Christianity

Service

We invite you to prepare yourselves for worship with the following silent prayer:

God of Mercy, open my heart and mind to your presence and peace. Hold me in this time of prayer and worship, that I might be open to new insight and life. Amen

WE COME TOGETHER AS GOD'S PEOPLE

• Call to Worship
• Prayer of Approach/ Opening Prayer
• Prayer of Confession
• Kyrie (Lord, have mercy)
• Words of Assurance

LISTENING FOR GOD'S PRESENCE

• Readings
• Sermon
• Children's story

OFFERING OURSELVES IN SERVICE

• Prayers of the People
• Offering and/or the Presentation of the gifts
• A Paraphrase of The Lord's Prayer
• Commissioning and Benediction

---

WE COME TOGETHER AS GOD'S PEOPLE

Call to Worship:

Leader:
Blessed are those who come seeking God's wisdom and hope in Jesus.

People:
For he has revealed a vision of a new reality, and opened to us a new way of seeing. We will look where he points, and we will trust in him who gives us sightings of God's realm of justice and peace.

Leader:
Let us worship God whose grace draws us here and who enlightens our eyes.¹

Prayer of Approach/ Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, lover of every soul, you have drawn us to yourself and named us your church. But you have never intended that we should become ingrown and inward-looking in our fellowship. Give us the grace to look honestly at ourselves, and as we worship this day help us to be willing to hear your challenge to a broadened inclusivity. May our hearts be expanded and may the boundaries we put around ourselves crumble. May our loving increasingly reflect your own, and be a faithful witness to you in the world.² Amen.

Prayer of Confession Responsive Psalm 51: 1-14

Leader:
Have mercy on me, O, God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

People:
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

Leader:
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.

People:
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.

Leader:
Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.

People:
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Leader:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

People:
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Leader:
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.

People:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.

Leader:
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.

People:
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Leader:
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

People:
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.³

Words of Assurance

As Jesus spoke assurance from the cross to the criminals on either side, so Christ mediates the love and forgiveness of God to us. This is grace, freedom, and peace. Thanks be to God and to Jesus the Christ!⁴

1 Adapted from Lectern Resource 30.1, www.logosproductions.com
2 Excerpt from Lectern Resource 30.3, www.logosproductions.com
3 Psalm 51: 1-14, from The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 1989.
4 Adapted from Lectern Resource 31.4, www.logosproductions.com

---

LISTENING FOR GOD'S PRESENCE

Readings

Sermon: Wisdom Gained From Experience

Those of us who are privileged see the world through a different lens from those who lack the resources they need for comfortable living. We see justice in different ways, and since justice is an integral part of who God is, we also see God in different ways.

Jesus came into the world to turn it upside down; to dispel apathy and greed and self-centredness. He spoke of a world in which the first should be last and the greatest teachers should be little children - the least of society. If we are truly to understand the Christian message of justice, we must turn our own worlds upside down and look at life, as Jesus did, through a different lens. In so doing, we momentarily place ourselves in the shoes and lives of those who are not like us, and who we may not like, but who are nonetheless, children of God; also made in God's image.

".the Bible speaks of restorative justice - a time when individuals and society will experience the fullness of life that God intended at creation." We read about this in the prophets, but it is easy to miss the true meaning. "That God calls for justice means far more than punishment for individual wrongdoing. It also means that God calls for a just society."¹⁰

Restorative justice springs from a deep conviction that God is at work amongst us, particularly with the oppressed. God does not only expect us to practice fairness in our own lives. He also demands that we build a just society. Our realization of this, forever colours our view of politics, economics, and yes, even religion. Life as seen from our "comfortable pews", is not enough. We must also experience life through the eyes of those for whom justice is not a daily reality. We must look at life from the other side.

From our position of privilege then, we could begin by looking at those who have little, remembering that life can be viewed as a pie-chart; the more of the earth's resources we consume, the less there is for the have-nots of society. Again, this applies not only to individuals, but also to societies and nations. As Canadians we are privileged in many ways. We must adjust our lenses and place ourselves amongst those who are not so fortunate.

Ivone Gebara, speaking of the streets of Brazil says: "Poverty triggers the evil of powerlessness and worthlessness. Not only does self-contempt take over, but so does an utter inability to change a dreadful situation. Thus poverty intersects with other ills and demands a concern for mercy and justice. . Powerlessness . is characterized by a certain resistance to change, an insensitivity towards others' troubles, immobility in one's own suffering, inability to find some alternative."¹¹ So if those who are rendered powerless because of our actions, are unable to make the changes that will bring them to their rightful place in a just society, then it is up to us to make those changes, so that resources may be distributed more equitably, and all may benefit. If we begin by making small changes in our own lives, perhaps we can begin to change the world into the just society that God calls for.

But it is not as simple as deciding to use our resources more wisely. For women living in the ghettos of Brazil, power is linked to their ability to find food for their families. This food is found in the trash that wealthier people throw away. So for we who have much, we may view it as inconsiderate to be wasteful and to litter the streets. For those who have little, it is their salvation. Where then, is justice in this scenario?

Jesus said, "the poor will be with us always". What did he mean? Although we are called to insist that our societies behave in a responsible manner; to ensure that the have-nots get what they need, for God it is not about economics. It is about people. It is about caring for those we don't know, as much as we care about ourselves. It is about drawing all into the circle of humanity. It is about caring enough when one person drops out of the circle, to seek her out and restore her to wholeness. It is about protecting the innocent from harm, and forgiving those who cause harm and despair in others.

And the Lord said: "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.¹²

"God is manifest not in the mighty wind or the earthquake or the fire, but very tactfully in the whisper of a gentle breeze that is incapable of crushing or burying anyone."¹³

The task of justice is ongoing, and God is there for all who survive the aftermath of crime. It is not only the victim and the offender who are affected by crime, but also their friends, families, those they work with, their communities and their nations. In these days of mass media, to a certain extent we are all affected by crime. It is not a question of whether evil exists, but how we choose to cope with it in our lives, continuing to believe in and seek a just society for all. We must use the wisdom we gain from experience, to heal our societies, in order to prevent crime from happening in the future.

Sometimes crime is the result of thoughtlessness, such as teen-age pranks or driving too fast. There is no ill will intended. While our hearts ache for the victims, we can also identify with the offenders and their families as they try to come to terms with the harm their selfish actions have caused.

Is it more difficult for an offender or a victim to forgive? It is only through an honest need to understand the other that forgiveness can take place. And in order to understand the other, we must love and understand ourselves and our own actions. When we do this honestly and without reservation, we see something of God in ourselves and also in the other. Through understanding comes acceptance and hope for the future. From experience - wisdom.

Where is God when justice as we understand it seems to be missing? Does God control all things and all acts? If so, what kind of God allows crime to happen?

God does not judge. He comes as the gentle breeze, in the still, small voice after the earthquake, wind and fire. He anguishes over our human frailty that causes us to harm ourselves and others. God loves each one of us, and he works at helping us to love and trust in ourselves. We are made in God's image, and that image is love. Without love we cannot live together in community, and without community we cannot seek to ensure that justice rules in society. The Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed, demands a reign of love and justice - the very essence of who God is. It is required of each one of us.

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.¹⁴

Children's Story: Making Choices

What does it mean when someone says to you that "you have to make a choice"? What does the word "choice" or "choose" mean? Right, it means to decide something, that you have two or three things you can do and that you must decide which one you will do. Can you give me some examples of choices that you have had to make already this morning? (Some answers might include choosing what clothes to wear, or what cereal to eat for breakfast etc.) We make choices many times throughout the day without really thinking much about it. You are making a choice right this second about whether to listen to what I am saying, or to think about something else!

Jesus was concerned about helping us to make choices in the way that we act; how we treat others; how we follow God. For instance, if two of you were to suddenly start to talk and giggle during this story in a way that would disturb the other children, what would be some of your choices? What are some of the choices that might make the problem worse? What could you do that wouldn't make it either better or worse?

Now, what are some of the choices for you to help make the situation better? Sometimes the right choices are the hardest ones to make. If you asked quietly for the two children to stop, perhaps they would get mad at you, or start to tease you. But Jesus wants us to do what we think is right, even when this means making hard choices.

What happens when you are with a friend who wants to play a different game from the game you want to play? What happens when someone forgets their book in school and others refuse to share? If you accidentally break something that belongs to your mother or father, what do you do? If you tell the truth, what is likely to happen? If you say you didn't do it, what is likely to happen? When your friend cuts her finger and you run home for a Band-Aid for her, what will the result be?

Probably the hardest choice to make is when someone has done something wrong to you, and you have the choice of staying angry or deciding to forgive that person. Forgiving someone can be very hard, especially if you feel really hurt by what was done. But Jesus is always ready to forgive you and me, and that is the choice he wants us to make, as soon as we are able to.

Let's pray: Dear God, when we have hard choices to make, we thank you that with Jesus' help we can make them. Help us, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.⁵

5 Adapted from Children's Sermon Series, Feb 27, 1994. www.logosproductions.com. Dick Underdahl-Peirce, "Making Choices".
10 Cliff Lyda, "From Charity to Justice", in Just Preaching: Prophetic Voices for Economic Justice. (St Louis: Chalice Press, 2003), p 187
11 Ivone Gebara, Out of the Depths: Women's Experience of Evil and Salvation. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002) p 42
12 1 Kings 19: 11-12, from The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 1989.
13 Gustavo Gutierrez, On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent. (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2003), p 78
14 Micah 6:8, from The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 1989.

---

OFFERING OURSELVES IN SERVICE

Prayers of the People

O God, whose voice we hear in the earthquake, wind and fire
and also in the stillness of night,
speak to us now of justice.
For the sake of the whole human race,
give us courage to speak boldly
on behalf of those who have no voice.
Give us courage to act boldly
for those who have few choices about life.
Give us courage to intercede boldly
when someone is causing injury to another.
Forgive us when we shut our eyes to the vast needs of others.
Forgive us if we use pious words as a substitute for action.
Inspire and strengthen us to improve the quality of life for others.
O God, whose voice we hear in the earthquake, wind and fire
and also in the stillness of the night,
by the power of your Holy Spirit
help us to bring about wholeness and justice.⁶

(Prayers for local and global issues could be inserted here)

Offering and/or the Presentation of the gifts

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God all creatures high and low;
Give thanks to God in love made known;
Creator, Word and Spirit, One.

A Paraphrase of The Lord's Prayer: (In unison)

Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that shall be.
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
For trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.⁸

Commissioning and Benediction

May the gospel awaken us,
The grace of Christ free us,
The love of God heal us,
And the Spirit empower us,
This day and forever. Amen⁹

And now, go in peace, and may the God of peace go with you. Amen

This Order of Service was prepared under contract for the Correctional Service of Canada by the Church Council on Justice and Corrections. Additional faith-based resources on Restorative Justice are available on the web site of both Correctional Services Canada www.csc-scc.gc.ca and the Church Council on Justice and Corrections www.ccjc.ca

6 Excerpt from The Whole People of God, 2000-2001, www.logosproductions.com
7 Voices United: A Hymn and Worship Book, (Toronto: The United Church Publishing House, 1996), # 541
8 Voices United: A Hymn and Worship Book, (Toronto: The United Church Publishing House, 1996), p 916
9 Louise Mangan in Living the Christ Life (Wood Lake Books, 2001)