Australian Lutheran World Service. Setting Free From Poverty

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1 1 Worship Resources Bible Readings Chapel ideas Prayers Activities God puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives! (1 Samuel 2:8 MSG)

2 Ideas for Christian Studies, or Chapel Times 2 Print photos of Mozambican people from the DVD and invite your students to pray for the people and their situation. Have a meditation time on the verse for Awareness Week God puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives! 1 Samuel 2:8. Encourage students to talk to God about this verse how does it apply to their own lives and the lives of the poor in Mozambique? How could God use us here in the developed world to make His word come to life? Look at other Bible verses about poverty and setting people free from poverty. Stimulate discussion about the way the Bible values the poor and outcast, and how Jesus came for all people, but has a special place in his heart for the poor and needy. Teach your students about intercessory prayer the power of praying for others far away. Print out the profiles of the people and have them become part of your class family at worship times. Have a blank exercise book and cover it. Invite each class to write their prayers about development or the people of Mozambique on different pages. During chapel, read from it and then place it on the alter presenting your prayers to God. On a large cross attach the photos from Mozambique mixed with photos of people from your school and display in a prominent spot. Write on a banner God puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives! 1 Samuel 2:8. Work out 80% of the school population. Have them sit to one side of the worship area to show everyone how many children around the world live in poverty. Let the remaining 20% sit on chairs. As they represent the rest of the people in the world. Talk to the students about their situations. Give the wealthy a treat. How do they feel? Talk about how Jesus died for us all and loves us all. There is no separation in heaven. Look around your community to find someone from Mozambique who would be willing to talk to the students, or ask someone from ALWS or your Let us take care of the children, pastor to speak about Mozambique. Bring the money you have raised for for they have a long way to go. Mozambique into chapel to be placed in a special jar on the alter with a plaque saying Let us take care of the elders, Jesus, this money is yours. May we be your for they have come a long way. hands and feet. Show PowerPoint of photos from Let us take care of those in between, Mozambique. Get students thinking about life for other children around the world. Pray for they are doing the work. for the people of Mozambique. Pray for the work of ALWS in Mozambique. Pray for the staff who work in some difficult Traditional African Prayer circumstances in the field. Show PowerPoints of the Millennium

3 1 Samuel 2:8 MSG God puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives! Micah 6:8 This is what God requires of you: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God. 1 John 4:19 We love because God first loved us. Proverbs 14:31 If you oppress poor people, you insult God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship. Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor shake hands as equals God made them both! Matthew 25: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Proverbs 22:9 Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. Isaiah 1:17 Say no to wrong, learn to do good, work for justice, help the down and out, stand up for the homeless, go to bat for the defenceless. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. Bible Verses Proverbs 21:26 The righteous give and do not hold back. Isaiah 65:21-22 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. Galatians 5:14 Love your neighbour as yourself. Proverbs 13:23 A poor man s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. Isaiah 61:8 "For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. Luke 4:18-21 [Jesus said] "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Amos 5:24 Let justice flow like a stream and righteousness like a river that never goes dry. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. James 2:15-17 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Proverbs 30:8 Give me neither poverty or riches. Give me only as much as I need. 3

4 Prayers A Prayer of Hope 4 Let us pray: We pray today for God s world. We pray that it might discover its human face. We pray for a world divided. Divided unequally between the prosperous and the desperate. Between those born into privilege and power and those born into poverty and pain Divided unequally between the wealthy and the poor. The power-filled and the poor The greedy and the poor The corrupt and the poor The poor who always get more than their fair-share of poverty. God of life, into your world you come. Into this divided human community you arrive. You sit amongst the poor but the wealthy do not see you. You walk with the lonely and the abandoned but those with power cannot hear your footsteps. You stand among the hungry crowds waiting for food but the greedy will not share their food with you. You live among the powerless, the frightened and the weak but the corrupt fail to notice you and continue to exploit you. God of hope deliver us all from selfrighteousness so that whilst we may call the world towards a different way, we might also, in your name, become the answer to the prayers of the silent, suffering, struggling ones. God of justice, not just us, grant us the courage to live as well as proclaim your gospel. God of life, grant us the energy to serve others in your name. God of love, enable and allow us, with all our weaknesses and fears, to continue this walk of faith, for faith and in faith. Amen (Rev David Pargeter, Executive Director, Commission for Mission, Uniting Church in Australia)

5 Prayers Open a World of Possibility 5 O Lord, Open my eyes... To see both the wonderful world you created and the challenges we face. Open my ears... To hear about your love for all people and about friends in Mozambique. Open my mind... To imagine the world as you want it to be. Open my hands... To share with people who are hungry and help people in need. Open my mouth... To pray, to tell your Good News, and to speak out for others. Open my heart... To love you and my neighbours far and wide. Help us to walk together in love as we open a world of possibility. We pray in Jesus name. Amen Picture: Praying Australian Lutheran World Service

6 Lord God, we confess that we often fail to fulfil your requirements of justice and mercy in our own lives and ministries. There are times when we have not stood beside suffering and powerless ones. Forgive us. In humility and led by your Spirit, as individuals, families and churches, we want to model a lifestyle of justice in our homes, workplaces and communities. In humility and empowered by your Spirit, Lord God, we want to work with the oppressed and marginalised, to be transforming agents in our land. We want to establish your justice and righteousness on earth. Lord God, hear our prayers, change our hearts and give us your vision. (Adapted from the faith affirmation of Micah Challenge, India.) Lord God, we know how you care for children, yet each day we allow little ones to die from preventable illnesses like malaria and diarrhoea, we do not act to protect children from exploitation and we fail to value young, vulnerable lives. Forgive us for our indifference to statistics and stories of poverty and suffering. Help us to value all young lives as much as we value our own and see the potential of each child. Lord, hear our prayer and help us not to harden our hearts when the concerns of our everyday life surround us. We celebrate our God who offers healing and hope - spiritual, physical, emotional and social healing for all people. We acknowledge the reflection of your character in our desire to reduce global poverty and know that you long for all your people to be blessed. Prayers Yet in a world that has rejected you, millions of people go hungry, millions die from preventable disease and millions live in fear. Help us to reach those in need and bring hope to a world in fear. In the name of Jesus, our example and our Saviour, We pray that across the globe all children might be valued from the moment they are formed till they reach adulthood. Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, we pray that children everywhere would be nurtured in body, mind and spirit. Lord, we ask that we, your people, be instruments in your hands and be sowers of peace in the midst of conflict. In this time of aggression, hate and racism, we ask that You make us sensitive to the great need that surrounds us; that we keep your word in our minds and be doers of your word. We ask to be people who transform our environment in the midst of corruption; that we represent a culture of integrity, and where we see injustice, we work for justice. We thank you God, because you are the God of history, who can transform uncertainty and discouragement into joy, hope and faith in those who lack in our country. Dear God, we pray for those who do not have bread or water to sustain their bodies, for those who are not even familiar with basic nutritional necessities. We pray for those who have lost a loved one, a child or a parent, due to the lack of basic healthcare or because they leave the country seeking a better life. (Written by Micah Challenge, Bolivia) 6

7 Prayers 7 Heavenly Father and Lord Almighty! Thank you for the peace process in suffering countries. We pray that the all political parties will work together and lead each country into permanent peace and greater prosperity. We pray for people disabled, displaced and orphaned by conflict. We pray that those who have lost their homes and belongings will have their lives restored. We pray communities would be reconciled. We pray that the priorities of governments and donor countries would be for the people and communities affected by poverty and conflict. We pray the people in government would be committed to fair and just treatment of all people, without corruption and misuse of authority. We pray that Christian communities would be more engaged in critical social issues, and become a more effective witness of your love, justice and compassion. Thank you for listening to the cry of your faithful servants. (Written by Micah Challenge, Nepal) Lord God, We thank you for the example of Jesus who appreciated and valued women. Like Mary, we praise you for blessing the humble and lifting up the hungry. We pray for mothers who work long hard hours toiling for their families. Give them rest. We pray for mothers who are ill and tired from overwork and disease. Restore them to health. We pray for mothers who dream and hope that life will be better for their children. May their hopes not be in vain. Help us to work for justice for the most vulnerable ones in our communities and in the wider world. God of mercy, justice and love, We pray for churches to be involved in actions of service and justice so that your values are proclaimed in our nation. We pray that churches and Christian networks would join in challenging oppression of the poor and speak the truth with a gentle manner. We pray that we would stand with the majority of the nation who are poor Moslems, to cry for justice. We pray that the government of this nation delay no more in acting to end poverty. Give us wisdom, grace and persistence dear Lord. (Written by Micah Challenge, Indonesia ) God of healing and mercy, We pray that the millions of people who suffer with HIV/AIDS would be comforted by your love. We pray that families torn apart by the disease would be strengthened. We pray that children orphaned or abandoned because of AIDS would find security and love. We pray that churches in AIDS-ravaged communities would overcome fear and judgement to show concern and care. We remember that compassion for all people is the essence of our faith.

8 Prayers Father, in the name of Jesus, may we know the power we have received because of the Holy Spirit that has come upon us; we are your witnesses in our local communities, nation and to the ends of the world. Father, we request peace and the welfare of the city and nation in which you have called us to live, and we pray for boldness to witness to the hope of Christ. We pray to you for the prosperity of our nation and ask for wisdom to do our part that there be fairness in the distribution of national wealth, so that he who gathers much does not have too much and he who gathers little does not have too little. Father, we pray that you direct the decisions made by church and world leaders; that they understand your concern for the poor and your heart for justice and compassion. In Jesus name we pray. (Written by Micah Challenge, Zambia) We pray today for God s world. We pray for a world divided unequally between the prosperous and the desperate, between the privileged and the powerless, between the wealthy and the poor. God of life, into this divided human community you come. You sit amongst the poor, you walk with the lonely and the abandoned, you stand among the hungry crowds, you live among the powerless, the frightened and the weak. Grant us the energy to serve others in your name. Grant us the love to heal despair. Grant us the strength to continue in your service. Grant us the power to overcome evil. Help us to walk humbly where you walk so that in your name, we become the answer to the prayers of the silent, suffering, struggling ones. (From a Micah Challenge service for the meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers in Melbourne) (Based on Psalm 8) Wonderful Creator God, the whole earth declares your greatness. Your glory glows in the heavens and is seen in the moon and the stars which you have set in place. What are we that you care for us? Yet you have made us only a little lower than yourself and crowned us with glory and honour. You have given us responsibility to care for the sheep and cattle, for wild things, for all creatures that swim and fly. Forgive us for destroying rather than restoring and for polluting rather than nurturing. Help us to declare your glory and the glory of your world. Amen May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war so that we may reach out hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. (A Franciscan Benediction ) 8 For further information contact

9 Prayers 9 God of All, help us to recognize all of our sisters and brothers in the global community. Open our hearts to them, that we might live in solidarity with this extended family. God of Justice and Peace, help us to be committed to change unjust structures and to be peacemakers in a suffering world. Empower us to be Christians not only in word but also in compassionate action. Give us the courage to speak out for truth and justice and to prayerfully and patiently call for transformation. May global solidarity and peace be achieved through the power of compassion, understanding and love. In the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace, we pray for global justice. A Prayer for the Hungry O God, we pray now for the hungry not the spiritually hungry not the emotionally hungry not the psychologically hungry (though they surely need our prayers) we pray now simply for the hungry hungry. We know in the realm that Jesus showed us no one goes hungry, no one lacks daily bread. In Your Realm, those with food remember the hungry, those with food share their food with the hungry, those with food work on behalf of the hungry, those with food weep for the hungry, even if it makes them feel guilty. God, we are grateful you never forget about the hungry that you long for the hungry to be fed. God, we are grateful you never forget about those who aren t hungry that you long for them to feed the hungry. God, the hungry and unhungry stand as one before you; loved with the same love, both in need of you and each other. God of the Hungry, so many are hungry. Rescue your hungry children, fill their stomachs with food and their hearts with gladness, so that they, too, might experience the luxury of dealing only with their spiritual hunger, their emotional hunger, their psychological hunger. Send your Spirit to the hungry hungry, and to the unhungry, until all feast with Jesus in the new age. In the name of Jesus and the hungry hungry we pray. By Steve Hammond When we deal with each other, we should do so with the sense of awe that arises in the presence of something holy and sacred. For that is what human beings are: we are created in the image of God (Gn 1:27). -Economic Justice for All, #28 Australian Lu- theran World Service

10 Look to Jesus Litany 10 LEADER: Some people say the world does not produce enough food to feed everyone. Others say that we grow enough grain and vegetables to supply each man, woman, and child with 3,000 calories a day, were it not for poverty and lack of access. Who do you believe? PEOPLE: As the disciples worried about how to feed the multitude, a small boy overheard them. In his hands he carried a lunch basket, containing five barley loaves and two fishes. LEADER: Some people believe that natural disasters, wars, and other upheavals will always cut off masses of people from food and the resources to purchase and grow food, making hunger inevitable. What can anyone really do in light of such events? PEOPLE: The boy went up to one of the disciples and showed them his lunch basket. The disciple took him to Jesus. Jesus took the simple meal, raised it to heaven, and broke it into pieces. LEADER: Overpopulation is the real reason for hunger, some say. How can we hope to feed everyone if people won t stop having babies? PEOPLE: Jesus asked the disciples to divide the multitude into groups of fifty and one hundred. He filled a basket for each disciple to pass among the hungry people. LEADER: But individuals cannot affect the world hunger situation. It takes governments and the rich and powerful to bring change. PEOPLE: When everyone assembled had eaten their fill, Jesus asked that the remaining food be collected so that none would go to waste. Twelve baskets of fragments were gathered. ALL: Somewhere in the world, hundreds of people die each second of every day from hunger and malnutrition. Forgive us, God, when our zeal to explain the existence of hunger keeps us from seeing the truth in the simple solution you gave to us. Help us to follow a little child into the practice of sharing our abundance each moment of every day. by David Teague & Allison Best- Teague

11 Litany Teach Us, Lord 11 LEADER: We have gathered because we have learned that we are family, and that our brother s hunger and sister s shelter is our need; PEOPLE: Scattered and isolated, we have learned to think of ourselves as different: poor and rich, black and white, old and young, smart and simple; LEADER: But gathered as we are, we learn to celebrate our sameness: human spirits longing to belong, hungry for the bread of dignity, thirsting for the cup of opportunity, seeking the clothing of self-respect and freedom; PEOPLE: Teach us, O Giver of Life, the generosity of an open heart, a willing spirit, a dedicated mind, a helping hand; LEADER: Give us, O Teacher of Life, an ear sensitive to the cry of neglect, an eye attentive to the gesture of despair, a touch receptive to the grasp of an empty hand; PEOPLE: Thank you for the privilege of serving, the blessing of sharing, the joy of helping; thank you for making us capable of caring, fortunate enough to have a surplus, eager enough to want to pass it on; LEADER: Set aside our suspicions of one another, our tendency to stereotype, our willingness to use excuses as our way of hiding from responsibility and care; PEOPLE: Remind us that You distributed unequal resources as a way of sharing the joy of giving, helping, and serving; LEADER: Call us to leave this place aware that you make holy moments for us, when we see the face of love in others, touch the sacred when we do Your purpose, and hear the voice of hope that binds us all as one; PEOPLE: Cause us also to leave this place committed to the daily care and needs of one another, anxious to do good daily, eager to make giving as much a part of our daily life as You do; in whose sacred name and way we pray; By Dan Bagby

12 12 Chapel Address Enough to Go Around Have a bag of individually wrapped lollies, and ask about 20 children to come up the front of the church and sit with you. This morning I have a treat for you. Here, I brought a bag of lollies for you. (Open the bag, and offer it to the first child.) Take as much as you want, there seems to be plenty. (Give the first child a handful, and then offer the opened bag to the next child. Usually that child will try to take as much as the first one received. Continue to offer and if needed hand out the lollies to the individual children in various large quantities, until there are only one or two pieces left and. You need to insure that at least two or more children receive none of the offered lollies.) Whoops! I must have made a mistake. I was sure that I had enough lollies here for everyone to have plenty to snack on during the rest of chapel. What went wrong? (Invariably the children will point out that one child has a handful, and others have more than one piece while some were left out.) What should I do about that? (Provide time for the children to make suggestions.) I can t make the others share with you. After all, I did give it to them! They might think that it is not their fault that some of you only got a little bit and others none. Maybe the ones without should have pushed their way to the front of the line. Or perhaps if they had gotten up here with me when I first announced that I needed some volunteers instead of taking so much time getting here then they would not have been left out. What if John or Louisa (name two of the children who have the most) think that they deserve all they have because of something that they have done? They may even think that I must like them best because they have so much. They might even think that since I didn t give much lollies to some of you or any to others, then it is because I don t like some of you or that I am punishing you for something you did. Do you think that s the way I feel? (Give them chance to respond.) You are right. That s not the way I feel. You know something, there are still enough lollies here for everyone to have several pieces each if you would all share. Let s try that. (Encourage the children to share. Most of the time they will work hard to make sure no one is left out and that there is a fairly even distribution.) What you are going to learn about over the next few weeks is the unfairness in our world. Today we want to remember that there are hundreds of thousands of people in our world who have little or nothing to eat. Those of you who at first didn t get any lollies would have been sad that you didn t get any, but you would not have gone to bed hungry today. The really sad part is that just as there were enough lollies for all of you to have some, there is enough food in the world for everyone to have what they need to live. Like with our lollies, some have more than they really need while even more people have nothing at all. Throughout the Bible we can read about how God has asked those who love and want to honour God to do whatever they can do to help those persons who are poor, who do not have enough food, or who are helpless for other reasons. Jesus knew the joy of giving to others and taught those who wanted to be his followers to learn that joy. He said, Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38 NIV) Adapted from a children s sermon by J. David Waugh