Thursday, August 28, 2008

Excerpts from Greeto Racharia's Worship order (August 27, 2008)

Life Giving Mission of God towards Children

Call to Worship


Come, O children of God, to worship our creator, leaving behind our differences, to listen to the innocent cries, to engage in breaking the oppressive structures and to continue the life giving mission of God.


Opening prayer

O God the source of life, we thank you for the very gift of life which you have given to us as we come into your presence this morning, we ask you that your presence might open our minds and sharpen our thoughts, to realize the truth and realities around us. Grant us grace and patience to understand the struggles of children, inspire us to pull down the oppressive structures that crush them that we may engage in a life giving mission of God.

Prise and Thanksgiving

We praise you, O creator God for being the very seed of life; we thank you for hearing the cries of the oppressed like Hagar and Ishmael and intervening throughout history whenever life was threatened.

We praise O liberator of God, for being the shoot of hope among struggles; we thank you for breaking the evil of discrimination prevailing in our societies and making the children as inheritors of your reign.


We praise you, Comforter God, for being present within us, and we thank you for strengthening us to fight injustices and guiding us live as children of God.


Confession


Leader: What shall we tell our children?


Who are abused by people in their own families, unable even to cry out their pains?

Who see their parents commit suicide since they are unable to cope up with their life situations?

Who cry in agony, unable to go to school, but to work inorder to support their families?

Shall we tell them, be silent and thank God for all the small blessings they have now?

Response: Lord we confess that we have remained silent to these innocent cries.


leader: What shall we tell our children?


Who see their mothers beaten by their fathers and chased away from home in a drunken rage?

Who see their people being discriminated because of their "Dalitness" or their "Adivasi" origins?

Who are taught their God is the only true God and others worship false Gods?

Shall we tell them that these are the structures in which they have to live?

Response: Lord we confess, that we failed to confront and break all these oppressive structures

Leader: What shall we tell our children? Who live in deprivation, daily worrying about food, clothing and shelter?

Who ask why there is no clean air, why is our water polluted, why this climate change?

Who ask why two nations fight each other, why do children get killed in war?

Is violence the solution of war?

Shall we tell them only the strong can live in this world and the weak can be exploited of their living?

Response: Lord we confess that we have failed in your life giving mission.


Absolution

May the merciful God forgive our short comings, as we have truly confessed them and provide us strength to create an alternative society. Amen.


A Prayer Modeled after the Lord's Prayer

Our Mother and Father who know all our worries, we praise you

Help us to follow the examples opf children and be inheritors in your community,

Mould us to be instruments for your purpose, give us our needs, and help us to be

contented with what we have, sharing it with others around us,

Forgive us when we fail to respond in love to the needs of our neighbours,

Safeguard us from the temptations of becoming silent spectators of injustice,

Deliver us from becoming perpetrators of evil so that others who see us and our works many glorify you our creator, Amen.

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