Download how has the commitment for life programme brought hope?

COMMITMENT FOR LIFE:
A CELEBRATION OF 20 YEARS
Bringing God’s love close
A service to celebrate the amazing contribution, both
financial and through action, of Commitment for Life
churches over the last 20 years
Drawing by Tapas Kumar. In
this picture Tapas shows how his
neighbours Joyanti and Gopal
have managed to return to school
after their mother Asha Bishwas
started earning a living as part of
Christian Aid partner, Shusilan’s
crab rearing project
This is an outline for a celebratory service. Please do cut and paste
to suit your length of service, resources and traditions. Please feel
free to use as much or as little of this service outline. Alternative
suggestions are available in the service pack. Please read the ‘How
to’ sheet before starting planning the service to help you decide
what to use. If not using the PowerPoint we suggest you make a
service booklet in which the pictures are displayed.
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
Please ask the congregation to join in the bold type
INTRODUCTION.
We are celebrating 20 years of Commitment for Life being a programme of the
United Reformed Church. The URC can be justly proud of a long tradition of bias
towards the poor and compassion for those in need.
The Kairos Document tells us that The Church of Jesus Christ is not called to be a
bastion of caution and moderation. The Church should challenge, inspire and
motivate people.
CALL TO WORSHIP
LEADER:
Response
LEADER:
Love and faithfulness have come together
Justice and peace have embraced
Faithfulness appears from earth and justice looks down from heaven
(Psalm 85v10)
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 713 Jubilate (To be sung twice)
SO WHAT HAS CHANGED IN 20 YEARS?
LEADER: In 1992 The URC renamed the 1% Appeal, Commitment for Life.
Congregations became more involved and informed about global issues and how
they affected partner countries. Visits from URC members and representatives from
partner countries have helped to build deeper relationships and understanding .The
URC has provided a substantial regular income that helps with long term
development planning.
PRAYER
Gracious God, we give thanks for those who have encouraged us to look again
at our world.
We have drawn closer to the people of Brazil, India, Zimbabwe Bangladesh,
Jamaica, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory through Commitment for
Life projects. Over the years our congregations have given generously, taken action
and offered prayers.
Response: We have tried to be faithful, to live in this world, to live in
community and to share in life.
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
Forgive us when we have not heard the cries of the oppressed or responded to the
poverty around us.
Response: Generous God, in you we see abundance. Work through us so the
world may share in celebration.
Lord’s Prayer
Cutting and sharing the Traidcraft Cake while singing. Alternatively the cake could be
cut and served at the end of the service
Choice of Commitment for Life Hymns (see service pack) or
Rejoice and Sing Hymn 740 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
GLOBAL CHANGES IN 20 YEARS
Voice 1:
In the past 20 years HIV infection has changed from being an unknown
disease to being a widespread pandemic affecting a large proportion of the
human population. In Zimbabwe we are told that HIV has declined from a
record breaking 25% in the early 80’s to a current 15%. But still the death rate
of children is among the highest in the world.
Voice 2:
Scientists have warned us about climate change. A rise of 2 degrees
centigrade is pushing the planet and human society to the tipping point of
catastrophe as we have seen in Bangladesh. We need to keep reminding the
international community that without taking action on climate change, we are
forcing thousands and thousands of people to live in distressing conditions.
Voice 3:
There has been a growth in violence. Poorly educated young men with few
employment prospects have led to a gun culture, to an increase in violence,
to crime and gang warfare in Jamaica. High rates of murders have been
perpetrated by the security police without being brought to justice.
Voice 4:
Dividing walls have been built. The building of the wall and border closures
has caused a deepening divide between Israelis and Palestinians. This is
only one aspect of the transformation of the conflict in the past 20 years.
Agriculture has suffered numerous blows due to repeated Israeli incursions
that have destroyed olive groves, orchards, fields and other crops.
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
A Child, a Woman and a Man BY BRIAN WREN said as a poem
A child, and woman and a man
are people dear and close to me:
a name, a smile, a voice I know,
a hand I touch, a face I see,
yet more than I can see and know,
my Saviour knows and fully loves
That very woman, child and man.
A child, a woman and a man
are people in a foreign land
whose voice I doubt, whose hopes I fear,
whose ways I cannot understand,
and yet I need to feel and know
how Christ, my Saviour, knows and loves
that very woman, child and man.
For if I somehow shift the blame
for all my fear and guilt within,
the foreigners I cannot love
will be the scapegoat for my sin,
as they look evil, I feel good,
and in the name of Christ destroy
the work of Christ, and feel no shame.
Yet Christ was hated and reviled
and branded as the enemya scapegoat who endured the cross
in love for all, and love for me.,
and when I meet you, lamb of God,
I find myself: convicted, loved,
forgiven, healed, and reconciled
Enlarge our vision, as you can,
until we see, confess, condemn,
more than the evil others do,
the evils we might do to them.
Renew and cleanse our inmost heart,
Till we are looking through your eyes
At every woman, child and man
Brian Wren (born 1936)
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
Note: Completed on 23rd February 1985, the text was inspired by one of ’21 Theses’ on Christians in a nuclear age, prepared
by a Dominican monk for an informal network, Oxford Christians for Peace. The thesis in question reads: “The evils that
Christians should fear most are not what their enemies might do to them, but what they might do to their enemies.”
© Copyright 1986 Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ for the world including USA, Canada, Australia and
New Zealand. All rights reserved.
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 107 The love of God comes close (Verse 1 only)
HOW HAS THE COMMITMENT FOR LIFE PROGRAMME BROUGHT HOPE?
At this point the drama ‘Commitment for Life?’ by Chris Eddowes could be used.
Remember you don’t need to use all stories for each country but it would be great if
you have the time. You could also try ‘Living Pictures’ (see ‘Living Pictures’ notes)
VOICE
What has changed in Zimbabwe?
Lilian Moyo second from the front lives in the
Hope Fountain Community in Zimbabwe.
Together with others from the conservation
farming group they are walking through Lilian’s
field to begin a day’s work. Zimpro, supported
by Commitment for Life, awarded Lilian building
materials for being one of the hardest working
conservation farmers. Following an illness, ‘I
prayed I would recover so that I could complete
my land preparation before planting’ she said. Poverty and the lack of nourishing
food are the causes of the suffering. Unjust treatment of women by men is also a
key cause of HIV transmission. Women have no choice about engaging in
unprotected sex. Poor people have little or no access to prevention and treatment.
People living with HIV/Aids are stigmatised by those not infected, a situation often
found in the church community. . (Photo credit: Christian Aid/Sarah Filbey)
VOICE
Patricia Moyo cooks dinner and her brothers
keep her company after a hard day’s farming.
The family live in ward 22 of Insiza district, in
the drought prone southern province of
Matabeland South. Patricia’s mother Daissy,
48, is a single mother who cares for seven
children including one grandchild. Her eldest
daughter Sithandekile (33) is living with HIV,
and Daissy must nurse her through illnesses
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
that come and go. Using farming skills and techniques they learned from Christian
Aid partner ZimPro, the family grows maize, groundnuts, sorghum and cowpeas.
These techniques are called ‘conservation farming’ as they make best use of the
water and other natural resources available in drought prone areas where the land is
dry. Following these methods carefully can mean families can double and triple the
amount of food they grow.
Thanks to their new found knowledge the Moyo family are expecting a bumper
harvest of maize in April. For Sithandekile, who is living with HIV, having enough to
eat, and a variety of food available in the Moyo home is extremely important if she is
to stay well. Photo credit: Christian Aid / William Anderson
PRAYER:
We celebrate with Christian Aid partners their networks, including relationships with
churches, and for what they have achieved in Zimbabwe. We rejoice for the part
they have played in building a peaceful Zimbabwe and bringing reconciliation to
communities affected by conflict.
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 107 The love of God (verse 2)
THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
VOICE
Climate change is already pushing millions of
poor people in Bangladesh to the tipping point,
though they have contributed least to the
problem.
VOICE
The Christian Aid Bangladesh programme, with long experience
in disaster risk reduction and emergency relief, has started
focusing on long-term livelihood issues with a view to
understanding how climate change affects poor people’s lives
and livelihoods. They have demonstrated at community level,
rainwater harvesting, sweet water pond conservation, flood
tolerant crops varieties, floating gardens, crab fattening, tree
nurseries, duck rearing and much more. These are small steps
but provide do-able solutions. Photo credit: Christian
Aid/Mohammadur Rahman
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
VOICE
Floating gardens provide a way to grow
food. This technology was learned from a
small region further south where farmers
have been using floating gardens to grow
food on a large-scale for hundreds of years
Photo credit: Christian Aid /Mohammadur
Rahman
VOICE
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies has
helped a village set up a Pani Parishad (A Water
Council) and to become aware of their right to
clean safe water and to teach them how to
harvest and store rainwater. Through the Pani
Parishad, newly empowered and confident
villagers are now beginning to address how best
to help neighbours who lose their homes to the
river as well as the wider issues of river erosion.
Photo credit: Christian Aid/ Mohammadur Rahman
VOICE
In March 2008 the World Development Movement were asked by campaigners in
Bangladesh to support their campaign against a new open-cast mining project near
Phulbari. A UK company, Global Coal Management resources (GCM), were wanting
to build a mine, threatening to displace more than 40,000 people, and putting an
estimated 100,000 more people at risk of water contamination.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Barclays Bank were both giving financial
backing to this new mine. So in 2008 WDM attended Barclays AGM and thousands
of WDM supporters wrote to Barclays Bank to demand it sold its shares in the
proposed open-cast mine due to substantial environmental and social concerns. In
June Barclays announced that it had sold its shares in the mine, and a few months
beforehand ADB also announced it was pulling out of the venture.
The pulling out of two large investment banks was a blow for the mining company
GCM and a victory for some of the poorest people in Bangladesh.
(the full story is available in the service pack)
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
Response: Generous God, in you we see abundance. Work through us so the
world may share in celebration.
VOICE:
In behaving ‘justly’ towards one another we are not only following the example of
Jesus, we are seeing Jesus in ‘the other.’ “I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…. Truly I tell you, just as you did it
to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
READING Matthew. 25: 35-40
PRAYER
We hold before God all people of the global south in lands impoverished by climate
change. We give thanks for the courage and resilience of individuals who have seen
new possibilities for their communities. We give thanks and praise for those shining
light into the disaster of climate change, transforming a curse into a blessing and a
harvest of hope.
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 107 The love of God comes close (verse 3)
A VOICE FROM JAMAICA
I am Rhian Holder, Country Manager and responsible for the Christian Aid
programme in Jamaica. First I mention the challenges and then the achievement of
Christian Aid. Jamaica’s designation as a ‘middle income' country masks a high level
of inequality. For the last 20 years, Jamaica’s economic fortunes have fluctuated,
and this coupled with high levels of crime and violence, including the effects of
climate change, has severely affected people’s livelihoods. The national poverty
level rose steadily in 2009 to 16.5% and current estimates indicate it could now be
as high as 20%. Unemployment has risen to 12.4% thus further limiting people’s
opportunities to earn a living and support their families
VOICE
Annette holds her granddaughter. Annette’s daughter
was shot dead by police, caught in the crossfire of a gun
battle in the community. Christian Aid’s partner ‘S
Corner’, a clinic and a development Centre, is at the
centre of this community.
‘S Corner’ carries out
continuous peace building work and violence has
dropped dramatically. Annette, who works with S Corner,
says, “We have to stand up and say the war needs to
stop now, it’s our community. If we can’t do it, who can?”
Photo credit: Christian Aid / Hannah Morley
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
VOICE
Ricado is showing a mural of the way life is in his
community and how it should be. Ricado has
always been surrounded by violence. His dad
was a ‘shotta’ - a gunman for a local gang. By
attending a project ‘Children First,’ supported by
Christian Aid, he has now chosen a different
way. ‘Male Awareness,’ another project, hopes
to break the cycle of violence and show people
that there are alternatives. Young men between
the ages of 10-24 come to learn about conflict
resolution, peace management and
sexual
health as well as learning practical skills.
Photo credit: Christian Aid / Hannah Morley
VOICE:
Since Jesus Christ is a servant, looking to him cannot mean looking away from the
world, from man, from life, or, as often said, from oneself. It cannot mean looking
away into some distance or height.
Christian Aid report 2010 by Dr. Paula Clifford.
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 107 The love of God comes close (verse 4)
ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
VOICE:
This is the barrier in and around Bethlehem.
Shepherds and wise men could not reach
Bethlehem today. In Gaza the recurring Israeli
incursions, the Israeli blockade and internal
Palestinian conflicts have all contributed to the fact
that 80% of the population of Gaza is reliant on
humanitarian aid for survival.
Picture credit: Christian Aid/ Tom Pilston
VOICE:
This Palestinian farmer shows a document proving he
owns the land he can no longer reach due to the
Israeli separation barrier. Today Christian Aid is
working with more than 20 Israeli and Palestinian
organisations to protect human rights, access to
services and resources and to build a peace based on
justice for all. Their development and humanitarian
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
relief reaches Palestinians, Israelis, Jews, Muslims, Christians and secular people.
Picture Credit: Christian Aid/Sarah Malian
VOICE
Farmers are discussing strawberry production.
PARC, alongside other farming cooperatives,
have suffered numerous blows from Israelis
who have destroyed orchards, fields and poly
tunnels. Farmers have resorted to cash crops
such as strawberries and potatoes as they
comply with the Israeli regulations that nothing
planted should be over 40 cms high. Cash
crops are costly to produce and reliant upon
overseas markets. Border closures do not
allow the strawberries to reach European countries.
Photo credit: Christian aid / Sarah Malian
VOICE
We pray for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory to share a just peace ending
years of conflict, oppression and fear. It is time to seek forgiveness between
communities and repair a broken land together.
HYMN: Rejoice and Sing 107 The Love of God (verse 5)
OUR COMMITMENT FOR LIFE
We say together:
We commit ourselves to uncovering the causes of poverty and remedying the
underlying injustices.
We commit ourselves to sharing the suffering of those facing HIV/AIDS,
climate change, violence and injustice
We commit ourselves to question what rights are being denied or abused, that
result in a failure to recognise God’s image in other people. Amen
CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION or AGAPE meal if desired.
The meal can take place after the service and include the cutting of the Traidcraft
cake. (recipes can be found in the service pack)
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky
Hymn Rejoice and Sing 625 God of freedom, God of justice or one of the
Commitment for Life hymns
Blessing/ Sending out
Faith in action,
Our call to give.
Faith in action,
Our call to pray.
Faith in action,
Our call to campaign.
Faith in action
our response to God’s love to us
Bless all that has been achieved over 20 years and all that will be in the next 20
years. In Jesus name we ask for the strength to put our faith into action. Amen
Commitment for Life exists to encourage all United Reformed and local ecumenical partnership churches to take
action, pray and give for people across the world. By linking with campaigns, partners and projects through
Christian Aid and the World Development Movement, you can make a difference to the lives of some of the
world’s poorest people.
Please prayfully consider your personal contribution to Commitment for Life in
this special year.
To find out more visit www.cforl.org.uk or 01702 315981
© This service outline was written by Revd Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudosky.
Commitment for Life 2012
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Commitment for Life Celebration Service 2011 written by Janet Sowerbutts and Sheila Rudofsky