Suggestions for including Colombia in the life of your congregation

Source: Lutheran World Relief

VIGIL, PRAYER AND CELEBRATION

  ~ SUGGESTIONS FOR INCLUDING COLOMBIA IN THE LIFE OF YOUR CONGREGATION ~

Candlelit vigils, prayer, and community celebration are all important ways that our Colombian partners recognize the tragedy of war and the ever-present hope for peace.

In the spirit of global solidarity we can join our brothers and sisters in Colombia by hosting vigils, special worship services, or by thoughtfully including the concerns of Colombia in public prayer, conversation, and song that we celebrate in our churches and in our homes.

The suggestions below are for you to use however best suits your local community.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Prayerful solidarity is an important way to support ongoing work for peace in Colombia. Our partners say that vigil and prayer lift their spirits in the moments that they feel most alone and provide strength to continue the journey. The knowledge that they are in our prayers and that we are publicly lifting up their everyday heroism for peace and dignity can be especially meaningful.

Please, ensure that your efforts make a difference for Colombian peacemakers and communities by taking your vigil and prayer to the public and sharing with LWR and others your solidarity with our Colombian brothers and sisters. Some easy ways to share your solidarity are:

• Write a mini-report on what took place at your vigil and send it to LWR, your local press and your members of Congress
• Call and describe the significance of your vigil with your member of Congress and with LWR staff.
• Take photos of your vigil, prayer service or gathering and share them with LWR so we can send them to our partners and share them with colleague organizations
• Visit www.peaceincolombia.org, a new website bringing together all US communities in solidarity with Colombia. Po st what your community is doing.

ECUMENICAL RESOURCES

The prayers, litanies, and readings below have been created by a variety of organizations and faith traditions that are part of the large and growing community of people who prayerfully advocate for a restoration of peace and the dawning of justice for our brothers and sisters in Colombia and around the world. Resources are for use in places of worship and in your home. 

PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Background:

Catholic and Protestant religious and clergy have been integrally engaged in meeting the needs of the Colombian people across the country, working often at risk of their own lives, to accompany and aid the victims of this brutal conflict. Adapting the Prayer of St. Francis, Monseñor Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, the Cardinal of Colombia and Archbishop of Bogotá, expresses his hope for peace in the following words, which we may now read in unison.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let us sow love,
Where there is injury, let us offer pardon;
Where there is discord, let us build peace.
Oh Divine Lord, You taught us that those
Who work for peace are called the children of God.
Help us to persist in establishing justice and truth
As firm and lasting foundations of peace.
Lord, You offer us peace as a gift and as
A responsibility that we must realize with your help;
Give us the grace to reach out toward peace,
Help us have attitudes of peace,
That our words be words of peace,
That we realize works of peace,
And that we may build the peace that we
And our nations need. Amen.

Source: Viacrucis. Colombian Catholic Conference. National Secretariat for Pastoral Social. 2000

LITANY: A PRAYER FOR THE UNITED STATES AND COLOMBIA

Leader:            "And the leaves of the tree shall be for the healing of the nations."
Speaker I:        For the healing of the poor, whose bodies suffer from malnutrition and disease, and whose hearts ache when there is no food for their children,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker II:      For the healing of the rich, who are bound up in protecting their possessions, and do not experience the life-giving freedom found in sharing,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker III:     For the healing of members of armed groups, who struggle to come to terms with the violence they have seen and done, and who see no way out,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker I:        For the healing of those who have lost trust in their neighbors, believing they do not have their best interests at heart,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker II:      For the healing of those who have given in to cynicism, who see injustice as inevitable,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker III:     For the healing of those who no longer have hope, who have been waiting for signs of spring for far too long,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker I:        For the healing of policymakers, who continue to seek security through arms and peace and through violence,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker II:      For the healing of the land, water and sky, which have been degraded by those who see God's creation only as a resource to be exploited and not as a gift to be cared for,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Speaker III:     For the healing of both the United States and Colombia, countries who have seen parts of their populations as expendable, leaving scars that are still visible,
All:                  We pray to you, O Lord.
Leader:            Thank you, God, for your vision of restoration and healing, revealed to us in Scripture. We long for people of all nations to find rest together in the shade of your healing tree. AMEN.

Scriptures:       Revelation 22:1-6 and Ezekiel 47:1-12
Source: Mennonite Central Committee, For the Healing of the Nations

REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE (to be said in unison)

May our eyes remain open even in the face of adversity
May we not become disheartened
May we discover the gift of the fire burning in the inner chamber of our being – burning great and bright enough to transform any poison
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service of something greater than ourselves
May the suffering not paralyze us
May we not be afraid to see or speak the truth
May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten and blessed with the remembrance of who we really are.

Source: Colombia Mobilization, Sept. 2001 

PRAYER

L: Let us pray.

Women: For the children, who grow up knowing only a climate of war and violence, we pray that as your child, Jesus, came as the Prince of Peace, and in his adult life denounced violence and hatred, let us pray that soon this climate of fear, horror, death and destruction may soon pass, so that they might enjoy life in all its fullness. Lord in your mercy.

All: Hear our prayer.

Men: Particularly for the child soldier and the young draftees, male and female, we pray that those who conscript them will cease the abuse of their young bodies and minds for purposes of war, using drugs to make them behave more violently, and brain-washing methods to distort their understanding of themselves and others. Lord in your mercy.

All: Hear our prayer.

All: For the mothers and fathers of children forced into war, victims of so much violence; we pray that families may be reunited to rebuild dreams and unity within communities, to rebuild homes, and to rest assured that war will be no more. We hear the cries of the mothers and fathers, grandparents, sisters and brothers, for the children lost to war, drugs, despair, hopelessness, and for those who flee the country in search of opportunities and peace of mind not possible in a country at war. Lord in your mercy,

L: Hear our prayer. 

L: For the millions of people displaced in Colombia by the war, we cry out. We pray for those whose homes and villages have been and even today are being destroyed by guerrilla forces, paramilitary and military armies. We pray for those families and communities who are intimidated by all sides, and often forced to collaborate with one side or another, making them vulnerable to allegations of collaboration with the enemy. We pray for those who have been driven out and are now being forced from their land where they have eked out livings, adding to the growing populations of the unemployed and underemployed in urban areas which further tear them apart socially and productively. For these uprooted, the marginalized, the homeless, the excluded, let us pray.

All: Hear our prayer. 

L: All these and other concerns of our hearts today we bring before you, O God, who asks us to place our trust in you.

All: Amen.

Source: Lutheran World Relief, Colombia Education Packet, 2001

PRAYER OF COMMITMENT (to be said in unison)

English:     The journey toward peace is one in which the end is not known at the beginning. The journey cannot be made by flying over the conflict, or driving past it. Those paths are tempting, but in the end futile. Only by walking through conflict with the people who are living it – sharing the dust and fatigue, stumbling and starting again, weeping with those who weep, and rejoicing with those who rejoice – can transformation be reached.
     So, we commit ourselves to talking together and with people around the world on the footpaths to Truth and Mercy, Justice and Peace.

En Español:     La jornada hacia la paz es una jornada cayo final no se conoce al comienzo. Esta jornada no se logra ignorando o soslayando los conflictos. Vano es el final de esos caminos de tentacion. Solo caminando en medio del conflicto junto con los que sufren; compariendo el polvo y la fatiga, tropezando y levantandonos nuevamente, llorando con los que lloran y regocijandonos con los que se regocijan…solo asi se alcanza la transformacion.
     Nos comprometemos a caminar juntos con los que alrededor del mundo caminan la senda de la verdad, la compassion, la justicia y la paz.

Source: Adapted from the Footpaths Newsletter from the Center for the Transformation of Conflict, Eastern Mennonite University

RESPONSIVE READING

Reader I:

Look at the old ones
See’the power in those old eyes and frail, cupped hands
Breathe it in
Know it is your own power, too

You are one of them
They live in you as you in them
            and you marvel at them

How did they survive?
How did they stand it?

Reader II:

We struggled
We held out our hands and touched each other
We remembered to laugh
We went to endless meetings
We said no
We put our bodies on the line
We said yes 

Reader I:

They wait
You realize they are waiting for you
            and you wonder what it is they want
            you to do
And you think maybe they want you to ask
            them something
So you say
Tell me, old ones
            How did you do it?
            How did you change our world?
And they smile
Listen
Hear what they say to you 

Reader II:

We invented, we created
We walked straight through our fears
We formed the circle
We danced

We spoke the truth
We dared to live it

Source: United Church of Christ and Colombian Mobilization, Sept. 2001

LITANY FOR SENDING FORTH (Recommitment)

Group I:          We have come to end the violence
Group II:         We have come to end the silence
Unison:                        Yes we will!

Group I:          We have come to break the terror
Group II:         We have come to stem the flood of intimidation
Unison:                        Yes we will!

Group I:          We have come to heal the wounded
Group II:         We are here to help each other
Unison:                        Yes we will!

Unison:            We will create a new world that is safe, just and joyful
                        YES WE WILL
                        Now is the time
                        The end of terror, the triumph of courage
                        We are the ones we have been waiting for

Source: Colombia Mobilization, Sept. 2001

** Certain faith traditions may want to amend the above response to say:

“Yes we will, by the grace of God.” 

HYMNS

Songs can beautifully help us recognize our shared connections and unique cultures. Using songs with Spanish lyrics can be a helpful way to share a connection with our brothers and sisters in Colombia. Spanish hymns found in the With One Voice Hymnal (found in many Lutheran Churches) include:

Tu Has Venido a la Orilla (You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore) pg. 784
Cantemos al Señor (Oh, Sing to God Above) pg. 726
Una Espiga (Grains of Wheat) pg. 708
We are Marching in the Light of God pg. 650 works well using Spanish lyrics: “Caminamos en la Luz de Dios” 

SCRIPTURE  

All verses are from The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version, edited by Michael D. Coogan and published in 2001.

Divine wisdom that hears the suffering of the people
PSALM 10: 17-18
O LORD, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more. 

A vision for Gods people, guiding all toward the work for justice
ISAIAH 58: 6-11
Is not this the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;…then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58: 6,7,10 and 11)

On the day when peace inhabits the land and the wolf and lamb feed together.
ISAIAH 65:19-24
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress…The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:19 and 25) 

A promise of the peace to come
HOSEA 2:18-19
I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 

True offerings necessitate justice
AMOS 5:21-24
I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even through you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

War transformed to peace
MICAH 4:3-4
He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one will make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 

A command for the people
MICAH 6:8
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  

The Beatitudes
MATTHEW 5: 1-15
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (5:9) 

Jesus instructs us to respond to evil with love and nonviolent resistance
MATTHEW 5: 38-48
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;…But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:38, 39, 44, and 48) 

Call of discipleship
MARK 8:31-35
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. (Mark 8: 34-35) 

Jesus’ first recorded sermon. He speaks out for justice and is driven out of his home town
LUKE 4: 14-21 (or - 30)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) 

A blessing from Jesus
JOHN 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 

Apostle Paul encourages the people to live uncommon lives, to glorify the love and justice in the reign of God
ROMANS 12:1-21
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)

Freed to love one another
GALATIANS 5:13-14
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  

Guidance for the journey
1 PETER 3:8-12
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil with evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Love has power over fear and calls us to brother and sisterhood
1 JOHN 4:16-21
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love…The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (1 John 4:18 and 21)

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. – Martin Luther King Jr. 

We have a long, long way to go. So let us hasten along the road, the roads of human tenderness and generosity. Groping, we may find one another’s hands in the dark. – Emily Greene Balch

In a good government there is need not only for good builders and rulers, but also for defenders, protectors, and vigilant guardians. – Luther (from the Large Catechism)

An act of love may tip the balance. – Elie Wiesel 

Only love ---can cast out the fear which is the root of all war. – Thomas Merton

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Putting a service together can be as simple as selecting readings, prayers and music. There is no one format for a vigil or prayer service that needs to be followed. Develop your vigil based on your faith tradition and what you feel would best tell the story of Colombia and lift up our brothers and sisters there.
• Provide advocacy materials at your vigil for people to take action at the event or on the following day (phone calls to Congress, letters to the editor, etc) and have a sign up sheet so they can join one of the advocacy networks for Colombia.
• Invite the press! Vigils (no matter the size) make powerful statements about people’s feelings on the issue at hand. The press can take your message to the entire community as well as to your members of Congress. Community papers and newsletters can be excellent news mediums to use in sending a clear message.
• Invite your Senators and Representative to speak at the vigil.
• Include time for fellowship with Colombian food and music before or after your vigil.
• Symbols can be very powerful. Many vigils celebrate the light of hope in the midst of darkness by giving participants candles at the vigil’s opening or conclusion. Other symbols that can be used include bells, water, plants, flowers, stones or art.
• See Candlelight Vigil for Peace in Colombia, an LWR resource for additional prayers and ideas.