Lent 2018 Worship Resources

Ubuntu: Reflecting on Christian Community

FIrst Sunday in Lent, 18 February 2018

“Fully Human”

Suggested Scripture: Mark 1:9-15

Contemporary Reading: “We say in our African idiom: “A person is a person through other persons.” A solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. A totally self-sufficient human being is ultimately subhuman. We are made for complementarity. I have gifts that you do not; and you have gifts that I do not. Voilà! So we need each other to become fully human. This is also true of the different nations: that one people has particular gifts, a distinct world view, a cultural ethos, which is not necessarily better or superior to those of other people. It is just different and needs to be balanced by those of other peoples. ...God is smart, making us different so that we will get to know our need of one another. We are meant to complement one another in order to be truly human and to realize the fullness of our potential to be human. After all, we are created in the image of a God who is a diversity of persons who exist in ineffable unity.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, An African Prayer Book

Call to Worship: Lord, we thank you that our churches are like big families.Lord, let your spirit of reconciliation blow over all the earth.Let Christians live your love.Lord, we praise you

in Europe's cathedrals, in America's offerings, In Australasia’s lands,And in African songs of praise.

Lord, we thank you that we have siblings in all the world.Be with them that make peace. Amen.

(Adapted from a Prayer from West Africa, in An African Prayer Book)

Prayer of Reflection:

Our God Almighty,

we praise you, for you created us all and made us into many different tribes and nations, that we may befriend one another and that we may not despise each other.

Open our hearts, we pray, so that we may respond to the needs of all our siblings.

Oh Jesus, bless all our lands with more lasting peace and understanding.

We pray that we may exercise power gently,that we may humbly seek dialogue that will bring about understanding,leading us all to a place where all nations and all peoplelive together in peace and harmony.

Where there is bitterness teach us forgiveness and reconciliation, replace hatred with love and indifference with care.

We ask this through Christ.

Amen. (Prayer from Tanzania, collected by the World Council of Churches)