In Memory of Those Who Have Died at the Borders of the EU

Refugee boats in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Sculpture by Kalliopi Lemos

20 - 26 June 2011 is Refugee Week and this site offers a large amount of information backed by an impressive group of 12 refugee agencies.  Whilst the material on this site might be used to inform liturgies and prayer gropups during the week, it dioes not include, as far as I can see, any material designed for use in Christian worship.

I have however found some on the Conference of European Churches website.  Simply click on this link to download a resource guide, Day of intercession in memory of those who have died at the borders of the EU .  This has been put together by The Commissioner for migration and integration of the Evangelical.Church in Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Oberlausitz, German Ecumenical Committee on Church Asylum, EKD Church Office, CCME - Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, German Ecumenical Committee on Church Asylum.  Some of these sites are in German but the link is to an English version of the report.

Here are some extracts from the introduction to the paper:

In July 2009 the Conference of European Churches declared in Lyon: “As churches in Europe we commit ourselves: to remember those who have died on their journey to find a dignified life in Europe, through an annual day of prayer.” Churches and human rights groups in several European countries will commemorate together on the same day, 26 June 2011, the lethal consequences of the sealing off of the external borders of the EU. Such sealing off takes place through highly perfected technical border protection, through the displacement of border protection measures to neighbouring and transit states of the EU, and through legal agreements with neighbouring and transit states on refugee return, even if this violates human rights.

Churches will remember in prayer the nameless dead who frequently disappear without trace in the sea or in the desert. Their lament, which went unheard by human beings, will be brought before God. What takes place at the borders - far from public scrutiny and control – will be brought to public awareness. Background reports will provide information about the situation of human rights at the borders. Politicians will be reminded of their responsibility to take at long last effective measures to protect human beings and human rights.

The paper includes:

• Ideas for worship
• Proposal for a prayer of intercession for those who have died at the borders of the European Union
• Proposal for a prayer of intercession for those who assist
• Instead of a sermon: personal testimonies
• What we can do
• A summary for newsletters
• Further information and resources

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle

If you cast your eyes to the column on the right hand side of this blog and scroll down you will find the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.  This changes weekly and cycles around the world once a year.  It is linked to a WCC publication In God's Hands: The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. 

The full cycle is laid out on the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle page of the WCC website.  They say:

At the very heart of the ecumenical movement is the reality of prayer. Jesus prayed that we may all be one, united in God in the mystery of the Trinity. That is the basis and the goal of our search for unity.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle enables us to journey in prayer through every region of the world and through every week of the year affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems and sharing diverse gifts. Lord, hear our prayer ...

It is possible to install the cycle into your own blog, website or Facebook page.  Instructions can be found on the WCC website.  It is also possible to submit your own prayers for use in the prayer cycle.

Promoting Prayer for Unity

Image by Christine ™ (Formerly with the red wall.) via Flickr

One of the topics that came up for discussion at the recent meeting of National Ecumenical Officers was prayer for unity. 

The Catholic Church has introduced a moment of prayer for unity, once a month.  So, it may be worth exploring whether this could be broadened into an ecumenical observance.  This might be a prayer to be said during services.  Some places might observe this through a monthly special service, especially where a suitable service already exists.

The aim would be to remind ourselves once a month of the continuing call to unity.  In the light of talk of  an ecumenical winter, such a shared prayer might help us remember, desire for unity is still very much with us.

If such a prayer were possible, there is the possibility of linking it with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  The annual theme could be picked up through the monthly prayers. 

There is another possibility, as some churches are starting to celebrate mid-week festivals on the preceding Sundays.  It seems Catholic Churches in England and Wales were asked to celebrate Epiphany on 2 January this year and this may be a trend in the Church of England too.  Methodists have done this for many years.

So, if there is a trend to do this, how about developing mid-week festivals, such as Epiphany and Ascension, as opportunities for ecumenical prayer and celebration?

So, what do you think?  Is this something your church, Churches Together group or other group of local churches might welcome?  Is it already happening anywhere?  How would you set about it locally?  What resources would you need?  Are there any prayers you would recommend?

Oh yes!  One suggestion for a short monthly prayer was the Pilgrim Prayer:

Lord God we thank you
For calling us into the company
Of those who trust in Christ
And seek to obey his will.
May your Spirit guide and strengthen us
In mission and service to your world;
For we are strangers no longer
But pilgrims together on the way to your Kingdom.
Amen

Related articles

• Where Might we get to Ecumenically? (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Ecumenical Vision Statement (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• National Ecumenical Officers (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• WCC General Secretary meets the Pope (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)