Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise.
Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom,
thanksgiving and honour, power and might,
be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.
Blessed are You, Creator God,
to You be glory and praise for ever!
Pour out Your Spirit on us this day,
that we may walk as children of light
and by Your grace reveal Your presence,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
Blessed be God for ever!
HYMN : Tshollela
Tshollela moya wa hao,
Jesu
(repeat)
Di pelong tsa rona, Jesu
Tshollela moya wa hao,
Jesu
Pour out your Spirit, Jesus
In our hearts, Jesus
Pour out your Spirit, Jesus
CONFESSION
We have been given life, but we have not lived. We have been called to
freedom, but we have found the burden heavy, the anxiety painful, and
have returned to our illusions about life, and our deceits about
ourselves. Let us, therefore, acknowledge our continued denial of life
and our need for that Power which is beyond our reach, yet everpresent to us.
O Lord, we confess our slowness to see the good in our brothers and
sisters, and in ourselves. We confess our blindness to the sufferings of
others and our slowness to be taught by our own suffering. We
confess our failure to apply to ourselves the standards of conduct we
demand of others. We confess our complacency toward wrongs that
do not touch us and our over-sensitiveness to those that do.
We have been gifted with life, but we often renounce
our hope and murmur against our ‘fate’, abusing the
world around us and all therein.
Knowing that life is given to us only in the present,
we desperately cling to our false images about the
past and our imagined fantasies concerning the
future. O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Silent confession
ABSOLUTION
Jesus said, “Those who save their life shall lose it, but
those who lose their life for my sake shall find it.”
THE FIRST LESSON : Acts 15: 22-31 (read in isiZulu by
Gloria Mokwatle)
The apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose delegates from among
themselves to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas, known as Barsabbas,
and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:
“The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of gentile birth
in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some people coming from here, but acting without
any authority from ourselves, have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your
minds; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with
our well-beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have committed their lives to the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of
mouth what we have written. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to
impose on you any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to
idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from illicit marriages. Avoid these,
and you will do what is right. Farewell.”
The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole
community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the
encouragement it gave them. Judas and Silas, being themselves prophets, spoke for a long time,
encouraging and strengthening the brothers. These two spent some time there, and then the
brothers wished them peace and they went back to those who had sent them.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
THE PSALM : Ps 57: 6 – 12 (from Psalms for
Praying Nan Merrill)
My fears have woven a web; like a spider they
seek to entrap me.
They live within me, gnawing at my bones, they
bring only suffering and despair.
Yet in my heart I know, Beloved, that Love is
the healing balm for fear.
I will sing and make melody! Awaken, my soul!
Awaken to Love’s song! I will awaken the
dawn!
I will
give thanks to You among the peoples,
O Heart of my heart;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For your steadfast love fills the universe and makes a
home in my heart!
Be exalted, O Holy One, Creator of the galaxies!
For your Glory reigns over all the earth!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever.
Amen.
THE SECOND LESSON : John 15: 12 – 17
(read in Afrikaans by Sharon van der Merwe)
This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. No one can have greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall
no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master’s business; I call you
friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. You did not
choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will
last; so that the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. My command to you is to
love one another.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
HYMN : Ukuthula
UKUTHULA
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ ukuthula
Peace, peace
in this world of sin
Alleluia
the blood of Jesus whispers peace
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ usindiso
redemption
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ ukubonga
praise
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ ukukholwa
faith
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ ukunqoba
victory
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ induduzo
comfort
Ukuthula, ukuthula
kulo mhlaba wezono
Alleluia,
igazi likaJesu linyenyez’ ukuthula
peace
Let us pray the Our Father in our preferred language.
PRAYERS CONTINUE (facilitated by Gift Chanza, using words,
thoughts, silence and gesture)
As you stretch your arms above your head …
In your heart offer the Creator praise and gratitude …
We thank You, Holy God, for the gift of another day of life.
As you slowly bring your arms down next to you, slightly away from
the sides of your body, hands open and relaxed, slowly pivot to your
right and left a few times …
Now, be intentionally aware of our spiritual bond with all
of creation …
Ons strek uit in deernis na al ons susters en broers oor die
As we gently lift our arms in front of us, with bent elbows,
arms slightly apart, with our palm up and our hands open
…
Let us offer our lives to the Holy Trinity …
Nkulunkulu, Sinikela kuwe konke esiyikho kanye nalokho
esinakho
(“Lord, we give all that we are and all that we have”)
As we gradually bring our hands together and form a
“cup” out of our hands …
Let us open ourselves to accept what the Holy One offers
us today in this Synod …
that You have waiting for us in this new day and in this Synod.
Now, softly cross your hands over your heart and bow
at your
waist …
Become aware of the indwelling Presence of Jesus Christ …
Unga ungasihlanganisa, usiqamangele kuwe Yesu ngale mini
yanamhlanje, sibe banye, sibotshwe yingxawuka yo – thando
lwakho.
(“May we be united with You throughout this day, aware of Your love
strengthening us and shining through us.”)
Creating, Redeeming and Sustaining God, may we be mindful that
Your grace is sufficient for us, that Your power working through us
can do more than we can ever ask or imagine. Amen.
(Adaptation of a prayer from Out of the Ordinary
COLLECT FOR SYNOD
Gracious and loving God,
Pour Your Spirit upon this Diocese
And grant us a new vision of Your glory,
A new experience of Your power,
A new faithfulness to Your word,
And a new consecration to Your service,
So that Your love may grow among us
And Your kingdom come:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BENEDICTION
We have worshipped the Lord. Let us now move into this Synod as a
people of service, discernment, humility and wisdom. May we be
receptive to God’s Spirit to hear what we are called to be and do.
LORD, THE LIGHT OF YOUR LOVE
[Graham Kendrick – Songs of Fellowship #362]
Lord, the light of Your love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness, shining;
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine,
Fill this land with the Father’s glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze,
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your word,
Lord, and let there be light
Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine,
Fill this land with the Father’s glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze,
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your word,
Lord, and let there be light
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.