Renewal through Trust – Caring brings Renewal
WORLD COMMUNITY DAY SERVICE 2021
Living a Powerful Life
Earth Care – Our Calling
WORLD COMMUNITY DAY 2023
Adapted by Australian Church Women Inc.
WELCOME
THIS ORDER OF SERVICE was adapted by Australian Church Women Inc. from the 2023 Fellowship of the Least Coin In-gathering Liturgy https://www.fellowshipoftheleastcoin.org Permission was given to adapt the original service titled 'Earth Care – Our Calling'.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND
We acknowledge the First Nations peoples of Australia as the traditional custodians of this land.
We respect past and present Elders and are thankful for their wisdom which has sustained their people since the beginning of time.
We will support emerging and future First Nations leaders and their people.
CALL TO WORSHIP
[Where 2 or more are gathered, you may like to read this as a responsive reading.]
PSALM 9:1–2
Leader:
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
RESPONSE:
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O most High.
PRAYER
Leader:
Loving Creator, you care for the land by sending rain;
you make it fertile and fruitful.
What a rich harvest you provide!
RESPONSE:
All your creation sings for joy!
When we take care of the land,
sowing the seed and reaping the harvest,
all your creation sings for joy.
Leader:
When we keep streams and rivers clean,
when we respect the purity of lakes and seas.
RESPONSE:
All your creation sings for joy.
Leader:
When we recognize that we are one family,
brothers and sisters together,
with responsibility for the land and the waters.
RESPONSE:
All your creation sings for joy
for you bless us abundantly all our days.
Amen
(Per Harling from Gloria Deo, Prayers and Hymns for the 12th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches [CEC] 2003 Europe)
HYMN of PRAISE
ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
(Together in Song 100)
[Click image arrow to sing along with the video.
https://youtu.be/tka3iFJ0PNk?si=ZyhnexOPcRPCzP8f
BBC Songs of Praise YouTube channel]
BIBLE READING
Psalm 104:24–31 (NIV)
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
GOSPEL READING
Matthew 6:25–33 (NIV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
COMMUNITY SHARING
(If more than 2 or 3 gathered together)
Share with one another if you have direct experience of the impact of climate change or destruction of the environment.
HYMN
THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD
(Together in Song 149)
[Click image arrow to sing along with the video.
PRAYER
Leader:
God of power, God of people,
God of Power, God of People.
ALL:
You are the life of all living things,
the energy that fills the earth,
the vitality that brings to birth.
Leader:
The impetus toward making whole
whatever is bruised or broken.
ALL:
In you we grow to know the truth
that sets all creation free.
You are the song that the whole earth sings,
a promise liberation brings, now and forever.
AMEN
(From Words and Songs of Reconciliation and Praise, Graz, Europe, 1997)
FELLOWSHIP OF THE LEAST COIN DEDICATION
If you have not seen this, an excellent video introduction to the Fellowship of the Least Coin was produced by the Women's Inter-Church Council of Canada in October 2018, and it is available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tYomxrkqeg
LEADER: We thank God that Shanti Solomon was inspired to begin the Fellowship of the Least Coin prayer movement. Many have experienced God’s love and have been able to have a better life as a result.
OUR FLC STORY
Reader 1
The Fellowship of the Least Coin (FLC) is a global ecumenical prayer movement for peace, justice, and reconciliation. Through this movement, women around the world strive to be in solidarity with each other and are reminded to pray and work for peace.
Reader 2
The idea for the FLC emerged as a vision from God to Shanti Solomon of India. Shanti was part of the Pacific Mission Team, a group of seven women from different countries that travelled throughout Asia in 1956. The mission was organized by Dr Margaret Shannon on behalf of the women of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA). On this mission, Shanti heard stories from Asian women who had experienced abuse and trauma during the Second World War. Due to unfavourable diplomatic relations between India and South Korea at the time, Shanti was refused a visa to South Korea. So, she stayed in the Philippines and prayed about her experiences and the stories she had heard.
Reader 3
When the team met her in the Philippines, Shanti shared her vision of Christian women praying for peace to transcend every national boundary and human-made division. Shanti wanted all Christian women to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation in their own lives and throughout the world and to set aside a coin as a token for each prayer. She proposed that all women give the ‘least coin’ of their currency so that women of all socioeconomic status could be given opportunities to be generous and participate in this peacemaking.
Reader 4
She challenged the Christian women of Asia and the women from PCUSA to combine their efforts and resources to launch this project of justice, peace, and reconciliation. The team accepted Shanti’s challenge and the FLC was born.
Fellowship of the Least Coin Offerings
If you are unable to present your FLC offering at this time, please set it aside until you can meet with other FLC supporters or please email the ACW National Secretary Margaret Ker margaretker48@gmail.com
FELLOWSHIP OF THE LEAST COIN PRAYER
Let us join together in the Fellowship of the Least Coin prayer.
O Loving Creator, we present ourselves in your divine presence to thank you for all the bountiful gifts of life. We are especially grateful for the Fellowship of the Least Coin, which binds us together in love and forgiveness around the globe. Free us from all doubts and prejudices, we pray. Inspire us to live in solidarity with humankind that we may know the joy of giving and receiving.
Dear God, accept this least coin ‘token of love’. Make us mindful of the miracles of these coins. Let us honour your creation with love, as shown through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, Jesus the Christ.
AMEN
GENERAL OFFERING
We have been blessed by God. Let us give now in the
General Offering to support the work of the
Asian Church Women’s Conference (ACWC).
If you are unable to present your offering at this time, please set it aside until you can meet with members of ACW or please email the ACW National Secretary Margaret Ker to arrange the collection of your offering.
PRAYER
We thank you Lord for all your gifts. We bring our offering to you to be used to help and bless others in your name.
PRAYER
Leader:
We thank you Lord, for all your gifts to us. We bring our offerings to be used to help and bless others in your name.
Let us join together in the Lord’s Prayer.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come;
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory
are yours now and forever.
AMEN
CALL TO COMMITMENT
Leader:
We have been guests of Jesus Christ. We have received God’s good gifts.
ALL:
Now we go to our homes, to our neighbours, to our work equipped to put Jesus’ words and being into action, to be the salt of the world, to seek justice, to make peace, to preserve the creation, to gain life.
Thanks and amen.
(2nd European Ecumenical Assembly, Graz, Europe, 1987)
CLOSING HYMN
PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY
(Together in Song 111)
[Click image arrow to sing along with the video.
DOXOLOGY
ALL: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low Praise God in Jesus fully known
Creator, Word and Spirit One.
AMEN