Witness for Peace Prayer 25.08.2025

„Witness for Peace“

(From The Pattern of Our Days; adapted from a service

held at Faslane Trident Submarine Base on 27 October 1986)

Prayer of Repentance:

Forgive us, Creator God, for we have seen into the abyss of the industries of death and not drawn back.

We pray for those of us who have the political power to make life or death decisions. Kyrie Eleison!

We pray for those of us who can see no choice but to work in the industries of death. Kyrie Eleison!

We pray for t hose of us who pay our taxes to support, or make our profits out of the industries of death. Kyrie Eleison!

We pray for those of us who have failed to speak loudly enough or take action boldy enough to challenge the industries of death. Kyrie Eleison!

We pray for those of us who have been too confused or helpless to know what to do. Kyrie Eleison!

We know that with you, Creator God, life is abundant, and that you can make all things new.

We rejoice in your hope!

Prayer of Commitment to Life:

In the midst of hunger and war we celebrate the promise of plenty and peace.

In the midst of oppression and tyranny we celebrate the promise of service and freedom.

In the midst of doubt and despair we celebrate the promise of faith and hope.

In the midst of fear and betrayal we celebrate the promise of joy and loyalty.

In the midst of hatred and death we celebrate the promise of love and life.

In the midst of sin and decay we celebrate the promise of salvation and renewal.

In the midst of death on every side we celebrate the promise of the Living Christ.

Words of Encouragement:

To do and to dare—not what you would, but what is right. Never to hesitate over what is in your power, but boldly to grasp what lies before you. Not in the flight of fancy, but only in the deed there is freedom. Away with timidity and reluctance! Out into the storm of event, sustained only by the commandment of God and your faith, and freedom will receive your spirit with exultation. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters & Papers from Prison)

Prayer for strength:

Lord we do not pray for easy lives, we pray to be stronger people.

We do not pray for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks.

We stand together for life in the midst of death.

Vater Unser…

Prayer 18.08.2025

Aus Psalm 146

Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele!
Ich will den Herrn loben, solange ich lebe,
will meinem Gott singen, solange ich bin.

Glücklich, wer Halt sucht bei Jakobs Gott,
wer seine Hoffnung auf den Herrn setzt.
Der Herr hat Himmel und Erde gemacht,
das Meer und alle Geschöpfe.
Er hält ewig die Treue.
Recht verschafft er den Unterdrückten,
den Hungernden gibt er Brot;
der Herr befreit die Gefangenen.

Der Herr öffnet den Blinden die Augen,
er richtet die Gebeugten auf.
Der Herr beschützt die Fremden,
verhilft den Waisen und Witwen zu ihrem Recht.

Der Herr liebt die Gerechten,
doch die Schritte der Frevler leitet er in die Irre.
Der Herr ist Herr auf ewig,
Gott herrscht bis ans Ende der Zeiten.

Gebet aus Taize

1. Heiliger Geist, Geist des Friedens, mach uns durch unser Gebet aufmerksam auf die Menschen um uns herum.

2. Heiliger Geist, Geist des Lebens, führe uns zum Miteinanderteilen und zu einem Leben der Solidarität mit den anderen.

3. Heiliger Geist, Geist der Liebe, lindere das Leiden all derer, die in Armut und Einsamkeit leben oder Hunger leiden.

4. Heiliger Geist, Geist der Kraft, mach den jungen Menschen Mut, die in Kriegsgebieten leben: erhalte in ihnen eine lebendige Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft und lass sie Zeugen des Friedens sein.

5. Heiliger Geist, Geist der Weisheit, sei im Herzen all derer, die Verantwortung für die Völker der Erde tragen.

Christus Jesus, in der Stille unserer Herzen erhebt sich ein Lied: Dein Heiliger Geist lässt uns nie allein, er steht uns bei und tröstet uns. Durch die Gegenwart deines Geistes lebst du auf immer in uns.

Vater unser

English-German Colloquium

Updates from Tübingen    
by Dennis Lindsay

English German Colloquium f. NT, 3. July 2025

English-German Colloquium

The English-German Colloquium in New Testament continues to be one of the most successful programs of the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins. Offered (since the 1960's) in partnership with Protestant Faculty of the University of Tübingen and Prof. Michael Tilly, the Colloquium provides a forum for theology students and scholars to present their research work for peer review and feedback. This past summer semester we had presentations by scholars from Romania, Benin, Russia, and other German universities, as well as here in Tübingen. The unquestionable highlight this summer was a book presentation by Prof. Hermann Lichtenberger and Dr. Daniel Schumann, who completed the edition of the volume: "Zwischen Engeln und Menschen" ("Between Angels and Humans: the Role of Enoch in Slavic Enoch", Mohr Siebeck, 2025), following the untimely death of the book's author Andreas Wagner. This presentation, along with a reception following the presentation, attracted our largest Colloquium attendance of the year!

Note:

This review of the volume on the Lords Prayer from our 2018 symposium has just appeared in the Review of Biblical Literature.  We thought you would be interested.
“..the volume offers a rich, multiperspectival exploration of one of the New Testament’s most popular texts. The three-part framework that situates the discussion of the Lord’s Prayer within early Judaism, the New Testament itself, and reception history in early Christian thought and Orthodox liturgy presents a comprehensive view of the prayer’s origins, development, and enduring significance.”
Click here for more information:

https://www.sblcentral.org/API/Reviews/1002340_73587.pdf

Theological English Class

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN

by Dennis Lindsay

Theological English Course

In this past summer semester we had a very lively group of participants for the Readings in Theological English course that we offer here in our Institute seminar room. Student participants this semester came from Romania, Greece, South Korea, China, and Germany and from a variety of denominational traditions: Orthodox, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Evangelical. Together, we read and discussed texts from a wide variety of Christian authors, from ancient sources to modern writers, on topics such as Christology, the doctrine of the Church, and the Trinity. As a special highlight, Dennis and Karen Lindsay celebrated the 4th of July by hosting an end-of-semester party for the students in their home!

Prayer 14.07.2025

Psalm 5:

1   Give ear to my words, O LORD; 
          give heed to my sighing. 
2   Listen to the sound of my cry, 
          my King and my God, 
          for to you I pray. 
3   O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; 
          in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

4   For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; 
          evil will not sojourn with you. 
5   The boastful will not stand before your eyes; 
          you hate all evildoers. 
6   You destroy those who speak lies; 
          the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

7   But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, 
          will enter your house, 
     I will bow down toward your holy temple 
          in awe of you. 
8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness 
          because of my enemies; 
          make your way straight before me.

11  Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; 
          let them ever sing for joy. 
     Spread your protection over them, 
          so that those who love your name may exult in you. 
12  For you bless the righteous, O LORD; 
          you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Prayers:

Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who are suffering today from lack of food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Surround them with your compassion and with compassionate people who will minister to their needs.

Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who find themselves innocent victims of war, violence, and injustice. Attend them with your protective presence. Send your angel to encamp around them and deliver them.

Merciful God, we pray for those in the world who are responsible for creating oppression and injustice that causes the suffering of others. Convict them in their hearts and lead them to true repentance, reconciliation, and restoration.

Merciful God, we pray for ourselves—both in our own suffering, and in our participation in systems that cause suffering for others. Forgive our sins and empower us by your Spirit to work for peace and justice today.

Vater Unser…