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To all dear Christians and thosewaiting for Easter,
Now we are standing in Lent and waiting for Easter. The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) would like to focus on the socialmeaning of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in this 2015 Lent. Before Jesus’ death and resurrection he visited Galilee to feed his faith and his hope in preparation for the coming trials. Where shall we find our Galilee that will restore our faith and fill us with hope to prepare us for the difficult work of the mission of God? The NCCK wants to find hope and enable it to flow out to our society as Jesus has done and asks us to do. For this reason the NCCK has prepared resources for this year’s prayers to accompany a spiritual pilgrimage which will take place for 7 weeks from the first week of Lent to Easter, so that we can wait and welcome Easter with increased awareness of the presence of hope for these days and is the presence of hope in Korea.
Each week includes a theme, scripture, meditation and prayers;
1 The sinking of the Sewol Ferry occurred on the morning of 16 April 2014 en route from Incheon to Jeju. The Japanese-built South Korean ferry capsized while carrying 476 people, mostly secondary school students from Danwon High School (Ansan City). In all, 304 passengers died in the disaster. Of the approximately 172 survivors, many were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels that arrived at the scene approximately 30 minutes before any South Korean coast guard or ROK Navy ships. For more information please follow the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_MV_Sewol.
Here, for 7 different issues, we would like to introduce one chapter each, from the second week of Lent. It gives us awareness and inspiration regarding the issue of the nuclear weapons. It used to be one of our most significant issues in South Korea and became more serious after the Fukushima disaster. Please turn your heart to this issue and the NCCK hopes you will be inspired and refreshed deeply through these texts.
Also, we are sharing the ‘Ash Wednesday Prayer’written by NCCK below. Korean Churches also ask the global Christian family to use the prayer they formulated for the Ash Wednesday services. We would be grateful if you select one among those two sample prayers and use it in your church.
[March 1 _ the second week of the Lent]
Don’t you think No-Nukes will suffice?
Deuteronomy 30:19, NIV
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Genesis 1:31, NIV
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
When the CP-1, the first nuclear reactor in the world was built in Chicago University in the USA, scientists wereconfident that humans were finally entering into God’s domain. Nuclear energy is not a substance which the God of life has willed. Nuclear is a ‘modern version of the tree of knowledge’ which has been consumed by the arrogance of human and intemperate greed. The nuclear bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima show us that nuclear energy is the ‘fruit of death’ which contains enormousdestructive power. Though its greed, humanity never stops building more nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.
The Fukushima Nuclear Plantdisasteroccurred from nuclear reactors which were over 30 years old, their originally designed life-span. In South Korea, we have 3 expired nuclear power plants which have surpassed their designed life-span; however they are far from closing and are trying to extend their period of use continually.Millions of people are trembling and living in fear of these nuclear power plants, and the marine ecosystem around the nuclear power plants has already been destroyed and disturbed. To love your neighbors and to care for and preserve the creatures of God is the important mission to which Christians are called. We should deal with our mission, and so let us pledge and pray for a peaceful world and its life without the dangers of nuclear energy.
[Our prayer]
※ Let us be moderate in our greed and be prepared to live peacefully and safely altogether, escaping from all reliance on nuclear capabilities.
①For all creatures which moan because oftheir exposure to nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.
②For a peaceful world where no country possesses nuclear weapons.
③For shuttingdown and closing dangerous old nuclear power plants whose designed life-span has expired.
④ For reducing nuclear power plants one by one by reducing our indiscreet energy consumption.
⑤For the world to live with green energy which has been given by God, such as solar energy and wind power energy, instead of with nuclear energy.
[2015 Ash Wednesday Prayer]
On this Ash Wednesday, as we consider the ashes of repentance, the National Council of Churches in Korea asks you to join your prayers to theirs for reconciliation between North and South Korea.
People still, after all these many years, live with the pain of separation. Our government will not allow us to send rice and flour to our starving northern brothers and sisters.
Lord, forgive the barriers we have erected against each other and give us the will and show us the way to peace. We pray for those who suffer, and ask for them comfort and relief. Let the ashes of death and fear both nourish a glad rebirth.
In Jesus' name we pray - Jesus who set his face steadfastly toward Jerusalem where he would walk through death to reconcile us to each other and to God. Amen
Ash Wednesday Prayer, Feb. 18, 2015
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