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PREPARATION
#1 Candle Liturgy (5 minutes) Invite
members of the group to volunteer to read parts of this liturgy and light the
candles. Because of the high rate
of dyslexia and other learning differences it is important to ask for
volunteers, but never force someone to read aloud.
Gather your group around the three candles and begin. Reader
1: Genesis 1 tells us that we were created in the image of God.
It is by looking at all of humanity in its variety and diversity that we
see the clearest reflection of the Divine. Reader
2: We light this candle to celebrate God’s reflection in the diversity of age,
gender, race, physical ability, creative gifts, sexual orientation, family
configuration, and so much more. (Light
the first candle) Reader 1: In 1st Corinthians chapter 12 the apostle Paul compares all people in the body of Christ to a human body, he writes “Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as God chose. If all were a single member where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor…that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” Reader
2: We light this candle to celebrate our unique gifts and abilities within the
Body of Christ. (Light
the second candle) Reader
1: The Holy Spirit moves in our time to reveal the gifts and talents of every
person in our world. These gifts
are made stronger because of the differences of our race, religion, age, gender,
background, sexual orientation, family configuration, physical ability, and
other diverse factors. Reader
2: We light this candle to celebrate the power of gifts given by the Holy Spirit
to all peoples. (Light
the third candle) Deepening Faith: Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press Copyright © 2001
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