Who Do You Follow? What Will You Do?

Psalm 146

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;

7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

*Definition:  In this sermon, I will use the term "world." By Wold, I am NOT using the Old Testament definition of God's good creation.  I Am using the New Testament definition of the sinful forces that take form in God's creation that act against the will of God.

When you read John 3:16 "For God so loved the WORLD that He gave his only begotten son..." That means that God EVEN loves the unlovable. That is why God sent Christ into the world! That ANYONE who comes to faith has a place in the Kingdom of God!

“Where is Your Trust? What will You Do?”

Much of what this sermon says is not easy to hear (or read), but it is a message that needs to be heard (or read).  It is a message about faithfulness...The faithfulness of God and our response to that faithfulness.

Some Christians cry that Christianity is being persecuted in the USA. They may have a point - I've never met a holiday that uses a "Holiday Tree" except for Christmas, in that case, why wouldn't we call it a Christmas tree.  This may not be the best example because it seems trivial in comparison to severe persecutions where people are chastised and even disowned for coming to the Christian faith.  That, however is not limited to America. That happens all over the world.  

    Compared to the sufferings of other areas of this world, the persecution of Christianity in America is little more than a flesh wound.

·    Few if any people in the US are killed for being Christian, and it is not done on a systematic basis.  In other nations, that is not the case.

o  In Saudi Arabia if you convert from Muslim to Christianity, you can be killed

§  I am NOT saying there are not Good and Peaceful Muslims in the world who recognize our common Abrahamic roots.  I AM saying that in Saudi Arabia that persecution is the case.

o  In Israel, Palestinian Christians are looked down upon.  The first Christians ever were the Palestinian Christians. In the Book of Acts, the first converts were inhabiting the land now called Israel and Palestine.

*  Not all Palestinians are Muslim and yet the land and lives of ALL Palestinians are always in danger by the Israeli Government.

§  That is not to say that all Jewish people or Israeli People are anti-Christian – just in that particular case, they lump Palestinians into 1 group for security risk case, and many well meaning and peaceful individuals get hurt in the process.

Instead, in the USA, we tend to focus on how our individual rights are violated and some people attribute it to a “War Against Christianity”

·     

     It may be that individual rights are violated, but Christianity was never about Individual Rights.

·      In God’s Eyes, we don’t have “rights.” According to God, we don't have the "right" to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Instead, we have abundant gifts that only God Gives.

·     

   Biblically, God’s promises are to communities of believers. In the Old Testament, God's promises are made to the community of Israel.  In the New Testament, the promises are made to all believers. Only in very specific cases does God make promises to individuals who carry out a special role, such as the prophets.

Americans are good at turning Christianity into a political party – Both Democrats and Republicans do this equally well – Not one party is innocent, nor is one party completely guilty.  The truth of the matter is that  God is NOT a Republican or a Democrat, and our Faith should always come before our Party affiliation.

As the Psalm says – Don’t put your trust in Mortals/Princes/Political Figures – When their breath departs (or when their term ends), so do their ideas – BUT, God’s plan will never die!  Look at all the presidents we've had - How many have kept all of their promises.  I can think of a whopping "0." But yet, people put their faith in politicians. And if actions speak for belief, one would think that many people have more faith in their earthly leaders than in God.

Faith in God is contrary to what the world tells us:

·      * God tells us to put self interest second to communal interest (What is best for God’s Reign vs. What is best for me?).  When we make decisions, we make decisions for the common good, not just what is individually good for "me."  We have to ask ourselves, "how does this choice advance or hinder God's plan?" 

·  *We may have to endure a hardship that we can bear so that others will benefit.  Feeding the homeless is not convenient.  We leave the comfort of our own homes, but yet we are answering a call from God. Ministering to prisoners can be scary, but some are called to that ministry.  Most prisoners will be released, and if we can get them to know Christ, when they become our literal neighbor, all of us benefit.

·   *We are charged to speak the truth in love to people who are unlovable. There are A LOT of unlovable people out there! We are to love everyone - even the unlovable.  That in itself is a task because we all know someone who is difficult if not impossible to love.  But as Christians, we are called to speak the truth IN LOVE to them.

·      Most of all, we are charged to get out of our church pews and DO SOMETHING. If we don’t, we are practical atheists - people who say we believe in God but do nothing about it - and a waste to God’s Kingdom.

o  To find what you are called to do, you MUST approach God in prayer and discernment. God will answer, but you must pray and be willing to listen.  God will lead you on paths you've never expected.  God may keep your call the same, or it may change. God works differently for different people.

Little of what I said is popular, but God is not popular. God is necessary.  But, how can we expect the world to know about God if we don’t tell them? We can’t approach 2013 problems with a 1950 attitude.  Things will not go back to the way they were…ever.

·      We can help others realize God’s necessity one person or one group at a time, but that only comes through engagement. So, do you go to church to be fed? Or are you going to be nourished so you can do something for God?

A Prayer For Our Enemies

God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
     We confess that in times of tragedy we do not want to love our enemies.  We do not want to grant them mercy. We do not want to acknowledge that You created them in the same way that You created us.
     We are unwilling to accept that you love them in the same way that you love us.  We want them to be judged more harshly by You than You would judge us.
     As humans, we have confused and perverted the words "justice" and "revenge." We want revenge; we don't seek justice.
     We want revenge: We want to be God - We want to be You. We want to make the ultimate decisions of others' fates. We think we know what should be done.  They hurt us and the ones we love, after all.
     You seek justice. You seek that the wrongdoers face consequences for their actions by other humans but that those consequences not be doled out in revenge.  You are the only one capable of revenge because only You know the entire story.

     We can take comfort that you also know our pain. You know that we live in a broken world. You know that seeking revenge is more common than seeking justice, but you give us a higher calling.  You've called us to live in your son's image and into His example through the power of the Holy Spirit.
     Empower us to not only tolerate our enemies but to pray for them and to love them.  Yes, God, I did say love.  Even I do not want to love my enemies, but I pray that you guide me in a direction to where I will want to love them.
     Our enemies have done terrible things.  But we are only to carry out justice; not revenge.
     When our hearts are hardened with thoughts of revenge, we pray for a softening that will lead us to turn to You and put judgement back in your hands.  When hate fills our minds, we pray for love.  For only in love are we freed from fear.  And fear is the ultimate enemy that tortures us and causes us to hate and seek revenge.
     We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever. Amen!

Stations of the Cross - Meditations and Prayers

The Stations of the Cross are an artistic depiction of the last moments of Jesus Christ’s life.  They are meant to capture what we would have seen and experienced if we had been there when the actual events occurred.  Often, in Roman Catholic Churches, you will find the Stations of the Cross as sculptures or artwork around the sanctuary.  During Lent, and especially on Good Friday, Catholics, and now Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists, and even other denominations will find ways to meditate and pray as they follow the Stations of the Cross.

Some of the Stations come directly from Scripture while others come from tradition. What is important is not whether each is Scriptural, because the Stations do remain faithful to what Scripture teaches us about the Crucifixion of Jesus, but what is important is that the Stations remind us of the human element – they remind us of what others would have experienced.

Let us Pray

Lord God, you reign in Heaven, and so that all creation could know you, you sent your only son, Jesus Christ – God in the Flesh – to dwell among us.  On the day of his crucifixion, humanity said, “no” to You. But, you had bigger plans. We know that you rejected our “no” and said, “yes” to us on Easter Sunday.  Before we get to Easter, help us focus our minds and spirits on the true and painful sacrifice you made for us and our sins through your Son on the Cross who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

 Hear now the Word of God

Luke 23:32-47

³²Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” ³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. ⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

These are the Stations of the Cross. Use the Roman Numerals to help you as you follow the meditations and prayers. 

As we enter into the Stations of the Cross, realize that this is a process that is new to some of you.  This is a contemplative worship. Look at the pictures, Listen to the Devotion, Hear the short prayer that goes with each station. Most of all, put yourself into the story that happened about 2000 years ago, but is still relevant today to our identity as Christians.  We will all have different experiences. Some may be emotional. Some may not. Whatever you experience is OK. Let the cares of the world leave your mind as you enter into Christ’s story – which is our story. Think of the magnitude of what happened on Good Friday.  Meditate on how all of this was done for you personally and yet it was done for all of humanity. Let us now begin the Stations of the Cross. 

Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Jesus stood alone before Pilate. He was tried by what we would call a “kangaroo court.” The cards were stacked against him. Yet he never offered a defense. No one else came to Jesus’ defense. All of his friends abandoned him. No one spoke on his behalf. He never said that he was innocent, though he was. He was condemned on trumped up charges.

As humans, we too feel abandoned. Where are our friends when we need them most? Where is our family when we are struggling? We get criticized for doing good and it seems that those who do evil are rewarded.  But Jesus knows our pain. He died under these circumstances. When no one else is with us, if we let Jesus be with us, he will be. We must never forget that. People will fail us, but Christ will not. The road we travel may be tough – we were never promised an easy trail, but we were promised that God would be with us.

Prayer: As you were condemned to death, you took your sentence willingly. Were you scared? Were you afraid? You showed courage despite knowing that soon they would beat you and pound nails in your flesh.  Help us in our daily walk with you to gain the courage to face the trials of this world with the courage that we can only gain through you. Amen!

Station 2 Jesus Carries his Cross:

            Not only was Jesus sentenced to death, but he had to carry his instrument of death.  In modern times, that would be like a death row inmate carrying his or her own electric chair. Meditate on the psychological torture in forcing someone to carry their instrument of death to the place they will be killed. Imagine how the cross dug into Jesus’ shoulder. Think of the splinters from the wood – the heaviness of the cross – the crowds looking on and laughing and mocking him.  How did this affect Jesus’ spirit and mind?

            We often feel we have to carry a load more than we can bear. Our responsibilities sometimes feel like they control us. Being Christians, our goal is to be Christ-like and to help those in need, but that can be frustrating and even burdensome at time. Add onto that the responsibilities of everyday life – work, family, friends, life obligations, and so forth. We carry our own symbolic crosses. But, Jesus does not make us carry these burdens alone. We are told to cast our cares on Him. God’s love and care is greater than we can imagine. We may not see or feel immediate results, but our feelings often deceive us. God is active in our lives when we invite Him in.

            Prayer: Jesus, you carried your cross weighed down by our sins and burdens. We still carry our burdens and lie to ourselves that we can do it alone. Convict of us this sin of self-deception and lack of faith. Lead us to a greater faith in you. Amen!

Station 3 Jesus Falls the First Time:

            The cross was heavy. Jesus was not only carrying the instrument of his death, but he was also previously beat and tortured. He suffered a night with no sleep. In this cross was the weight of the world. It weighed him down. He fell. No one helped. The crowds laughed and shouted. The guards shouted for him to hurry up.

            We fall. We give up. We have good intentions, but when the going gets tough, we fall. We give up.  We sometimes make our trials seem bigger than they are. Christ promised to bear our load. We may not feel His help immediately, but we can be assured that the help is there. We may not know how the help is there, but God’s promises are true.

            Prayer: Jesus, the world abandoned you in your suffering, but you promised not to abandon us if we call out to you. When we suffer, no matter how small or great that suffering is, remind us of your great love and remind us to call out to you. Remind us that you are there. Amen!

Station 4 Jesus Meets His Mother:

            On the road, Jesus meets his mother Mary. Her pain was great. Her son was suffering and she couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t take it away. She couldn’t even comfort him.  But to Jesus, that loving face showed him that he was not alone. That loving face showed him that despite the pain, she was with him, if only in spirit.

            Mary is a great example to us all. We can’t stop all of the suffering in this world.  Sometimes, the greatest gift we can give is our presence. Sometimes the greatest gift we have is sitting with someone and showing that we care. Sometimes that person may be a loved one as it was with Mary, and sometimes it may be a stranger. This caring may manifest itself in many ways. We may spend long periods of time with a person, say just the right words to a person, or even just exchange a smile from a distance.

            Prayer: Lord, help us to be a “Mary” to the world. Help us to show your love to the world. Our acts of mercy can be great or they can be small, but they must originate from and bring glory to you. Amen!

Station 5 Simon of Cyrene Helps Carry the Cross:

            The soldiers escorting Jesus are growing impatient. They forget that Jesus is weak because of what they have done in beating Jesus before making him carry the cross.  Because they are in a hurry, they pull Simon of Cyrene from the crowd and force him to help Jesus carry the cross.

            We are often asked to help. We don’t always realize what it means to be asked to help. Is the person taking advantage of us? Does the person really need our help? What if we are busy? What if we are stretched too thin? These are legitimate questions. We are not God. We have limits. God does not expect us to go beyond what He has gifted us to do. God does expect us to love our neighbor, and that does involve helping.

            Prayer: Lord, as we conform ourselves into the image of Christ, help us to discern what our role in helping others means. Though “helping” sounds like such a simple term, in reality, it is a complex task. Guide us in to what you would have us to do to glorify your name and further your Kingdom. Amen!

Station 6 A Woman Wipes Jesus' Face

            A woman named Veronica wipes the face of Jesus and his image is left on her cloth. Though this is not recorded in scripture, it still holds great significance to the power of Christ. Small acts of mercy go long ways. The image on the cloth represents the growth into Christ’s image people receive when they act in ways Christ would have them act.

            The world is full of needs. There are needy people, hungry people, lonely people, people who live in fear, and the list goes on. God doesn’t ask us to do earth shattering acts of kindness, but rather we are asked to be faithful in showing kindness and showing acts of mercy and charity to those in need.

            Prayer: Lord, help us not to be blind to those around us who need us most. Help us not to fear the criticism we will receive for helping the people labeled as “those people.” To be your church, we are called to help the least of these. Guide us in what you would have us do. Amen!

Station 7 Jesus Falls a Second Time

            The weight of the cross is becoming more overbearing. The wood was digging into his shoulder. The crowds are laughing and jeering. Jesus stumbled and fell a second time. The guards are angry. As though he were on a mission, He reaches for more strength and struggles to get back up and go on – Go on to the point of his death.

            Life is difficult. We are compared to others – either by others or by ourselves.We are driven in a “success oriented” culture where our worth is determined by how much we accomplish. When we “fail,” we “fall.” Worldly success is not how God determines our worth. For God, our worth is set by being His creation. We are of ultimate worth. When we forget that, we need to only turn to God in prayer and in Scripture to remember that we are loved in a way no human can ever love us.

            Prayer: Lord, we thank you for accepting us and loving us for just being your creation. Guide us to love You and Neighbor the way we should. Help us not to be deceived by worldly success but rather help us to notice that which you value. Amen!

Station 8 Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

             As Jesus passed the Women of Jerusalem, he saw compassion in their eyes. He had been abandoned by his friends, but these strangers were there, suffering in their own way at what they were seeing. He saw that they believed that this isn’t the way things should be. He saw love.  At the same time, Jesus, in his suffering reached out to offer them peace of heart, mind, and spirit. 

            Like Jesus’ Friends, it’s easy to get so self-absorbed that we forget our closest friends in their times of need, much less strangers in their times of need.  We get consumed with busyness, frustration, the self-deception of being effective rather than being faithful, and the lie that small outreaches don’t make a difference.

            Prayer: Lord, help us to reach out to those in need. Help us to reach out to our friends and strangers alike. Guide this church and all churches to do your will in this community and in the world to bring your Kingdom to the hearts of all people. Amen!

Station 9 Jesus Falls a Third Time

            Jesus’ struggle was coming to an end. He was sweating, the pain of the cross on his shoulder was unbearable. He was thirsty. The wounds he received from the beating before this journey were hurting. Jesus stumbled and fell a third time. He got up and kept going.

            In our lives, we will fail. Failure is not a sign of weakness. Failure is not a sign of unfaithfulness. Failure is a statistical reality. Failure can be a sign that we tried. Failure can be a sign that we listen to God’s call, and we just didn’t get it right. Maybe failure isn’t the right word. Maybe a better way to say it is that we need to reevaluate and try again.

            Prayer:  Lord, despite the obstacles in our way, help us to get back on our feet each time we fail at our mission in life. Guide us to use these opportunities to turn back to you and to aim for a more intimate relationship with you. Amen!

Station 10 Jesus Clothes are Taken Away

            The soldiers took away Jesus clothes. They did this to humiliate him. They drew lots to see who got to keep them. The crowd made fun of Jesus. They shouted for this “miracle worker” to perform another miracle. He stayed silent. Little did they know what was in store 3 days later.

            Sometimes, being a Christian can be humiliating. The world wants to shame us. The world has a narrow definition of what it means to be Christian. Most often they base their definition off of a bad experience they had with someone who didn’t live the Christian life the way God would have us live it – or maybe that Christian was having a bad day and left a bad impression. Christians are always under the microscope. As people who are supposed to bring Good News to the world, every slip up we make is brought to attention.

            Prayer: Lord, help us to endure the humiliation that goes along with being a Christian, but more than that help us to mirror you. Guide us to give the world a positive example of what it means to be a Christian so that others may join our ranks. Amen!

Station 11 Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

The cross that Jesus has carried, is now the cross he is nailed to. The nails are pounded into his hands and into his feet. The pain is unbearable, but it is only a hint of what is to come. The people he loved have gone crazy and have done this to him. He hurts – physically and in his spirit.

We hurt others. We hurt those who are different from us. We hurt those we don’t understand. We hurt those with whom we disagree. But Jesus told us to love our enemies. Loving and hurting just cannot go together. We need to be trained to do this. It starts small. We start with those around us. We then grow into loving those distant from us.

Prayer: Lord, you were hurt for our sake. Guide us so we do not hurt others because hurting makes no gain in your Kingdom. Help us to love and be charitable – even to our enemies. Amen!

Station 12 Jesus Dies on the Cross

            Jesus died willingly on the cross. He forgave those who killed him. He did this so we could live eternally if we choose to follow Him. On Easter, he will defeat death, making death just a “crossing over,” rather than an end.

            Contemplate the magnitude of what happened. Jesus died. Jesus forgave those who killed him. He did this willingly. As we grow as disciples, can we learn to forgive more deeply? Can we forgive those who harm us? Can we live sacrificially so that others can have basic necessities?

            Prayer: Lord, We don’t understand the fullness of your death on the cross. We know that it brings the possibility of salvation. We don’t understand the fullness of salvation, but we know that it involves union with God in this life and the next. Guide us to be closer to you and to draw others to that same relationship. Amen!

Station 13 Jesus Body is Taken from the Cross

            When Jesus was taken from the cross, his suffering had ended. His soul, however descended to the dead and freed the captives to death and gave them the chance to be reconciled to God. His body was cleaned and prepared for burial.

            When people die, we often show more compassion than when they were alive. Help us to see the needs and goodness in people when they are alive. Help us see their potential and that they were created in your image.

            Prayer: Lord, guide us in the ways of living in your name that we see all people as created in your image. Help us to minister to all people in your name. Amen!

Station 14 Jesus Body is Laid in the Tomb

            Joseph of Arimathea donated his tomb to bury Jesus.  They laid Jesus’ body in it and a large stone was placed in front of it – a large stone too large to be moved by less than several people.

            Reflect on the generosity of Joseph of Arimathea. He risked his life in donating his tomb. Reflect on the stone. These stones were so large that it was impossible to move them without attracting attention and without several people. Reflect on the tomb. Jesus is dead.

            Prayer: Lord, we remember your death. We remember this is not the end of the story. But tonight, we stop here. We live in the tension of life and death. Amen!

Hymn: "Were You There"

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? 

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Prayers for Congo

Prayer Pointers: Blessed are the peacemakers

Pray for political will and determination from the DRC government and other actors, both international – Rwanda and Uganda – and national, to engage and persevere in dialogue to find resolutions to the hugely complex issues of this conflict in order to bring about lasting peace in DR Congo.

Pray for church leaders and workers, leaders of civil society, health and aid workers, and MONUSCO (UN peace-keeping/stabilisation force) as they work in hugely challenging and often dangerous circumstances. Pray for wisdom and strength as they minister and respond to needs. Remember especially Bishops Bahati (Bukavu), Isesomo (Butembo) and William (Boga).

Pray for provision of international aid resources to tackle the needs for food, shelter, sanitation, healthcare and education for those affected by conflict and displacement.

Pray for an end to impunity, and justice for those who perpetrate violence, rape, kill and maim, abduct, steal and destroy.

Give thanks to God for all those who have opened their homes to displaced people, for their sacrificial giving and sharing of slender resources, and pray for provision of their needs.

Pray for God’s protection on the minds and lives of young people, for healing and psychological treatment for those who have seen and experienced things no child should be exposed to, and for access to education.

Give thanks for the work of HEAL Africa in Goma and Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, and other church groups working amongst rape victims, and pray for God’s blessing on their multi-faceted work tackling medical, psychological and spiritual needs.

Pray that God will heal and bring comfort and care to all those who have been raped and tortured. Pray for an end to sexual violence and restraint of this evil behaviour.

Give thanks for the extraordinary resilience and firm Christian faith of many Congolese; pray that many would turn to the Lord and know him as their refuge and strength. Praise God and pray for health, education, peace and reconciliation, and development work undertaken in Christ’s name in DRC.

What follows is a liturgy proposed by www.congochurchassn.org.uk and accessed from http://www.congochurchassn.org.uk/prayerweek.pdf to be prayed during a certain time period.  I apologize for missing that time period.  Thankfully God is not confined to time nor space, and ALL prayers to God are not in vain.  Feel free to pray this liturgy as printed by the Congo Church Association working with the Anglican Church, or use it to adapt your own prayers.

As you pray a liturgy, even if you pray it by yourself, realize you are never alone - you are surrounded by a "could of witnesses" who pray with you.  So pray the responses as if you are in a congregation.  

NOTE: I have taken some editorial liberties to make the prayers more universal to all Christians. This is not intended to be a disrespect toward Anglicans, but rather an invitation for all Christians to pray these prayers.

A short prayer, based on part of the South African national anthem:
God bless Congo: guard her children, guide her leaders. and give her peace; for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen

Longer intercessions:Almighty God, maker of all, enemy of none, we pray to you for the people of Congo, whose troubles are in your heart and ours, whose hopes are set in your promises. 

Touch those whose lives have been scarred by violence and death;

Stretch out your arm, your mighty hand, and touch this wounded land.

Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing. 
as they look on the cross of Christ, bring them from pain to joy.

Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing

Touch those who are guilty of greed and cruelty; by your Spirit bring them through repentance to new life.
Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing 

Touch those who wield power, of government, of arms, and of commerce:
give them a vision of Congo rebuilt, united, free and prosperous. 
Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing

Touch your church, troubled and tired, and give it new strength, so that with Bible and hoe, prayer and medicine, it can tell of your love and show your compassion.
Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing 

Touch our hearts too, renew our solidarity with our brothers and sisters,
and show us how we can support them in their difficulties. 
Lord of heaven and earth: bring peace and healing

Stretch out your arm, your mighty hand, and touch the wounded land of Congo; for Jesus’ sake. Amen

A dialogue based on Isaiah 43

Leader The God of Israel has redeemed us
All He has created us and called us by name 
Leader He is with us and we need not fear
All Rivers will not overwhelm us 
Leader Flames shall not consume us
All For the Holy One of Israel is our Saviour.

Litany:For the diverse beauty and potential glory of all your creation, and especially the land and people of the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

For the faithful and perfect witness to your love borne by Jesus Christ your Son to the whole world, including the people of the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

For all those who despite their flaws have mirrored that witness in the proclamation and living out of the gospel among the people of the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

For the worship and mission of the body of Christ in Africa, and particularly of the Anglican Church of the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

For faithful and persevering parishes, for health care and education, for work with young people and for the Mothers’ Union, for evangelism and training, for ministry and service to the desperate in the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

For your steadfast love, for Christ’s bearing of the world’s woe, for the promise of ultimate reconciliation and the hope of glory even in the Congo, we give you thanks O Lord.

Silence

As we move from thanksgiving to intercession, the response to the words ‘...and we turn to you’ is ‘hear our cry O Lord

When we recoil from the worst of the forces of evil, from oppression and corruption, from cruelty and great suffering, and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord

When we long for the leaders of the peoples, especially in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, to find in their hearts compassion, wisdom and the springs of right action, and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord.

When we fear for the well-being and the very lives of your poor and those we love, when our hearts are breaking and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord.

When we see discord and hatred seeming to prevail and bitterness fuelling human hearts for violence, and we ache for change and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord.

When we hope with passion for the development of life, material emotional and spiritual, and find our hopes in part frustrated and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord.

When we wait boldly for the coming of your kingdom and lament the dullness of our perception of your mission and the fragility of our participation with you, and we turn to you, hear our cry O Lord.

Blessed and holy Trinity, within the mystery of your perfect love the Son knows the depth of human brokenness, the Spirit is constantly in movement for abundant life, the Father is working out your glorious purpose; receive our thankfulness and attend to our plea for the whole life of the Province of the Church of the Congo, heal its brokenness, renew its life, and bring to fulfilment your purposes for it and through it, for the sake of your kingdom, through Christ, Amen

A Prayer for the People of DR CongoO God, Loving parent of all, comfort your children displaced, wounded, lost or orphaned by conflict in D R Congo; and give the people of that country courage to seek enduring peace with justice and freedom, that their children might grow up without fear, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ Amen

My Notes and Commentary:

The language that says, "God bless Congo" should not be mistaken to be at the expense of any other nation or people.  God blesses all people and nations.  Congo is facing major suffering - I did not edit this out for that reason.  

We do not pray this at the expense of other nations. We do not pray suffering on other nations. We pray for peace in Congo.  This same prayer can be used in war-zones in any other area of the world.

All prayers are heard by God.  You can adapt this liturgy as you see fit. Pray part of it. Use it as a model. Make up your own prayers. But whatever you do, pray! 

Life is Sacred

I've been following the events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as closely as possible.  Sadly, in America that is hard to do unless you speak French, or one of the local African languages whereby you can look up news on the internet.  Finding accurate reports is difficult.

The M23 Rebels, run by the Rwandan Government as outlined in the United Nations Group of Experts Report linked here has overrun the DRC city of Goma and continues to loot and pillage the land and people of the DRC.  The reports vary as to what is actually happening on the ground.  No matter what news is coming out, I'm sure of the fact that it is not good.  (NOTE:  I have had trouble getting the link to the Group of Experts Report to load on my computer.  Sometimes I have had to wait up to 2 minutes for the report to load).

Though Rwanda, and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame strongly deny ties to M23 or ANY wrongdoing, evidence is not in their favor.  Published in 2010, the Mapping Report of Human Rights Violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1993-2003 also implicate Rwanda and Kagame of horrible offenses - again, offenses Kagame denies.

President Kagame has a history of "being the victim."  He (or rather, his people) were the victim of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.  Yes, it is true that more Tutsis (his tribe) were killed, but there is compelling evidence that it was Kagame that sparked the Genocide by shooting down the president's plane so he could come in as "Rebel Hero" and "save Rwanda."

President Kagame has made it a crime to discuss one's tribal heritage.  All are Rwandan - there are no longer Hutus or Tutsis.  At the outset, that may sound good, but history cannot be erased.  Heritage cannot be erased.  We must always live with our past - both the good and bad parts.  I am an American, but I will always have Swedish, Italian, and Irish heritage.  I recognize the good things my ancestors have brought to this nation, and I also recognize the bad.  Kagame does not allow for that.  He allowed for no true healing after the genocide.  His "healing" was one by force.  His is a pot of boiling water ready to explode.

Paul Kagame has made it a crime to state that Hutus were victims of the Genocide.  No one denies that Tutsis were the main victims.  No one wants to take away their right to mourn and grieve.  But, shouldn't the survivors of killed Hutus be allowed that same right?

Today, however, I read a Twitter "tweet" about the DRC and M23.  The person asked, why M23 cannot see that they are dealing with fellow humans? I was disturbed by this question.  Not because it was asked, but because this person asked the correct question!

Why can't M23 see that they are dealing with fellow humans?  Why can't Paul Kagame see that he is dealing with fellow humans?

All life is sacred.  God breathed life into every living being.  Yet, people like Kagame and his M23 thugs treat people as objects.  And what do they get out of it? They get temporary wealth, temporary power, temporary fame.  But sooner or later a more powerful force will rise up, and they will be the objects.  If that doesn't happen, I would hate to be them on Judgment Day!

Paul Kagame doesn't see the people of DRC or even in his own Rwanda as sacred lives.  He sees them as  stepping stones.  He has essentially placed himself as God.  That is not a wise decision.  God will not be mocked.  

M23 does not see life as sacred. They act as Gods. Whatever their goal is, they do it to their own peril.

What Kagame and M23 don't realize is that THEIR lives are also sacred, and by violating this God ordained fact - by taking the lives of others, they are "cheapening" their own lives.  They are essentially saying the value of their own life is of nothing without the power, the money, the riches, the fame.

Through their Rape and Pillage, they are living at the level of animals.  They are not living the life that God intends for all humans - to live humbly before God.  

As we pray for the DRC, we should also pray for M23 and Kagame.  Yes, that's hard - praying for one's enemy is always hard.  But, we must realize that Christ himself commanded us to do so. Pray that Kagame's heart and the hearts of the M23 Militia Members be softened that they recognize their own humanity and live as God intended for them to live.