The reflections for the eight days and the worship service will be focused on the chosen theme. To deepen our reflection on unity and justice, the topic of each day has been carefully chosen to present struggles that result from injustice. The themes are:
Day 1: Let justice roll down like water (Amos 5: 24)
Day 2: Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes,’ or ‘No, No’ (Matthew 5:37
Day 3: The Lord is gracious and merciful to all “Psalm 145: 8)
Day 4: Be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5)
Day 5: To bring good news to the poor (Luke 4: 18)
Day 6: The Lord of hosts is his name (Jeremiah 10:16)
Day 7: Woman, great is your faith! (Matthew 15:28)
Day 8: The Lord is my light and my salvation (Psalm 27: 1).
BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS AND
PRAYERS
FOR THE EIGHT DAYS
Day 1
Let justice roll down like waters
(Amos 5:24)
Amos 5:22-25
Luke 11:37-44
Reflection
Christians can sometimes be very committed to prayer and worship, but less
concerned for the poor and the marginalized. Sometimes we pray in church, but at
the same time oppress our fellow human beings or exploit the environment.
Christians in Indonesia recognize that in their land there are people who
passionately try to practise their faith, but who oppress those of other
beliefs, even using violence in doing so. But in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus
reminds us that the outward sign of true worship of God is acting justly. He is
fierce in his condemnation of those who neglect this obligation.
In the prophecy of Amos, God rejects the worship offered by those who neglect
justice, until they ‘let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like
an ever-flowing stream’ (5:24). The prophet insists on the absolute link between
worship and doing deeds of justice. When Christians work together to listen to
the cry of the poor and the oppressed, they grow in communion with one another
and with the Triune God.
Prayer
God of the widow, the orphan and the stranger,
You have shown us the path of justice.
Help us to follow your way by doing justice as our worship of you.
As Christians together, may we worship you not only with our hearts and minds,
but also by our deeds.
May the Holy Spirit help and guide us to work for justice wherever we are,
so that many people may be strengthened through our works.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Day 2
Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’
(Matthew 5:37)
Ephesians 4:22-25
Matthew 5:33-37
Reflection
Violence towards fellow humans is not found only in physical assault and
robbery, but also in gossip and malicious rumours. Social media have made it
easy for untruths to be circulated instantly to a wide audience. Christians in
Indonesia are aware of how this has sometimes led to lies and prejudice being
propagated by religious groups, including Christians, against other religious
groups. Fear and the threat of reprisals can make people reluctant to stand up
for the truth and can cause them to remain silent in the face of unjust and
untrue statements aimed at causing fear.
Jesus boldly said, ‘Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than
this comes from the evil one.’ Deceitfulness destroys good relationships between
persons and between groups, including churches. Dishonesty disrupts the unity of
the Church. The Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that we are members of one
another. This is a call for Christians to be honest and accountable to each
other, so that they may grow in fellowship. When we do so, it is not the spirit
of the evil one, but the Holy Spirit of God who will be with us.
Prayer
God of righteousness,
grant us wisdom to distinguish right from wrong.
Let our hearts be guided by honesty and our lips speak the truth.
Give us courage to be truthful even when others go against us.
Keep us from spreading deceit;
make us, rather, agents of unity and peace,
spreading good news for all people.
We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Day 3
The Lord is gracious and merciful to all
(Psalm 145:8)
Psalm 145:8-13
Matthew 1:1-17
Reflection
‘The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made’, said
the psalmist, proclaiming that the love of God is beyond boundaries of
ethnicity, culture, race, and even religion. The account of the genealogy of
Jesus in Matthew’s gospel reflects this expansive vision. While ancient cultures
often saw women as inferior, or as the property of their fathers or husbands,
Matthew names four women among the ancestors of Jesus, two of whom, Ruth and
Rahab, were Gentiles. Three other ancestors in the list were known for their
sinfulness, including the adulterous King David. Naming these in the genealogy
of Jesus and making them part of God’s human history, proclaims that God
includes everyone, male and female, sinner and righteous, in his plan of
salvation, regardless of their backgrounds.
Indonesia is a nation of over 17,000 islands and 1,340 different ethnic groups,
and churches are often separated along ethnic lines. Such exclusivity can lead
some to see themselves as the sole possessors of the truth, thus wounding the
unity of the Church. Amidst escalating ethnic and religious fanaticism and a
growing spirit of intolerance throughout the world today, Christians can serve
the human family by joining together to bear witness to the all-embracing love
of God, proclaiming with the psalmist that ‘the Lord is gracious and merciful’
to all.
Prayer
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God,
we give praise to you for your great glory made manifest in all of creation.
Give us an open heart to embrace all who experience discrimination.
Help us to grow in love beyond prejudice and injustice.
Grant us the grace to respect the uniqueness of each person,
so that in our diversity we may experience unity.
This prayer we make in your holy name. Amen.
Day 4
Be content with what you have
(Hebrews 13:5)
Hebrews 13:1-5
Matthew 6:25-34
Reflection
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews warns against excessive love of money
and material things. In the face of our tendency to think we never have enough,
the text reminds us of God’s providence and assures us that God will never
forsake creation. Through the fruitfulness of earth, rivers and seas, God’s
goodness has provided ample food and fresh water to sustain all living beings,
and yet many people lack these basic necessities. Human weakness and greed
frequently lead to corruption, injustice, poverty and hunger. It can be
tempting, instead of caring about others and sharing our goods with them, to
gather and accumulate money, food and natural resources for ourselves, or our
own nation or ethnic group.
Yet, Jesus teaches us that material things should not be our main concern.
Rather, we should strive first for the reign of God and its values, trusting
that our heavenly Father will provide for us. In recent years, some churches in
Indonesia have been providing various kinds of financial, human and educational
support to small churches in rural areas. In this simple and practical example
of mutual love they are demonstrating the unity with their fellow-Christians
which is God’s gift to his Church. Living more simply, not preoccupied with
earning money beyond our needs or with hoarding resources for the future, can
enable us to make the earth, our common home, a more just place.
Prayer
Compassionate God,
we thank you for your bountiful gifts.
Give us the grace to accept all blessings
in simplicity and with humble gratitude.
Enable us to be content and ready to share with others who are in need,
so that all may experience unity in the love that flows from you,
our Triune God,
who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Day 5
To bring good news to the poor
(Luke 4:18)
Amos 8:4-8
Luke 4:16-21
Reflection
The prophet Amos criticized traders who practiced deceit and exploited the poor
in order to gain maximum profit. Amos also underlined how God observes their
wrongdoing and will never forget it. God listens to the cries of victims of
injustice and never forsakes those who are exploited and treated unjustly.
We live in a globalized world where marginalization, exploitation and injustice
are rampant. The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider. Economic
achievement becomes a deciding factor in relationships between peoples, nations
and communities. Economic issues often trigger tensions and conflicts between
them. It is hard to enjoy peace when justice is absent.
By virtue of our common Baptism, all Christians share in the prophetic mission
of Jesus to proclaim good news to the poor and the weak, in both words and
deeds. When we recognise this mission, the Spirit of the Lord will be upon us
too, empowering us to work for justice. Our dignity as Christians calls us to
speak and act in such a way that the words from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah
which Jesus proclaimed in Nazareth are fulfilled each day in the hearing of
those around us.
Prayer
God our Father,
forgive our lust for power
and free us from the temptation to oppress others.
By your Holy Spirit of communion,
help us to live in solidarity with our neighbour,
and so share together with your Son Jesus
in fulfilling your promise of freedom from poverty and oppression.
We pray in his name. Amen.
Day 6
The Lord of hosts is his name
(Jeremiah 10:16)
Jeremiah 10:12-16
Mark 16:14-15
Reflection
The created world is a manifestation of God’s wondrous power. The greatness of
God is made visible in and through all creation: ‘The Lord of hosts is his
name.’
Today, however, we are facing a serious global ecological crisis, which
threatens the survival of the natural world. Many people have been driven by
greed to exploit creation beyond its capacity. In the name of development,
forests are cleared and pollution destroys land, air, rivers and seas, rendering
agriculture impossible, making fresh water unobtainable and causing animals to
die. In this context it is useful to remember that after his resurrection, Jesus
commissioned the disciples to proclaim the good news ‘to the whole
creation’. No part of creation is outside God’s plan to make all things new. And
so conversion is needed from a tendency to exploit to an attitude that values
and reconciles us with creation.
Movements among people of different faiths in Indonesia and many other places
are inspiring Christians to promote eco-friendly churches, and to take a stand
against environmental abuses. This unites Christians in bearing witness to their
Creator, ‘for he is the one who formed all things’. When we join with other
Christians in defence of our common earthly home, we are not just engaging in
activism, but are fulfilling the Lord’s command to proclaim the good news of
God’s healing and restoring love to all of creation.
Prayer
Loving God,
By your word all things came to be.
We thank you for the universe
which manifests your glory, beauty and kindness.
Grant us the wisdom to walk gently upon the earth
and together to be prophets of your good news to all creation. Amen.
Day 7
Woman, great is your faith!
(Matthew 15:28)
1 Samuel 1:13-17
Matthew 15:21-28
Reflection
Eli misjudges Hannah’s deep and fervent prayer and condemns her, dismissing her
supplications as drunken ramblings. Yet the words of her reply, calling on him
not to dismiss her as ‘a worthless woman’ softened his heart and he sent her
away with a blessing. Likewise, when the Canaanite woman came to beg Jesus to
heal her daughter, he initially dismissed her, saying that he had come only for
his own people. Yet she persisted in her begging and challenging and eventually,
recognising her great faith, Jesus granted her request. In both cases, a woman
who was initially marginalised and judged unworthy of attention turned out to be
speaking prophetic words that softened hearts and brought healing and wholeness.
The marginalization and dismissing of women’s voices continues in our own times.
Indeed even within our churches we are often complicit with cultures that
devalue women. As Christians become aware of their own failings in this area,
they come to recognize more clearly the horror of violence against women and
children, snatched forcibly from their homes and trafficked to other lands.
These and many other migrant workers are often treated as less than human, and
are denied the most basic human rights. In recent years churches in Indonesia
have taken common action against human trafficking and the sexual abuse of
children. Their efforts, and those of people of other faiths, are all the more
urgent since the number of victims in some parts of their country is increasing
daily.
As Christians unite in prayer and study of the Scriptures, truly listening for
God’s voice, they can discover that God also speaks today through the cries of
the most abused in society. It is when they hear God’s call together that they
are inspired to join in common action against the scourge of human trafficking
and of other evils.
Prayer
Gracious God,
You are the source of human dignity.
By your grace and power
the words of Hannah changed the heart of Eli the Priest;
by your grace and power
the words of the Canaanite woman moved Jesus to heal her daughter.
As we search to manifest the unity of the Church,
grant us the courage to reject all forms of violence against women
and to celebrate the gifts of the Spirit
that women bring to the service of the Church.
This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Day 8
The Lord is my light and my salvation
(Psalm 27:1)
Psalm 27:1-4
John 8:12-20
Reflection
Throughout the eight days of this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the daily
reflections have considered many difficult situations facing the world today,
including greed, violence, exclusion, exploitation, poverty, pollution, hunger
and trafficking. Churches in Indonesia are conscious of these issues as
challenges facing all Christians. They recognise and confess that some of these
sins have tainted the lives of their churches too, wounding their unity and
diminishing their witness to the world. At the same time, they recognise as well
the many promising instances of churches coming together to witness to their
unity in Christ.[2] Christians in
other parts of the world can name many other examples from their own situations.
Day by day, year by year, and especially during this Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, Christians join together for common prayer, professing their
common baptismal faith, listening for God’s voice in the Scriptures and praying
together for unity in Christ’s body. In doing so, they recognise that the Holy
Trinity is the source of all unity and that Jesus is the light of the world, who
promises the light of life to those who follow him. The many injustices in the
world frequently sadden or anger them. But they do not lose hope, they move to
action. Because the Lord is their light and their salvation and the stronghold
of their lives, they do not fear.
Prayer
God our Sustainer,
we praise you for your loving kindness,
for upholding us in times of trial,
and showing us your light in times of darkness.
Transform our lives so that we may be a blessing for others.
Help us to live unity in diversity as a witness to your communion,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God now and forever. Amen.