Prelude Land Acknowledgement Welcome Gathering Hymn: 528 CP O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home: Under the shadow of thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is thine arm alone, And our defence is sure. Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received its frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same. A thousand ages in thy sight Are like an evening gone, Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. Time like an ever rolling stream Bears all our years away; They fly forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day. O God our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.
The Gathering
Sisters and brothers – Arise! Lift your hearts. Lift your eyes. Lift your voices.
The living God, the living, moving Spirit of God has called us together – in witness, in celebration, in struggle.
Reach out toward each other. Our God reaches out toward us! Let us worship God! Prayer of Approach (together) God of love, we are so very grateful that you love us unconditionally. Help us to love you, too, and to love our neighbours as well as ourselves. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Shema (Here O Israel)
The Collect
Lord God our redeemer, who heard the cry of your people and sent your servant Moses to lead them out of slavery, free us from the tyranny of sin and death, and by the leading of your Spirit bring us to our promised land; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
A Reading from the book of Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’ Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigour had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.
Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Listen for the leading of the Spirit Thanks be to God
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 Refrain: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge You turn us back to dust, and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands! In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge A Reading from the first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. Listen for the leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God Gradual Hymn: When I Needed a Neighbour
When I needed a neighbour, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there? I was cold, I was naked, were you there? And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there? When I needed a healer, were you there, were you there? When I needed a healer, were you there? And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there? Wherever you travel I’ll be there, I’ll be there, Wherever you travel I’ll be there. And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, I’ll be there.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew 22:34-46 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’ ”? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. The Gospel of Christ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ The Homily An Affirmation of Faith (From Celebrations along the way by Dorothy McRae-McMahon) Let us Celebrate our God We Celebrate our God, who is not afraid of our minds with all their questions, and all their doubting,
searching for the truth. We celebrate our God, who knows and loves our deepest hearts, whose compassion is always greater than ours so that the measure of kindness is always less than that of God. We celebrate our God who engages with our souls linking us with the mystery of the universe, the endless eternity, yet is as close to us in our tiny beings, as a parent with a child. Amen Intercessions and Thanksgivings Gracious God, you have taught us to fulfill all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Be gracious to your servants as we lift our voices to you, saying: That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Holy God, you have approved your Church and entrusted her with the message of the gospel: Help us witness to your grace by loving you with all our heart and soul and mind and by loving our neighbor as ourselves. That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Almighty God, guide our leaders and all in authority in the nations to act out of motivations of love and to shun all deceit or impure motives or trickery, that they may speak not to please mortals, but to please you, the Holy One who tests our hearts. That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Compassionate God, look upon the suffering and mistreatment of the human family and, like a nurse tenderly caring for her children, make known your gentleness among all people, that healing and peace may abound throughout all creation. That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Ever-present God, be with us in this community that we may share the good news with one another and live for the sake of your love. That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Loving God, hear our prayers for our neighbors and ourselves, remembering especially ___. Accept our gratefulness and praise as we speak our thanksgivings to you ___. Bring into your eternity those who have died. May they know you face to face. That we may obtain what you promise, may we love what you command. Be gracious to your servant and satisfy us by your loving kindness, O God, that your Spirit of love may be manifest in our lives and in our deeds, as we fulfill the great commandment of our Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen
The Peace
In recognition of the new beginning which God has freely given us, let us acknowledge with love to those around us and share with each other the peace of Christ saying, “Peace be with you.”
Offering Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver;
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Prayer over the Gifts
God of constant love, you have guided your people in all times and ages. May we who offer you our praise today always be ready to follow where you lead; we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Church of India Prayer C (page 201 Anglican Eucharistic Liturgies)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Truly it is right and good to glorify you at all times and in all places,
by offering you our thanksgiving O Lord, holy Parent.
You spoke and the light shattered darkness, order arose form confusion.
You breathed into the dust of the earth and we were formed in your image.
Through your Son, our Lord Jesus, you came to us while we wandered.
He met us as a refugee, a threatened child.
He called us by name to leave what is comfortable to be his disciples, friends and partners.
With his outstretched arms on the cross, and through his death he bore our sins and through his resurrection we are saved.
And through your Holy Spirit you brood over the chaos we create, mothering us and shaping a new creation.
You enlighten everyone coming into the world.
You inspired the prophets and apostles to find the right word at the right time.
You liberate, equip and commission your people for the continuance of your mission to make everything new.
Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we proclaim and sing your glory
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord
Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks to you, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Take, eat: this is my body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
In the same way after supper, he took the cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying:
“Drink this all of you: this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Lord, we commemorate your death on the cross,
We celebrate your resurrection,
And we await your coming.
Eternal God, let your Holy Spirit move in power over us and over these earthly gifts of bread and wine, that they may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ, and that we may become one in him. May his coming in glory find us ever watchful in prayer, strong in truth and love, and faithful in the breaking of the bread.
Then, at last, all peoples will be free, all divisions healed, and with your whole creation, we will sing your praise, through your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour are yours, almighty God, forever and ever. Amen
As our Saviour taught us we pray
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 and 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 forever. Amen.
The Sharing
When we break the bread, do we not share in the body of Christ?
We seek to share your life, Gracious God
When we lift the cup, so we not share in the life-blood of Christ?
We seek to share your life, gracious God
These are the gift of God for the people of God
Thanks be to God!
The Communion
Prayer after Communion
Merciful God of all creation
Holy parent of all people, who through our Lord Jesus Christ united all things in his fullness, we join your whole creation in exultant praise of your bountiful goodness. You have touched us with new life and filled us with new hope
that your reign will come,
that the hungry will be fed,
that the oppressed will be set free from evil,
that your reconciling work will be done,
that love and faithfulness will meet together,
that justice and peace will kiss each other
and the whole creation will be filled with your glory. Amen
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be yours God, now and forever. Amen
The Blessing
Announcements Sending Hymn: Until All Are Fed
How long will we sing?
How long will we pray?
How long will we write and send?
How long will we bring?
How long will we stay?
How long will we make amends?
Refrain:
Until all are fed we cry out.
Until all on earth have bread.
Like the One who loves us,
each and every one…
we serve until all are fed.
How long will we talk?
How long will we prod?
How must we fret and hoard?
How long will we walk to tear down this facade?
How long, how long, O Lord? Refrain
How can we stand by and fail to be aghast?
How long till we do what‘s right?
How could we stand by and choose a lesser fast?
How long till we see the light? Refrain
On the green, green grass they gathered long ago
to hear what the Master said.
What they had they shared – some fishes and some loaves.
They served until all were fed. Refrain
Dismissal Let us go from this place with eyes wide open, ready to welcome God’s people and respond to Christ’s call, willing to work for life made new. We go, to follow the way of Jesus and to serve a world in need.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Postlude