For those unable to make Church services today- please be blessed by the prayer and Bible reading service below. This Sunday marks the fourth Sunday in Lent- which is the 40 days that proceed Easter. We use this time to prepare our hearts for the death and resurrection of Christ- and the redemption that brings to all who believe in Him. We pray the service is a blessing unto you. 30 March The Fourth Sunday in Lent Opening Sentence If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9 Confession Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. 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 Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. Invitatory Psalm Come let us sing to the Lord;* let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving* and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God,* and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth,* and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it,* and his hands have molded the dry land. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,* and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.* Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. Psalms Psalm 66 1Be joyful in God, all you lands; * sing the glory of his Name; sing the glory of his praise. 2Say to God, How awesome are your deeds! * because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you. 3All the earth bows down before you, * sings to you, sings out your Name. 4Come now and see the works of God, * how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people. 5He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot, * and there we rejoiced in him. 6In his might he rules for ever; his eyes keep watch over the nations; * let no rebel rise up against him. 7Bless our God, you peoples; * make the voice of his praise to be heard; 8Who holds our souls in life, * and will not allow our feet to slip. 9For you, O God, have proved us; * you have tried us just as silver is tried. 10You brought us into the snare; * you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. 11You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; * but you brought us out into a place of refreshment. 12I will enter your house with burnt-offerings and will pay you my vows, * which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble. 13I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams; * I will give you oxen and goats. 14Come and listen, all you who fear God, * and I will tell you what he has done for me. 15I called out to him with my mouth, * and his praise was on my tongue. 16If I had found evil in my heart, * the Lord would not have heard me; 17But in truth God has heard me; * he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 18Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, * nor withheld his love from me. Psalm 67 1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, * show us the light of his countenance and come to us. 2 Let your ways be known upon earth, * your saving health among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; * let all the peoples praise you. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, * for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth. 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; * let all the peoples praise you. 6 The earth has brought forth her increase; * may God, our own God, give us his blessing. 7 May God give us his blessing, * and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him. Gloria Patri 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. Amen. Reading Genesis 48:8-22 8 When Israel saw Josephs sons, he said, Who are these? 9 Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me here. And he said, Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, I did not expect to see your face; and here God has let me see your children also. 12 Then Joseph removed them from his fathers knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israels left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israels right, and brought them near him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys; and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude on the earth. 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took his fathers hand, to remove it from Ephraims head to Manassehs head. 18 Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head. 19 But his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations. 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, By you Israel will invoke blessings, saying, God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh. So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your ancestors. 22 I now give to you one portion more than to your brothers, the portion that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Canticle 14 A Song of Penitence Kyrie Pantokrator Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15 O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all their righteous offspring: You made the heavens and the earth, * with all their vast array. All things quake with fear at your presence; * they tremble because of your power. But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * it surpasses all that our minds can fathom. O Lord, you are full of compassion, * long-suffering, and abounding in mercy. You hold back your hand; * you do not punish as we deserve. In your great goodness, Lord, you have promised forgiveness to sinners,* that they may repent of their sin and be saved. And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, * and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, * and I know my wickedness only too well. Therefore I make this prayer to you: * Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. Do not let me perish in my sin, * nor condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * and in me you will show forth your goodness. Unworthy as I am, you will save me, in accordance with your great mercy, * and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life. For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen. Reading Romans 8:11-25 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father! 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christif, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Canticle 16 The Song of Zechariah Luke 1:68-79 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;* he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty savior,* born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies,* from the hands of all who hate us. he promised to show mercy to our fathers* and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,* to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear,* holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,* for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation* by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God* the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,* and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Reading of the Holy Gospel John 6:27-40 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal. 28 Then they said to him, What must we do to perform the works of God? 29 Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. 30 So they said to him, What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said to them, Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. 34 They said to him, Sir, give us this bread always. 35 Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; 38 for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The Lords Prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen. Suffrages Show us your mercy, O Lord; And grant us your salvation. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; Let your people sing with joy. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care; And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. Collect of the Day: Fourth Sunday in Lent Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. For Mission Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. World Cycle of Prayer We pray for the people of Japan. Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer We pray for our sisters and brothers members of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Prayers and Intercessions Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others. Birthdays Anniversaries For Recovery from Sickness For Travelers For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement For Those to be Baptized For the Departed Full list of prayers A Collect for Sundays O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. For the Church Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen. For Church Musicians and Artists O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Families Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who places solitary persons in families: We commend to your continual care the homes in which your people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech you, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, and godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in marriage, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer of Self-Dedication Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. General Thanksgiving Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. 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 his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, 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. Benediction Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God. May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 15:32:58 +0000
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