April 11, 2014 (George Augustus Selwyn)

[The people say the parts indicated in bold purple type.]

Opening Sentence

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord our God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.   (Joel 2:13)

Confessional Prayer (From the New Zealand Prayer Book)

Leader: Let us pray:

God, you call us to see and hear and understand,

To open our eyes and ears and hearts,

Forgive us for our false pride and complacency,

For our unthinking habits that lead us to take more than we give.

People: Have mercy upon us.

 Leader: Forgive us for staying too much in our comfort zones, for our reluctance to accept new ways.

People: Have mercy upon us.

 Leader: Forgive us for our complaining, for growing bitter and sorry for ourselves; for becoming hardened and indifferent to the pain of others.

People: Have mercy upon us.

Leader: God, make us aware, make us repentant. We turn to you.  Heal us of our blindness, and make us whole.

People: Amen. (moment of silence)

Together:  Almighty God, have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Versicle and Response

Leader: Gracious God, open our lips.

People: And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory be to the Creator, and to the Redeemer, and to the Sanctifier, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Invitatory

Leader: Great is God and worthy of all praise.

People: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor, power and might, be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.

Venite (Psalm 95: 1-7)

Come let us sing to our God;

Let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving

And raise a loud shout to God with psalms.

For our God is a great God,

And merciful above all gods.

In Your hand are the caverns of the earth,

And the heights of the hills are Yours also.

The sea is Yours, for You made it,

And Your hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,

And kneel before our Maker.

For You are our God,

And we are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand.

Oh, that today we would hearken to Your voice!

Leader: Great is God and worthy of all praise.

People: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor, power and might, be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.

Psalm of the Day

Psalm is read as indicated by leader:

Psalm 28:7-9

⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
   and with my song I give thanks to him. 

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people;
   he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 
⁹ O save your people, and bless your heritage;
   be their shepherd, and carry them for ever.

Glory be to the Creator, and to the Redeemer, and to the Sanctifier, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Old Testament Lesson

A reading from Genesis (12:1-4)

Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ²I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to this church.  Thanks be to God.

Canticle 13 (Song of the Three Young Men)

Glory to You, God of our mothers and fathers;

You are worthy of praise; glory to You.

Glory to You for the radiance of Your holy Name;

We will praise You and highly exalt You for ever.

Glory to You in the splendor of Your temple;

On the throne of Your majesty, glory to You.

Glory to You, seated between the Cherubim;

We will praise You and highly exalt You for ever.

Glory to You, beholding the depths;

In the high vault of heaven, glory to You.

Glory be to the Creator, and to the Redeemer, and to the Sanctifier, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

New Testament Lesson

A reading from Paul's letter to the Ephesians (2:11-18)

11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ¹⁷So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 

Hear what the Spirit is saying to this church.  Thanks be to God.

Canticle 19 (The Song of the Redeemed)

O lover of the universe, Holy God,

Great deeds are they that You have done,

Surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth,

O lover of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, God,

And sing the praises of Your Name?

For You only are the Holy One.

All nations will draw near and fall down before You,

Because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Glory be to the Creator, and to the Redeemer, and to the Sanctifier, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Gospel Reading (or Third Lesson)

A reading from the gospel according to St. Matthew (10:7-16)

⁷As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” ⁸Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. ⁹Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. ¹¹Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹²As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.

16 ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to this church.  Thanks be to God.

Homily/brief reflection

Prayer of Affirmation of Faith

We are not alone: we live in God’s world. We believe in God, who has created and is creating and who has come in Jesus to reconcile and to make all things new.  We trust in God who calls us to be the church, to love and to serve others, to seek justice and to resist evil and to proclaim the wisdom of your Beloved, our teacher, Jesus.  In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone.  Thanks be to God.

The Prayers

Leader: Let us pray.

Our Father and Mother, 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.

Suffrages A

Leader:  Show us your mercy, O God;

People: And grant us your salvation.

Leader:  Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

People: Let your people sing with joy.

Leader:  Give peace, O God, in all the world;

People: For only in you can we live in safety.

Leader:  God, keep this nation under your care;

People: And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

Leader:  Let your way be known upon earth;

People: Your saving health among all nations.

Leader:  Let not the needy, O God, be forgotten;

People: Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Leader:  Create in us clean hearts, O God;

People: And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Collect of the Day (and other Collects as appropriate) said by leader

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant George Augustus Selwyn, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the peoples of New Zealand and Melanesia, and to lay a firm foundation for the growth of your Church in many nations. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.

Leader: God, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

People: That we all may be one.

Leader: Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;

People: That your Name may be glorified by all people.

Leader: We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

People: That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.

Leader: We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;

People: That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Leader: Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;

People: That our works may find favor in your sight.

Leader: Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble, especially… (add names of those for whom you would like to pray);

People: That they may be delivered from their distress.

Leader: Give to the departed eternal rest, especially… (add names of those whom you would like to remember today).

People: Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Leader: We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;

People: May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

Thanksgivings

Leader: Now let us give thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives!

People: We give You thanks, O God, that You are always present, in all things, each day and night.

We give You thanks for your gifts of creation, life, and friendship.

We give you thanks for the blessings of this day...

(People may add their own thanksgivings)

Leader: For all your blessings, we give thanks, O gracious God.

People: Thanks be to God

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in your Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O God, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Dismissal

Leader: Our worship has ended our service begins.  Let us go in peace. 

People: Thanks be to God.

Blessing

May God enfold us and surround us.  May God be in our thinking and our speaking.  God is our life – may God remain in our hearts and in our souls.  Amen.