Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam: Worship-Sermon Class

Mar Thoma Theological Seminary,
Kottayam
Worship- Sermon Class

Wednesday, 23rd March 2022, 7.00 A.M.
Order of Worship
• Call to Worship
Come, let us worship the Almighty God, who sent His Son for our
redemption and enrich us, with the gift of Grace that we received,
through faith.
Opening Hymn
• Song no: 54
Opening Prayer
• Almighty Lord, we come to Your presence to praise and worship in true spirit and
mind, accept our prayers and requests. Instill in us true love and harmony to extend
that love towards fellow creation. Lord guide us to walk through your ways and let
others be drawn closer to you and make hope in them by our actions. Strengthen us
Lord to stand as peace makers among the people and let your name be glorified
through our interventions in the conditions of inequality and oppression. O guiding
Spirit, who helps us to discern the tendencies of the time, we adore You. Enable us
to deepen our faith and to translate it contextually to confront the daily realities of
the life. Cleanse us from all abhorrence and help us to stand as a sign of Your work
in the world. We ascribe all praise and honor to you now and forever… Amen.
Prayer of Confession
• Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if
there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalm 139:23,24).
After each prayer of confession, our response shall be Merciful God Forgive us..
L: The gender wage gap is a measure of what women are paid relative to men. Working
women are paid less than working men. A large body of research accounts for, diagnoses,
and investigates this “gender pay gap.” But this literature often becomes unwieldy for lay
readers, and because pay gaps are political topics, ideological agendas often seep quickly
into discussions.
Merciful God, although we are called to become partakers of your liberative mission,
we have often held onto the normalities of this world. In this way, we have often supported
the dominant voices and the privileged peoples in the society. For these our
Shortcomings…
C: Merciful God, Forgive us
L: Migrant workers in our society face multiple challenges, exploitation and also receive much
lower wages and work longer hours than local laborers. A vast majority of the workers had to put up
with filthy conditions and illnesses. Irrespective of their name and where they come from, for most
of us, migrant workers are just “bhai” or “Bengali”. This is not only insensitive but symptomatic of
xenophobia. Besides, they work in an unorganised sectors, not affiliated with any trade unions,
making them vulnerable to exploitation. In other words migrant workers are the victims of
exploitation and the unjust practices that prevailed in our surroundings.
Forgiving God, due to our evil inclination towards focusing on the speck in the eyes of others, we
often were disgraceful towards migrant laborers and fail to acknowledge their innate integrity. For
these our Shortcomings..
L: Over 700 civilians have been killed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and over 3 million
have been forced to flee the country. Public infrastructure has also been destroyed, which means
thousands of people are without adequate water, heat, and electricity, or are unable to reach stores
to buy basic necessities because roads and bridges are impassable. The U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations has warned that the Russian invasion could displace up to 5 million people, who
would join what is already a record 31 million refugees and asylum seekers around the world.
O Lord, despite your call to be a community of identification and solidarity, we have tended to
astray from our commission in the midst of people’s struggle against alienation and
excommunication. For these our shortcomings…
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Philp. 4:4)
After each prayer of thanksgiving, our response shall be,
Lord we thank You.

L: The theme of International Women's Day 2022, as decided by the United
Nations, is "Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow." In being more
vulnerable to climate change, women and their struggles have been highlighted, and
initiatives to help them out have been started by the body in order to promote a
better tomorrow for everyone.
Gracious God, for every woman who actively engages and responds to the
problems and current issues that are affecting society through their thoughts and
writings, especially for the life and contributions of Greta Thunberg and Malala
Yousafzai. For these great visions..
C: Lord, we thank You
L: Almighty God, for the beauty and diversity of Your Creation that fills the
universe with delight and for all the favorable environment that you have granted us
to develop our innate potentials that benefits us towards the fullness of life. For
these Your grace…
Gracious Lord, for all the spiritual and theological engagements and encounters that
helped us to be effective ministers of the Kingdom of God and to be a healing and
hopeful presence in the world.
Intercessory Prayer
Bible Reading : Matthew 20: 1-16
Sermon:
Sermon:
An Alternative Ethics for a Just Society
An Alternative paradigm to a Society of Exploitation

Sermon:
An Alternative Ethics for a Just Society
An Alternative paradigm to a Society of Exploitation
An Alternative paradigm of Restorative Justice

• Closing Prayer
• Benediction

Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam: Worship-Sermon Class

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Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam: Worship-Sermon Class

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Mar Thoma Theological Seminary,

Worship- Sermon Class

After each prayer of thanksgiving, our response shall be,

Lord we thank You.

An Alternative paradigm to a Society of Exploitation

An Alternative paradigm to a Society of Exploitation

An Alternative paradigm of Restorative Justice

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