PRAYER
SERVICE FOR THE NEW YEAR - 31
LEADER: welcomes the group. We
have entered the new year and it is a
precious gift to be alive today. Everyone is talking about the new year…
everyone has looked forward to today and we have had special preparations for
it… we are blessed to be here at this great moment- to celebrate the new year
of Christ birth.. We pause for a while we remember and give praise to God the
Father, the son and the spirit.
Hymn…. O give thanks to the
Lord…..
Abba father, father of us all
and loving God its time to turn again to you. This is a year full of graces and
many blessings…. Come to meet us – take us into the heart of this new year and
give us the confidence we need to journey freely and with hope in our hearts.
Hymn… Glory and praise to our
God…..
In heaven about 2000 years ago,
the 3 divine persons had a conference where they discussed the deterioration of
creation on earth. Everywhere they found poverty, injustice, manipulation of
wealth, rape, aimless killings and wars. They arrived at a decision- Human kind
must be redeemed from self destruction by one of them with the cooperation of
those created in God’s own image. And this brings to fulfillment according to
the original plan of creation- so God
sent His son… His birth enabled humankind to probe deeper into God’s saving
action. We welcome this new year as it invites us to renewed wonder at the
lavishness of a God who so loved the world that Jesus took on human flesh that
all, the entire world might become alive in God….
Abba loving father, you loved
us so much that you sent your only son to die for us and save us! How much you
love us! Dear friends this year we celebrate 2000 years of Christ coming ….
Christ who came to give to the world where there was so much of chaos,
violence, injustice, hatred…. A message of hope, peace, love, justice, truth….
He became man like us in all simplicity lived and moved around with the people,
through words and deeds tried to bring man closer to God… It was He who brought
salvation to this world.
2000 years have gone by, but the values of the father’s
kingdom which Jesus came to imbibe in us where are they today? Let’s look
around us- can we say we are all living in unity with one another as one
family, as God’s children? There’s so much of corruption, injustice, murders,
violence, jealousy… have I been an instrument in my own little way in promoting
all this in my family, school, friends circle, neighbourhood…. Let’s pause for
a while and reflect on our very own lives?[pause]
definitely each one of us must have felt that we need to
start again. This new year, God offers to each one of us a fresh, new
beginning…..[silence music as the each child reads]
1.
I
Yahweh, know the plans I have in mind for you. I reserve a future full of hope
for you.[Jer. 29:4]
2.
Yahweh
is god, He smiles on us.[Ps 118]
3.
His
love is everlasting.
4.
See
the days are coming--- I will establish a new covenant.
5.
Now,
I am making the whole of creation new.
6.
God,
Abba father- let your love rest on us.
God’s love for us is so
immense. He is our constant companion and strength- let’s make a new beginning,
asking the Lord to pick the pieces of our brokenness and to fill our emptiness.
Let us tell him- “let me start with you Lord”[pause]
At the start of this new year our hearts are filled with
joy and hope. For there besides us stands our god with outstretched arms! He
smiles and gently asks us “can we walk this year together?”[pause]
Let’s respond to this as we
sing…Father we adore you… lay our lives before you……
As we make this new beginning
with the lord, let us pause for a while to reflect on what this new millennium
is calling us to do…
[placards with the words hope,
trust, unity, peace, forgiveness, justice, recognition of human rights, faith
in one God… to be kept ready and as each student reads the same to be pinned on
the map of the world]
1.[holds a picture
of violence, earthquake or any other to show misery] we are called to live in
hope and trust sacrificing ourselves to bring about God’s kingdom.
2.[holds a picture
of creation] we are called to live in unity with God, one another and with the
entire creation.
3. [holds a picture
of a dove] we are called to proclaim peace, justice and forgiveness as way of
life.
1.
[holds
a picture of many people] we are called to believe in a God who loves us deeply
and we should love all people as one global family.
2.
[holds
a poster of women of child labour] we are called to recognize human rights and
work for the upliftment of the poor
downtrodden and weaker sections of the society.
3.
[holds
a picture of father, son and the holy spirit] we are called to believe and have
faith in the father’s eternal love, in Christ’s saving, forgiving and healing
power and in the companionship of the Holy spirit.
Dear friends, god the father
sends each of us to renew the face of the earth- to make the values of his
kingdom shine on our earth. We are called to make JESUS alive today!!! “love
one another as I have loved you” says Jesus and in doing so each of us becomes
part of the divine, an image of God who created us- for it is our works of
compassion and love to the neighbour that constitutes the dwelling of god among
us.
Hymn…….
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