Waters of Creation An ecumenical service of worship

These are resources and suggestions for an ecumenical service of worship that can be used in whole or in part; simply choose what you need. Use it in your regular service of worship, in a special ecumenical service, in your meetings or gatherings, or for personal reflection. This service can also be used as part of your “KAIROS Sunday” work. See our website at www.kairoscanada.org for more information on KAIROS Sunday. For further liturgical resources on water or other topics see the KAIROS website. See also the 2005 Peace Sunday resources for the Mennonite Central Committee of Canada; the 2006 Lenten study of the United Church of Canada; and the 2006 World Development and Relief materials (including a worship service) of the Anglican, Presbyterian and United Churches. The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace also has water reflections and liturgies available in French and English, and the 2005-06 KAIROS/CCODP resources include a faith reflection on Genesis 29: 1-8 and John 4.

Suggested scripture: Common Praise (Anglican) 710 Shall We Gather at the River Genesis 21: 1-21 164 What King Would Wade 713 I See a New Heaven Psalm 104 294 By the Waters of Babylon 858-859 By the Rivers of Babylon John 4: 1-15 408 Wind Upon the Waters Revelation 21: 1-6 410 Creating God, Your Fingers Trace A Worship Book (Mennonite) 415/416 All Things Bright and Beautiful 53 God of the earth, the sky, the sea Also see page 31 for other possible 424 Sing Praise to God 148 By the waters (of Babylon) texts and themes. 540 Just as the Deer 372 O healing river 575 Let Streams of Living Justice 495 O let all who thirst Suggested hymns from several 578 O Healing River 515 Jesus, rock of ages denominational hymnals. Feel free to substitute, and note that some titles Lutheran Book of Worship ••••••••••••••••• appear in more than one hymn book. 362 We Plough the Fields and Scatter OPENING PRAYERS Book of Praise (Presbyterian) Voices United (United Church) 70 Psalm 104 (All things I see) 267 Like a Mighty River Flowing Invocation 99 By the waters, the waters of Babylon 287 Wellspring of Wisdom 301 Many and great, O God are your 303 For Beauty of Prairies One: Holy Spirit, Life-Giver, works 307 Touch the Earth Lightly Who moved over the waters of creation, 515 Out of deep, unordered water 309 Para Para Pitter Pat who led your people through the 716 Pray for the wilderness 388 Spirit Dancing on the Water waters of the Red Sea to liberation, 717 We cannot own the sunlit sky 409 Morning Has Broken who descended like a dove above the 719 God in great love for us lent us 449 Crashing Waters at Creation waters of Jesus’ baptism, this planet 453 Out of Deep Unordered Water draw us together as we gather in your 577 I’ve Got Peace Like A River name, seeking replenishment for your 651 Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah task of repairing the world.

26 Water: A Sacred Gift • www.kairoscanada.org All: Creator God, Response: Speak slowly to us and we One tiny drop spread collected with We thank you for your love will pay attention. thousands of drops in all creation, Be patient with us, and we will try to waters seeds and future harvests Especially for your gift of water to understand. to feed us and all creatures. sustain, refresh and cleanse all life. One tiny drop multiplied quenches We ask your blessing on this gathering Call: As the rain and the snow come our burning thirst. as we come together as your people, down from heaven and do not return Our bodies, like the body of earth, are bringing our many stories and to it without watering the earth and over seventy-five percent water. traditions, making it bud and flourish, so that it We are a water people. mingling the waters of our experience yields seed for the sower and bread We are a water planet. and our faith. for the eater, so is my word that goes Oh compassionate God, May we find strength and refreshment out from my mouth: it will not return Creator who breathed over the waters in those waters. to me empty, but will accomplish we seek forgiveness for our mindless Amen. what I desire and achieve the purpose use of water. for which I sent it. We beg for wisdom to know how to (From The Vision and Practice of Jubilee: conserve Biblical Hopes, New Beginnings, May 2000) Response: We’ll share our wealth and and cherish water, our burdens and go out in joy. We ask healing for the ways that we We will put down our weapons and disrespect and contaminate our sister. Invitation to the Thirsty worries, and we will be led forth in In times of drought we wait and watch peace. for the gift of rain upon the earth. Call: Come, all you who are thirsty, We will listen to the mountains and We watch and wait for the rain of come to the waters. the hills that are singing. grace into our souls. And you who have no money, come, We will move to the rhythm of the Come free us from hatred, greed, fear, buy and eat! clapping trees. and Where there is a thorn bush, we will our lack of love for your gifts upon earth. Response: We have spent our money look for a pine tree; we will wait for Transform us into living streams of on what is not bread and the myrtle where briers now grow. water our labour on what does not satisfy. We will come to the water, we who flowing green and moist with life, hope But we will listen, listen to you. are thirsty, to meet with the empty and love for earth and all peoples. We will eat what is good. handed there. We pray this prayer in the name of We will delight in the richest of fare. God who is gracious Creator, Jesus (Adapted from Isaiah 55 by Rebecca who is Eternal Word, Call: Give ear and come to me. Spurrier, formerly of Mennonite and Spirit who is Wellspring of Wisdom. Hear me that your soul may live. Central Committee Ukraine: Amen. Seek the Lord while he may be found. www.mcc.org/bc/worshipresource1.html) Call on him while he is near. (Sister Joan Brown, osf, Ecological ••••••••••••••••• Ministry of the Social Justice Office, Response: We will turn from our Archdiocese of Santa Fe) thoughtless ways. PRAYERS/LITANIES We will interrupt our wayward thoughts. We will come to the Lord for mercy. Prayer of Water Prayer of Confession We will call to our God who freely pardons. “Be praised my God for Sister Water (Suggestion: Use a sung refrain of By who is useful, humble, precious and the Waters of Babylon during and Call: For my thoughts are not your pure.” after the prayers of confession.) thoughts, neither are my ways your As St. Francis prayed in great gratitude ways, declares the Lord. As the light for Sister Water, Creator of Heaven and Earth from the stars travels countless years we pray in thankfulness for her life You who blew over the dark waters of to the dust at your feet, so are my sustaining generosity. creation ways higher than your ways and my Oh, water, in your mysterious beauty Have mercy on us who seek profit thoughts than your thoughts. you cause the desert to bloom. from what you offer so freely.

Waters of Creation 27 (Sung response) Forbidden to sing our song to him, someone to be avoided and the Creator in our own land looked down upon. His people and Forgive us, we pray, for the times we And we remembered our her people did not have a peaceful have failed to recognise our relation- Grandfather’s lodge. relationship. Yet Jesus said to her: ship with Sister Water, have not used water wisely, have not called others to All: By the Red, the Grand and All: “Everyone who drinks of this awareness for the times we have the Bow Rivers we sat down water will be thirsty again, but those thoughtlessly polluted instead of pro- and wept when we remem- who drink of the water that I will tected our water sources, and have bered. give them will never be thirsty. The ignored the needs of our brothers and water that I will give will become in sisters around the world. Leader: How can we remember the them a spring of water gushing up to old ways eternal life.” (Sung response) When strangers broke and fenced our land and banned One: Remembering your everlasting Have mercy on us, we who forget that our teachings, generosity towards us, Loving God, may your gift of water is for all creation when our children were taken we go forward as a forgiven people, for all peoples, from us? ready to accept our brother Jesus’ All nations promise of living water for all, forever. All lands All: By the North Saskatchewan, May we be springs of water for our All creatures the Miramichi and the thirsty neighbours and communities; All needs. Bloodvein Rivers we sat may we be prepared to accept the gift Forgive us. Forgive us our greed, and down and wept when we of living water from each other. forgive us for the fearfulness that remembered. keeps us from sharing your generous All: AMEN. gifts equally with all. Leader: Creator God, how can we rebuild what was ground (Sung response) down and cast away? Prayers of the Community How can we recover the (Use what you need and feel free to adapt. strengths of our ancestors? Choose a short verse or chorus from one of Litany of Lamentation: How can we restore balance the hymns suggested above and use it as a By The Rivers for our children’s children? sung response.) How can we live in the land This litany focuses on the experience of made strange? One: Creator God, we thank you that Aboriginal peoples across Canada, who were there are different paths to wholeness. systematically stripped of their land, lan- All: By the rivers of life we sit guages, and cultural rights. In a sense, this We see the wonder of your creation litany is also a confession on the part of down and weep as we all around us, in the singing birds and Canadian churches, which, through the resi- remember the flowing water. dential school system, participated actively By the rivers of life, let heal- We give thanks for the opportunity in denying Aboriginal peoples their rights. ing and justice flow from to share, and for everything you have The reference to familiar rivers that flow our tears. given us. We give thanks for connect- through Aboriginal peoples’ territories edness to one another, for intercon- reminds us that mourning has taken place (Litany adapted from Toward Justice and along rivers in our context and time, not nectedness with the whole created Reconciliation: A Beginning, The United only alongside the “rivers of Babylon” thou- world and the entire cosmos. We give Church of Canada, 2003) sands of years ago. thanks that you have made us part of a creation so rich and complex that All: By the Assiniboine, the St. our every need can be met if we live Lawrence and the Fraser Prayer of Assurance and in right relationship. Rivers we sat down and Thanksgiving wept when we remembered. (Sung response) One: The woman at the well won- Leader: On the willows nearby we dered why Jesus was asking her for a One: We give thanks for laughter, for hung up our drums and song drink. After all, she was a foreigner to humour, for the many different ways

28 Water: A Sacred Gift • www.kairoscanada.org we are able to be together and in com- Forgive us when we forget the vision; to bring new life to our homes; munity in this sacred place and in our needs of others, and forget that need and to be healers in our families, in day to day lives. We thank you for the is caused by greed. our communities and in our church. global community of which we are a We remember now all in need of May we be as living water flowing to a part, and for the amazing diversity of healing and justice, and we name world thirsty for love and justice. languages and cultures which surround those places and people now, silently us. Help us to find a new appreciation or aloud. ALL: AMEN. for difference, knowing that you creat- ed difference and diversity out of (Sung response) — KAIROS, with material from Dancing Sun chaos. Help us find respect for the dif- Vol. IV, a children and adult’s resource on ferent paths that people take. Remind One: We remember all the parts of Aboriginal rights from the Anglican and United Churches. us that we are in communion with you your creation suffering because of and in community with all creation. devastated habitat, climate change, and polluted water. Forgive us for fail- Offering Prayer: (Sung response) ing to respect your creation. Creator God, whose Spirit moved over One: Give us a thirst for justice, Holy the face of the waters, who gathers One, for we need it. Inspire us to fol- the seas into their places and directs low Jesus’ path, and to remember the the courses of the rivers, who sends compassionate anger he showed when rain upon the earth that it should he saw the suffering of others. Despite bring forth life: we praise you for the the riches you have given us, many go gift of water. Create in us such a sense hungry and thirsty in the midst of of wonder and delight in this and all plenty. We do not believe this is your your gifts, that we might receive them vision for any of us. Forgive our with gratitude, care for them with human failings, and prod us to find One: We pray that you will help us love, and generously share them with new ways of being in right relationship accept responsibility for these injus- all your creatures, to the honour and with all creation. tices, for they are not your will. We glory of your holy name. Amen thank you for accompanying us on the One: We remember all in the human path to justice, and for giving to us (Franciscans International) family who suffer violence, fear and prophets of all ages and traditions who want. We bring to mind the many show us the way to right relationship ••••••••••••••••• women and children who walk miles with you, each other, and your creation. seeking clean water. We thank you for our children and BLESSING/BENEDICTIONS/ We remember the women who face elders, and the clear vision they offer. violence because they have been away We thank you for the leadership CLOSINGS from the house too long fetching and energy of our youth, and their God our Creator, water; and anyone who faces violence ability to show us injustice. Living Water, in the home or the community. We thank you for everyone who Source of Life, We mourn with all parents who have works to build community. Who quenches our thirst and lost a child to preventable disease, or We thank you for all who love your refreshes our weariness: who cannot afford an education for creation and struggle to restore it. Be for us always a fountain of life, their children. We thank you for all leaders every- and for the world a river of hope We think of the men, women and where who show us your face, and we springing up in the midst of the youth everywhere who cannot find name them now, silently or aloud. deserts of despair. work enough to put good food and Honour and blessing, glory and praise drink on the table. (Sung response) to you forever! Amen. We pray for all who live with HIV/AIDS, who above all need clean One: We give thanks that Jesus Christ (Adapted from Miriam Therese Winter, water, medicines, and loving support. has been in our past, is in our present, Woman Prayer, Woman Song by Rosanne We pray for farmers facing bank- and will be with us in our future. Help Athaide, CCODP) ruptcy or drought. us to be open to new life and to

Waters of Creation 29 A Drink Blessing water the earth, making it bring forth till all live in peace; how to claim less and sprout, giving seed to the sower till all find justice. God bless to us this drink and bread to the eater... (Isaiah 55:10) Give water to all who are thirsty Amen! And a thirst for justice to all who are Reader 2: quenched The Spirit of Yahweh hovered over the (Adapted from More than Words, Schaffran God bless to us this drink water. It is the gift of water we cele- and Kozak, by the Ontario Council of brate today. DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE.) (Simeon Mitchell/Christian Aid. Based on a table blessing from Argentina, set to music in (A person picks up the container of fifty-eight percent* the ‘Love and Anger’ songbook (Wild Goose water, circles the group during the Publications, 1997) our bodies reading and replaces it on the table.) mostly water No element is mentioned more often Closing prayer elegance of in scripture: water for cleansing, water healing cells for baptism, for refreshment and life, Now, O Creator of Living Water, flowing blood water for transition from one stage of send us out with a daring love mostly water life to another, water for blessing. for all creation. Lead us as you led the people of Israel All: Give me this water, that I may beauty of across the Red Sea. not thirst. babe’s chubby cheeks Guide us to life-giving water, elder’s wise eyes as you did for Hagar. mostly water Reader 3: We claim the water of life, Challenge us to offer the water of life whose rush announces the birth of a freely, as you did through Isaiah. wonder of baby, water of life that nourishes Remind us that your table is open for tree ripened apples seeds and plants roots deep in the all and that you feed all, as you earth formed potatoes earth. We celebrate water without showed us on a hillside with thou- mostly water which all that lives would shrivel and sands and with your followers in an wither away, water of our life. upper room. persistent drops of memory Immerse us in the water of new life, as All: Give me this water, that I may patiently recall you did for Jesus; and send to us the not thirst. meandering rhythms Holy Spirit of peace, justice and love. graceful limits of AMEN. streams and seasons “Come to me and I will give you living water, and you will never be thirsty ••••••••••••••••• deregulation and privatization again.” Today, we pray that our thirst over our be kept alive, until the justice that we dead bodies ADDITIONAL PIECES FOR thirst for is realized. READINGS AND mostly water REFLECTION: All: Give me this water, that I may not thirst. (*babies are 75% water, men 64% and Give Us This Water: A group women 58% water) reflection Reader 4: Show us Lord, how to be (Eileen Klassen Hamm, Peace and Justice frugal till all are fed; how to weep till Programming: Mennonite Central Reader 1: all can laugh, how to be meek till all Committee, Saskatchewan) ... the rain and the snow come down can stand in pride; how to mourn till from heaven, and return not thither but all are comforted; how to be restless

For a bulletin insert to use in an ecumenical service, check out the KAIROS website at www.kairoscanada.org or call 1-877-403-833 x221.

30 Water: A Sacred Gift • www.kairoscanada.org Some Biblical Water Themes Water is a sacred symbol in all religions, appearing frequently in prayers, teachings, rituals and sacred texts. In the Hebrew scriptures (shared by Christians and Jews) and in the New Testament, there are many references to water. Here are some of the many biblical water themes and examples of texts where these themes can be found:

Water as source of life... Described as one of the original elements of the world in Genesis 1:2; In 2 Peter 3:5, water is the substance from which things are made. Jeremiah describes God as “the fountain of living waters” Jeremiah 2:13, 17:13

Water as hospitality... Abraham offers water to wash the feet of the three angels who meet him in Genesis 18:4; Offering water is the test of hospitality met by Rebekah in Genesis 24; In Matthew 10:42, Jesus speaks of sharing a cup of water with the thirsty ones as an essential act of a generous faith.

Water as cleansing... In the Old Testament washing with water held an important place in the temple ceremony such as in Leviticus 11:32 or 16:4; or Exodus 30: 17-21 and was associated with spiritual cleansing as in Ezekiel 36:25.

Living water as the gift of eternal life... In the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:14 and in the vision in Rev 21: 6 the living water of Christ means new life. This is linked with the frequent focus on the role of water in the transformation of baptism.

Water as the “stuff” of miracles... God helps Moses to make the bitter water sweet in Exodus 15: 22-27 and brings water from a rock in Exodus 17: 1-7. Other stories include turning water into wine as in John 2: 1-11 and walking on water as in Matthew 14:22.

As well as these many positive meanings for water, water is also danger and death as in the story of the Great Flood and the drowning of Egyptians in the Red Sea.

There are frequent references to bountiful water (within a desert context) as symbolic of God’s blessing such as in the vision of Ezekiel 47: 1-12 and Isaiah 41: 17-18 and 35: 6-7. These are contrast with understandings of drought as the punishment of God as in 1 Kings 17:1, Jeremiah 14: 1-6 and Haggai 1: 10-11.

With assistance from the New Bible Dictionary Third Edition, Leicester: Inter Varsity Press, 1996.

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.” Isaiah 44:3

Waters of Creation 31