Worship order for Will you be my Valentine worship

Opening prayer
We arrive from many different experiences and backgrounds. Some of us have trouble speaking; others are so young that they’re still learning to talk. Some of us speak English as a second language, and others of us can speak several foreign languages. All of us share this in common
(congregation:) We speak the language of love.
In the moments before worship begins, and again when we return to the service of life, we greet one another with kind words; we chat about the days behind us and days to come, and
we speak the language of love.
We lift our voices in song — not to sing perfectly or in tune, but to hear and feel our voices form a life-giving sound; and
we speak the language of love.
As we form a web of compassionate listening when individuals among us, embodying vulnerability, name the fears that grip their hearts, the joys that buoy their spirits.
we speak the language of love.
At times, our voices clash. We disagree. Tension enters our voices as we make room for different beliefs, different opinions, different perspectives. Through it all, it's our intention that...
we speak the language of love.
In this congregation, we welcome a multiplicity of truths, and invite them to be named out loud. We prophesy, summoning the age when justice and peace will be evident all around us, and
we speak the language of love.
Let us worship together, making room for one another as whole beings, tender hearts, hungry spirits, and curious minds. With our actions and with our words, let us
...speak the language of love.

Bhajan

Let’s dwell in the love of the gospel (In unison)
Merciful God, we know that your mercy comes out of a heart which loves all of us. Pour your spirit of love upon us God that we listen to the gospel with love and great understanding. May we stand close and listen carefully and accept whole heartedly the gospel which loves us and speaks to us. Amen.

Bible reading
St. Matthew 22: 37-40
St. Matthew 25: 35-40

Confession (All together)
We have not held on to opportunities to love, care and share. Instead we build hate thinking it will be a good investment for our family. Little did we notice the sand sliding away from our feet and the tension building in our house. Love can change everything, it can do wonders. Knowing this we come to your loving presence gracious God ready and willing to love and to be loved. Amen.

Absolution
Love can make us forgive seventy times seven. Love can go beyond rules and traditions and make us whole. God never punishes. God just seems far away because we push God away. Now love will bring us near and will wipe away everything which keeps us from God and God’s loving presence. Amen.

Special song

Greetings

Sermon

Exchange of love: Will you be my Valentine?

Intercession
We pray God for gender sensitivity and acceptance of one another. May our faith and practice gently nudge others into exploring the beauty of love. Let people all around us exclaim “Look how they love one another.” We pray for a community of love which is sensitized to treat one another in love and equality. Lord, in your love towards us. Hear our prayer.

We pray, God of love, that even as flowers are exchanged and vows are made, we don’t forget the story of Valentine, who risked his life and brought couples together in matrimony. He stood for love against war, hatred and violence. Help us, God, to rid ourselves of unfounded patriarchal norms and stand for love because it is a cross against weapons, barricades, guardians of morality and cultural misconceptions. Lord, in your love towards us. Hear our prayer.

Tender and loving God, we pray that wrong cultural norms are healed by the freedom of love. May village khaps and male dominated community groups show true love to women and include women in the decision making and thereby stop one sided decisions against couples who take the bold step of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages. We pray that groups who offer safe spaces to such couples may also flourish and people all over India support mixed weddings. Lord, in your love towards us. Hear our prayer.

God of compassion, we pray for true love where people love each other wholeheartedly and where love is not limited to a couple or a family but goes much beyond that. May the love of God lead us to share our food with the hungry, welcome strangers, cloth the naked and take care of, pray for and visit the sick and destitute. We pray for Ajungla Jamir and her family on the untimely passing away of her sister. We pray for those who have experienced bereavement and those who are recovering from medical emergencies. Lord, in your love towards us. Hear our prayer.

We pray God for the World Association for Christian Communication and its functionaries and members. May they be strengthened in their work towards women empowerment and the Global Media Monitoring project. We pray for the UTC community, so that we inspire, support, love and care for one another. Lord, in your love towards us. Hear our prayer.

Affirmation of faith (In unison)
We believe in God,
who is love, whose love is manifest
in all Creation, in our lives, and in all people.

We follow Christ, who embodied God's love through Mother Mary.
In his life and ministry, his death and resurrection,
and his granting to us of his Spirit,
he filled us with that love as well.

We live by the Spirit, the presence of God's love in us.
In that love we participate in the Church, Body of Christ,
in loving God by loving our neighbors
through our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service.

Love is our faith, and it is a gift from God.
We thank God, and ask God's blessings,
that we may love in the name of Christ
and the power of the Spirit, to God's glory. Amen.

Love’s prayer (All together)
Our love who dwells in the heavens and on the earth, You are love.
May heaven be a greater present reality here on earth,
And may we choose to join you in making that happen.
Provide us today with the things that you think we need,
And may we not take for granted that which you have already provided for us.
Forgive us for when we don’t live as you intend,
And may we be ready to forgive others when they don’t live as we intend.
Guide us in your wisdom away from the things that would distort us,
And restore the parts in us that are already distorted.
You are goodness, love and truth,
May you remain in us forever. Amen.

Closing hymn- Go my children with my blessing

Closing prayer and benediction
How nice it is to let go and love. How good it is to love without boundaries and fear. How fulfilling it is to keep the love flowing, waiting not for a moment expecting something in return. We have committed ourselves to one another, promising to care for, share and respect all we come across. There are no break ups, only take ups, there are no tears shed, only emotions fed, there are no hard feelings of separation, only good memories egging on to reconciliation. May God who is love fill you with never ceasing love now and always. Amen.




Opening prayer- http://www.uua.org/worship/words/opening/we-speak-language-love

Quiet day third session worship order

Opening prayer
Open the doors of mercy to us O God, as we come broken and dejected into your presence. Our rejected selves are always looking for mercy from you. We come naked to be clothed by your mercy, we come dressed to be stripped into being merciful. We are all sinners and yet there is the great possibility of being mercy givers. Help us God to rid ourselves of all that prevents us to love and become God bearers not by being holy but by being merciful. Amen.

Thanksgiving (Together)
Let us give thanks to God for having being created as we are, with all the gifts and creativity we have received. We thank you merciful God for our parents and siblings, our family members, partner, friends, colleagues, co-participants and all those who have put in small pieces of our puzzle so that we can live a smooth life. Every second dear God is a gift. We are thankful to you God for giving us this moment. Amen.

Confession (In unison)
We confess our shortcomings of looking back and looking beyond O God our creator and in the process forgetting the moment. We have rejected what we can do in the moment and have instead got stuck in the past and are fearful of our future. Forgive our sins of silence, ignorance, hurting others, being insensitive, defensive and using our temporary positions to hurt others. Amen.

Absolution
Forgiving and receiving forgiveness is the most exciting and soothing experience one can have. God forgives us and in it God is pleased and happy. By being absolved of our sins we become free to move on and work for the benefit of God’s creation, more effective and more involved than before. May God forgive us all. Amen.

Intercession
We pray gracious God for all those who are confused about their self. What is confusion for us is only the path chosen by them. May people choose the land they want to stay in, the occupation they want to do, the preferences they have, the food they want to eat and the life style they want to have. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray merciful God that all forms of violence are shunned in society and that people may never take recourse in violence as a solution to a perceived problem. May mob violence, genocide, hate crimes, state violence, war and struggles involving loss to innocent lives come to an end. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray loving God for preparation and patience to start the lent in the hope that we will experience the life and passion of Christ and be led to the experience of resurrection. May lent mean not just diet restrictions but whole hearted change of heart to accept each other as they are and as they want to be. May lent be a time to change ourselves and not others. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for the retreat leader, for those who are attending the Quiet day retreat and those who haven’t been able to make it due to various reasons. May the soothing and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit be with us and guide us to being in fellowship with one another and may we be strengthened to do God’s work in whichever way we can. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Let us pray for our personal needs………….Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Affirmation of faith (All together)
We affirm that the creator God created us to live in peace and harmony and to be in dialogue with all. Differences are normal and dialogue is the only way to understand and accept what others are experiencing. Our mandate is to be in constant dialogue and we affirm that the absence of this creates tension and trouble and stands far from what God hopes for.
We affirm that the crucified Lord sought to speak even when remaining silent. Christ’s death on the cross was a reaching out to all who spoke the language of violence and hatred. By preaching Christ we have to also reach out to all within and outside. Our quest for dialogue should be inspired by the cross.
We affirm that the Holy Spirit moves people towards understanding and coming together. In the midst of diversity we understand that the Holy Spirit will move us to stand firm in our commitment to offer hope to the hopeless. Our faith in God transcends all tangible and intangible barriers of discontent from within.
We affirm that there cannot be hope without social justice and that the poor and marginalized have to experience hope first. Hope cannot be for a few but should be for all to feel and experience amidst the diverse contexts of injustice in our world. Hope for a few is no hope at all. Women and men together have to experience hope in its entirety.
We affirm that the communicator God inspires us to be prophetic voices of hope in society. Through strong voices we should accept our call to bring hope and change in our living contexts. The hope of resurrection was visually seen and understood by women who lived in unshakeable hope. They then passed it on to the men who had almost lost it. Amen.

Closing hymn

Lord’s prayer
Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.


Closing prayer
Violence and taking life is never a solution to anything. Let us pray that we never use violence of any form, through words, actions and inactions. May the love of Christ who overturned the violence of society and religion be with us. Be assured that those who leave violence will never die but always be alive just as Christ showed us. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forever more. Amen.

Quiet Day second session worship order

Opening prayer
Gracious God, we come into your presence thankful for the rest, restoration, renewal and revival you have offered to us. As we start a new day give us the mind and the patience to prepare ourselves to retreat and offer ourselves for realizing where we stand and where we need to go in relation with our life and our relationship with God. Open our hearts merciful God to new thoughts and creative expressions which will help our spiritual forming and nurture. Amen.

Bhajan
Bible reading
Sermon

Confession (All together)
Understanding God who knows every step we take and yet gives us the freedom to be ourselves in every way and manner, help us to realize the Godly and ungodly acts around us. We accept our inability and our inconsistency in understanding what God and belief are. We have based our faith on a powerful God forgetting that Jesus underwent the struggle of being human even while he was divine. Forgiving God we tag along with Christ on the cross in disbelief knowing that it will lead us to true belief. Amen.

Absolution
The cross is the symbol of violence and the symbol of peace. It is the chance of retribution and that of reconciliation. The right of one is the wrong of another. God always offers a way where there seems to be none anywhere. May God who felt powerless and confused on the cross in God’s effort to understand human suffering forgive our efforts directed towards capturing power, holding on to it at any cost and causing hurt to others in the process. Amen.

Intercession
We pray powerless God who chose to be powerless and confused for the sake of humanity and showed us true love is when we give up our power and our positions. Help us to give up power in churches and instead to form communities of love, sacrifice, caring and understanding. We pray for churches which are undergoing turmoil based on arguments on basic fundamental human rights and governance. We are very well part of such churches and we seek your guidance our friend God to do good and dispel harm in our communities of faith. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for Lance Naik Hanamanthappa who was rescued six days after being buried alive in the Siachen glacier. We pray for his family who are undergoing mixed feelings and are confused to the core on the happenings. We hope that you help him recover and come back to a life to be lived with his family and friends. We also pray for peace on our borders with Pakistan and China and friendly relations with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Nepal. May we stop trying to become a super power and rather be a super peer concerned about the good will of our neighbours just as we are about our citizens. Lord in our mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for gender justice in India and the world. It is after all based on the concept of patriarchy which is associated with power and conquest. May this wrong notion of power end and bring about a life based on Christ on the cross where we are shown the vulnerability, the powerlessness, the love and the sacrifice of God. May we as a church come together to speak against gender violence and bring about equal participation in church and society. Power and might can never be a criteria for the church and for living a harmonious life. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for those affected by the Zika virus and various diseases all over the world. We realize that these are the result of our wish to conquer the world and markets. Pharmaceutical companies, media, governments and middle men come together to make sure that people are always dependent on vaccines, medicines and money to escape all forms of viruses. May Christ on the cross be a model for a more sustainable and ecofriendly living which gives space for all forms of creation to exist side by side not based on power but on powerlessness. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are still in abject poverty because of wrong government policies and decisions. It is a sin that people on earth are dying of hunger and there is no justification for this. We pray that governments and dispensations encouraging war to capture power will turn around and encourage peace because we can’t capture one another as everything belongs to God, who by God’s own decision chose to give up everything. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for the UTC community. Help us O God to prepare ourselves to accept each other, live with one another knowing that those who want to be first have to be last and those who want to be served, have to serve. May we this day and in the days to come accept each other whole heartedly and work as sisters and brothers with the model of Christ on the cross as our inspiration. We pray for those who are sick, recovering from ailments, undergoing stress, trying to overcome fears and putting in their best in studies and their life on this campus. May we hold hands and live as one despite coming from different backgrounds and churches. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Affirmation of faith (In unison standing)
We believe in God, the powerless initiator who
created heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the compassionate Holy Spirit,
born of the ever sacrificing Virgin Mary,
suffered under the powerful Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the powerless dead.
On the third day he rose again without power;
he ascended into heaven because he lowered himself,
is seated at the right hand of God,
and will come again to assemble the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the one powerless church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Closing hymn- On a Hill Far Away (The Old rugged cross)

Lord’s prayer
Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing prayer and benediction
How nice it is to put off all burdens and pressures from our shoulders. The pressure of administration, church work, studies, research, teaching, living and praying need not be done alone but can be a collective effort. How good it is to know that even Christ was confused even up till the cross. Go in peace, knowing that we know nothing and yet that is something. We cannot have everything in life but through God we share the gift of something which will be our everything this day and in the days to come. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us now and forever more. Amen.

Quiet Day first session worship order

Order of worship
Opening prayer
God is in our midst. Shall we forget about our bothersome thoughts and burdens and concentrate on the presence of God, our friend and companion in happiness and in sadness. We thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to come together for a quiet time of reflection. Instigate and challenge us we pray to realize the truth of the gospel and live in hope and joy. Amen.

Bhajan
Bible reading
Skit
Sermon
Confession
How far we have come away from you dear God? How close can we get? We have concentrated on scandals of popular culture and have forgotten the scandal of all time, the scandal of the cross. This is a scandal for a rich and self-consuming culture but a reality and joy for us that rejection by humans is acceptance by God. We come to your presence gracious God offering ourselves in humble state mindful of our short comings and sins. Forgive us and give us the strength to move on. Amen.

Absolution
A confessing heart is worth an entire life time’s wait, an understanding mind is the work of decades of humility, the grace of God is possible through the realization of a moment that what was done was wrong. May God pardon us all and may we go in peace to prepare ourselves to accept each other and work together. Amen.

Intercession
We pray that acts of violence and gross injustice are not repeated but that we come to understand each other and live in this world and country as one. None of us own what we inhabit but it all belongs to God the creator. We pray that acts of intolerance as was seen in Bangalore last week are not repeated and pray for the Tanzanian student who was affected by the mob attack on her. May her recovery be speedy through our bold and sure acts of assurance as by our strong prayer for her. Help us to live together as the present and future of the world is in living together and in harmony. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for Rohit Vemula and for his bereaved family, friends and comrades. We hope that his death does not settle down and go for nothing but will rather lead to people stopping caste and racial violence and will work in the interest of the poor and down trodden. May we see Christ in each other and may we understand the scandal of the cross from the perspective of those who suffer and find it difficult to make ends meet. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for the one million refugees and migrants who crossed over to Europe in 2015. We pray for Syria, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Albania, Pakistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Serbia and Ukraine from where they are migrating. May war and violence end and may people be able to go back to their homes and land. We also pray for the countries hosting them and accepting them, to find the ways to fight internal problems of anti-refugee movements and nationalism related threats and help in this massive movement to help each other and offer houses to one another just as Christ would have done. It may be a scandal to others but it is what has to be done. We pray that repressive regimes will accept proposals of peace and joint administration and stop killing innocent people. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for free education, food, shelter, and jobs for the unreached in India. Even as we enjoy food we pray that right to food, right to education and right to a job become fundamental guarantees to all residents of this nation. This may sound scandalous to many but reservation is only a social corrective where the downtrodden will get a chance to feel the same as everyone else. We pray that community specific jobs are done away with and people can choose the job they want and every job will have its own dignity. May tables not be reserved for the rich and the famous but be open equally for all. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for those assembled here and for the UTC community, its well-wishers, friends and all those who have stepped into the campus and have had some association with this college and campus. Gracious God have mercy on us and allow us to enter the preparation of understanding your sacrifice and passion for us. May we forgive each other and seek forgiveness from one another. We submit our own wishes and needs and put forward our fears and sorrows. Fill each one of us with your mercy loving God. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Affirmation of faith
We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.


Lord’s prayer
Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing prayer and benediction
We have seen a scandal, we were part of a scandal, and we are because of a scandal! May the divine scandal of Christ Jesus be with us and strengthen us to teach, preach and practice the gospel as assurance for many, acceptance of all and liberation of the poor. May God be with us all. Go in peace and go in assurance of God’s presence with us. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forever more. Amen.

Quiet day/retreat worship order

Opening prayer
With all my heart I praise the LORD, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! With all my heart I praise the LORD! I will never forget how kind he has been. The LORD forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle. (Psalm 103:1-5) Gracious and merciful God, we congregate again in your presence seeking your guidance for everything that we do. May we come to terms with the difficult times and pain that we have experienced over the last one year. Let this worship be a time to forgive and move on rather than to get stuck in time and be bitter over past experiences. Be with us God as we prepare to take the very difficult step of forgiving others. Amen.
Bhajan

Bible reading

Skit

Sermon

Confession
We seek forgiveness from you God for all the ways in which we have gone against your commandments and wishes. We come to your abode of mercy and ask you to forgive us so that we may move on with our lives and do your will. Triune God, we have done unspeakable and unimaginable things to others because of our own insecurities and misunderstandings. Be with us at this time to reassure us that you are with us when we want to take the difficult step of forgiving others for what they have done to us. May our forgiveness not be conditional but be natural and expressive and from the heart. We confess in all faithfulness and sincerity. Have mercy on us O God. Amen.

Assurance of pardon
God is so merciful and slow to anger. God is loving, caring and understanding. God is always present in our lives, minds and bodies. God always sees and appreciates a confessing heart. The big step to confess from our part is now reciprocated with double the intensity by God who loves us in every way and loves us more. May God forgive your sins and make you wholesome, kind and at peace with yourself. Amen.

Intercession
We pray for the deceased former president of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. May his life be an inspiration to many and may people all over the country who are in mourning be assured by the peace of God which passes all understanding. We hope that his life and thoughts live on and that people sacrifice for the sake of the country and the world transcending class, caste and religion. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We seek honest, just and inclusive approaches by the government and other ruling dispensations. Let decisions be made on the basis of thorough investigations and compassion. May people share what God has given freely so that poverty, hunger and homelessness will be a thing of the past. God shows no partiality and may we also learn to treat everyone the same. May we all work together for the present and future of people in the church and society. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are in need of pastoral care and our time and proximity. We pray that those who are lonely may be visited, those who are hungry may be fed, those who thirsty may be filled, those who are naked may be clothed and those who are sick may be healed. May their problems be ours and may we embrace others into our life and treat them as family. Help us God, son and Holy Spirit to minister to those in need and spare time for those who need our presence, our comforting words and support. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for the environment and all that is in it. May we be able to figure out how to share and live in harmony. We are stewards and care takers. Let us not possess land and resources and hoard food to please our own appetites. Instead let us allow God’s creation to breathe, live and survive. The world is not ours to do as we wish. Instead it is God’s and God has given it to us to take care, to water and to let grow. Let togetherness be brought out by sharing spaces with human beings, animals, trees and every living organism. Let not greed but need determine our actions. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We intercede for the UTC community of children, women and men. Help us God to use this wonderful opportunity to live with and understand people from different cultures. May we share food, stories, history, love and human hood with one another. When one falls let the other support, when one cries let the other cry along, when one feels excluded from a circle let us make wider and newer circles. In all that we do let it be done knowing that we are a small but significant community, experimenting and strengthening faith, belief and ecumenism. Help us God to help ourselves and in the process help one another. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

We pray for the sick and those who are in need of healing and help from God. We pray for the bereaved families of those who died in the terrorist attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab. We pray for those who are battling cancer, heart problems, back problems, tumors, neurology related issues, dengue, viral fever and other sickness. We also pray for those studying various courses, looking for jobs, running counseling centers, hospitals and palliative care units. May we pray for each other and offer our support by being present in the day to day struggles of people. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Lord’s prayer

Prayer of forgiveness
Triune God we pray that you forgive us for our short comings and give us the strength to forgive those who have hurt us in any way. May we accept those we have to live with and work with and move on, forgetting the past and concentrating on the present and the future. Be with us Holy Spirit as we do what we are uncomfortable to do but which we have to so that we receive inner peace and healing. (Please shake the hand of those next to you and forgive those who you think have done anything against you and say…) “I forgive you in the name of God, Son and Holy Spirit and pray for you and your soul just as I hope you will pray for mine.” Amen.

Hymn

Closing prayer and benediction
Forgiving is not admitting defeat but healing our own inner beings. By forgiving we are becoming stronger and being freed of any bondage that has bound us for long. Go out from here into the world as agents of forgiveness, touching and healing the lives of people you come across. Laugh, celebrate and accept one another in big ways and reflect Christ in what you do. You are healed and you are being sent forth to be healers and people of God. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us all. Amen

(First term Quiet day worship.)

Annual General Meeting worship order

Opening prayer.
God, son and Holy Spirit, thank you for good rest, travel mercies and the opportunity to gather together. Lead us today to submit our thoughts, reasoning and fears before you. You God are our existence, creation and continuity. Our father and mother, our healer and sustainer, bless us today to understand who we are and what we are in association with others. We are your children and wait anxiously for your touch and guidance. We are willing to reform ourselves in new ways which are sometimes unknown and around corners not visible, but nevertheless exciting and necessary. Jesus Christ, new paths are sometimes dangerous and non-existent but with your inspiration we will get the courage to try and create new paths which will offer sustenance for those following. Holy Spirit, fill us with the courage to stand and lead well. Amen.

Bhajan

Bible reading

Reflection

Confession (all together)
Forgive us gracious God for not looking at each other, understanding one another and travelling closer together. We have slipped into known and easy ways and are standing on the reformations and laurels brought about by people gone by. Allow us Christ Jesus to understand our short comings and submit ourselves in prayer before the comforting and assuring presence of God. Reignite Holy Spirit the flame inside us and may we get up first and account for the sins we have committed rather than looking to justifying our sins by identifying the sins of others. Amen.

Assurance of pardon
Is there anything beyond and impossible for God? We are capable of everything by the one who strengthens us. God assures us of forgiveness when we reform ourselves and come into the presence of God with only our shortcomings to talk about. Feel the peace of God while experiencing the pain of accepting our faults. God forgives us, parting with the grace of God which fills us with food for now and for the way. Amen.

Thanksgiving
We give thanks to you God for creating us, reforming us and remolding us. As a communion of believers we thank God for the UTC and the various staff, students, council members and church leaders and laity members of churches who work to take this institution forward on a daily basis. We thank you Creator God for the idea which went into the starting of the UTC. We thank you Jesus for challenging generations of teachers, administrators, staff, students and church leaders who have sacrificed their time, resources and ideas for theological education in India. We thank you Holy Spirit for those who have passed on and passed by into a better place. May we be thankful and grateful for what we have got as a gift and a responsibility from God. Amen.

Affirmation of faith (in unison)
We believe in God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Intercession
We pray for the UTC and its teaching ministry. Gracious God, help the president, principal, secretary, bishops, council members, teachers, staff and students to get together and work hard to express theology that is useful for people in the church to worship God and get close to God, and for those outside the church to feel attracted and welcomed into the church. May the UTC move forward in togetherness and genuine love. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Merciful God, we pray for church leaders, pastors, lay leaders and church members who are involved with church ministry and working for the benefit of the church and society. Grant strength and eternal hope for them and us to strive hard and go ahead with what we are doing so that we are and become faithful co-workers in God’s kingdom. Fill us with the Holy Spirit and let the Holy Spirit guide us in what we plan and do. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Loving God, we urge you to inspire different people in civil society and the grass roots to stand for justice and peace. Allow us to co-ordinate and network with those who stand for the poor, dalits, women and people from several groups who are oppressed. We also pray for people in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Nigeria and other places who are suffering from terrorism and religious fundamentalism. We also pray for migrants trying to cross into parts of Europe. May humans stop killing humans and groups stop resorting to violence to achieve narrow goals. We pray that the love of God influence people and may people live together in harmony. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Creative and sustaining God, initiate in us the sense of creativity so that we may find solutions where there doesn’t seem to be any. Help us search for new partnerships, friendships, relationships and allow churches to function in one accord so that people and the world at large will see the benefit of a unified church. Let us God come together for common good and with the understanding that the cross of Christ will lead us towards working together under the assuring presence of Christ Jesus, not to fight and go to war but to stand for the poor and the downtrodden. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.


Lord’s prayer
Our God in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.


Closing hymn: Great is thy faithfulness

Closing prayer and benediction
Gracious God, we seek your guidance and thoughts on how to go about the deliberations that will follow. Jesus Christ, allow us to emphasize our framework for discussions on children, women and poor in society and the church. Holy Spirit, speak to us and put apt words in our minds that what we say may lead to action which seeks justice for all and especially for the least and the last. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forever and may God the triune and eternal reality be with the deliberations of the Annual General Meeting. Amen.

(Prepared for AGM held on August 8, 2015 at ERC, UTC.)

Worship for the young at heart

United Theological College, Bangalore
Sunday evening worship order, October 19, 2014
(The worship has been modeled as a youth worship. This reflects in the songs, its style, skits, sermon and over all model of worship.)


Call to worship
Ensemble with electric guitar and drums.

Let’s do this now
The power of the youth is manifested in a young son of God, who fought and died young and stood for the expression of raw humanity. O Jesus, our all, help make us do this worship now. Create in us the energy to groove, move and woo. Let everything be for your glory and name. Bless our raw and untapped potential dear Lord and make us the instruments of your cause and truth. Amen.

Listen to the name of the Lord
Song 1

Truth never lies: Bible reading 1. (Can we have an amen for the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen.)

Song 2

For your eyes only: Bible reading 2. (Praise be to God. Amen. Praise be to God. Amen.)


I can feel it Lord: Bible reading 3. (Yes Jesus. You are our Lord. You are our Lord.)

Thank you Jesus
Loving Jesus, you are our all. Whenever we have fallen, you have held us up. Whenever we cried, you dried our tears. Whenever we were thrown out you received us into your presence. We thank you and we praise your name. You have accepted us, renewed us and kept us from falling. We appreciate your closeness and your interest in us. Keep us close to you that we may never stray away and lose ourselves. Let all glory be yours. Amen.

Skit: I am who I am: Low waist (waste) jeans


Sermon



Jesus matters and the spirit spatters
Let’s hold each other’s hands and pray with and to God. We have been kept away and kept far. We have been told to be quiet. We come to you Lord Jesus and pour out our minds to you. Lead us well and help us to speak when it matters. Let not our thoughts be insulated by conventions and instead allow us to express ourselves in your name and with your spirit. Keep us awake and strong. May we be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have mercy on us O Lord.

Lord Jesus you gave up your life for us. Help us to be selfless and loving. There are many who need our hugs and love. There are many who are crying in a corner and wish to be included. Help us to stop being selfish and start looking at the needs of others. If you could give your young life for us, help us to offer our young lives to you and your glory. Have mercy on us O Lord.

Holy spirit, fill us with goodness and love. Fill us with your will to work and care. Make us spirit filled and worthy of the name of your spirit. Fill us O Spirit with your fire and intensity. We pray for all the young and old in this world. We pray for true understanding and above all we pray for the need to sacrifice ourselves for those who are suffering. We pray for the youth in India and all over the world. We pray for those who are being illegally held, trafficked, violated, murdered and stifled. Help us to rise in anger and become your agents for fighting against unjust structures in the world. Have mercy on us O Lord.

We pray for UTC O Lord. We pray for accommodation for all, good education and molding by your spirit. We pray for all those who are living the dream of theological learning in UTC, both staff and students. We pray for those who are working hard to provide a good life for the others in the community. We pray that your spirit of youth and change overcome us and help us to be different in every way, just as you yourself were. We pray for those who have passed away and those who are down with sickness. Have mercy on us O Lord.

Yes, we admit
We admit Lord Jesus of silence when we were supposed to speak for others. We admit Holy Spirit of indifference when we were supposed to take a stand. We admit God of unwillingness to pray when others asked us for our prayers. We admit that we have fallen from your grace. Amen.

God is love
Look at each other. Feel each other’s presence. Isn’t there a need to accept our sins? Haven’t we all let down the person next to us in some way or the other? God is aware of our naughtiness and our conspiracies. But Christ Jesus came that we may live, and live life abundantly. Let’s mend our ways and accept God’s love in fullness. Amen. (Hold each other’s hands.)

We believe
We believe in God who created everyone young and hoped that youthfulness would remain in our hearts and minds. We believe in our friend and Lord Jesus Christ who gave his youth for us so that we may have youth and energy in our lives. We believe in the Spirit who gives us the spirit of redeeming youthfulness even when we are tired. We believe in Mary who believed despite being young and vulnerable. We believe in the apostles who followed and were inspired by a young Jesus who sought revolutionary changes in society. We believe in one coming together, where we believe in one God, one Jesus and one Spirit. We believe that a youthful response to God’s call will lead us to deeper understanding and unity in the church. Amen.

A young Lord’s prayer
Our God who are in our midst, glory be to your name. Your world be ours, your will be ours, here and there. Give us today good cheer, proper understanding and food for sustenance and forgive us as we are supposed to forgive those in our lives. Save us from evil thoughts and have us with you always. For we are yours, now and always. Amen.

Songs
Yo dude, go in peace
We are not perfect but all is never lost. Christ Jesus is ever young and ever living inside us, the Holy Spirit is ever refreshing us and God is ever a comforting mother and father to us. There is a lot to journey and a lot to look forward to. Go peacefully, go joyfully and go youthfully, refreshed and regained. May God bless you. Amen.