Note: The following liturgy was written as part of a silent vigil during the 2002 G8 meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. Liturgical instructions are in italics. The portions spoken by the worship leader are in plain, those spoken by the group are in bold. Liturgical headings are underlined. Citations are in square brackets. Hymn listings are from the Lutheran Book of Worship. This liturgy is © 2002 Claire Cummings and Cory Gross but available for public use with proper credit.

Cry for Justice

Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

Hymn: 304 - Today Your Mercy Calls Us

Proclamation of the Good News

Reading: "Even when they call us mad, when they call us subversives and communists and all the epithets they put on us, we know that we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes, which have turned everything upside down." [Archbishop Oscar Romero]

Blessed are the poor in spirit:
For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn:
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek:
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful:
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
For they shall see God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. [Matt. 5:3-10]
All:The words of the Lord are true,
And all His works are dependable.
The Lord loves what is righteous and just;
His constant love fills the earth. [Ps. 33:4-5]

Reading: Luke 4:16-21

The Call to Action

Reading: James 1:22-25, 27

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak up because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
And I was a Protestant, so I didn't speak up.
Then they came for me...
By that time, there was noone to speak up for anyone.
All:To make sure this doesn't happen again, the injustice to anyone anywhere
Must be the concern of everyone everywhere.[Pastor Martin Neimoller]

Reading: Matthew 21:12-15

Message

Prayers and Offering

Boldness in the Face of Fear

Reading: Matthew 10:16-20

Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for Christ's sake.
Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you. [Matt. 5:11-12]
All:A king does not win because of his powerful army;
A soldier does not triumph because of his strength.
War horses are useless for victory;
Their great strength cannot save. [Ps. 33:16-17]

Prayer: We put our hope in the Lord;
God is our protector and our help.
We are glad because of Him;
We trust in God's holy name.
May your constant love be with us, Lord,
As we put our trust in you. [Ps. 33:20-22]
Amen.

Hymn: 415 - God of Grace and God of Glory

Proclamation of Gods Victory

Reading: Matthew 28:18-20

For God is about to create new Heavens and a new earth;
The former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
No more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
Or the cry of distress.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
They shall not labour in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord -
And their descendants as well.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together.
The lion shall eat straw like the ox;
But the serpent - it's food shall be dust!
All:"They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain," says the Lord. [Isaiah 65:17, 19b, 21, 22a, 23, 25]

Reading: Revelation 7:9-12

Hymn: 433 - The Church of Christ, in Every Age