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Prayer Service for Community Life Workshop

For a downloadable PDF version, click here.

Take a stone from the basket. Your stone is to represent whatever you have brought to the workshop, and will form part of the opening prayer time. You may hold, feel, and reflect on what your stone means to you personally. Stones could stand for burdens and concerns, stepping stones and stumbling blocks, precious treasures or long-standing difficulties. Turn the stone over and whatever word is inscribed on it use in your own private intention. After the musical selection you will be invited to come forward and to lay your stone at the foot of the cross. You may want to come back to the stones at the end of the workshop. Do you want to take them away or leave them there? And if you do pick the stones up now, do they feel any different?

Music Selection:

“What Have We Done For the Poor Ones”   By Lori True

Please stand.

Leader: Love one another as I have loved you.
            Care for each other as I have cared for you.
            Bear each others burdens, bind each others wounds;
            And so you will know my return.

Left Side: My friends, do you know what I have done for you? I have washed your feet with my hands.

Right Side: If I, your Lord have knelt at your feet, You should do at each other’s feet as I have done for you.

Left Side: When the world will hate you and revile you, When they laugh at your care for the poor,

Right Side: When they hold you in darkness and imprison your tongues, remember how they listened to me.

Left Side: Let not your hearts be troubled. Put your trust in God and me.

Right Side: In my Father’s house I prepare your room, That where I am you may be.

Left Side: This bread which I give is my body, This cup holds the blood of my life.

Right Side: And all will be broken that you may have life, That you may learn to forgive.

Left Side: I am the vine, you are the branches. Remain in my love and bring forth fruit.

Right Side: For love is patient, love is kind, Love is always there to forgive, to endure.

Left Side: All the world will crumble, but love will remain; for Love’s own self is God.

Right Side: You will weep in pain while the world rejoices, but your grief will be changed into joy.

Left Side: For the world will forget you, But have courage my friends, For I have overcome the world.

All: Love one another as I have loved you,
            Care for each other as I have cared for you.
            Bear each others burdens, bind each other’s
            Wounds and so you will know my return.

Leader: Let us Pray.

Oh, loving God, you sent Jesus to reveal your special love and concern for the poor and to urge us to care for them as we would for ourselves or for Jesus. We ask you to open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to the cries of the poor of our world. Let them touch us deeply and transform us, stirring the compassionate love that is a sign of the life of your Holy Spirit within us. We ask you this in the name of Jesus.
Amen

CLOSING PRAYER AFTER WORKSHOP

All together: Lord, our God help us to walk with you on the pathway of the beatitudes and to live out your mission in today’s world. Bind us to all men and women of our time so that we may bring together the Good News to the ends of the earth. Open our hearts and our Christian communities to the needy, the afflicted, the oppressed. May we radiate the Living Christ and transform our lives in the hope of the resurrection. This prayer we make to you who are living God now and forever.
Amen