A Call to worship:Let us be silent before God. (silence, during which a candle may be lit) ConfessionMerciful God, we come before you today as men (European Ecumenical Assembly) |
| Leader | We REJOICE that the growing trust and co-operation between our churches is a creative
reflection of mutuality and collaboration between the nations of Europe. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us. |
| Leader | We RECOGNISE that our richly diverse yet common European heritage offers us challenges and hopes for the future of all our peoples. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us |
| Leader | We AFFIRM that our local region, together with other local regions across the continent, presents us with an identity and an opportunity for belonging to one another. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us |
| Leader | We REMEMBER that Britain and the rest of Europe are part of a wider global context in which we have a role to play in promoting peace through justice for the whole of creation. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us |
| Leader | We BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit calls us, the Churches of Europe, to be aware of our mission in the world at a time of great change and great hope. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us |
| Leader | We INVITE our congregations to support ............. to which we now commit ourselves, in the name of God, who is Father, Son and Spirit. Lord of our world, |
| ALL | Hear us and guide us. |
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We are met together as one fellowship, united in our Christian faith. Our languages and cultures are different. Our national histories include periods of conflict between our nations. Our openness to each other is marred by what we have heard and read about each other. But here today we celebrate our new life together and our renewed hope. We offer one another forgiveness and acceptance, peace and friendship as a means of building up the Body of Christ amongst us. We bring symbols of all that we share: |
| Voice 1 | I bring some of the soil of Europe, symbol of the earth from which we all spring. |
| Voice 2 | For the gift of our birth and for our common heritage in Europe, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 3 | I bring this bread, symbol of the fruits of the earth and the labours of the people. |
| Voice 4 | For the gifts of our food and the common task in building the life of our nations, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 5 | I bring these flags of European countries, symbols of our differences of history and tradition. |
| Voice 6 | For the variety in our common European heritage enriching and no longer dividing us, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 7 | I bring the European Flag, symbol of a uniting Europe. |
| Voice 8 | For the gift of growing understanding and joint efforts in politics, trade and care of the environment, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 9 | I bring this map of European churches (1), symbol of the many ways God's spirit is working. |
| Voice 10 | For our fellowship in Christ, for the sharing of our thoughts, fears and hopes, for our common task to bring the gospel to the nations and to work for God's kingdom, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 11 | I bring this candle, symbol of the Light of the World in Jesus Christ. |
| Voice 12 | For the gift of God in God's Son, Jesus Christ, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 13 | I bring the Bible, in different languages, foundation of our common faith. |
| Voice 14 | For the gift of faith, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| Voice 15 | I bring our Twinning (or Partnership) Agreement, which is our promise to work and pray together, and our resolve to enjoy our friendship. |
| Voice 16 | For God's power in breaking down barriers and renewing the face of the earth, |
| All | May God's name be praised. |
| (1)A European map could be a project for young children |
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O God, whose will it is that all things should return into that unity which was your gift in creation, help us whose churches are linked together to realise our unity within the richness of our diversity. As we have the opportunity of sharing your gifts to us with people of another church, in a different tradition and in a different country, we rejoice in all that we find in common between us, and we celebrate all in which we differ and may now share. Grant that in coming to know our new friends, we may also come to know ourselves better, and through this experience may be strengthened in our resolve to struggle for your Kingdom. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, whose coming opened the way to break down barriers and to restore unity among your divided people. Amen |
A PRAYER FOR EUROPE AND THE WORLDAlmighty God, whose purpose of love embraces the whole world,bless your Church, that we may bring your light to the European Union of which we are part. Bless this Community of Nations, that, building on the foundations of justice, truth and freedom, we may realise a unity rich enough to express all the glorious variety of its cultures, languages and customs. Grant wisdom, courage and strength to its leaders, that together we may unite people everywhere in the bonds of peace; and give us the vision to look beyond the boundaries of our Union, that we may unselfishly share our resources and bring blessing to all the world; through him who has shown us the way of justice, peace and love, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen |
PRAYERS FROM VARIOUS SOURCESEternal God, whose image lies in the hearts of all people,we live among peoples whose ways are different from ours, whose ideas are foreign to us, whose tongues are unintelligible to us. Help us to remember that you love all people with your great love, that all faith is an attempt to respond to you, that the yearnings of other hearts are much like our own, and are known to you. Help us to recognise you in the words of truth, the things of beauty, the actions of love about us. We pray through Jesus, who is a stranger to no one land more than to another, and to every land no less than to another. Amen (World Council of Churches)Destroy, O Lord, the spirit of self-seeking in individuals and nations. Give to the peoples and their leaders thoughts of peace and reconciliation. For you, O God, can find a way where human beings know not what to do. Amen (Church of Sweden)Lord Jesus Christ, you are the way of peace. Come into the brokenness of our lives and our lands with your healing love. Help us to be willing to bow before you in true repentance, and to bow to one another in real forgiveness. By the fire of your Holy Spirit, melt our hard hearts and consume the pride and prejudice which separate us. Fill us, O Lord, with your perfect love which casts out fear, and bind us together in that unity which you share with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen (Charismatic Renewal Movement, Ireland)God in heaven, we beg you: bless all who make endeavours for peace and human welfare; take from us anxiety about the future and let us contribute to the peace of the world by the way we ourselves behave. Amen (Dutch churches)Gather us, Lord, or scatter us; do as thou deemest right, building us all into one church; a church with open doors and large windows, a church that takes the world seriously, ready to work and to suffer, and even to bleed for it. Amen (Hungary)Show us, good Lord, the peace we should seek, the peace we must give, the peace we can keep, the peace we must forgo and the peace you have given in Jesus our Lord. Amen Caryl Micklem - URC |
