Who Will Roll Away the Stone?
Closing Worship
Saturday, 24 February
8:00p - 9:00p

Call to Worship
Juman Nijem, Nadine Bittar, Haya Naser, Zeina Khoury, Alex Wakileh, and Wisam Bittar.

Kyrie (sung by all)

Kyrie (read responsively)

God, you created us as human beings with rights and responsibilities. Have mercy upon us.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

God, you created us as human beings with rights and responsibilities. Have mercy upon us.

No distinction shall be made on the basis of political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or the territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

God, you created us as human beings with rights and responsibilities. Have mercy upon us.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

God, you created us as human beings with rights and responsibilities. Have mercy upon us.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

God, you created us as human beings with rights and responsibilities.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Hymn: Even the Stones

Verse 1
If the day should come
When the hungry have no bread,
When the rich have all been fed
And still we cannot see,
When those who work for right are locked away,
Kept out of sight
And we're blind to what it means that we are free,

Chorus



Verse 2

If the day should come
When the scriptures are not read,
When our lives are shaped instead by the images of war,
When people far and near
are slaves to greed and hate and fear
And we can't remember what we're living for

Chorus

Verse 3

If the day should come
When the air we breathe is dead,
When the whole earth has been bled
'Til the earth will bleed no more,
When oceans turn too warm, an overbearing sun brings harm
And the battered land can barely be restored,

Chorus

Prayer of Confession (Let us read together)

We claim no right,
No one can open the mouth to you.
Priests and people have declined all together,
Shepherds and sheep have sinned also,
Monarchs and people, subjects and rulers,
Rich and poor, young and old,
And we have nothing to present as our intercession.
Only this we declare as ours,
That we know you our only God,
The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your only-begotten Son who was incarnate for us,
And your all-holy Spirit.

(Excerpt from a prayer by St. Simeon of Thessalonika, 14th century, Let Us Pray to the Lord: A Collection of Prayers from the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Traditions, ed. Georges Lemopoulos. Geneva: WCC Publications. 1996.)

Absolution

How many times, after I had sinned,
You comforted me, as a good father and mother,
And you kissed me warmly as a son or a daughter,
And you stretched out your arms to me and cried out:
Rise up, fear not, stand up, come!

(Based on a prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ, St. John of Damascus, 7th century. Let Us Pray to the Lord)

Music

*Gospel Reading
Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Prayer (Read Responsively)

Women: We rejoice with great joy
Men: For the good news of the resurrection
Women: of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Men: who has been the fruit
Women: and the firstborn of all who have fallen asleep;
Men: who destroyed the gates of hell,
Women: loosed the tyranny of death,
Men: and gave us the firm hope
All: of the renewal of all human life.

(Litany after the Gospel, Armenian Liturgy Office of the Myrrh-bearing Women)

Sermon
The Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek

Music

Prayer

O God, your son Jesus Christ broke through the cycle of violence, fear, and the need for protection in which we still live. We fall too easily into trusting the security of power and arms. When we do so, we abandon the unarmed Jesus, running away as the disciples ran through this city after Jesus was crucified. In that terrible night they had no physical strength, weapons, and protection and so they could see no hope. But our hope is not finally in these things. Let us remember that Jesus Christ was the one who lived without protection. His final triumphant sign to us is the sign of resurrection. Grant us grace to live as if we truly believe this, even when we are struggling with our unbelief. Guide us to speak your truth and seek your justice. And in your mercy, free us from all fear. Amen.

(based on a prayer by Dorothy Soelle The Unprotected God)

The Lord's Prayer (said in our own languages)

Reading

This is where Sabeel takes its stand. We will stand for justice. We can do no other. Justice alone guarantees a peace that will lead to reconciliation and a life of security and prosperity to all the people of our land. By standing on the side of justice, we open ourselves to the work of peace; and working for peace makes us children of God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

("The Jerusalem Sabeel Document: Principles for a Just Peace in Palestine-Israel," May 15, 2000)

Litany of Promise (Read Responsively)
This litany is accompanied by placing the candles of hope upon the stones of obstruction.

In the midst of hunger and war
We celebrate the promise of plenty and peace.
In the midst of oppression and tyranny,
We celebrate the promise of service and freedom.
In the midst of doubt and despair
We celebrate the promise of faith and hope.
In the midst of fear and betrayal,
We celebrate the promise of joy and loyalty.
In the midst of hatred and death,
We celebrate the promise of love and life.
In the midst of sin and decay,
We celebrate the promise of salvation and renewal.
In the midst of death on every side,
We celebrate the promise of the living Christ.

(Sixth Assembly, World Council of Churches)

The Stones of Commitment

Hymn: Even the Stones (Sing the chorus twice)

Sharing the Bread of Fellowship

Prayer (Read Responsively)

With your wounded hands,
Teach us generosity and help us to bear what has happened.
With your wounded feet,
Teach us persistence in walking in your way.
With your wounded head,
Teach us patience and sympathy with those called friend and those called enemy.
With your wounded heart,
Give us love.
Give us love.
Give us love, O Jesus Christ. Amen.

(based on a Swedish prayer from For Livets Skull. Uppsala: Kyrkornas U-Forum. 1992)

Hymn: Christ the Lord has Risen Today
Words by Charles Wesley