Aleluya! Krestu o rudile O rudile e le ruri. Aleluya. Merena a nne le lona Mme a nne wena. God orders all things well: O come, let us worship. Pour Your love into our hearts, O God,Through the Holy Spirit You have given to us.

Let us pray:The night has passed and the day lies open before us;let us pray with one heart and mind: (silence may be kept) As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,so may the light of Your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for You;now and for ever. Amen. HYMN : Lord, make us instruments

LORD, MAKE US INSTRUMENTS[adapted from a song by Robert Bicknell – Songs of Fellowship #360]

Lord, make us instruments,Instruments of worship;We lift up our hands in Your name.Lord, make us instruments,Instruments of worshipWe lift up our hands in Your name.

We’ll sing You a love song,A love song of worship,We’ll lift up our hands in Your name.We’ll sing You a love song,A love song to Jesus,We’ll lift up our hands in Your name.

For we are a symphonyA symphony of worship;We’ll lift up our hands in Your

name.For we are a symphony,A symphony of worship;We’ll lift up our hands in Your

name.

A TIME OF PENITENCE AND CONFESSION O Gracious God, Whose lover’s pain with us Is our anguish, history and hope, We confess that too often we lack courageTo join Your lover’s distressWith ourselves and the world.

We have not been at variance with powerWhen it is used for only the privilege of the fewBecause too often we are the privileged. We have not called to account the kind of clevernessThat turns truth into lies that profit someBecause too often we have profited.

We have not stood against the arroganceThat dictates the domination of one race Or nation, or gender of religionBecause too often we are the dominators. (brief pause for reflection)

Have mercy on us, heal us, Lord,And deliver us from self-promotion,Cowardice and lack of compassion.

Then empower us to be among thoseWho dare to do things that are just and beautiful, True and faithful, visionary and deeply joyful, So that we may be free and whole And home at last, home where we truly belong, Home with our true selves, Home with each other, Home in the cosmic family, Home with You, Through Christ Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE FIRST LESSON : Acts 16: 1 – 10 From there Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra, where there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was Jewish and had become a beliver; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.

As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to observe them. So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.

They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, because they had been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas. One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and kept urging him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the good news. Here ends the first lesson.

THE PSALM : Ps 100 (choose the version most comfortable for you to read)

Lona ba lefatse lohleetsetsang Morena mehoo ea thabo,sebeletsang Morena ka thabo,tloong kapele ho eena ka litlatse. O shout to the Lord in triumph all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness and come before his face with songs of joy,

Tsebang hore Morena ke Molimo, o re bopile, ’re ba hae;re sechaba sa hae, mohlape oa makhulo a hae. Know that the Lord he is God: it is he who has made us and we are his;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Kenang likhorong tsa hae le ntse le ’moka,le mabaleng a hae le ntse le mo rorisa;mo leboheng, le boke lebitso la hae. Come into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: give thanks to him and bless his holy name. Morena o molemo,mohau oa hae ke oa kamehla eohle,botsepehi ba hae ke bo isang melokong eohle. For the Lord is good; his loving mercy is for ever: his faithfulness throughout all generations.

Morena o molemo,mohau oa hae ke oa kamehla eohle,botsepehi ba hae ke bo isang melokong eohle. For the Lord is good; his loving mercy is for ever: his faithfulness throughout all generations.

THE SECOND LESSON : John 15: 18 – 21 (read in isiZulu by Nozipho Dlamini)[Jesus said] If the world hates you, you must realize that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, because my choice of you has drawn you out of the world, that is why the world hates you.

Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.But it will be on my account that they will do all this to you, because they do not know the one who sent me. Here ends the second lesson.

Let us pray : (a new version of the Our Father as translated from ancient Aramaic, by Neil Douglas Klotz) “O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos; Focus your light within us – make it useful; Create your reign of unity now – Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms.Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.

Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt. Don’t let surface things delude us, But free us from what holds us back. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews. Truly – power to these statements – may they be the ground from which all my actions grow. Amen.”

AS WE CONTINUE IN PRAYER, we are invited to pray using our sense of touch to draw us into deeper reflection: (slight pause)We touch our foreheads: May we have keen insights and think clearly. May our thoughts be kind and wise. May we resolve anything in our minds that keeps us from being true to God. (slight pause)We touch our ears: May we listen to the inner Voice of the Beloved Holy Spirit and act on the word of God. May we hear the melodies of Christ’s goodness and treasure who he is. (slight pause)

We touch our eyes: May we have inner vision to see more clearly the holy way. May we look upon others with love. (slight pause)We touch our mouths: May we speak with love and proclaim the truth. May we laugh at the absurdities of life and taste life with joy and enthusiasm. (slight pause)We touch our noses: As we take in air and let out air, may we be reminded of the cycle of life with its dying and rising, its emptying and filling. May we breathe in the aroma of goodness and breathe out what needs to be let go.(slight pause)

We touch our hands: May we use our hands to touch all of life with reverence and gratitude. May our hands reach out with care to others. May our hands be willing to receive from others.(slight pause)

We touch our skin: May we be not too thick-skinned or too thin-skinned as we journey. May we reverence and protect the dignity of others no matter what colour of skin they have.(slight pause)

We touch our hearts: May we develop awareness of what stirs deep within God’s Heart. May we have vibrant, compassionate hearts, filled with generosity and kindness.(slight pause)We touch our feet: As we travel through the many ups and downs of life, may all the places our feet take us lead us to greater transformation and inner freedom. May we develop an ever firmer foundation in our Lord God.(slight pause)

Giver of Life, awaken our entire being so that we can enter this day with the eagerness of one who sees beauty and truth strewn through every part of life. Deepen our bond with You and strengthen our peace. Amen. (Adapted from two prayers from Out of the Ordinaryby Joyce Rupp)

CLOSING PRAYER Eternal Lord God, we are about to resume our Synod, grace us with Your Wisdom and Vision; gift us with Your Holy Humour and Humility, Your Patience and Perceptiveness. We ask that the work of this Synod be a vessel for us to be of service to one another and to You. May the ritual of the agenda be a cause for communion among us.

It is our desire, Lord and God, that the true business of this Synod be our own spiritual transformation and not simply the accomplishment of tasks and projects. We ask this of You as we now prepare to begin, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

(adapted from various prayers by Edward Hays from Prayers for the Servants of God.)

CONCLUDING Hymn : … Siyabonga, Jesu …