MISSION u 2017 PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE
DAY ONE MORNING
Gathering Song Artifact Icebreaker Opening Worship
HYMN: “How Great Thou Art” (The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 77, first verse only) O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Thin, Holy Place
Describe your “thin, holy place” in short sentence that captures some of its essence.
Thin Place Litany ONE: “God saw everything God had made. And said…” ALL: “Wow! It is very good.”
PLENARY I: COVENANTAL COMMUNITY
REPRISE:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
SONG: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (sung to the tune in The United Methodist Hymnal,
#196)
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down; fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31:31-34, The Inclusive Bible
“Behold, the days are coming,” says Yahweh,* “when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
ALL:
“It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them up out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was their spouse,” says Yahweh.
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: “I will put my Law in their minds and on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
ALL:
“No longer will they need to teach one another or remind one another to listen to Yahweh. All of them, high and low alike, will listen to me,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their misdeeds and will remember their sins no more.”
(*Yahweh is substituted for YHWH in order to make it readable.)
SONG: “Bring Your Best to Our Worst,” by John Bell/Tom Witt
Litany
LEADER:
Out of God’s abounding grace and abiding love, our covenanting God initiates relationship with us.
ALL:
God is Holy Love.
LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we enter into a relationship of love with God
ALL:
Our relationship with God is holy.
LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we commit to right relationships with the people of God.
ALL:
Our relationships with each other are holy.
LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we also commit to the care of Creation
ALL:
Our relationship with Creation is holy.
LEADER:
But the scriptures show that we fall short time and time again.
ALL:
But God remains faithful.
LEADER:
When we forget the ways God has led us out of captivity,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget to trust God and seek after lesser gods,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget about the manna God provides in small and large ways,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of our neighbor,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of the stranger,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of the Earth,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
If God doesn’t give up on us, then it means
ALL:
We don’t give up on each other. We don’t give up on the world.
Closing Praise: “Hamba Nathi (The Journey is Long)” [Lead Me, Guide Me (2nd ed.), #542]
DAY TWO MORNING
PLENARY 2:
MISSIONARY CONFERENCES
Gathering Song/Announcements Worship in Song
OPENING HYMN: “Heleluyan, We are Singing” (Singing the Sacred: Sing, Prayer, Praise, #13)
Introduction: Video Montage
Introductory Words: The Haleluyan that rises from Missionary Conferences
Movement #1: Voices, Stories Related to Missionary Conferences
The Story of Blackfoot Warrior, Elouise Cobell Proclamation
LEADER:
In the midst of these journeys
ALL:
We belong in covenant together; these stories are part of our story.
STORYTELLER 1:
Our sisters and brothers are afflicted in every way;
ALL:
But they are not crushed.
STORYTELLER 2:
They may be at times perplexed;
ALL:
But they are not driven to despair.
STORYTELLER 3:
They have been persecuted;
ALL:
But they are not forsaken.
LEADER:
They are struck down;
ALL:
But not destroyed.
The Story of Eula Hall and the Mud Creek Clinic, Appalachia Proclamation
LEADER:
In the midst of these journeys;
ALL:
We belong in covenant together; these stories are part of our story.
STORYTELLER 1:
Our sisters and brothers are afflicted in every way;
ALL:
But they are not crushed.
STORYTELLER 2:
They may be at times perplexed;
ALL:
But they are not driven to despair.
STORYTELLER 3:
They have been persecuted;
ALL:
But they are not forsaken.
LEADER:
They are struck down;
ALL:
But not destroyed.
The Story of Alaska Native Pastor, Charlie Brower Proclamation
WORSHIP LEADER:
In the midst of these journeys;
ALL:
We belong in covenant together; these stories are part of our story.
STORYTELLER 1:
Our sisters and brothers are afflicted in every way;
ALL:
But they are not crushed.
STORYTELLER 2:
They may be at times perplexed;
ALL:
But they are not driven to despair.
STORYTELLER 3:
They have been persecuted;
ALL:
But they are not forsaken.
WORSHIP LEADER:
They are struck down;
ALL:
But not destroyed.
We stand with them, learn from them,
We walk alongside them and let them lead us.
Movement #2: Echoes
Personal Reflection
Where did you hear the pain of broken covenant? Where did you hear resilience?
Please take a few minutes to reflect on your own.
Public Witnessing
What rose within you during this time as you reflected on the pain and resiliency found in the stories that you just heard. Would you like to briefly share?
God’s Promise Reiterated
“[God] who started a good work in [us] will stay with [us] to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.”
HYMN: “I Feel Like Traveling On,” words and music by William Hunter, an 19th century minister who served in Appalachia
Movement #3: Blessings
Closing Litany
ONE:
Bound together in Christ, we journey on, Although the journey toward justice is long,
ALL:
Let us not give up.
ONE:
Though the journey toward freedom is risky,
ALL:
Let us not give up.
ONE:
Though the journey toward healing is intense,
ALL:
Let us not give up! Let us not give up! Let us not give up!
For God will make a way.
<<PPT>>
CLOSING SONG: “Hamba Nathi (The Journey is Long)” (reprise)
EVENING WORSHIP/RITUAL SERVICE
Gathering Songs Prayer of Peace (Gather Comprehensive, #720)
(Based on a Navajo prayer.)
Peace before us, peace behind us. Peace under our feet.
Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace. Light before us…
Meditation
SUNG REFRAIN:
Peace before us, peace behind us. Peace under our feet.
Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace.
LEADER:
Our scripture lesson comes from the Epistle to the Ephesians. The Ephesians were experiencing deep ethnic conflicts between Jews and gentiles. When Paul speaks about the walls of hostility, it was not hypothetical, since there was real conflict in the community. Sound familiar? These days, fault lines can be found everywhere: theological, gender, race, class, political affiliations... So listen now to Paul’s word to the Ephesians and also to us.
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-10, 12-16
Litany
ONE:
Friends, we were dead in our trespasses, but God, rich in mercy and full of love, made us alive in Christ.
ALL:
Lead us to your cross, O Christ.
ONE:
We were all once separated and alienated, strangers to God and to one another. We have now been brought near by the blood of Christ.
ALL:
Lead us to your cross, O Christ.
ONE:
At the cross are stories of pain, heartache, and trauma. In these stories we bear witness to generations who have suffered the impacts of broken covenant.
ALL:
Lead us to your cross, O Christ.
ONE:
In our return to right relationship, we become a single body—the dwelling place in which the Spirit of God is putting an end to hostility and creating a new humanity on this earth.
ALL:
Lead us to your cross, O Christ.
SUNG REFRAIN:
Christ before us, Christ behind us. Christ under our feet.
Christ within us, Christ over us, let all around us be Christ.
Confession
With the markers and card tent provided, name on one side of the cardboard tent, one or two of the most insidious and disturbing walls you experience or see in your own community or in the community at large. Use only a few words and write them in big letters. When you are finished, as a sign of making public our confessions, please silently rise in body or in spirit so we may all witness and affirm what you have written.
QUESTION: In our journey towards covenantal community, what are the two or three of the most insidious walls you experience in your own community or in the community at large?
Taking Response-Ability
Write on the other side of the cardboard tent the ways in which you are called to respond to address the walls of hostility that you named. Be realistic and concrete. It may be hard to know just what to do about something. Perhaps you can commit yourself to finding out how you can start dismantling these walls.
Hearing from God’s Word
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19, NRSV)
Renewing Our Covenant
You will be invited to place your cardboard tent inside the cross.
Community Proclamation
ONE:
The cross was once an instrument of death and despair. Today, In Christ, it speaks of transformation and resurrection.
ALL:
Because of Christ, wherever there is crucifixion, resurrection is near.
ONE:
We believe that, in Christ,
ALL:
The insidious cross of trauma, oppression and abuse will be transformed.
ONE:
We believe that, in Christ,
ALL:
The enduring cross of generational poverty will be transformed.
ONE:
We believe that, in Christ,
ALL:
The insidious cross of racism dividing our church and country is and will be transformed.
ONE:
We believe that, in Christ,
ALL:
The insidious cross of environmental degradation is and will be transformed.
We persevere in the struggle because we know
that wherever there is crucifixion, resurrection is near. Alleluia!
SONG: “Alleluia (Sinclair)” (The United Methodist Hymnal, #186)
Dismantling the Dividing Walls that Separate Us Prayer of Peace
Love before us, Love behind us Love under our feet.
Love within us, Love over us, let all around us be Love. Hope …
DAY THREE MORNING
OPENING HYMN: “To You, O God, All Creatures Sing” (The New Century Hymnal #17)
Thin Places Litany
LEADER:
And God saw all that God had made, and said,
ALL:
“Wow! It is very good.”
SONG: “How Great Thou Art” (refrain) Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Introduction to Climate Justice Stories HYMN: It Is God! (The Cyber Hymnal, #2336)
Movement #1: Stories
Bearing Witness to the Work of Justice
Louise Niemann, United Methodist Women, Standing Rock Song Verse
Taking Initiative to Plant a Vision
Ko Dzamangwana Dziripi, Where is tomorrow’s supply? Shamiso Mupara, Environmental Scholar, Zimbabwe
Song Verse Collaborating Toward a Solution
Pastor Dottie Yunger and East Capitol Urban Farm, Washington DC
Song Verse
Movement #2: The Work of
United Methodist Women in Climate Justice
• 13 Steps (Principles) to Sustainability
• “Be Just. Be Green” Jurisdictional Guides
• Green Meetings—Hotel Assessments
United Methodist Women: Climate Justice Work
Funding projects in organizations doing Climate Justice work. Some projects include:
• Black Mesa Water Coalition, Flagstaff, Arizona.
• Grassroots International, West Africa.
• Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Chicago, Illinois.
• Creation Justice Ministries.
Movement #3: Community Sharing
As a result of our Climate Justice study, can you name a powerful connection, insight, or an action that has impacted your life or your community? What has happened as a result of this study in this past year?
Movement #4: Offering and Closing
Offering
Closing Litany and Ending
LEADER:
Hear again the Word of God: I am about to do a new thing,
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19, NRSV)
LEADER:
God is doing a new thing. Can you see it?
ALL:
We can see it, we can hear it; we can even taste it.
LEADER:
God is doing a new thing through women in Zimbabwe, who are raising the next generation to resist deforestation. Can you see it?
ALL:
We can see it, we can hear it; we can even taste it. The Kin-dom of God is at hand.
LEADER:
God is doing a new thing as the Church joins in worldwide solidarity and rises to defend the rights of First Nations in Standing Rock and in other areas of the world. Can you see it?
ALL:
We can see it, we can hear it; we can even taste it. The Kin-dom of God is at hand.
LEADER:
God is doing a new thing, bringing people together from inside and outside the church planting Collaborative Gardens, creating new solutions in deserts of our cities, helping people to reclaim the power to thrive and provide for their families. Can you see it?
ALL:
We can see it, we can hear it; we can even taste it. The Kin-dom of God is at hand.
LEADER:
God is doing a new thing through United Methodist Women. God’s beautiful vision of Creation is being proclaimed and activated across the country through this study. Mission efforts to adapt and curb climate change are being supported across the globe. The 13 Steps of Sustainability are empowering us towards a more sustainable future. Can you see it? Can you hear it? Will you join?
ALL:
We can see it, we can hear it; we can even taste it. We will turn faith, hope and love into action! The Kin-dom of God is at hand.
CLOSING SONG: “Bambelela (Never Give Up)” (Singing Our Prayer, #1)
Communion Service
Invitation
CELEBRANT:
We share in Communion as a sign of divine covenant. This broken body, this poured out blood;
ALL:
Are signs that God refuses to give up on us.
CELEBRANT:
We share in Communion, because we are a covenant community who struggles together. This broken body, this poured out blood;
ALL:
Are signs that we refuse to give up on each other.
CELEBRANT:
We share in Communion, because we are in covenant with Creation. This broken body, this poured out blood;
ALL:
Are signs that we refuse to give up on the world.
CELEBRANT:
We share in Communion as a practice of deep gratitude.
For it is only by the lavish grace of God
that we are transformed again and again into a new creation and new humanity. All are invited to partake of this feast of love and reconciliation.
ALL:
Thanks be to God!
Confession and Assurance
CELEBRANT:
Thanks be to God!
ALL:
Thanks be to God!
CELEBRANT:
Thanks be to God!