Sunday – 08 of September of 2013
16th Sunday after Pentecost
Opening liturgy
Prelude
Greeting
L “Blessed are those who work for peace for God will call them his children!” (Mt 5: 9).
Welcome to this worship service to celebrate the faith in the God who motivates us to work for peace and against all types of violence.
Apostolic greeting
L The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C And also with you!
C (sing) Onde dois ou três me invocam a orar com eles estarei. Ali estarei, ali estarei. Onde dois ou três me invocam a orar, com eles estarei.
[Where two or three call on me in prayer I will be with them there. I will be there, I will be there. Where two or three call on me in prayer I will be with them there. ]
Confession of sins
L This worship service takes place in the company of representatives of churches who are concerned with overcoming violence. For violence is in the world, in society and in us. This diabolical evil has many facets and many ways of installing itself in us, among us and in the social structures. As persons and as the church, where have we omitted ourselves? Where did we not assume our responsibility? In silence, let us confess to God our sins, our contribution to violence and our indifference toward it. (Silence)
L I was raped. What did you do?
...In the elevator, they looked me up and down. I felt like garbage. Who supported me?
...Without home, family, affection. Who hugged me?
...I left prison. Who believed in me?
...At home, I feel as if I don’t exist... I am noone!
...I am different ... I am despised!
...At the end of life, my company is solitude....
L God of mercy! Heal us of indifference, individualism, relational coldness, lack of a sense of community and of social and political involvement. Forgive us, o Lord and give us the conditions to begin again a new day, a new life, a new society, a new world. With an open heart we cry to you:
C (sing) Perdão, Senhor, perdão (2x) [Forgive, o Lord, forgive (2x)]
Announcement of Grace
L God hears us, perceives our supplication and forgives us because he loved the world in such a way that he gave his only Son, so that all who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Amen.
Kyrie
L As forgiven persons, freed from ourselves, let us look to the world and identify the pains of people suffering violence.
C (sing) Pelas dores deste mundo, ó Senhor, imploramos piedade [For the troubles of this world, o Lord, we call upon your mercy]
Pelas dores deste mundo, ó Senhor, imploramos piedade. A um só tempo geme a criação.
Teus ouvidos se inclinem ao clamor desta gente oprimida. Apressa-te com tua salvação!
A tua paz, bendita e irmanada co’a justiça, abrace o mundo inteiro. Tem compaixão!
O teu poder sustente o testemunho do teu povo. Teu Reino venha a nós! Kyrie eleison!
For the troubles and the sufferings of the world, God, we call upon your mercy: the whole creation’s laboring in pain!
Lend an ear to the rising cry for help from oppressed and hopeless people. Come! Hasten your salvation, healing love!
We pray for peace, the blessed peace that comes from making justice, to cover and embrace us. Have mercy, Lord! We pray for power, the power that will sustain your people’s witness: until your Kingdom come, kyrie eleison!
Prayer of the Day
L God of goodness and mercy, we give you thanks because you show us paths of overcoming violence, of flourishing of peace and of rest. You lead us in the path of life with meekness. Come, o God, and give us your Word of light and truth and gladden us with your presence in the Holy Communion. Open our minds and our hearts to receive and accept what you, today, offer us. Through Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns today and always. Amen.
C (sing) Quando o povo se reúne [When the people gather together] HPD 336
1. When the people gather to praise God together, they do not close in on themselves, they do not forget to love. Many suffer on the streets and can no longer struggle. //:The praise of God teaches us to share his grace. ://
2. When the people gather to pray in silence, they do not only pray for themselves: they wish to remember the little ones. God gave us his life but in the world it suffers. //: Creation which is destroyed is brought in our prayer. ://
3. When the people gather together to attentively hear the Gospel, they perceive that in the world there are thousands of voices that elude. The Word challenges, it doesn’t let us be accommodated. //: The message which brings life wants to reach the afflicted. ://
Liturgy of the Word
Bible readings
First reading
L The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 30: 15-20
C (sing) Senhor, que a tua palavra transforme a nossa vida.
Queremos caminhar com retidão na tua luz.
[Lord, may your Word transform our life.
We want to walk in righteousness in your light.]
L The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke 14: 25-33,
ALELUIA!
C (sing) Aleluia, aleluia, aleluia!
L Reading of the Gospel
L The Word of the Lord!
C Let us give thanks to God.
Sermon (See here)
C (sing) Nós cremos todos num só Deus (HPD 88) [We all believe in one God]
1. We all believe in one true God, who created earth and heaven, The Father who to us in love has the right of children given. He in soul and body feeds us; all we need his hand provides us; through all snares and perils leads us. Watching that no harm betide us, He care for us by day and night. All things are governed by his might.
2. We all believe in Jesus Christ, His own Son, our Lord, possessing an equal Godhead, throne, and might, Source of every grace and blessing; Born of Mary, virgin mother, by the power of the spirit, Word made flesh, our elder brother; that the lost might life inherit, was put to death upon the cross, and raised by God victorious.
3. We all confess the Holy Ghost who, in highest heaven dwelling with God the Father and the Son, comforts us beyond all telling; Who the Church, his own creation, keeps in unity of spirit. Here forgiveness and salvation daily come through Jesus’ merit. All flesh shall rise, and we shall be in bliss with God eternally. Amen.
Gathering of offerings
- National destiny: accompaniment of theological students
General prayer
L God of love,
We thank you for this community gathered here and for the faith that unites people of different regions and contexts of the world. In this unity, we pray for all people who struggle with much courage to overcome violence against women, children, adolescents, youth, elderly, ethnic and sexual groups. We pray for all people who denounce the violence and struggle for it to be overcome.
We pray for those people who give testimony of a life transformed by the divine grace and love and who spare no efforts to place themselves at the side of people who suffer, offering their ears to listen to their pains and extending their hands to heal their wounds.
C (sing) Oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum. Oculi nostri ad Dominum nostrum.
Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam. Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam.
[Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God. Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God.]
We pray for all the institutions and shelters which take in victims and survivors of violence and for the NGOs which fight for the defense of the rights of impoverished people. We pray for the authorities that they may carry out their role in favor of justice for all people.
We pray for your church represented here and spread throughout the world and for this congregation. That they may be proclaimers of the full and abundant life offered by Jesus for all people.
C (sing) Oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum. Oculi nostri ad Dominum nostrum.
Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam. Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam.
[Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God. Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God.]
We pray for those who are ill...; for those grieving....; for those who are depressed...; for those who are forgotten in their pain... and for those whose voice is smothered in the family, in the churches and in society.
We also pray for us, so that we may have courage and audacity in the quest for a new world of peace, justice and the overcoming of all types of violence.
C (sing) Oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum. Oculi nostri ad Dominum nostrum.
Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam. Em ti, ó Deus, nossos olhos esperam.
[Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God. Our eyes are turned to you Lord, o God.]
God of love, you know all that which is kept in the silence of our heart. Accept what we bring to you in prayer, in the name of Jesus, our redeemer. Amen.
Holy Communion liturgy
Preparation of the table
L The elements of the Holy Communion and the offerings are brought to the table together with the symbols which represent the struggle for real signs of violence overcome in different contexts. While this takes place, we sing:
C (sing) Dai louvor ao Senhor. Ele é tão bondoso, sua misericórdia, dura para sempre.
Danket, danket dem Herrn, denn es ist sehr freundlich, seine Güt und Wahrheit, währet ewiglich.
Praise the Lord, he is so gracious, his mercy endures forever.
Offertory prayer
L God of tenderness! We give you thanks because you take us in as we are, where we are. In gratefulness to you we bring with us our joy in being able to share our struggles for overcoming violence in our countries and in our societies. From you comes our strength. Without you we would do nothing. With you we are a stronger body to overcome violence. In the Holy Communion which we are going to celebrate, come and give us all that we need to live and proclaim a new world, a new earth. Amen!
Gesture of peace
L Just as God takes us in, let us mutually welcome each other, wishing the peace of Christ.
Eucharistic prayer
L Let us pray the table prayer of the Lord’s Supper:
L We give you thanks, o God, for having mercy on the people who suffer. You hear the cry of the people who smother their pain and you heal their wounds. In your graciousness you came to us in Jesus Christ becoming like us. He, your Son, lived among us, shared our humanity, experienced the violence of this world and taught us the true face of love when he gave himself on the cross unto death for us. However, he resuscitated and gave us back hope of life with the promise of eternal life. In trust we await the day of his return. Meanwhile, we live his presence in us and among us in the Holy Communion. He ordained that we do this. Thus, on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread, and giving thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: take and eat, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples, saying: drink of this all of you, for this cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you for the remission of sins. Do this every time you drink of it in memory of me.
O God, today we celebrate life in community, and in joy, we anticipate the feast of your Kingdom, where all forms of suffering and pain are overcome. Remember those who have parted and await the day of the definitive gathering, of life abundant, of peace and happiness. Send us your Holy Spirit and grant that we be one body, a community that is committed, in love, to overcoming all forms of violence.
C (Sing) Por Cristo, com Cristo, em Cristo, seja a ti, Pai-todo poderoso. [Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, be to you all powerful Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor, all glory now and forever, amen, amen, amen]
L Here we represent the diversity of the Church of Christ. We are different, this is true. But, in Christ, we are one. That is why, holding hands, we pray the Lord’s prayer:
C Our Father...
Breaking of bread
L The cup for which we give thanks is the communion of the blood of Christ;
The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ;
C (sing) Nós embora muito, somos um só corpo! [We, although many, are one body!]
Communion
L Come, for all is ready... It is Christ who invites us.
Distribution
C (canta) Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz.
A fé nos inunda de paz; a fé nos conduz para a paz; a fé edifica a paz; a fé cria um mundo de paz.
Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz, Deus é a paz. (repete)
[God is peace, God is peace, God is peace, God is peace. Faith floods us with peace; Faith leads us to peace; faith edifies peace; faith creates a world of peace. God is peace, God is peace, God is peace, God is peace. (repeat)]
Post communion prayer
L Let us pray: Beloved God, in your Grace we receive the nourishment which strengthens, animates and move us to witness peace in our families, churches and societies, seeking to overcome all forms of violence. We give you thanks for your goodness, your power and your love.
C (sing) Graças, Senhor, graças Senhor, por tua bondade, teu poder, teu amor. Graças, Senhor! [Thank you o Lord, thank you o Lord, for your goodness, your power and your love. Thank you o Lord!]
Sending liturgy
Blessing
L May the God of all compassion and tenderness accompany you and strengthen you in the quest for a world of peace. May God bless you, envelop you with his tender embrace and give you peace. (+). Amen.
Sending
L Go in peace and serve God with joy.
C Let us give thanks to God.
Postlude
Paz, paz de Cristo, paz, paz que vem do amor (Hino 368)
[Peace, peace of Christ, peace, peace which comes from the love which I desire for you, brother (sister)! Peace which is the joy of seeing in you Christ, our brother.
If, someday in life, you need me, know that I am your friend, you can count on me. The world gives so many turns, we will meet again. On these turns of life I want to shake your hand.]
