The world belongs to God
The earth and all its people
How good and lovely it is
To live together in unity
Love and faith come together
Justice and peace join hands
Song “Make me a channel”
Let us in silence remember our faults and failings
Christ have mercy on us, deliver us from ourselves and help us to put right our lives.
Amen.
We say the Lord’s Prayer in our own language
Song “Come thou O prince of peace”
Reflection
What will heaven be like? It will be like 10 bridesmaids and their lamps! The lamps were made of clay in a bowl with a hole at one end for the wick. The bowl was filled with oil to fuel the lamp. The foolish bridesmaids were not prepared. They had no oil. The wise bridesmaids did have oil. The oil is olive oil, although any oil was used for the lamps. The wise bridesmaids had even taken jars of extra oil so were very prepared. The bridegroom was delayed and they all fell asleep.
At midnight someone shouted that the bridegroom had arrived. They all woke up and the foolish bridesmaids asked the wise ones for some oil and they wise refused because there wasn’t enough to share and told them to go and buy some oil (at midnight!).
So the foolish girls were buying their oil when the bridegroom came to the feast and the doors were shut and only the br with oil went in to the wedding feast.
Later the others came back and asked to be let in but the groom refused to let them in. He said honestly, “I don't know you" an Aramaic phrase that means I have nothing in common with you.
So are we prepared for God, are we prepared for important choices and events in our lives? Only by keeping oil a symbol of Gods Spirit in our lives will we be prepared. We need God’s Spirit more than ever at this time. Today we remember the price of freedom, the deaths and destruction of two world wars and the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Ethiopia and many other places. We the Christian communities are a cutting edge along which there can finally be peace. Let us remember that call on our lives to be peacemakers in Gods world. Amen
We pray for Israelis and Palestinians, for Ukrainians and Russians, For Syria, for Ethiopia, for Kosova and Serbia and all places where there is war. We pray for peace makers and humanitarian corridors, for the children and the terrified and for people of good will to work together to change the world. …Spirit of the Living God present with us now enter our bodies, minds and spirits and heal us of all that harms us. Let your angels be beside us at this time. Amen
Song “A touching place”
The blessing of God be upon you
On those you love and those you meet
This day and for evermore. Amen
With thanks to the ©Iona Community adapted
