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Leader: Where there is coldness and indifference, People: We will use the fire of your love to warm the coldness, to light fires of love and banish indifference.
Leader: Where there is injustice and discrimination People: We will challenge it, we will speak out, we will do all we can to change it
Leader: Where there is joy and hope, People: We will celebrate and share it together.
Leader: Let us meet one another in love and forgiveness People: Before God and one another we release anything we hold against one another. We regret all the harm we may have done; we stand beside each other. We listen to each other’s stories and share each other’s journey, that we may understand each other deeply, lovingly and become friends.
Affirmation of Faith
Together: The God of our understanding is varied, vibrant and rich in diversity Much like we are! We understand little about the nature of the universe we inhabit Even though we think otherwise! Amidst out struggle to find understanding and meaning in our life Our predecessors in faith give us a glimpse of God that is unsurpassed A God called Loving-kindness; Peace-on-earth; Justice-for-all These are our noblest intentions and when we embody and enact them We, too, enter the Kingdom of God We too are called - God
Thinking together
Contemporary reflection – Faith in Action
I found a wonderful definition …
Faith in Action: . . . . is grounded in the experience that relationship, interconnection and interdependence, constitute the fundamental nature of all things and that courage to live fully in each moment and hope for the future are found in, among and between communities working actively to realize their vision of a socially just and ecologically sustainable human society. . . . . affirms that the quality of human life is not dependent upon increasing consumption of material goods but is based on those things which have permanence:
v the care of the spirit; v relationships of justice and equity; v creativity, cultural and artistic expression; v the opportunity to provide a livelihood for oneself; v reverence for all creation; and v celebration of the gift of being.
Discussion: Is the above explanation clear?
Do you think it is adequate?
Can it be improved upon?
What are the things that stop us demonstrating our faith by acting according to our beliefs?
Do you feel that you are making a difference when you do act out your faith? How??
Prayers for the peopleGod
of loving-kindness, peace-on-earth and justice-for-all, we pray, that we will
help strengthen the hands of all who strive for peace and justice throughout
the world, and, seeing that all human beings are our relatives, we will share
the pain of those who are oppressed, and will strive to promote the dignity and
freedom of every person. Individual prayers from the people gathered Call of Faith to Action
Leader: God, we search for some sense in life. People: and miss that the answer is under our nose.
Leader: God, we talk about you a being loving-kindness, People: let us be you when we act with loving-kindness to all people, to all animals, to all of nature on earth
Leader: we talk about peace-on-earth People: let us be peace makers. Let us look past media spin, activists extreme views to understand the other persons point of view.
Leader: Jesus the Sage challenged the injustices of his time And was tortured and murdered for his convictions. In 2000 years the challenge remains just as strong as ever For we are, all of us, either a part of the problem or a part of the solution. The world needs people who live and breath loving-kindness, peace and justice Are we that people? People: We are that people
Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there is sorrow. Yes, there is violence and hatred. But more than these there is love, there is goodness, there is joy. The future is uncertain. And that means there's no limit as to how beautiful and joyful you can make it. Yet what you have is right now. And right now is completely as it should be. It is your time to live.
Think of what a precious thing your life is and how truly blessed you are to be experiencing it. Right now. Right now, any anxiety you may have about the future is only an illusion. Let it go. Let it fade away as the beauty and perfection of right now wash over you. The best thing you can do for the future is to live with everything you have in the present. You are in a position to create real, lasting positive value for the world in which you live. How do you do that? By following your heart. By being “the you” that is really you. You may have wandered away from yourself. Now is the time to come home. You know in your heart that you're here for a reason. The pain you feel is that purpose, that reason for living, as it constantly aches to break free. When it does, you'll be more alive than you ever could have imagined. Breathe in the beauty around you, the beauty and richness of being alive. It is your gift. It is your fortune. It is your blessing. And it is yours, to live, to experience, to fulfil.
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