Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, March 23, 2023)
Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows. The best description of All Hallows Murray is an online gathering place for Christians and those exploring the Christian faith. The services of praise, proclamation, and prayer that are offered on this blogsite are not intended to replace those of a local church but are offered for the benefit of those who are unable to attend a local church for any reason, who may be traveling, or who wish to test the water before taking the plunge, or who otherwise may benefit from them.
DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
Gathering Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’ “We Are Many Parts.”
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
God of all, we look to You
We would be Your servants true
Let us be Your love for all the world
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
All you seekers great and small
Seek the greatest gift of all
If you love, then you will know the Lord
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
Call to Confession:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carey Landry’s “We Come to Ask Forgiveness.”
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
Sometimes we hurt by what we do to others.
Sometimes we hurt with words that are untrue.
Sometimes we cause others pain by what we fail to do,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
For the times when we’ve been rude and selfish,
for the times when we have been unkind,
And for the times we refused to help our friends in need,
we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.
Silence
O God, our Father, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; we have not love you with all our heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, Have mercy upon us, we beseech you; cleanse us from our sins; and help us to overcome our faults; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Merciful God, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Triasgion (Holy God):
Open this link in a new tab Fernado Ortaga’s setting of the Trisagion, “Holy God.”
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy on us.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of unchangeable power,
when you fashioned the world
the morning stars sang together
and the host of heaven shouted for joy;
open our eyes to the wonders of creation
and teach us to see all things for good,
to the honor of your glorious name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (Hebrews 10: 19-25)
We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The verse, “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing,” has been frequently cited in articles, podcasts, and sermons and on videos since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. It has been used to elicit feelings of guilt in church members and attendees who chose to follow public health recommendations and to avoid gatherings in which they would be in close proximity to other people and where they might contract COVID 19 or if they unknowingly were infected with the virus, might infect other people. Or who did not immediately attend inperson gatherings when a particular church began to hold such gatherings after a temporary hiatus. As pastors and other church leaders began to experience uneasiness and even alarm when church attendance numbers did not return to pre-COVID-19 levels, it was rolled out again in hopes of stimulating greater attendance. It was also used in the debate over whether churches should continue to broadcast their services live on cable TV or livestream them on the internet after a church began to hold inperson services again. Too often it was misused to support views that were at odds with what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews appears to have meant.
When the Letter to the Hebrews was written, Christians had very few ways of watching over each other’s souls as John Wesley would have put it. They could visit each other’s homes. They could meet together in someone’s home or shop, or they could write a letter as did Paul and the other apostolic writers. Most of the population could not read or write, so the usage of letter-writing was limited. Cell phones, texting, video chat, and Zoom and other video conferencing platforms were centuries away in the future.
What we can gather from the Letter to the Hebrews is that some early Christians had stopped meeting together. This the author of the letter believed was a cause for concern. Meeting together was the principal way of giving and receiving encouragement and support in practicing the Christian faith and life, in facing the temptations and trials Christians faced, and persevering in the midst of adversity. It was an important way Christians helped each other show love and do good. They reinforced each other’s attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior. Without each other’s encouragement, support, and reinforcement they would be like a burning coal raked from a fire. Unless it is raked back into the fire, it will burn down and go out.
Now I do not believe that I would wrong in concluding that author of Hebrews was not able to imagine meeting in any other way than inperson, gathering together in someone’s house or shop or at some other place. As I previously noted, cell phones, texting, video chat, and Zoom and other video conferencing platforms were centuries away in the future. In the twenty-first century we are able to gather in other ways beside inperson. We are able to gather digitally. Several people can communicate with each other at the same time by video chat and video conferencing.
The principle which the author of Hebrews articulates in today’s New Testament reading has not changed: Christians benefit from meeting together. However, the means by which they can meet together has expanded. They can meet digitally as well as inperson.
As we have learned during the past three odd years, meeting inperson has advantages over meeting digitally. Among the advantages are that we communicate better with each other inperson than digitally. We communicate with each other not only with our voices but our whole bodies. We can read each other better when we are in close physical proximity to each other.
Smell may also play a part in how we communicate. While our olfactory senses are not acute as some animals, smell does appear to have a role in human communication.
When we meet inperson, we can also reassure someone tactually, with a pat on the arm or a hug. We can lay hands on someone and pray for them.
At the same time meeting digitally when circumstances do not permit Christians to meet inperson does benefit those involved in the meeting. While meeting inperson is preferable, meeting digitally is an acceptable alternative. We can still encourage, support, and reinforce each other.
When the author of Hebrews writes about meeting together, I do not believe that he is writing about large gatherings like services of public worship. He wrote at a time when Christians met in someone’s home or shop or in similar venues. He was not writing at a time when Christians had began assembling in public buildings, much less were building meeting places of their own like the Jewish synagogues.
The dynamics of a large gathering such as a service of public worship held in a church’ sanctuary or worship center are different from those of smaller gatherings. Those present cannot offer each other encouragement, support, and reinforcement in the same ways that they might in a small gathering. The principal ways they offer encouragement, support, and reinforcement to each other is by their presence and their participation in one or more common activities—singing hymns and worship songs, and reciting an affirmation of faith, saying the congregational responses in a litany, and sharing the sacramental bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. These ways of offering encouragement, support, and reinforcement to each other are not the individualized ways that the participants in a small gathering can encourage, support, and reinforce each other.
The type of gatherings that the author of Hebrews appears to have in mind are closer to the class and band meetings which the early Methodists held and their modern-day equivalent, the covenant discipleship group meeting. According to Gayle Turner Watson who wrote Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups—
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
Sometimes we hurt by what we do to others.
Sometimes we hurt with words that are untrue.
Sometimes we cause others pain by what we fail to do,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
For the times when we’ve been rude and selfish,
for the times when we have been unkind,
And for the times we refused to help our friends in need,
we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord,
and we seek forgiveness from each other.
Sometimes we build up walls instead of bridges to peace,
and we ask your forgiveness, O Lord.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.
Silence
O God, our Father, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; we have not love you with all our heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, Have mercy upon us, we beseech you; cleanse us from our sins; and help us to overcome our faults; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Merciful God, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Triasgion (Holy God):
Open this link in a new tab Fernado Ortaga’s setting of the Trisagion, “Holy God.”
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy on us.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of unchangeable power,
when you fashioned the world
the morning stars sang together
and the host of heaven shouted for joy;
open our eyes to the wonders of creation
and teach us to see all things for good,
to the honor of your glorious name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (Hebrews 10: 19-25)
We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Why It’s Important for Christians to Meet Together
The verse, “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing,” has been frequently cited in articles, podcasts, and sermons and on videos since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. It has been used to elicit feelings of guilt in church members and attendees who chose to follow public health recommendations and to avoid gatherings in which they would be in close proximity to other people and where they might contract COVID 19 or if they unknowingly were infected with the virus, might infect other people. Or who did not immediately attend inperson gatherings when a particular church began to hold such gatherings after a temporary hiatus. As pastors and other church leaders began to experience uneasiness and even alarm when church attendance numbers did not return to pre-COVID-19 levels, it was rolled out again in hopes of stimulating greater attendance. It was also used in the debate over whether churches should continue to broadcast their services live on cable TV or livestream them on the internet after a church began to hold inperson services again. Too often it was misused to support views that were at odds with what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews appears to have meant.
When the Letter to the Hebrews was written, Christians had very few ways of watching over each other’s souls as John Wesley would have put it. They could visit each other’s homes. They could meet together in someone’s home or shop, or they could write a letter as did Paul and the other apostolic writers. Most of the population could not read or write, so the usage of letter-writing was limited. Cell phones, texting, video chat, and Zoom and other video conferencing platforms were centuries away in the future.
What we can gather from the Letter to the Hebrews is that some early Christians had stopped meeting together. This the author of the letter believed was a cause for concern. Meeting together was the principal way of giving and receiving encouragement and support in practicing the Christian faith and life, in facing the temptations and trials Christians faced, and persevering in the midst of adversity. It was an important way Christians helped each other show love and do good. They reinforced each other’s attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior. Without each other’s encouragement, support, and reinforcement they would be like a burning coal raked from a fire. Unless it is raked back into the fire, it will burn down and go out.
Now I do not believe that I would wrong in concluding that author of Hebrews was not able to imagine meeting in any other way than inperson, gathering together in someone’s house or shop or at some other place. As I previously noted, cell phones, texting, video chat, and Zoom and other video conferencing platforms were centuries away in the future. In the twenty-first century we are able to gather in other ways beside inperson. We are able to gather digitally. Several people can communicate with each other at the same time by video chat and video conferencing.
The principle which the author of Hebrews articulates in today’s New Testament reading has not changed: Christians benefit from meeting together. However, the means by which they can meet together has expanded. They can meet digitally as well as inperson.
As we have learned during the past three odd years, meeting inperson has advantages over meeting digitally. Among the advantages are that we communicate better with each other inperson than digitally. We communicate with each other not only with our voices but our whole bodies. We can read each other better when we are in close physical proximity to each other.
Smell may also play a part in how we communicate. While our olfactory senses are not acute as some animals, smell does appear to have a role in human communication.
When we meet inperson, we can also reassure someone tactually, with a pat on the arm or a hug. We can lay hands on someone and pray for them.
At the same time meeting digitally when circumstances do not permit Christians to meet inperson does benefit those involved in the meeting. While meeting inperson is preferable, meeting digitally is an acceptable alternative. We can still encourage, support, and reinforce each other.
When the author of Hebrews writes about meeting together, I do not believe that he is writing about large gatherings like services of public worship. He wrote at a time when Christians met in someone’s home or shop or in similar venues. He was not writing at a time when Christians had began assembling in public buildings, much less were building meeting places of their own like the Jewish synagogues.
The dynamics of a large gathering such as a service of public worship held in a church’ sanctuary or worship center are different from those of smaller gatherings. Those present cannot offer each other encouragement, support, and reinforcement in the same ways that they might in a small gathering. The principal ways they offer encouragement, support, and reinforcement to each other is by their presence and their participation in one or more common activities—singing hymns and worship songs, and reciting an affirmation of faith, saying the congregational responses in a litany, and sharing the sacramental bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. These ways of offering encouragement, support, and reinforcement to each other are not the individualized ways that the participants in a small gathering can encourage, support, and reinforce each other.
The type of gatherings that the author of Hebrews appears to have in mind are closer to the class and band meetings which the early Methodists held and their modern-day equivalent, the covenant discipleship group meeting. According to Gayle Turner Watson who wrote Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups—
“Covenant discipleship groups consist of up to seven persons who meet together for one hour each week to hold themselves mutually accountable for their discipleship…. Covenant discipleship groups are intended solely for mutual accountability and prayerful support for living as disciples in the world. They are not where our discipleship happens but where we make sure it happens. By joining with other Christians in a weekly meeting, members of covenant discipleship groups learn to center their lives on Jesus Christ by following his teachings and supporting one another in living out the basics of Christian discipleship.”
Human beings are social beings. Christians in that sense are no different from other human beings. We are also social beings. Critical to our emotional and psychological, physical, and spiritual wellbeing is belonging to a group and having our membership in that group recognized ad affirmed. We do the latter in a number of ways. We acknowledge each other’s presence and at a deeper level each other’s existence with eye contact, body language, touch, and verbal communication. We convey our acceptance of each other as a part of the group in the same manner. Rejection, whether it is direct or indirect, is not only painful but also is harmful to our wellbeing.
While Jesus never used the terminology that psychologists, sociologists, and others who study human behavior use today, he appears to have been acutely aware of the dynamics affecting human relationships and this awareness accounts at least in part for a number of his teachings relating to our behavior toward each other and his emphasis upon loving others and one another, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, generosity, patience, and reconciliation.
The local church in its various gatherings, large and small, inperson and digital, is in a number of ways like a classroom in which we learn through our interactions with our fellow Christians how to relate to those outside the fellowship of that local church. We take what we learn from interactions with fellow Christians and apply it to our daily lives. When we look at meeting together, inperson or digitally, from this perspective, it is clearly essential to our walk with Christ.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Gillard’s “The Servant Song.”
Brother, sister, let me serve you
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
we’re companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
when you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.
Brother, sister, let me serve you
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
PRAYING FOR GOD’S WORLD
Concerns and Prayers
A short pause for silent prayer may be made after each response. The bidding in brackets [ ] may be omitted.
Let us implore the all-holy and ever-blessed Trinity to show mercy and grace to us and to all people.
O God the Father, have mercy upon us:
O God the Father, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, have mercy upon us:
O God the Son, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us:
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Stretch out your hand upon us, O Lord, and save us; raise us up and defend us.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace of the whole world, and for the welfare and unity of the Church of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the conversion of those who do not yet believe or have fallen into error.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for our country, for this place [or city], for this district, and for all that live in it.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all Christian people throughout the world.
Lord, have mercy.
[Let us pray for all Christian princes and governors, especially our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.]
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all in authority in this land, especially those in this county [or city or place].
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who minister in Christ's Church, especially for N. our pastor.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are traveling by land, sea, or air.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for steadfastness in the faith for our brothers and sisters in other lands.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are sick or suffering, in mind, body, or state of life.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for quiet, peaceful lives, free from temptation and sin, and for a joyful reunion with all our loved ones in heaven at life’s end.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray that we may faithfully represent Christ in the world and to the world.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the faithful departed.
Lord, have mercy.
(Other biddings may be added here.)
Lord, you have given us grace to agree in these prayers, and you have promised that when two or three ask together i your name you will grant their requests. Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us. Grant us in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
GOING OUT TO SERVE
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Janet Vogt’s “We Are Yours, O Lord.”
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
Human beings are social beings. Christians in that sense are no different from other human beings. We are also social beings. Critical to our emotional and psychological, physical, and spiritual wellbeing is belonging to a group and having our membership in that group recognized ad affirmed. We do the latter in a number of ways. We acknowledge each other’s presence and at a deeper level each other’s existence with eye contact, body language, touch, and verbal communication. We convey our acceptance of each other as a part of the group in the same manner. Rejection, whether it is direct or indirect, is not only painful but also is harmful to our wellbeing.
While Jesus never used the terminology that psychologists, sociologists, and others who study human behavior use today, he appears to have been acutely aware of the dynamics affecting human relationships and this awareness accounts at least in part for a number of his teachings relating to our behavior toward each other and his emphasis upon loving others and one another, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, generosity, patience, and reconciliation.
The local church in its various gatherings, large and small, inperson and digital, is in a number of ways like a classroom in which we learn through our interactions with our fellow Christians how to relate to those outside the fellowship of that local church. We take what we learn from interactions with fellow Christians and apply it to our daily lives. When we look at meeting together, inperson or digitally, from this perspective, it is clearly essential to our walk with Christ.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Gillard’s “The Servant Song.”
Brother, sister, let me serve you
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
we’re companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
when you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.
Brother, sister, let me serve you
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
PRAYING FOR GOD’S WORLD
Concerns and Prayers
A short pause for silent prayer may be made after each response. The bidding in brackets [ ] may be omitted.
Let us implore the all-holy and ever-blessed Trinity to show mercy and grace to us and to all people.
O God the Father, have mercy upon us:
O God the Father, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, have mercy upon us:
O God the Son, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us:
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Stretch out your hand upon us, O Lord, and save us; raise us up and defend us.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace of the whole world, and for the welfare and unity of the Church of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the conversion of those who do not yet believe or have fallen into error.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for our country, for this place [or city], for this district, and for all that live in it.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all Christian people throughout the world.
Lord, have mercy.
[Let us pray for all Christian princes and governors, especially our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.]
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all in authority in this land, especially those in this county [or city or place].
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who minister in Christ's Church, especially for N. our pastor.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are traveling by land, sea, or air.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for steadfastness in the faith for our brothers and sisters in other lands.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are sick or suffering, in mind, body, or state of life.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for quiet, peaceful lives, free from temptation and sin, and for a joyful reunion with all our loved ones in heaven at life’s end.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray that we may faithfully represent Christ in the world and to the world.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the faithful departed.
Lord, have mercy.
(Other biddings may be added here.)
Lord, you have given us grace to agree in these prayers, and you have promised that when two or three ask together i your name you will grant their requests. Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us. Grant us in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
GOING OUT TO SERVE
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Janet Vogt’s “We Are Yours, O Lord.”
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
1 We are in this world, but not of this world.
We forget we are called by Christ.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
2 Help us to be kind to those in our lives
and to everyone we meet.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
3 Teach us in your ways for all our days.
Let us hear your unspoken voice.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
4 Live within us, Lord, so we might be
your light for all to see.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
5 Ever may we praise your holiest name
for all you have given us.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord,
we are yours, O Lord.
1 We are in this world, but not of this world.
We forget we are called by Christ.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
2 Help us to be kind to those in our lives
and to everyone we meet.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
3 Teach us in your ways for all our days.
Let us hear your unspoken voice.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
4 Live within us, Lord, so we might be
your light for all to see.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord.
5 Ever may we praise your holiest name
for all you have given us.
Help us to remember who and what we are:
we are yours, O Lord,
we are yours, O Lord.
Benediction:
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
Benediction:
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
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