Order of
service used at
St.
Thomas' Linden during August 2003.
Theme : compassion
& our
response to HIV/AIDS.
NOTE:
Text in italics is for information only and
NOT TO BE SPOKEN ALOUD
August is kept in the parish as the
month of compassion when we remember the needs of the world and our
calling as Church to respond to those needs. The music, addresses and
prayers that follow drew us into the theme in the context of the
Mass. Much of the material was gathered from the internet.
Preliminary
Songs.
- As the congregation gathered, songs
were sung to help prepare people to worship God
- "In my life, Lord, be
glorified" [Bob Kilpatrick arr. R Fudge. Prism Tree Music. #105 in
Living Praise]
"Holy, Holy" [Jimmy Owens. Lexicon Music. Inc,
Word Music. #75 in Living Praise]
The
start of the Mass.
- Introit
Hymn:
-
"Tell me the
old old story" [English Hymnal # 583. W.H Doane, 1832-1916; A
C Hankey, 1834-1911]
- Stories told by
HIV/AIDS
-
Two members of the HIV/AIDS response team went to the lecturn
and addressed the congregation as follows
A
story of shock at a death sentence newly learned.
A story of
shattered dreams and lost opportunities,
Of bewilderment,
anger and despair.
A story of fear and secrecy and
shame and denial,
In individuals, in families. A story of
guilt and blame.
A story of prejudice and
discrimination,
Of isolation, rejection and judgement because
someone has the virus . . .
Or just because they are different.
A
story of loss of health, security, friends, dignity, family,
Home,
future, autonomy.
A story of needs and dependency and
nakedness.
A story of lost skills, diverted
resources, reversal of gains,
For families, communities and
nations.
A story of inequality and injustice between
North and South, male and female,
Adult and child, straight
and gay,
Powerful and powerless, positive and negative.
A
story at times of hostility and abuse by Church and State alike
Of
the already voiceless made even more vulnerable by HIV.
A
story of healing and liberation preached to the whole
Church
in the ministry of those with HIV and AIDS.
A story
of love and care and commitment poured out without reserve
And
going beyond the boundaries of dogma or law or tradition.
A
story of countless grains of wheat . . . .
Of unhailed
saints who come in many guises;
If we will but see, if we will
but listen.
A story of hope for the present and hope
in the future,
From those who, infected with the virus,
subscribe to life
Not death.
A story of
courage and solidarity from those who, without concern for self or
regard for rank or title
Proclaim openly and honestly, "the
Church, Christ's body, had AIDS".
And from those who
teach and counsel, nurse and support
From the many who
advocate and struggle for justice,
A story of truth and
freedom and acceptance and love
Signs that even in this time
of AIDS
GOD'S KINGDOM IS AMONGST US. - Introduction,
penitance & collect for the day
- Paragraphs 1 - 16
on pages 104-107 of the Anglican Prayer Book, 1989, CPSA were used as
normal.
- The
Word of God
-
First reading : Psalm 62
-
Chorus : "Open our eyes, Lord" [Robert Cull; arr.
David Peacock. #181 in Living Praise]
-
-
The following was then spoken loud and clear from within the
midst of the congregation as a prelude to the Gospel.
-
- Who touched me?
Somebody
touched me with the needs,
the dreams and the hopes of the
world.
Who touched me?
Somebody touched me and I
turned and saw the people,
and I turned and listened to their
story.
Who touched me?
- Gradual
hymn : "Reach out and touch the Lord" [ Bill Harmon; Gospel
Publishing House. #193 in Living Praise.]
The
Gospel Reading : Luke 8:40-48 -
The address.
- The address was
given by a medical doctor working & ministering to people with
HIV and AIDS.
- The prayers.
- Form B of the
prayers, paragraphs 38 & 39 on page 112 were used and followed
by prayers led by a member of the HIV/AIDS response team.
- Prayers for people living
with HIV and Aids.
Hear our prayer , O God of mercy and love,
for all who live with HIV or AIDS.
Grant them loving
companions who will support them in the midst of fear;
Give
them hope for each day to come, that each day may be lived with courage
and faith.
Bless them with an abundance of your love, that
they may live with concern for others.
Pour on them th epeace
and wholeness which you alone can give.
A prayer for
widows and orphans.
Loving protector God,
Through
your apostle James you commanded us to care for widows and orphans in
their distress
We pray that when a child's life is changed by
pain, death and sorrow,
we may show by our compassion the
gentleness of your love;
When a woman finds herself alone with
no means of support,
we may show by our giving the generosity
of your love;
When the elderly have to care for a new
generation of children,
we may show by our prayers the
strength of your love.
A prayer for carers.
Almighty
God, be with those who support and care for people living with HIV and
AIDS.
Grant them patient and attentive ears, gentle hands,
loving eyes and faithfulness to your gospel,
which bears
witness to the dignity of every human being.
A
prayer for the medical community and researchers.
Most
merciful and loving God, you have given to your people the gifts of
medicine and healing.
Empower all those who use these gifts
and especially those who care for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Sustain
them in times of doubt and give them hope in the task of finding a cure.
A
prayer for forgiveness.
God calls us as a people to bear
witness to the good news that no one is a stranger or an outsider, and
that in Jesus Christ all division and separation have been broken down.
In the face of the world crisis of HIV/AIDS we are called to be one
people yet hardness of heart, discrimination and oppression prevent us
from being who God called us to be. For this we ask forgiveness.
God
of compassion, we often misrepresent you as a God of wrath, yet you are
a God of love, raising all to life; and so we ask
Lord have
mercy, Lord have mercy.
Lord
Jesus, you banish the fear that has paralysed us in responding to the
needs of all who are affected by HIV and AIDS. When we falter,
encourage us and strengthen us; and so we ask
Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
Spirit of
unity,, you build up when we break down; you unite when we divide; you
comfort when we comdemn; and so we ask
Lord have mercy, Lord
have mercy. - The prayers were
concluded with the following responsive prayer
- God of all humanity, in a
world full of fear, open our hearts to your love.
Though
we walk in desolate valleys, open our hearts to your hope.
As
we seek paths in the darkness, open our eyes to your light.
We
turn away from hatred towards love.
We
turn away from intolerance towards understanding.
As
sisters and brothers we commit ourselves to compassion.
Together,
not alone, we pray for peace.
In the Name
of the Prince of Peace, AMEN. - The peace.
-
The offertory hymn.
- "Who will save our land and
people?"
- The Eucharist
- The normal order of
service was followed through paragraphs 47 to 87 on pages 116 to 128.
The following, said by the whole congregation, was used in place of
paragraph 88.
Creator God
As
we journey through this world
Give us grace to allow your Holy
Spirit to work through us.
Help us to speak, think and work
with honesty and compassion,
To celebrate all that is
life-giving, to restore hope when it has been lost,
And to
bring about change where it is needed.
We ask this in the name
of Jesus Christ, our companion. Amen. - The
family cross
- It is the
practice at St. Thomas' to give a cross to a few families each week.
The cross is given with a blessing from the congregation, the families
are encouraged to gather in their homes to pray together and continue
to receive God's blessing. The family cross this day was received by
Anglicare counsellors and members of the HIV/AIDS response team on
behalf of families affected by HIV/AIDS. Counsellors and team members
were to intercede for affected families and pass the crosses on to
them. The congregation prayed as follows :
God
of all compassion, comfort your sons and daughters who live with HIV.
Spread over us all your quilt of Mercy, Love and Peace. Open our eyes
to your presence reflected in their faces, open our ears to your truth
echoing in their hearts. Give us strength to weep with the grieving, to
walk with the lonely, to stand with the depressed. May our love mirror
your love for those who live in fear, who live under stress an dwho
suffer rejection. Mothering, Fathering God grant rest to those who have
died and hope to all who live with HIV. God of life, help us to find
the cure soon and help us to build a world in which noone dies alone
and where everyone lives accepted, wanted and loved. Amen. -
-
Recessional Hymn
- "Be thou my vision" [Ancient Irish
to the tune Slane harmonized by Martin Shaw (1875-1958). Living Praise
#17 ]
- Blessing, commitment and dismissal
- Following the
blessing (paragraph 88, p.129) the congregation made the following
commitment.
Today and for the
months ahead I commit myself :
To witness to the God of
unconditional love, not of punishment and disease.
To
ensure, within my area of influence, that all affected by HIV/AIDS
might access compassionate, non-judgemental care, respect and support,
regardless of their religion, nationality, gender, lifestyle or sexual
orientation.
To witness, in my work and my life,
that noone is a stranger or an outsider.
To enable
HIV prevention initiatives that are empowering, that relate to the
situations of those they serve and that allow informed, free and
responsible choice.
To denounce all intolerance,
bigotry and injustice against those affected by HIV/AIDS or otherwise
made more vulnerable by the AIDS pandemic.
To seek
at all times to imitate the One who allowed those around Him to reach
out and touch Him, finding wholeness and hope.
The
usual dismissal followed.
Go in peace to love and
serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
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