Welcome and introduction
“Jai Bhim”
Call to worship:
Leader: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:18)
We come to offer our praise and
thanks to Christ who alone gives life
in all its fullness.
All: We celebrate the presence of
the risen Christ, active among his
people.
Singing the Faith 297
Hymn
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
His cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
Love, drowned in death, shall never die.
1/5
Christ is alive! No longer bound
to distant years in Palestine,
but saving, healing, here and now,
and touching every place and time.
2/5
In every insult, rift and war,
where colour, scorn or wealth divide,
Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,
and lives, where even hope has died.
3/5
Women and men, in age and youth,
can feel the Spirit, hear the call,
and find the way, the life, the truth,
revealed in Jesus, freed for all.
4/5
Christ is alive and comes to bring
Good news to this and every age,
Till earth and sky and ocean ring
With joy, with justice, love and
praise.
Brian Wren (b. 1936)
© 1969, 1995, Stainer & Bell Ltd. Reproduced with permission.
Prayers of adoration and confession
Generous and loving God, for the wonders of
your creation which thrill and excite our senses,
from the vast expanses of space to our own
tiny planet,
from the largest tree to the smallest plant,
from the largest creature to the most minute
organism,
Lord of life
- We adore you.
Spirit of God, you have given us
the inquisitive mind which seeks to increase
knowledge and understanding of our world,
the creative mind of the inventor
and the persevering mind of the carer,
seeking to improve the lives of those in need.
Lord of life
- We adore you.
Jesus, Son of God,
through your death and resurrection
you have given us life in all its fullness
and have opened the door to eternal life.
Lord of life
Amen.
- We adore you.
Lord, we confess we have not been good
stewards of your creation; enjoying it for
ourselves but indifferent about its future.
We have treated it as our playground rather
than our neighbours’ home.
Lord forgive us.
Help us to know and do your will
Fearing change, we have stifled the creative
inspiration of your Holy Spirit, lest you make
demands on our time, lifestyle and money.
Lord forgive us.
Help us to know and do your will
In our disobedience, we have been quick to
criticise and condemn, yet slow to enable and
encourage others to reach their potential.
Lord forgive us.
Help us to know and do your will
Lord of all life, reach out and touch us with
your creative and healing spirit that we, in turn,
may reach out and touch others.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
Old Testament reading
Ezekiel 37:1-10
Story one: Training the trainers
Alwan Masih,
General Secretary of the
Church of North India (CNI),
describes the work of
Revd Shirley Lall,
Coordinator for Women and
Children’s Concerns at CNI.
Training the trainers
Manisha
Varsha
Seemaben
Hymn
Singing the Faith 619
Thanks for friends who keep on loving,
finding ways to help us grow,
celebrating our achievements,
sharing in our pain and woe.
God is glimpsed where love is faithful:
mirrored here in time and space.
Thanks to God for friends who love us:
Christ revealed in every face.
1/4
Singing the Faith 619
Other people help to shape us
when they take the time to share
words of wisdom, honest actions
through our journey in God’s care.
In our faithful, honest learning
we discover things unknown.
Thanks to God for friends who teach us:
seeking talent yet ungrown.
2/4
Singing the Faith 619
When we find our friendships
challenged
through mistakes and different views,
we discover deeper living
as the love of God renews.
For in Christ we see forgiveness;
know a strength still to embrace.
Thanks to God for friends who keep us:
making real the gift of grace.
3/4
Singing the Faith 619
Praise to God for this great gifting
of relationship and friend:
imaging divine relating;
found in heaven with no end.
Bless us Maker, Word and Spirit
as companions on the way.
Thanks to God for friends who help us
to fulfil our lives each day.
4/4
© Gary Hopkins (b. 1984). Reproduced with permission
Gospel reading
Luke 8:41-55
Story two: Boarding hostels for girls
Revd MU Kasab, Bishop of
Marathwada Diocese, CNI,
Ruhame Khare and Linda
Crossley
The hostel at
Aurangabad
The Jalna Hostel
Music for reflection
Story three: Rescued from repression
Meena Varma, Dalit Solidarity Network
READ awareness programme
Family
Forum
Network
Hymn
Singing the Faith 693
Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord, in your suffering world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset,
your kingdom increase!
1/5
Singing the Faith 693
Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for all people,
trade for their skills;
land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can't speak.
2/5
Singing the Faith 693
Refrain:
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray:
melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love
from a spark to a flame.
Singing the Faith 693
Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear,
cities for sanctuary,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing-fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
his cross for the pain.
3/5
Singing the Faith 693
Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams
plundered and poisoned ─
our future, our dreams.
Lord, end our madness,
carelessness, greed;
make us content with
the things that we need.
4/5
Singing the Faith 693
Refrain:
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray:
melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love
from a spark to a flame.
Singing the Faith 693
Lighten our darkness,
breathe on this flame
until your justice burns
brightly again:
until the nations
learn of your ways,
seek your salvation
and bring you their praise.
5/5
Singing the Faith 693
Refrain:
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray:
melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love
from a spark to a flame.
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
© 1993, Graham Kendrick/Make Way Music Ltd. Used with permission.
Prayers of intercession
(Lighting a candle for each prayer)
Loving parent God, we bring to you the needs
of your children, especially those world
church family members we have heard about
today.
Come, breath of life;
change our love from a spark to a flame.
Jesus, you said to Jairus’ daughter, “Child,
get up”. Show us how to create a world
where all children, regardless of race,
religion or background, can get up, and can
continue growing in wisdom and love.
Come, breath of life;
change our love from a spark to a flame.
Jesus, you said to the woman who bled, “Go
in peace”. Show us how to create a world
where people can live together in
communities free from persecution, and
where communities and nations resolve their
issues in peaceful ways.
Come, breath of life;
change our love from a spark to a flame.
Jesus, when you healed Peter’s mother-in-law,
she got up and served you and her other
guests. Show us how to create a world where
service and caring are valued, and where
those who do work that is judged menial have
the same rights and opportunities as everyone
else.
Come, breath of life;
change our love from a spark to a flame.
Holy Spirit, you dance in the trinity of
togetherness, always creating new and
exciting patterns. Inspire us to dance with
you and with all our partners around the
world, so that we may all experience the
fullness of life that you want for us.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
A prayer from the Dalit Resource Rentre,
Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, “for use
by Dalits and non-Dalits together”.
.Lord, who art with us always.
Let your name be praised in the
liberation of the oppressed.
Let the kingdom of the meek be
established on earth.
Let your justice be established with
the removal of all unjust forces.
We thank thee for the power of
pardon you have given to the poor,
women and Dalit.
Bless us so that the oppressors
repent and seek pardon.
Relieve the sufferings of the meek
from those oppressive forces.
Praise the lord, let his kingdom
come.
Amen
The offering and
dedication of envelopes
Please remain
seated while the
offering is received,
singing the hymn
quietly and
prayerfully.
Singing the Faith 781
Hymn
Take, oh take me as I am;
summon out what I shall be;
set your seal upon my heart
and live in me.
John Bell (b.1949)
Copyright © 1995, WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, G2 3DH, Scotland.
wgrg@iona.org.uk; www.wgrg.co.uk Reproduced by permission.
The dedication of the offering
All stand.
Leader: Risen Christ, who gave up your
earthly life so that others might live to
the full, receive this our offering today.
The dedication of the offering
All: We dedicate to you our gifts
and our lives for your blessing.
May they bring honour to your
name, hope to the brokenhearted and abundant life to
those who are oppressed. Amen.
Singing the Faith 364
Closing hymn
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and king,
the triumphs of his grace!
1/7
Singing the Faith 364
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad,
the honours of Thy name.
2/7
Singing the Faith 364
Jesus — the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life, and health, and peace.
3/7
Singing the Faith 364
He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean,
his blood availed for me.
4/7
Singing the Faith 364
He speaks; and, listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice;
the humble poor believe.
5/7
Singing the Faith 364
See all your sins on Jesus laid:
the Lamb of God was slain;
his soul was once an offering made
that all may heaven gain.
6/7
Singing the Faith 364
In Christ, our head, you then shall know,
shall feel, your sins forgiven,
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.
Charles Wesley (1707 -1788)
7/7
The blessing
Leader: May the God of love enable
you to flourish.
May the Lord of life raise you up to
walk in his way.
May the Holy Spirit equip you to stand
up for justice and peace.
All: We go, in the power of the
Spirit, to live and work to God’s
praise and glory.
Leader: We close by
remembering the ongoing
struggles of the Dalit people for
justice as we say together again –
Jai Bhim
All: Jai Bhim
Your local Easter Offering service is prepared by
Methodist Women in Britain
on behalf of the World Mission Fund.
Thank you for your
generosity to the
World Mission Fund
which enables the
Methodist Church in
Britain and Ireland to
give to the work of
our 65 Partner
Churches overseas.