THE RULE OF THE IONA COMMUNITY MEMBERS Our five-fold Rule calls us to 1. Daily prayer and Bible-reading 2. Sharing and accounting for the use of our resources, including money 3. Planning and accounting for the use of our time 4. Action for Justice and Peace in society 5. Meeting with and accounting to each other. Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commitment We believe: 1 that the Gospel commands us to seek peace founded on justice and that costly reconciliation is at the heart of the Gospel; 2 that work for justice, peace and an equitable society is a matter of extreme urgency; 3 that God has given us partnership as stewards of creation and that we have a responsibility to live in a right relationship with the whole of God’s creation; 4 that, handled with integrity, creation can provide for the needs of all, but not for the greed which leads to injustice and inequality, and endangers life on earth; 5 that everyone should have the quality and dignity of a full life that requires adequate physical, social and political opportunity, without the oppression of poverty, injustice and fear; 6 that social and political action leading to justice for all people and encouraged by prayer and discussion is a vital work of the Church at all levels; 1 7 that the use or threatened use of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction is theologically and morally indefensible and that opposition to their existence is an imperative of the Christian faith. As Members and Family Groups we will: 8 engage in forms of political witness and action, prayerfully and thoughtfully, to promote just and peaceful social, political and economic structures; 9 work for a policy of renunciation by our own nations of all weapons of mass destruction and for the encouragement of other nations, individually or collectively, to do the same; 10 celebrate human diversity and actively work to combat discrimination on grounds of age, colour, disability, mental wellbeing, differing ability, gender, race, ethnic and cultural background, sexual orientation or religion; 11 work for the establishment of the United Nations Organisation as the principal organ of international reconciliation and security, in place of military alliances; 12 support and promote research and educa- tion into nonviolent ways of achieving jus- tice, peace and a sustainable global society; 13 work for reconciliation within and among nations by international sharing and exchange of experience and people, with particular concern for politically and economically oppressed nations. 14 act in solidarity with the victims of environmental injustice throughout the world, and support political and structural change in our own countries to reduce our over-consumption of resources. 2 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS are committed to keeping the rule of Daily prayer and Bible- reading - the Devotional Discipline - of the Iona Community. They may also opt to share in a corporate Economic Witness. ACTS OF PRAYER The Acts of Prayer of the Community have developed from the Rule and express the concerns of the Community. There are two versions of the Act of Prayer written for either when the Community gathers or for personal use. When the Community is gathered it is possible to have a “Leader” take parts in Italics and all others take parts in bold or for the group to be split in two. Depending on the split, use either the singular or plural wordings. Prayers for others - lists of Associate Members and Full Members and concerns are listed together in this book. 3 AN ACT OF PRAYER FOR USE WHEN COMMUNITY GATHERS OPENING RESPONSES The world belongs to God The earth and all its people How good and how lovely it is To live together in unity Love and faith come together Justice and peace join hands If Christ’s disciples keep silent These stones will shout aloud SONG OR CHANT CONFESSION Loving God, Maker of all Have mercy on us Jesus Christ, Servant of the poor Have mercy on us Holy Spirit, Breath of life Have mercy on us Let us in silence admit our frailty and confess our failings SILENCE Before God, with the people of God, I/we confess to my/our brokenness: to the ways I/we wound my/our lives, the lives of others and the life of the world May God forgive you, Christ renew you, And the spirit enable you to grow in love Amen Before God, with the people of God, We confess to our brokenness: To the ways we wound our lives, The lives of others and the life of the world May God forgive you, Christ renew you, and the Spirit enable you to grow in love Amen 4 Move among us, O God; give us life Let your people rejoice in you Make our hearts clean within us: Renew us in mind and in spirit Give us again the joy of your help With your spirit of freedom sustain us. WORD AND WISDOM (WITH SPACE FOR REFLECTION) Listen now for Word and Wisdom: Response: For the word of God in Jesus, For God’s wisdom all around us, For God’s word and wisdom in us, Thanks be to God AFFIRMATION With the whole church We affirm that we are made in God’s image, Befriended by Christ, Empowered by the spirit. With people everywhere We affirm God’s goodness At the heart of humanity, Planted more deeply than all that is wrong. With all creation We celebrate the miracle and wonder of life, The unfolding purposes of God, Forever at work in ourselves And the world. (SONG OR CHANT) PRAYER FOR THE IONA COMMUNITY (ALL) O God, who gave to your servant Columba the gifts of courage, faith and cheerfulness, and sent people out from Iona to carry the word of your gospel to every creature, grant, we pray, a like spirit to your church, even at this present time. Further in all things the purpose of our Community, that hidden things may be revealed to us, and new ways found to touch the lives of all. 5 May we preserve with each other sincere charity and peace, and if it be your holy will, grant that a place of your abiding be continued still to be a sanctuary and a light. Through Jesus Christ, Amen UNIVERSAL PRAYER FOR PEACE (ALL) Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our lives, our world, our universe. Peace, peace, peace. PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY of gratitude and concern, for the priorities of the Community, for the world, for the Full and Associate Members of the Iona Community May they not fail you Nor we fail them THE LORD’S PRAYER (ALL) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins As we forgive those who sin against us. Save us in the time of trial and deliver us from evil For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, Now and forever. Amen SILENCE CLOSING RESPONSES In work and worship God is with us Gathered and scattered God is with us Now and always God is with us 6 ALTERNATIVE PRAYERS FROM THE WORLD CHURCH God, open to us today the sea of your mercy and water us with full streams from the riches of your grace and springs of your kindness. Make us children of quietness and heirs of peace: kindle in us the fire of your love: strengthen our weakness by your power and bind us close to you and to each other. FROM OUR TRADITION Christ, the Master Carpenter, who, at the last, through wood and nails, accomplished our whole salvation, wield well your tools in the workshop of your world, so that we who come rough-hewn to your bench may here be fashioned to a truer beauty of your hand. We ask it for your own name’s sake. FROM OUR FOUNDER Christ, you are within each one of us. Nearer are you than breathing, closer than hands and feet. Ours are the eyes with which you, in the mystery, look out with compassion on the world. Take us outside, O Christ, outside holiness, out to where soldiers curse and nations clash at the crossroads of the world. We ask it for your own name’s sake. FROM OUR MOVEMENT God our challenger and disturber, help us to confront all that makes for death and despair in our lives, our communities, our world. May we never lose sight of the possibility of transformation and be continually surprised by people who believe in one another. 7 FROM THE WILD GOOSE RESOURCE GROUP Leader With the eye of a weaver you have chosen us such different threads to be gathered into unity that the world might believe. All So may we not serve your purpose Unless we are open to each other; Not care for each other Unless we reflect your love; Not dare to love like you Unless we are glad to accept The cost and joy of discipleship, As friends and followers of Jesus In whose name we pray. LIVING WISDOM God in heaven, your name is to be honoured. May your new community of hope be realised on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the essentials of life. Release us from our wrongdoing as we also release those who wrong us. Do not test us beyond our enduring; save us from all that is evil.