These are holy hands. God s given us holy hands. God works through these hands, and so these hands are holy. (Repeat)

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Tobias York
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1 A Valentine of Global Love and Gratitude with the Beatitudes (6 th Sunday of the Extraordinarily Ordinary) February 13-14, 2010 (Lil Mattingly, with Nancy Mairs help) Prayer requests and announcements 1. Call to Worship: OUR FIRST TASK in approaching Another people Another culture Another religion Is to take off our shoes For the place we are approaching Is HOLY Else we may find ourselves Treading on another s dream. More serious still, we may forget That GOD Was there/here before our arrival. (Author unknown) 2. Opening Song: Holy Ground This is holy ground. We re standing on holy ground. For the Lord is present, and where God is, is holy. This is holy ground. We re standing on holy ground. For the Lord is present, and where God is, is holy. These are holy hands. God s given us holy hands. God works through these hands, and so these hands are holy. (Repeat) 3. Reading Change is hard and change is slow, but there can be no change at all until people are confronted with a new vision Joan Chittister From the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians Mission Statement : (Christopher Beatty) To undertake research and publish theological literature written by African women with special focus on religion and culture The Circle is the space for women from Africa to do communal theology. Musa Dube, one of the

2 2 Circle theologians, asserts that "... a circle of women describes those who are seated together, who are connected and who seek to keep the interconnectedness of life" (Dube 2001:11) The Circle members are women who are rooted in Islam, Christianity, Judaism and African Indigenous Religions. They are indigenous African women and also African women of Asiatic and European origins. These concerned women are engaged in theological dialogue of the cultures, religions, sacred writings and oral stories that shape the African context and define the women of this continent. The Circle members attempt to reflect together on justice across boundaries of gender, faith and belief. We rejoice that our passion for justice is being awakened despite the barriers that continue to keep us in "our place". We are learning to value each other's writings and to realize that we owe ourselves the power to change. Our ecumenical encounter prompts us to take our African identity very seriously, as it is the basis for our unity. We seek to deepen our commitment to the future of our people, especially the girls and women of Africa living in the context of so much that is painful and death-causing. 4. Gospel Acclamation: (In Arabic) Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah Al (the) Hamd-u (meaning a feel of gratefulness) Lillah (from ilah,arabic word for God) 5. Gospel Acclamation and Reading: A Litany of Beatitudes (adaptation of Lk: 6:17, 20-26) Blessed are the poor. Set us free from the shackles of affluence; Save us from the false values of our society; Make us to see the poor and powerless as the people whom you will fill with good things when the rich go away empty; That we may, with all Your children, be worthy to enter Your Kindom. Blessed are those who mourn. Make us to mourn for the sins that enslave your children, For the exploitation of the weak by the strong, For unemployment and hunger in the midst of plenty; That in our struggle for the Kindom we may be comforted And strengthened by your promises. Blessed are the meek. Save us from unruly passions and the aggressiveness that this world teaches; Teach us to learn from the powerless, to bear each other s burdens; That with understanding and forbearance We may be fit to share the earthly inheritance entrusted to us.

3 3 Blessed are the pure in heart. Keep us pure in faith and life; Inspire us with singleness of heart and mind; That we may seek only Your Kindom and justice, Your will for ourselves and for others, That together we may see Your glory. Blessed are the hungry. Save us from the sinfulness of unbridled consumption, Make us to hunger and thirst after reighteousness, To strive after a world where all have enough to eat And all can work in expectation of fair pay. Blessed are the peacemakers. That we may be peacemakers; That the nations of the earth put away their trust In armaments and in war for the solution of conflict; That we may bring an end to a society where class conflict reigns. Blessed are the merciful. Awaken us to our need for Your mercy; Deepen our capacity to be just and merciful to others, To love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us, And may our concerns for others be filled with healing power. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Help us to bear the reproach of many; To dance for joy in knowledge that God s way will prevail; To consider suffering for the right a small sacrifice in the light of the triumph to come. (from It s Not Fair: Handbook on World Development for Youth Groups, British Council of Churches) 6. Silent Reflection Followed by Discussion 7. Intercessions We began our liturgy with some intercessions, requests for prayers. Let us continue that by writing down our own intercession, or our own blessing, for someone or something to place in the basket that will go around, to end up on our altar as OFFERING.

4 8. Breaking the Bread, Sharing the Cup Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to God our Creator. It is right to give God thanks and praise. We take bread, symbol of labor, exploited, degraded, symbol of life. We will break the bread because Christ, the source of life, was broken for the exploited and downtrodden. Now the bread is before us, the memory of our meals, our working, our talking, the story which shapes us, The grieving and the pain, the oppressor who lies deep in our own soul; the seeking and the loving. And we give thanks for all that holds us together in our humanity; that binds us to all who live and have lived, who have cried and are crying, who hunger and are thirsty, who pine for justice, and who hold out for the time that is coming. And in this we are bound to Jesus, whose death we celebrate, and whose new life we proclaim, the risen Jesus who was not recognized by his own disciples on the road to Emaus until they sat at table, and Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. 10. Our Father/ Madre Nuestra Creator God You are the lives of all who seek justice and peace Because they love their brothers and sisters and serve you. Hallowed be your name In those who defend the lives of the poor and who work day and night to freetheir sisters and brothers from illiteracy, sickness, exploitation, and persecution. Let your Kin-dom come In freedom, justice and love, as people unite their efforts and discover new paths of hope. Let your will be done As we struggle together to remove the yokes that oppress humanity. Give us today our daily bread The bread of dignity, equality and freedom The bread that nourishes full human development. And forgive us, God for not knowing how to share the bread you have given us. And lead us not into temptation of fitting ourselves into the patterns of this world, thus losing clarity of vision. But deliver us from evil Which from our very depth tempts us to live our lives by keeping to ourselves, 4

5 when you are inviting us to give our lives for our friends. For yours is the kin-dom, the power, and the glory For you are the only God, forever and ever. Amen. (Julia Esquivel, Guatemalan exile, poetess) 10. Closing Prayer and Blessing: Native American Prayer for Peace O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you, To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect and to be kind to each other, So that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all good things That you provide for us on this earth. And may God bless us and keep us. May God s face shine upon us. May God be gracious to us and grant to us, and to all our broken world, peace. May the blessing of Almighty God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit come upon us and remain with us forever. Amen. 11. Closing Song "De Colores" 5

LIFE 101 THIS SUNDAY S MESSAGE:

The Sermon on the Mount: Foundations and directions for life from Jesus LIFE 101 THIS SUNDAY S MESSAGE: This is Bliss Matthew 5:3-12 Primary New Testament Beatitudes The Poor in Spirit Those Who Mourn