Antiphon (Music: https://tinyurl.com/ybgc5uyl)
To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God;
turn your ear to me; hear my words. Psalm 17:6
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may worthily
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia!
HYMN: John Byrom
Tune: Eccles https://tinyurl.com/yc4ud3dl
1 My spirit longs for thee
within my troubled breast,
though I unworthy be
of so divine a guest.
2 Of so divine a guest
unworthy though I be,
yet has my heart no rest
unless it come from thee.
3 Unless it come from thee,
in vain I look around;
in all that I can see
no rest is to be found.
4 No rest is to be found
but in thy blessed love:
O let my wish be crowned,
and send it from above!
PSALMS
Psalm 45 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybupe5te)
1 My heart is inditing of a good matter *
I speak of the things which I have made unto the King.
2 My tongue is the pen *
of a ready writer.
3 Thou art fairer than the children of men *
full of grace are thy lips, because God hath blessed thee for ever.
4 Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most Mighty *
according to thy worship and renown.
5 Good luck have thou with thine honour *
ride on, because of the word of truth, of meekness,
and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
6 Thy arrows are very sharp, and the people shall be subdued unto thee *
even in the midst among the King’s enemies.
7 Thy seat, O God, endureth for ever *
the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
8 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity *
wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
9 All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia *
out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
10 Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women *
upon thy right hand did stand the queen in a vesture of gold,
wrought about with divers colours.
11 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, incline thine ear *
forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house.
12 So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty *
for he is thy Lord God, and worship thou him.
13 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift *
like as the rich also among the people shall make their supplication before thee.
14 The King’s daughter is all glorious within *
her clothing is of wrought gold.
15 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work *
the virgins that be her fellows shall bear her company,
and shall be brought unto thee.
16 With joy and gladness shall they be brought *
and shall enter into the King’s palace.
17 Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children *
whom thou mayest make princes in all lands.
18 I will remember thy Name from one generation to another *
therefore shall the people give thanks unto thee, world without end.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 46 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7svqcl3)
1 God is our hope and strength *
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved *
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea.
3 Though the waters thereof rage and swell *
and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.
4 The rivers of the flood thereof shall make glad the city of God *
the holy place of the tabernacle of the most Highest.
5 God is in the midst of her, therefore shall she not be removed *
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen make much ado, and the kingdoms are moved *
but God hath shewed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 O come hither, and behold the works of the Lord *
what destruction he hath brought upon the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease in all the world *
he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder,
and burneth the chariots in the fire.
10 Be still then, and know that I am God *
I will be exalted among the heathen, and I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 47 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7qnhdoz)
1 Clap your hands together, all ye people *
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
2 For the Lord is high, and to be feared *
he is the great King upon all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people under us *
and the nations under our feet.
4 He shall choose out an heritage for us *
even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God is gone up with a merry noise *
and the Lord with the sound of the trump.
6 O sing praises, sing praises unto our God *
O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
7 For God is the King of all the earth *
sing ye praises with understanding.
8 God reigneth over the heathen *
God sitteth upon his holy seat.
9 The princes of the people are joined
unto the people of the God of Abraham *
for God, which is very high exalted,
doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
God our strength, you are the only refuge of all who trust you.
Fortify us with your goodness to live in quietness of spirit,
that we may serve you all our days;
through Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen. Book of Common Worship
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Isaiah 51:1-8
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
you that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation;
for a teaching will go out from me,
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
my salvation has gone out
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats;
but my salvation will be for ever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.
Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
you people who have my teaching in your hearts;
do not fear the reproach of others,
and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool;
but my deliverance will be for ever,
and my salvation to all generations.
HYMN: Sarah E. Taylor ©
Tune: Strength and Stay (https://tinyurl.com/yayv4kty)
1 O God of light, your Word, a lamp unfailing,
Shall pierce the darkness of our earthbound way
And show your grace, your plan for us unveiling,
And guide our footsteps to the perfect day.
2 From days of old, through blind and willful ages,
Though we rebelled, you gently sought again
And spoke through saints, apostles, prophets, sages,
Who wrote with eager or reluctant pen.
3 Undimmed by time, those words are still revealing
To sinful hearts your justice and your grace;
And questing spirits, longing for your healing,
See your compassion in the Savior’s face.
4 To all the world your summons you are sending,
Through all the earth, to ev’ry land and race,
That myriad tongues, in one great anthem blending,
May praise and celebrate your gift of grace.
Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honour, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be dependent on no one.
HYMN: Richard Baxter
Tune: St Hugh https://tinyurl.com/ya35c7tu
1 Lord, it belongs not to my care
whether I die or live:
to love and serve thee is my share,
and this thy grace must give.
2 Christ leads me through no darker rooms
than he went through before;
he that into God’s kingdom comes
must enter by this door.
3 Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet
thy blessed face to see;
for if thy work on earth be sweet,
what will thy glory be!
4 Then shall I end my sad complaints
and weary, sinful days,
and join with the triumphant saints
that sing my Saviour’s praise.
5 My knowledge of that life is small,
the eye of faith is dim;
but ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
and I shall be with him.
Reading: Matthew 8:5-17
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour.
When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’
CANTICLE Revelation 15:3-4
(Music, Naaman Wood: https://tinyurl.com/y8563jjy)
1. Your works oh God are marvelous,
Your ways are just and true.
Almighty is the LORD our God,
The King of every age.
REFRAIN:
For you alone, for you alone, for you alone, for you alone are holy.
2. When all the realms upon the earth
Behold your work complete,
Who will not fear and tremble, Lord
And glorify your name? REFRAIN
3. And every land will come to you
To worship you alone,
Because your acts of righteousness
Have been to all revealed. REFRAIN
THE PRAYERS (John van de Laar: https://tinyurl.com/ybx39oa4)
Though it may seem to us that evil spreads like a virus,
though it may feel naïve to resist it,
we choose to believe that your spirit’s fruit
can satisfy a world that hungers for healing.
And so:
Wherever hatred and suspicion divide people and fragment communities,
we will pass on love.
Wherever sorrow and cynicism leave the dark stain of despair,
we will pass on joy.
Wherever violence and abuse shatter lives and destroy the earth,
we will pass on peace.
Wherever expediency and the quest for quick fixes create confusion and need,
we will pass on patience.
Wherever heartlessness and selfishness cause loneliness and exclusion,
we will pass on kindness.
Wherever evil and darkness steal away hope and integrity,
we will pass on goodness.
Wherever aggression and coercion remove freedom and playfulness,
we will pass on gentleness.
Wherever self-interest and shallowness undermine relationships and stability,
we will pass on faithfulness.
Wherever lawlessness and carelessness generate chaos and fear,
we will pass on self-control.
Though it may take our best energy
and our most enduring commitment,
We pray for the courage and the faith to answer your call,
to resist whatever devils we may face,
and to pass on your abundant life.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)
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.]
Holy God, you gather the whole universe
into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as our Savior.
Bring healing to all wounds,
make whole all that is broken,
speak truth to all illusion,
and shed light in every darkness,
that all creation will see your glory and know your Christ. Amen. RCL Prayers
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
Oremus 