by G. R. Carter
common witness and service in the world.
Amen.
Sing Blest Are They
Recite the Beatitudes
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Thanksgiving
Reader I:
The Faithful are thankful in their hearts for what Unification
made accessible to them: a place to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and
faith in him; the insight into the mystery of the Triune God who gives Himself to
the Faithful out of grace and who can be received only in full trust in the
divine promise; the freedom and certainty that the gospel creates; in the love that
comes from and is awakened by faith, and in the hope in life and death that faith
brings with it; and in the living contact with the Holy Scripture, the catechisms,
and hymns that draw faith into life, in the priesthood of all baptized
believers and their calling for the common mission of the Unified Church. The Faithful
realize that what they are thanking God for is not a gift that they can claim only
for themselves. They want to share this gift with all people.
Reader II:
The Faithful have so much in common that they can be thankful together.
The Faithful gladly acknowledge and esteem the truly Christian endowments
from our common heritage which were found among our separated brethren.
It is right and salutary to recognize the riches of Christ and virtuous
works in the lives of others who are bearing witness to Christ, sometimes
even to the shedding of their blood. For God is always wonderful in His works
and worthy of all praise. In this spirit, the Faithful embrace each other as sisters and brothers in the
Lord. Together they rejoice in the truly Christian gifts that they both have
received and rediscovered in various ways through the renewal and Unification. These gifts are reason for thanksgiving.
The mutual journey enables all Faithful to appreciate a Unified insight into and spiritual experience of the gospel
of the righteousness of God, which is also God’s mercy.
Presider I:
Let us pray!
[brief silence]
Thanks be to you O God for the insights
that we have all received through Unification. Thanks be to you for the
good transformations and reforms that were set in motion by Unification
or by struggling with its challenges. Thanks be to you for the proclamation
of the gospel that occurred during the Unification and that since then has
strengthened countless people to live lives of faith in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Sing Amazing Grace
Repentance
Reader I:
As the celebration of Unification brings joy and gratitude, so must it also allow room for all the Faithful to experience the
pain over failures and trespasses, guilt and sin in the persons and events that are being remembered. In the past, members of different denominations frequently not only misunderstood but also slandered their opponents in order to make them look ridiculous. They repeatedly violated the eighth commandment, which prohibits bearing false witness against one’s neighbor.
Reader II:
The Faithful often focused on what separated them from each other rather than looking for what united them. They mixed the Gospel
with the political and economic interests of those in power. Their failures resulted in the deaths of countless people. Families
were torn apart, people imprisoned and tortured, wars fought and religion and faith misused. Human beings suffered and the credibility of the Gospel was undermined with consequences that still impact us today. We deeply regret the evil things that the Faithfull have mutually done to each other.
Presider I:
Let us reflect on our own sins of the past!
[brief silence]
Presider II:
O God of mercy, we lament that even well intended actions of Unification sometimes have unintended negative consequences.
(Lord have mercy)
Presider I:
We bring before you the burdens of the guilt of the past when our forebears
did not follow your will that all be one in the truth of the Gospel.
(Christ have mercy)
Presider II:
We confess our own ways of thinking and acting that perpetuate the divisions
of the past. As communities and as individuals, we build many walls around
us: mental, spiritual, physical, political walls that result in discrimination
and violence.
Forgive us, Lord.
(Lord have mercy)
Psalm 130 A song of ascents. [The psalm can be chanted or read by alternate whole verse. From the Unified Bible]
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Faithful, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem the Faithful
from all their sins.
Presider I and II:
Christ is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Carpenter, who breaks down the
walls that divide, who builds for us, through the Holy Spirit, ever-new beginnings.
In Christ, we receive forgiveness and reconciliation and we are strengthened
for a faithful and common witness in our time.
Amen
The Peace
Presider II:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body
you are called to peace.
The peace of Christ be with you always!
And also with you!
Presider I:
Let us offer each a sign of reconciliation and peace.
Sharing of peace
Gospel
Reader I:
As we continue our journey from conflict to communion, let us hear the
Gospel according to John
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch
in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make
it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have
spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide
in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in
them bear much fruit, because apart fro
m me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:1–5)
The Gospel of the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
Sing How Great Thou Art
Joint Sermon
Presider I:
Together, let us confess our faith.
The Apostles’ Creed
Sing Ava Maria
Commitments: Five Imperatives
Presider II:
Our journey together continues. In this worship, we commit ourselves
to grow in communion. The five imperatives found in The Unification of the Faithful will guide us.
[A large candle is lighted after each commitment is read. The light may be taken each time
from the Eternal Flame. Young people may be asked to read the five commitments and the
candles may be lit by children and families. An instrument may play the
melody of an appropriate song]
1. Our first commitment: The Faithful should always begin from
the perspective of unity and not from the point of view of division in order
to strengthen what is held in common even though the differences are more
easily seen and experienced.
Light a candle
2. Our second commitment: The Faithful must let themselves
continuously be transformed by the encounter with the other and by the
mutual witness of faith.
Light a candle
3. Our third commitment: The Faithful should again commit
themselves to seek visible unity, to elaborate together what this means in
concrete steps, and to strive repeatedly toward this goal.
Light a candle
4. Our fourth commitment: The Faithful should jointly rediscover
the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for our time.
Light a candle
5. Our fifth commitment: The Faithful should witness together
to the mercy of God in proclamation and service to the world.
Light a candle
Sing A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Asking for Intercession
Presider I:
The unity of the church serves our world so that the world may believe. Let us now
pray for the world, the church and all those in need...
1. God of mercy, throughout history your goodness prevails, open the hearts
of all people to find you and your mercy that endures forever.
Hear our prayer!
2. God of peace, bend that which is inflexible, the barriers that divide, the
attachments that thwart reconciliation. Bring peace in this world, especially
for [name places...]. Restore wholeness among us and show us your
mercy!
Hear our prayer!
3. God of justice, healer and redeemer, heal those who suffer from illness,
poverty and exclusion. Hasten justice for those suffering under the power
of evil. Give new life to all and show us your mercy!
Hear our prayer!
4. God, rock and fortress, protect refugees, those without homes or security,
all the abandoned children. Help us always to defend human dignity. Show
us your mercy!
Hear our prayer!
5. God creator, all creation groans in expectation, teach us to live in harmony with your creation. Show us your mercy!
Hear our prayer!
6. God of mercy, strengthen and protect those who are persecuted for faith
in you and those of other faiths who suffer persecution. Give us the courage
to profess our faith. Your mercy endures forever.
Hear our prayer!
7. God of life, heal painful memories, transform all complacency, indifference
and ignorance, pour out a spirit of reconciliation. Turn us to you and one
another. Show us your mercy!
Hear our prayer!
8. God of love, your son Jesus reveals the mystery of love among us, strengthen
that unity that you alone sustain in our diversity. Your mercy endures forever!
Hear our prayer!
9. God our sustenance, unify us at your table, nurture
within and among us a communion rooted in your love. Your mercy endures
forever!
Hear our prayer!
Creator be our building block.
Spirit quench our thirst.
Carpenter repair our lives.
Presider II:
In confidence that you O God hear our prayers for the needs of this world and
for the unity of all Christians in their witness, let us pray as Jesus taught us...
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father...
Presider I:
For all that God can do within us, for all that God can do without us,
Thanks be to God!
Presider II:
For all in whom Christ lived before us, for all in whom Christ lives beside us,
Thanks be to God!
Presider I:
For all the Spirit wants to bring us, for where the Spirit wants to send us,
Thanks be to God!
Presiders (jointly):
The blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, (+) be with you and on your
way together, now and forever.
Amen.
Sing Onward Christian Soldiers
Parishioners exit the building as the song concludes.
Author’s Note
Since I released these books many have asked, “Do you honestly think something like this will happen?”
I answer that with a simple statement: There are things I pray for, things I hope for, and things I prepare for.
