decades, HIV will spread further and further, and a different kind of tipping point will be reached. HIV could spread so far that it might be almost impossible to rein it in at all. through lobbying of policy makers, through provision of medicines to all who need them, and, most importantly of all, through overcoming the stigma and the discrimination which together are fuelling the current crisis. This will take time, money and huge dedication on the part of so many but it is a goal worth pursuing. If we are to play our part in bringing Good News to the poor of our world, we too must step up the pace of our response. Then, by the Grace of God, release of the captives will not just be a worthwhile hope, it will become a living reality. AMEN. Now let us continue our worship by singing hymn 717: O Christ, the healer, we have come to pray for health, to plead for friends. Hymn number 717. [ALL SING] The defeat of HIV will depend on nothing less than stepping up the pace of our response in all sorts of ways: through literacy campaigns, through health education,

14 Speaker B: Let us come before God with our prayers for the world. Let us pray: Lord God, our heavenly Father, This world in which we live has so many hurts, so many pains, so many things which are wrong and which need putting right. We realise that you want all the peoples of the north and the south, the east and the west to live in harmony, yet we know that our relationships are fraught with stresses and strains. Some have much while others have little. Some are healthy while others cry out in pain. Some enjoy all life s benefits, while others are left to pick up the scraps that are left. Speaker C: We come to you now with our prayers for those who are suffering in this world of HIV. We recall before you: the children who are infected or affected by the virus; the adults whose lives are surrounded by discrimination and stigma; all those whom we choose to ignore, whether in our communities or around the world. Speaker B: Into your hands we commit all those who are doing so much in the struggle against HIV and AIDS: the scientists whose skills and whose insights are taking forward the continuing quest for progress in so many ways; the medical staff whose understanding and whose concern for others are bringing hope out of despair; the countless number of carers whose selfless dedication to family members and neighbours brings into action such great humanity and grace. Speaker C: God of all the earth, In your Son we see the blueprint for our living and the template for our action. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, lead your Church in the way of Christ, so that all may know your love alive and real in the challenges of

15 daily living. Equip your servants for service in the world, and bring your peace to situations of great need. And now in the silence we bring before you any known to us who are going through difficult times, and who specially need to know your love. [A SHORT TIME OF SILENCE] These our prayers we offer in Jesus Name. AMEN. Worship leader: We worship God in our weekly congregational offering. Offering Worship leader: Let us pray: Gentle God, Many are the gifts which you give to us, each and every day. Now we bring to you these, our tokens of your great generosity to us. Make us, we pray, open in the offerings we make, and open in the lives we lead, so that we might also be open to your promptings, and open to the call of Christ himself, who is our Saviour and our Friend. In Jesus Name we pray. AMEN. A word of thanks goes to everyone who has taken part in today s service, and in Souper Sunday as a whole. And a reminder to everyone that a warming lunch of soup and bread awaits us. All are most welcome to join us for lunch at [INSERT LUNCH VENUE]. And now we close our time of worship by singing hymn number 500: Lord of creation, to you be all praise! [ALL SING] Worship leader: Let us go in peace to bring the light of God s love into our world of need, trusting in the Good News of Christ and living in the power of the Spirit. And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us all, this day and for ever more. AMEN