Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, November 3, 2024)
On this Sunday a number of churches will be celebrating the Feast of All Hallows, also known as the Feast of All Saints or Hallowmas. While All Hallows’ Day falls on November 1, its feast may be celebrated on the nearest Sunday, which is November 3. All Hallows Murray takes its name from this feast, and is dedicated to all who faithfully served God in their generation.
The topic of this Sunday’s message is the most important commandments identified by Jesus.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Our help comes from the Lord
who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 2
Let us worship God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Andy Clark’s “We Lift Our Voices” (For the Lord is Good).
Verse 1
We lift our voices to the Lord most high,
with joyful singing we will glorify
the great creator, the author of all life.
We are his people and he is our God,
he always guides us in his ways with love:
let joyful praises come fill this place, in song.
Chorus 1
For the Lord is good!
We shout for joy because
the Lord is good!
He rules the earth with everlasting love:
how good is our God!
Verse 2
Enter His presence with a thankful heart,
enter his courts and let the praises start,
give God the glory, for he deserves it all.
All of creation lives to worship God,
we were created as an act of love:
let adoration flow from this place, in song.
Chorus 2
For the Lord is good!
We shout for joy because
the Lord is good!
He rules the earth with everlasting love:
how good is our God!
For the Lord is good!
We shout for joy because
the Lord is good!
He rules the earth with everlasting love:
how good is our God!
Bridge
Faithful God, never ending goodness,
ever flowing kindness.
You are faithful, God, you are good.
Faithful God, never ending goodness,
ever flowing kindness.
You are faithful, God, you are good.
Chorus 3
For the Lord is good!
We shout for joy because
the Lord is good!
He rules the earth with everlasting love:
how good is our God!
For the Lord is good!
We shout for joy because
the Lord is good!
He rules the earth with everlasting love:
how good is our God!
Outro
How good is our God!
How good is our God!
How good is our God!
How good is our God!
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,
and will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
Let us confess our sins to God our Father.
Silence
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Xander Stok’s “You Alone Are Holy” (Revelation 15).
Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations,
of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy
you alone are holy,
you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.
Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations,
of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy
you alone are holy,
you alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Who will not fear you, Lord?
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Who will not fear you, Lord?
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Aaaahh….
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Almighty and eternal God,
you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints:
Grant to us the same faith and power of love,
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs,
we may be sustained by their example and fellowship;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6: 1-9
“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jason Silver’s “All Your Commandments” (Psalm 119:1-8)
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep His precepts,
Who seek Him with their own heart.
Who also do no wrong,
But walk within His ways.
You have commanded all of your statues,
That they be kept diligently
Oh that my ways may be made steadfast
In keeping all your decrees.
Then I shall not be shamed
Having my eyes fixed on
All Your commandments,
All Your commandments,
All Your commandments!
I will sing with an upright heart
I'll learn your righteous ways
I will observe your statutes, Father,
Don't utterly forsake me.
A reading from the New Testament: Mark 12: 28-34
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord/
Thanks be to God
Open this link in a new tab to hear Bernadette Farrell’s paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blest Be the Lord, the God of Israel.”
1 Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
who raises up a mighty Saviour from the earth,
of David's line, a son of royal birth.
2 The prophets tell a story just begun
of vanquished foe and glorious vict'ry won,
of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God's faithful love and mercy will abide.
3 This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
all shall be free to dwell upon the land,
free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor's rod,
holy and righteous in the sight of God.
4 And you, my child, this day you shall be called
the promised one, the prophet of our God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
and shepherd all into the light of day.
5 The tender love God promised from our birth
is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
to shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
6 All glory be to God, Creator blest,
to Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
and to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
all glory be, both now and ever more.
One of the challenges facing Christianity in the United States in this century is the disapproval of the commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself and Jesus’ other love commandments as “woke” in some quarters of the American Church. In this segment of the population the lines between politics and religion have become blurred and politics, informed by cultural prejudices and driven by animosity and fear, has come to dominate attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior. What Jesus identifies in this Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of Mark as the two most important commandments, however, are a necessary and important part of his teaching. Someone who claims to be a Christian but does not recognize the necessity and importance of this part of Jesus’ teaching and do not put it into practice, does not fully understand what it means to follow Jesus.
Following Jesus involves framing and fashioning one’s life according to the teaching and example of Jesus. We give up our own way, turn our backs on worldly pursuits—the pursuit of pleasure, the pursuit of position, the pursuit of possessions, the pursuit of power, the pursuit of prestige, the pursuit of prominence—and follow Jesus’ leadership and guidance. We do what God said through the prophet Micah.
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
We embrace a whole new way of life with Jesus, not ourselves, at its center.
Embracing this new way of life matters because it shows that we indeed believe in Jesus. It goes far beyond attending a church on a Sunday, reciting the words of a familiar liturgy, singing hymns and worship songs, listening to a sermon, receiving communion, chatting with friends and acquaintances over coffee. We surrender all areas of our lives to Jesus. We accept his lordship over our lives not begrudgingly but enthusiastically. When we call Jesus “Lord,” we mean it. We are not just paying lip service to a concept.
Believing in Jesus means that we accept what he said as trustworthy and true and act on it. Indeed, we internalize it, make it a part of ourselves, our character, the way we live. We treat other people as we ourselves would wish to be treated—with forgiveness, kindness, and respect. We make allowances for them and give them the benefit of the doubt. We show love to those who don’t like us and who may want to harm us. We do good to them, we pray for them, we bless them when they curse us. We see the neighbor whom we have been commanded to love as we love ourselves in everyone, not just in the people like ourselves. What we don’t do is make false accusations against them, slander them, and threaten them. This may not be the way the world would have us treat other people but when we hear Jesus’s call to follow him and respond to that call, while we may be still IN the world, we are no long OF the world.
In this Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of Mark Jesus affirms that obeying the two commandments that he identifies as the most important commandments is more important than the offering of all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices prescribed in the Mosaic Code, the code of laws that Moses was given by God. We may miss the importance of what he is saying. These burnt offerings and sacrifices played an important part in the worship of the Temple at Jerusalem and the Judaism of the time. Jesus, however, is saying our relationship with God and our relationship with other people is far more important.
Jesus expresses a similar view in the Sermon on the Mount.
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God." Matthew 5: 23-24
Jesus puts reconciliation before performance of a religious duty.
In putting into juxtaposition these two commandments, Jesus is also drawing attention to the connection between loving God and loving people. The apostle John recognizes this connection in his first letter.
"If someone says, 'I love God,' but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers." 1 John 4: 20-21
If we do not love people whom we can see, how can we say that we love God who we cannot see? We are not being truthful with ourselves or others.
If we are going live a life of love, following Jesus’ example, loving God and loving people, we need to examine ourselves for attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior that keep us from living such a life. To this end we may wish to join an accountability group like a Covenant Discipleship Group or turn to an anamchara, a wise soul friend, for spiritual counsel. Once we have identified these barriers, we need to repent of them and then shed them as a part of our old self, replacing them with new attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior that embody what Jesus taught and represented. This is what the apostle Paul means when he speaks about putting on the new self.
While making these changes may not always be easy and may take time, God freed us to make them when we believed and will provide us with the grace that we need. As Paul wrote the Philippians, God is working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13).
As we make these changes, we testify by our words and actions that God is indeed with us, indwelling us with his presence and his power. We give proof of God’s enabling grace and become wholesome examples and patterns for those around us.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Justice Snoke’s metrical version of the Apostles Creed, “I Believe in God the Father.”
1 I believe in God the Father,
maker of all heav’n and earth.
And in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
God’s own Son of matchless worth;
By the Spirit was conceived,
of the virgin, Mary born,
He in whom I have believed,
God almighty, three in one.
2 Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
crucified for me he died.
Laid within the grave so silent,
gates of hell he opened wide;
For the stone-sealed tomb was empty;
on the third day he arose;
Into heaven made his entry,
mighty conquer’r of his foes.
3 At God’s right hand he is seated,
till his coming as he said;
Final judgment will be meted
to the living and the dead;
I confess the Holy Spirit,
who was sent through Christ the Son
To apply salvation’s merit:
God the Spirit Three in One.
4 I believe the church of Jesus,
universal e’er remains;
We are one through all the ages
In communion of the saints.
I believe sins are forgiven,
that our bodies will be raised
To eternal life in glory,
ever let his name be praised.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this annual conference (or diocese or synod) …
bless .... our bishop, ... our pastor, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [Canada Charles our King and all in authority]
[USA our President, .... .... and all in authority].
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray:
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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Matt Osgood’s “Send Us Out.”
Verse 1
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
to shine your light in the way we live.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
as we’ve received, may we freely give.
Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Verse 2
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to show your love everywhere we go.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
Lord, fill us up so we overflow.
Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Bridge
We're laying down our lives,
a living sacrifice,
we're living for your glory and your praise.
We’re taking up our cross,
we’ve counted up the cost,
we're living for your glory and your praise.
Final Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
send us out for your glory
send us out for your glory
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Holy and everliving God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service,
and live each day in love to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Those present may extend their palms toward each other in a gesture of blessing.
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Those present may exchange a gesture of peace with these or similar words:
Peace be with you.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jason Silver’s “All Your Commandments” (Psalm 119:1-8)
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep His precepts,
Who seek Him with their own heart.
Who also do no wrong,
But walk within His ways.
You have commanded all of your statues,
That they be kept diligently
Oh that my ways may be made steadfast
In keeping all your decrees.
Then I shall not be shamed
Having my eyes fixed on
All Your commandments,
All Your commandments,
All Your commandments!
I will sing with an upright heart
I'll learn your righteous ways
I will observe your statutes, Father,
Don't utterly forsake me.
A reading from the New Testament: Mark 12: 28-34
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord/
Thanks be to God
Open this link in a new tab to hear Bernadette Farrell’s paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blest Be the Lord, the God of Israel.”
1 Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
who raises up a mighty Saviour from the earth,
of David's line, a son of royal birth.
2 The prophets tell a story just begun
of vanquished foe and glorious vict'ry won,
of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God's faithful love and mercy will abide.
3 This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
all shall be free to dwell upon the land,
free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor's rod,
holy and righteous in the sight of God.
4 And you, my child, this day you shall be called
the promised one, the prophet of our God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
and shepherd all into the light of day.
5 The tender love God promised from our birth
is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
to shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
6 All glory be to God, Creator blest,
to Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
and to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
all glory be, both now and ever more.
The Most Important Commandments
One of the challenges facing Christianity in the United States in this century is the disapproval of the commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself and Jesus’ other love commandments as “woke” in some quarters of the American Church. In this segment of the population the lines between politics and religion have become blurred and politics, informed by cultural prejudices and driven by animosity and fear, has come to dominate attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior. What Jesus identifies in this Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of Mark as the two most important commandments, however, are a necessary and important part of his teaching. Someone who claims to be a Christian but does not recognize the necessity and importance of this part of Jesus’ teaching and do not put it into practice, does not fully understand what it means to follow Jesus.
Following Jesus involves framing and fashioning one’s life according to the teaching and example of Jesus. We give up our own way, turn our backs on worldly pursuits—the pursuit of pleasure, the pursuit of position, the pursuit of possessions, the pursuit of power, the pursuit of prestige, the pursuit of prominence—and follow Jesus’ leadership and guidance. We do what God said through the prophet Micah.
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
We embrace a whole new way of life with Jesus, not ourselves, at its center.
Embracing this new way of life matters because it shows that we indeed believe in Jesus. It goes far beyond attending a church on a Sunday, reciting the words of a familiar liturgy, singing hymns and worship songs, listening to a sermon, receiving communion, chatting with friends and acquaintances over coffee. We surrender all areas of our lives to Jesus. We accept his lordship over our lives not begrudgingly but enthusiastically. When we call Jesus “Lord,” we mean it. We are not just paying lip service to a concept.
Believing in Jesus means that we accept what he said as trustworthy and true and act on it. Indeed, we internalize it, make it a part of ourselves, our character, the way we live. We treat other people as we ourselves would wish to be treated—with forgiveness, kindness, and respect. We make allowances for them and give them the benefit of the doubt. We show love to those who don’t like us and who may want to harm us. We do good to them, we pray for them, we bless them when they curse us. We see the neighbor whom we have been commanded to love as we love ourselves in everyone, not just in the people like ourselves. What we don’t do is make false accusations against them, slander them, and threaten them. This may not be the way the world would have us treat other people but when we hear Jesus’s call to follow him and respond to that call, while we may be still IN the world, we are no long OF the world.
In this Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of Mark Jesus affirms that obeying the two commandments that he identifies as the most important commandments is more important than the offering of all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices prescribed in the Mosaic Code, the code of laws that Moses was given by God. We may miss the importance of what he is saying. These burnt offerings and sacrifices played an important part in the worship of the Temple at Jerusalem and the Judaism of the time. Jesus, however, is saying our relationship with God and our relationship with other people is far more important.
Jesus expresses a similar view in the Sermon on the Mount.
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God." Matthew 5: 23-24
Jesus puts reconciliation before performance of a religious duty.
In putting into juxtaposition these two commandments, Jesus is also drawing attention to the connection between loving God and loving people. The apostle John recognizes this connection in his first letter.
"If someone says, 'I love God,' but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers." 1 John 4: 20-21
If we do not love people whom we can see, how can we say that we love God who we cannot see? We are not being truthful with ourselves or others.
If we are going live a life of love, following Jesus’ example, loving God and loving people, we need to examine ourselves for attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior that keep us from living such a life. To this end we may wish to join an accountability group like a Covenant Discipleship Group or turn to an anamchara, a wise soul friend, for spiritual counsel. Once we have identified these barriers, we need to repent of them and then shed them as a part of our old self, replacing them with new attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior that embody what Jesus taught and represented. This is what the apostle Paul means when he speaks about putting on the new self.
While making these changes may not always be easy and may take time, God freed us to make them when we believed and will provide us with the grace that we need. As Paul wrote the Philippians, God is working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13).
As we make these changes, we testify by our words and actions that God is indeed with us, indwelling us with his presence and his power. We give proof of God’s enabling grace and become wholesome examples and patterns for those around us.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Justice Snoke’s metrical version of the Apostles Creed, “I Believe in God the Father.”
1 I believe in God the Father,
maker of all heav’n and earth.
And in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
God’s own Son of matchless worth;
By the Spirit was conceived,
of the virgin, Mary born,
He in whom I have believed,
God almighty, three in one.
2 Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
crucified for me he died.
Laid within the grave so silent,
gates of hell he opened wide;
For the stone-sealed tomb was empty;
on the third day he arose;
Into heaven made his entry,
mighty conquer’r of his foes.
3 At God’s right hand he is seated,
till his coming as he said;
Final judgment will be meted
to the living and the dead;
I confess the Holy Spirit,
who was sent through Christ the Son
To apply salvation’s merit:
God the Spirit Three in One.
4 I believe the church of Jesus,
universal e’er remains;
We are one through all the ages
In communion of the saints.
I believe sins are forgiven,
that our bodies will be raised
To eternal life in glory,
ever let his name be praised.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this annual conference (or diocese or synod) …
bless .... our bishop, ... our pastor, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [Canada Charles our King and all in authority]
[USA our President, .... .... and all in authority].
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray:
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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Matt Osgood’s “Send Us Out.”
Verse 1
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
to shine your light in the way we live.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
as we’ve received, may we freely give.
Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Verse 2
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to show your love everywhere we go.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit,
Lord, fill us up so we overflow.
Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Bridge
We're laying down our lives,
a living sacrifice,
we're living for your glory and your praise.
We’re taking up our cross,
we’ve counted up the cost,
we're living for your glory and your praise.
Final Chorus
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
Send us out,
send us out,
send us out for your glory.
Let all we do
be praise to you;
send us out for your glory
send us out for your glory
send us out for your glory
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Holy and everliving God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service,
and live each day in love to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Those present may extend their palms toward each other in a gesture of blessing.
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Those present may exchange a gesture of peace with these or similar words:
Peace be with you.
Comments
Post a Comment