REV. JERIC C. CORTADO: PRAISE AND PRAYER through ONE BILLION RISING DANCE

PRAISE AND PRAYER through ONE BILLION RISING DANCE

March 8, 2018. 4:30 in the afternoon @ the SPMCI Ground, Mt. Apo Village, Kidapawan City, Philippines

GATHERING

“BLESS THE LORD”

BLESS THE LORD, MY SOUL, AND BLESS GOD'S HOLY NAME. BLESS THE LORD, MY SOUL, WHO LEADS ME INTO LIFE. (3X)

“DAYGON TA ANG DIOS, UG DAYGON ’YANG NGALAN,
DAYGON TA ANG DIOS, NAG- GIYA KANATO” (3X)

+CALL TO PRAISE AND PRAYER

Leader: The Peace of God be with you!

People: And also with you.

Leader: Good afternoon to all! Maayong hapon sa tanan! We are gathered together this afternoon to pray for gender justice, equality and empowerment in our country and of the whole world in celebration with the International Women’s Day.

People: March 8 is a time of remembering the story of women’s struggle for gender justice and parity. We are celebrating today the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

Leader: The International Women’s Day is a time to remember that we are created in God’s image as male and female with equal dignity, and as equal partner in establishing and honing the inhabited world.

People: The International Women’s Day is a time to manifest our solidarity to all women and children who have been victims of violence in their own homes.

Leader: We come together because there is so much violence experienced by the vulnerable ones in our world; countless women, children and men.

All: We gather together to affirm God’s presence in seeking gender justice and continuing struggle to End Violence against Women.

At this moment, the Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

SONG

"WE SHALL OVERCOME"

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

The Lord will see us through,
The Lord will see us through,
The Lord will see us through someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

We're on to victory, we're on to victory,
We're on to victory someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We're on to victory someday.

We'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We'll walk hand in hand someday.

We are not afraid, We are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.

The truth shall make us free, The truth shall make us free, The truth shall make us free someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
The truth shall make us free someday.

We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall live in peace someday.

LECTION Luke 18:1-8

At this moment, the Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

REFLECTION

After the reflection, the Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Leader: We believe that abusive behaviour is wrong.

All: that women and men should live in safety,

that no-one should harm another person;

that women and men should know the constancy of love,
that no-one should blow hot and cold in relationships

that women and men should feel secure, content,
that no-one should have violence used against them;

that women and men should feel free to speak out,
that no-one should constrain or deny the truth;

that women and men should grow towards wholeness,
that no-one should restrict another one’s growth;

Leader: We believe that a change of behaviour is right.

All: In the name of Christ, Amen.

(Service of Women against Violence Sunday Liturgy Guide, The Methodist Church, UK)

At this moment, the Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

THE ONE BILLION RISING DANCE

The leader will introduce the background of the dance.

Dance is a term referring to the aesthetic movements with an expressive intent. It is a natural expression of patterns of belief and development, of thoughts, ideas, feelings, and theology as well. A way of revealing our resistance against the power of death, and reaction of what the people encountered and experienced.

The One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history. This initiative was launched in February 14, 2012 as a call to action based on the growing statistics of violence against women and children, who were beaten or raped. The One Billion Rising Dance is a dance against all forms of violence against women and all the systems that cause other forms of violence such as racism, fascism, and etc. Let us dance together, with the dance of resistance, the dance of justice and dignity, the dance of hope, and the dance of gender parity. Let us dance together, the One Billion Rising dance steps.

At this moment, the dance instructor will introduce and lead the community in dancing. Then the prayers of the people will be followed. The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

+PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

The following litany of intercession will be prayed.

Prayer for our Nation. O God, keep our whole country under your protection. Wipe out sin from this land; lift it up from the depth of sorrow, O Lord, our shining light. Save from deep grief sorrow and misfortune, Lord of all nations. Bless us with your wisdom, so that the poor may not be oppressed and the rich may not be oppressors. Make this a nation having no ruler except God, a nation having no authority but that of Love. Amen. (UMH 429)

A moment of silence will be offered. A prayer concerns will be shared at this moment. Everyone will be given a time to have their own prayers in silence. The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

Prayer of Dedication. We offer ourselves to you, O God our Creator. We offer our hands. Use our healing touch to comfort sisters, brothers and children who are afraid. We offer our eyes and ears. May we see and hear the signs and stories of violence, so that all my have someone with them in their pain and confusion. We offer our hearts and our tears as their hurt and sorrow echo within us. We offer our own stories of violence. May we be healed as we embrace each other. We offer our anger. Make it a passion for justice. We offer all our skills. Use our gifts to end violence. We offer our faith, our hope, our love. May our encounters with violence bring us closer to you and to each other. All this we ask through Jesus Christ who knows the pain of violence. AMEN. (Carol Penner, The United Church of Canada)

At this moment, the Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.

+BLESSING

Leader: The Lord of the Dance blesses us and keeps us. Empower us to make our life FIT, which means Faithful to God, Intercultural Competent, and Transformed life. Thus, the Lord makes his face to shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord of the Dance looks upon us with favour and grant us peace. Amen.

Response through a Song

“KAPAYAPAAN”

(“Shalom to You” Tune)

KAPAYAPAAN, NAWA’Y MANAHAN. GAWARAN MO, DIOS NG KALAKASAN

AT SA KAY CRISTO, KAMI’Y MATUTO NA PAGLINGKURAN ANG SAMBAYANAN

+++++++

References:

1. http://www.united-church.ca/sites/default/files/worship-ideas_aboriginal-women_healing-waters.pdf (Accessed, March 6, 2018)

2. http://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/methodist-special-sundays/women-against-violence-sunday/ (Accessed, March 6, 2018)

3. https://www.onebillionrising.org/about/dance/ (Accessed, March 7, 2018)

4. http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml (Accessed, March 7, 2018)

5. http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/multimedia/2018/2/infographic-rural-women (Accessed, March 7, 2018)