Stop Torture, Protect Human Rights
An Order of Worship for Human Rights Day
Preparation for Worship
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love
is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."
— I John 4:7
"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you."
— Matthew 5:44
"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment."
— Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5
Call to Worship
One: This is a time to prepare for the One who is and is to be.
Many: Eternal God, help us get ready.
One: This is a time to shine a light into the dark corners.
Many: Help us know your truth.
One: This is a time to open our eyes and our hearts.
Many: Help us care about your people.
One: This is a time to make crooked ways straight and rough places smooth.
Many: Help us help enact your justice.
Hymn
"On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry" #10, The
Presbyterian Hymnal or "Prepare the Way" #13, The Presbyterian Hymnal
Introduction to the Prayer of Confession
Today is Human Rights Day. The day marks the United Nations General Assembly's
adoption, on December 10, 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the first global enunciation of human rights. The commemoration was established
in 1950 when the United Nations General Assembly invited all states and interested
organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.
Torture is a human rights violation. On this Human Rights Day, we pray for
justice and healing for people throughout the world who have been tortured. We
pray for people who inflict torture, for they too are tormented. We pray for
ourselves, confessing all we have done or left undone that may have contributed
to the suffering of our sisters and brothers. We pray in the name of the One
who was tortured, died, and rose to save us all. I invite you to pray together.
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
God for all peoples, we pray for our brothers and sisters throughout your
world who endure torture physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In their pain
may they experience your presence and care, binding their wounds and providing
support.
We pray for our brothers and sisters throughout your world who inflict torture
physically, spiritually, and emotionally. May they experience your presence and
care, binding the wounds that they receive as they wound others. Open them to
see the dignity of each person. Strengthen them to seek ways to break free from
violence.
We pray for our brothers and sisters throughout your world who authorize
torture physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Break the hold of fear and
anger upon them. Inspire them to seek other ways to advance their causes.
We pray for ourselves, confessing our responsibility for acts of torture
that violate our sisters and brothers and degrade us and our values. Guide us
to know about torture, care about torture, and act to end torture. We pray in
the name of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection reveal that your
love is indeed stronger than torture and fear.
(Time of silence for personal prayer and confession)
Amen.
Words of Assurance (based on Malachi 3:1-4)
Those who confess their sins will receive God's mercy, and their transgressions
will be no more.
For God's love in Jesus Christ cleanses and purifies, melting away all that
is imperfect so that we may live as God intends.
Passing of the Peace
One: In Christ we have been forgiven, freed, and made whole. Let us witness
to God's gift of peace by sharing it with friends, neighbors, even enemies. The
peace of God be with you.
Many: And also with you.
First Lesson: Malachi 3:1-4
Second Lesson: Luke 1.68-79
(Instead of reading this passage, the congregation may sing
it to either of two easy-to-sing tunes in The Presbyterian
Hymnal — #601
and #602. If not sung here, one of these hymns may be sung after the sermon.)
Sermon: Know. Care. Act.
(Sermon notes follow the liturgical material.)
Hymn
"Arise Your Light Is Come!" #411, The Presbyterian
Hymnal or "Song
of Zechariah" #601,
The Presbyterian Hymnal or "Song of Zechariah" #602, The Presbyterian
Hymnal
Prayers of the People
Litany for Human Rights
One: Someone is shouting in the desert: "Prepare
the way of the Lord; make a straight path for God to travel! Every valley must
be filled up, every hill and mountain leveled off. The winding roads must be
made straight, and the rough paths made smooth (Luke 3:4-5)."
Many: God of justice, your messenger calls us to prepare your way, to make
your paths straight.
One: But the world is not ready to receive you. The roadway is choked with
the material possessions of people who have become rich from the labor of those
who are denied access to resources because of their race, ethnicity, gender,
class, or nationality.
Many: God of peace, your messenger calls us to prepare your way.
One: But fearful threats exist. The highway is barricaded with armaments.
The valleys are filled with land mines that kill innocent children, women, and
men.
Many: God of compassion, your messenger calls us to prepare
your way.
One: But not everybody will be free to greet you. Some languish in prison
or under house arrest. Some endure torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Many: Many women are imprisoned in their homes, abused by their husbands
and without means of escape because they are denied legal and economic recourse.
Many children are chained in sweatshops or sold into prostitution.
One: How then shall we prepare the way?
Many: In the name of God and for the sake of God's people, we proclaim in
word and deed that all human beings are born with fundamental human rights.
One: How shall we prepare the way?
Many: We will strive to guarantee the dignity and worth of the human person
and the equal rights of all.
One: How shall we prepare the way?
Many: We will work for a world in which human beings enjoy freedom of speech
and belief and freedom from fear and want.
One: How shall we prepare the way?
Many: We will work for a world where no one is ever subjected to torture
or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
All: Then we will go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and
the hills before us shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall
clap their hands. And every valley shall be filled, and the crooked shall be
made straight, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
One: Let us take a moment of silence to remember those whose human rights
are being denied or whose worth as children of God has been denied for any reason.
(Moment of silence)
All: Amen.
The Offering
Hymn
"On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry" #10, verse 4, The Presbyterian
Hymnal
Prayer of Dedication
The Lord's Prayer
Hymn
"Live Into Hope" #332, The Presbyterian Hymnal or "O Sing
a Song of Bethlehem" #308,
The Presbyterian Hymnal
Charge and Benediction
One: Know. Care. Act. Be assured that "the One
who began a good work among you will bring it to completion in the day of Jesus
Christ."
Many: We know. We care. We will work to enact God's love and justice.
One: May God continue to guide our feet in the way of peace as we wait for,
work for, and witness to salvation.
Sermon Notes
The need to prepare for the gift of salvation is the theme and the goal of
this day's lectionary passages. Written in diverse circumstances for diverse
audiences, they all point to the need to be ready for the power of God that brings
truth to light, instills compassion, and overcomes injustice and sin. In other
words, these passages point to God's promise given to all people in Jesus Christ.
December 10 is both the second Sunday in Advent and Human Rights Day. If we
follow Karl Barth's dictum to preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper
in the other, we can not help but take note of what Scripture has to say to the
daily reports of human rights abuses throughout the world.
This year the headlines and our consciences lead us to focus
on one class of abuses in particular: torture. This is not because torture is
the most pressing abuse of human rights — the most pressing abuse
is the one being perpetrated right now and right here, wherever you are. However,
torture is a fundamental issue because it systematically denigrates the image
of God that is stamped on each individual. It also violates God's command not
to take advantage of those who are at our mercy, and certainly prisoners are
completely at our mercy. It is irrelevant whether or not they are our enemies;
God still commands us to treat them as human beings, even to love them. Torture
undoes this command.
Thus, we focus on torture because it is an urgent issue of
our day, because it is fundamental to our faith, and because it is a case study
in how to approach sin, including social sins. This approach is summarized as
Know, Care, Act.
The first step in being able to act to end the
horror of torture, or any sin, is to know what is going on and not turn away.
The song of Zechariah (Luke 1:67-79) speaks to God's intention "...to give light to those who
sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." Of course, Zechariah is foretelling
John the Baptist's mission, which perhaps is the mission of all of us who prepare
the way for the One who is and is still to come.
One reaction the preacher might be wise to anticipate is how difficult it
is for people to hear the message that torture has not only been inflicted by
our enemies, but also by those employed by or allied with the United States.
This revelation causes dissonance for believers. How could this happen on our
watch? How widespread is the abuse? Is it a matter of isolated incidents, or
is there systemic abuse that points to a policy of torture? Before we can end
torture we need to acknowledge what is happening. This is uncomfortable in part
because in a free society we all bear some complicity. It should be helpful,
however, for members to know that our denomination has issued many statements
expressing our opposition to torture anywhere by anyone, including most recently
at the 217th General Assembly (2006) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The
General Assembly passed an overture to approach the U.S. government to ask for
an independent investigation into allegations of abuse. In this way we are following
God's call to shine a light into dark corners and expose the truth. If no systemic
abuse is found, then suspicion will be lifted. If torture has been inflicted,
then all those who are responsible can be brought to justice.
Stopping torture is not a "feel good" issue.
It runs counter to much of the secular, sentimental lead-up to Christmas. Again,
it is important for the preacher to acknowledge how hard it is to hear about
torture. It is equally important to look at the painful realities because knowing
helps create empathy that can lead to action.
To know is the first step in preparing the way for God's gift of salvation.
Of course, it is not enough to know about atrocities.
We must also care about those who suffer. One way for a preacher to help people
care is to allow the voices of the survivors and those who have worked to end
torture to speak for themselves. Examples of short quotes are found in the resources
listed below. Additional quotes are available in many news sources almost daily.
With some introduction and music, these quotations can serve as the core of a
sermon that is an interpretation of Luke 1:79, and they resonate with Paul's
word in the Epistle commending those who "share in God's grace with me,
both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel (Philippians
1:7)."
It is important to lift up our concern not only for the survivors of torture,
but also for those who condone or inflict torture. They too are harmed by the
act. Torture degrades those practice it; thus, if we wish to show compassion
for our troops, we must ensure that they have explicit orders to refrain from
cruel, unusual, and degrading treatment in all circumstances. Lack of clarity
must never be construed as implicit permission to torture. In addition, torture
enrages the families and friends of those who are tortured, creating an impetus
for retaliation that puts our troops and our security at greater risk. Support
for our troops and our nation requires that we never act in ways that are contrary
to the basic tenets of our faith.
To know is to care; to care is to act on behalf of those who are harmed.
Fortunately, the Word of God never leaves us with condemnation or despair,
but leads us to face even the grim reality of torture so that we might experience
healing. The lectionary passage in Malachi poetically articulates this tough
but grace-filled process, describing the renunciation of sin as a purifying fire
where layers of our old self are melted away by God's love. This is painful.
It hurts to lose our outer, protective shell that prevents us from knowing or
caring. God melts away our layers of denial so that we may better absorb God's
saving love.
This process may break our hearts as the pain of those who suffer touches
us. But God does not leave us broken; out of brokenness come healing and wholeness.
In the end, to know and to care, motivates us to act and there is much we can
do. The preacher can leave the congregation on a note of hope.
Resources for prayer, dialogue, education and advocacy are readily available
through the Presbyterian Peacemaking
Program. It is also helpful to lift up the
stories of groups such as the Center for Victims
of Torture who provide resources
to assist survivors of torture with physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Preachers may want to coordinate a letter-writing opportunity or to invite a
speaker to give a minute for mission to coincide with this morning's message.
Of course, our ultimate hope is in the saving power
and love of God, who gives "light
to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and guide[s] our feet
into the way of peace (Luke 1:79)."
Resources
For preachers who want to study this issue further, the following pieces may
be especially helpful. They are available through the group No2Torture.
"Who Is Jesus Christ for Us Today?" a sermon
by the Rev. Dr. George Hunsinger, McCord Professor of Theology at Princeton Theological
Seminary, Presbyterian Outlook, July 10, 2006.
"Five Reasons Torture is Always Wrong," by
the Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee, professor of moral philosophy at Union University,
Christianity Today, February 1, 2006.
"A Chaplain's View of Torture," by the Rev.
Kermit Johnson, chaplain and major general in the U.S. Army (retired), The Christian
Century, April 18, 2006.
"Call to Say No! to Torture" by Rick Ufford-Chase,
Moderator of the 216th General Assembly (2004) and executive director of the
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and the Rev. Ed Brogan, director of the Presbyterian
Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel, October, 2006.
"Quotes from Torture Survivors and Those Who Work
for the Way of Peace," compiled
by the Rev. Kirsten Klepfer.
Ideas for a Children's Interpretation
To encompass both the theme of the Advent Scripture and Human Rights Day,
one could give some background on the stories of the births of John and Jesus,
pointing out that the writers of the Bible thought it was important for people
to know that Herod was the king at this time. Many of the facts of Herod's reign
are not appropriate to share with children. However, children are used to stories
of good and evil and can readily appreciate that Herod ruled in ways that were
unfair and violent and caused the people in Palestine to suffer. They wanted
the world to be different for themselves and their children. They wanted the
peace on earth that God promised in Jesus.
At a young age, children realize that peace on earth is still
something much of the world wants and does not have. Thus the interpreter can
point out that followers of Jesus are working all over the world to bring the
good news of Jesus' peace to people. One of those ways is by working for the
basic things that all people need — not just food and water, but the
right to worship and to go to school and other basic human rights. They are what
all people deserve just because they are people, because God's promise of peace
is for everyone. But peace does not just happen. It is a gift from God that we
have to protect by speaking up, like John the Baptist and Jesus did,
against anyone who tries to hurt others.
If there is time, the children can be asked to reflect on how to say no to
bullies. Bullying is also something that all children know about. They might
be asked if they have ever seen a bully in action. Then they can be asked about
some good ways to deal with bullies. The link can be made between saying no to
bullies and saying yes to the ways God wants us to treat each other. What the
children are doing when they resist bullying is what the church is striving to
do and what John the Baptist and Jesus showed us how to do.
Again, these themes may seem mature for children, but children perceive the
injustice around them and in the world. It is important for them to know that
their church is addressing these realities and that they can help, too. |
