Peacemaking in the Congo

Morning Worship

San Francisco Theological Seminary

Monday, October 16^th, 2006

Stewart Chapel

Welcome

*Prelude

*Call to Worship

Children of every nation, people of every race,

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

Citizens of all creation, lift up your smiling face,

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

Forgetting rank and station, working together for peace.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come into God’s presence with singing!

For the Lord is a gracious God,

Whose mercy is everlasting;

And whose faithfulness endures to all generations.

*Hymn #150 Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Call to Confession

We are told to seek first the Kingdom, but we do not. We cast our loyalties instead upon the petty nations and tribes of this world and we do not look for God’s Shalom. Let us confess our warlike and unforgiving ways to God.

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, the nations of this world, of which we are a part, are violent and cruel. War and famine, genocide and poverty are realities that we help to create and we fail to prevent. We are not servants of your justice and we are not instruments of your peace, however much we say we are these things. Help us to do the good we desire. Help us to be the voice of justice and the outstretched hand of peace, because the principalities and powers of this world are shadows and smoke next to the glory of your coming reign. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

In the cross God disarmed the principalities and powers of this world and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. And when we were dead in our sins God, through the cross, made us alive together with Christ by forgiving all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us and nailing it to the cross. We are forgiven.

(Based on Colossians 2:13-15)

Thanks be to God.

*Passing the Peace

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of Illumination

Scripture Reading Genesis 2:16

Sermon “You’re Free to Eat from Any Tree in the Garden” Rev. Pierre Mopendo

*Hymn #386 O For A World

*Charge & Benediction

Postlude

Participants in Worship

Rev. Pierre Mopendo, Preacher

Rev. Dr. Charles Marks, Chaplain

Mr. Joseph Dai Nguyen, Musician

Mr. Aric Clark, Chaplain’s Assistant

Rev. Pierre Mopendo is an International Peacemaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is visiting Presbyterian Churches in the Bay Area as a guest of San Francisco Presbytery. He is an ordained pastor and Professor at Booth Theological Seminary, from the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa where he previously served as Deputy Secretary General. He speaks English, French, Swahili, Lingala and Tshiluba. Let us all welcome him! A table will be reserved during lunch for persons desiring to speak with Rev. Mopendo.