Act of Worship РThis is from Christian Aid’s Act of Worship booklet published for Christian Aid Week 2007
THE GATHERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Leader:
The earth belongs to God, the world and all its people
All:
All power belongs to God,
who reigns above all nations.
Leader:
The harvests of the earth sustain all men and women.
All:
The wealth of every nation
must prosper every child.
Leader:
The politics of earth are scrutinised in heaven.
All:
God holds the scales of justice
and notes each threat to peace.
Leader:
In Jesus, God revealed that all of life is sacred.
All:
God’s spirit knows no bounds
in making all things new.
CALL TO PRAYER
Leader:
Jesus came not to visit the earth but to live in it.
Through the Holy Spirit he gave us a foretaste of new
life to come. Let us pray. (All sit or kneel).
We bless you, ever-faithful God.
Your world still turns, the seasons come and go.
Although the climate is changing,
the rainbow still reminds us of your promise
not to destroy what you have made.
Humanity still bears your image,
the power of Christ still heals and converts,
your spirit is still with us.
All:
We bless you, ever-faithful God.
Leader:
And yet if we thought too long, we might tremble:
the world and its fruitfulness lie under threat,
not by your design but because of our polluting greed;
we have scarred your image in humanity
whenever we have sought to dominate others;
we have compromised your transforming gospel
whenever we have put our comfort before your truth.
For being deaf to the groaning of creation,
being blind to the plight of the poor,
and failing to resist the temptation of privilege:
we come before your majesty
and ask your forgiveness for ourselves and for
our nations.
Lord, have mercy on us.
All:
Christ, have mercy on us.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy on us.
The God whom we bless is still faithful.
God’s promise to forgive those who repent still stands.
God’s call to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly
is still binding.
Thanks be to God.
All: Amen