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Liturgy for the Anniversary of a Church
Prelude: 585 CP Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
Lord, who’s love in humble service bore the weight of human need, who upon the cross, forsaken, worked your mercy’s perfect deed; we your servants, bring the worship not of voice alone, but heart; consecrating to your purpose every gift which you impart. Still your children wander homeless; still the hungry cry for bread; still the captives long for freedom; still in grief we mourn our dead. As you, Lord, in deep compassion healed the sick and freed the soul, by your spirit send your power to our world to make it whole.
As we worship, grant us vision till your love’s revealing light in its height and depth and greatness dawns upon our quickened sight making known the needs and burdens your compassion bids us bear, stirring us to ardent service, your abundant life to share.
Acknowledgement
Welcome
Opening Hymn: 300 CP Christ is Made the Sure Foundation
Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious, binding all the church in one,
holy Zion’s help forever, and her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city, dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation pours perpetual melody,
God the One-in-Three adoring in glad hymns eternally.
To this temple, where we call thee, come, O Lord of hosts, today;
with thy wonted lovingkindness, hear thy servants as they pray;
and thy fullest benediction shed within its walls alway.
Here vouch-safe to all thy servants what they ask of thee to gain,
what they gain from thee forever with the blessed to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory evermore with thee to reign.
Laud and honour to the Father, laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit, ever three, and ever one,
one in might and one in glory, while unending ages run.
Gathering the Community
In the name of the Creator and of the Redeemer and of the Sanctifier. Amen
This is the name by which our God has been revealed to us.
This is the name God has given us in baptism.
In this name we have gathered these 102 years.
In this name we gather today to celebrate God’s gracious acts.
Anniversary Canticle
Church anniversaries ought to include not only a look back with
thanksgiving, but a look forward with commitment.
Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise the Lord! Give thanks to him!
God has blessed us and brought us to this time.
God has blessed us and brought us to this place.
God has caused his name to dwell in our midst.
God has stirred our hearts and made us glad.
God has shown us glory through the mighty word.
God has shown us the way of truth and life.
Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise the Lord! Give thanks to God!
For 102 years, God has nurtured and fed us.
For 102 years, God has shown us grace.
For 102 years, God has been present in Word and Sacrament.
For 102 years, God has empowered us with the Holy Spirit.
For 102 years, God has made us witnesses in the world.
For 102 years, God has placed us in loving fellowship with one another.
Praise the Lord for 102 years!
Praise the Lord for evermore! Oh, praise the name of the Lord!
Collect for St. Paul
Almighty God, by the preaching of your servant Paul you caused the light of the gospel to shine throughout the world. May we who celebrate his wonderful conversion follow him in bearing witness to your truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Collect for the Anniversary
Almighty God, watchful and caring, our source and our end, all that we are and all that we have are yours. Accept us now, as we give thanks to you for this place where we have come to praise your name, to ask your forgiveness, to know your healing power, to hear your word, and to be nourished by the body and blood of your Son. Be present always to guide and to judge, to illumine and to bless your people. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Font and Lectern
At the Font
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over water the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through water you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In water your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life. We thank you, Father, for the water of baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we celebrate our fellowship in him in faith. We pray that all who here pass through the water of baptism may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ
our Saviour. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
At the Lectern
Almighty God, your eternal Word speaks to us through the words of Holy Scripture. Here we have read of your mighty acts and purposes in history, and here we have learned about those whom you have chosen to be agents of your will. Inspired by the revelation of your Son, we seek your present purposes. Give us ears to hear and
hearts to obey. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Children’s Ministry Time: Patricia Steadman
Song: Alalalalalalalayluia
Alalalalalalalayluia
Alalalalalalalayluia
Alalalalalalalayluia
Alalalala layluia
Shake another hand of the one next to you
Shake another hand and sing a song
Shake another hand, shake the hand next to you
Shake another hand and sing, sing a song.
Give a loving smile to the one next to you
Give a loving smile and sing a song
Give a loving smile to the one next to you
Give a loving smile and sing, sing a song.
Scratch another back of the one next to you
Scratch another back and sing a song
Scratch another back, scratch the back next to you
Scratch another back and sing, sing a song.
Raise a hand in praise of the one next to you
Raise a hand in praise and sing a song
Raise a hand in praise, raise the hand next to you
Raise a hand in praise and sing, sing a song.
The Proclamation of the Word
A Reading from the first book of Kings (8:22-30)
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. He said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.
‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which you said, “My name shall be there”, that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays towards this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray towards this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling-place; heed and forgive.
The Word of the Lord R: Thanks be to God
Psalm 84 HOW LOVELY IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE
© 1995-2005 Stephen J. Pearson http://www.psalmistry.com
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord God, my King. My heart and flesh cry for Your grace; my soul faints with yearning.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, O God, and whose strength is in their Lord! They have set their hearts on the pilgrimage; set their path upon Your Word.
Even as the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow finds a nest — so my place is near my God and King: at Your altar will I rest.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, look upon my soul, and know that I am true. For You, my God, are my sun and shield: Blessed are those who trust in You!
A Reading from first letter of Peter (2:1-5,9-10)
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The Word of the Lord R: Thanks be to God
Gradual Hymn: 381 CP Praise My Soul
Praise my soul, the King of Heaven; to his feet your tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for his grace and favour to our forbears in distress.
praise him, still the same forever, slow to chide and swift to bless;
alleluia, alleluia, glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes:
alleluia, alleluia, widely as his mercy flows.
Frail as summer’s flower we flourish; blows the wind and it is gone;
but, while mortals rise and perish God endures unchanging on:
alleluia, alleluia praise the high eternal one.
Angels, help us to adore him; you behold him face to face;
Sun and moon bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia, praise with us the God of grace.
The Gospel
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (21:12-16)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself”?’
The Gospel of Christ. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer Before the Sermon
The following prayer is said at the pulpit before the sermon, while the congregation remains standing.
Almighty God, we have heard your words to us in Holy Scripture, and know your call to each of us. In every age you have spoken through the voices of prophets, pastors, and teachers. We give you thanks that over the years we have heard you speak to us through the preaching of your word in this place. Grant that those who preach in this place may proclaim the crucified and risen Christ and interpret your word with sensitivity and insight, that we may hear that word inwardly and respond to it in all our life. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, your living Word. Amen.
Homily
The Prayers of the People
The Lord God in his goodness has blessed us with 102 years of
mission and ministry as St. Paul’s Church. We are remembering people, and it is good that we remember that God has chosen us, baptized us, and brought us together as the Church of Christ in this place. As remembering people, we look back at all the saving acts of God: the Creation, the Flood, the Covenant, the Exodus, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Church.
We are a remembering people, but we are also a people of this day, brought together by God to be a holy fellowship of believers: the Body of Christ, sharing, caring, working in the world, and living in the hope of the world to come.
Our eyes look back with thanksgiving. Our eyes look forward in hope. Therefore, with thanksgiving for the past and hope for the future, let us dedicate ourselves and our lives to the mission which God gives us as the Church of Jesus Christ in this place.
Almighty God, we give you thanks for the work you have done at St. Paul`s. We give you thanks for your love and faithfulness. When we called on your name, you made your presence known to us. When we prayed, you heard us. When we preached your Word and administered your Sacraments, you were in our midst. You have
accepted our humble sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. You have listened to our confessions and forgiven
our sins. And you have sent your Holy Spirit to heal and comfort our hurts, our sorrows, our infirmities, and our
losses.
Continue to empower us with your Spirit, O Lord, that we might
proclaim your Gospel to all people.
We dedicate our lives to your service.
Help us to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ in all that we do and say
We dedicate our lives to your service.
Show us how we might give care and support to the needy, love and
mercy to the broken and forlorn.
We dedicate our lives to your service.
Show us new ways of loving one another and those around us.
We dedicate our lives to your service.
Break down those prejudices and barriers which divide us, and make us
all one in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Renew us by the Spirit, given at our baptisms, so that we might be
challenged to move beyond our ruts, our apathy, and our anxieties of
inadequacy.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Grant that we may continually grow in the Spirit and in the ministry that
you give us as members of your royal priesthood, the priesthood of all
believers, so that we may carry out our mission of service and love.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Continue to comfort, heal, and lift up the broken and afflicted among
us. By the promise of your presence, bring us your healing love.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Bring us at last to the joy of your eternal kingdom, where, with the
faithful of this church who have gone before us and with all your saints,
we may evermore praise your name.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Blessed Lord, draw our hearts to you, guide our minds, fill our
imaginations, control our wills and make us wholly yours. Use us as you
will, to the glory of your holy name and the welfare of your people;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Offertory Hymn: CP 384 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation; O my soul praise him, for he is thy health and salvation: all ye who hear, brothers and sisters draw near; praise him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth: hast thou not seen how thy entreaties have been granted in what he ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee: ponder anew what the Almighty can do, If with his love he befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord who when tempests their warfare are waging,
who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
Praise to the Lord, who when darkness of sin is abounding,
who when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
sheddeth his light, chaseth the horrors of night,
saints with his mercy surrounding.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him! All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him! Let the Amen sound from his people again: gladly for aye we adore him.
Prayer for the 100th Anniversary Plaque
Almighty God, we thank you that you have put it into the hearts of your people to make offerings for your service, and have been pleased to accept their gifts. Be with us now as we set apart this plaque to mark the 100 years of faithful ministry here at St. Paul. Bless us as we go forward to do your work with praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Prayer for the Stained Glass Window
O Lord God, the whole world is filled with the radiance of your glory; Accept our offering of this window which we now dedicate to you for the adornment of this place and the inspiration of your people. Grant that as the light shines through it in many colours, so our lives may show forth the beauty of your manifold gifts of grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Celebration of the Eucharist
Prayer over the Gifts
Almighty God, hear the prayers of your faithful people. Grant that all who celebrate this eucharist may please you by the offering of themselves and the fulfilling of your will. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
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.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; heaven itself cannot contain you and your glory fills all the world.
You accept our setting apart of places for your worship and in them pour out your gifts of grace upon your faithful people.
This table is a sign to us of the heavenly altar, where your saints and angels praise you. Here we have recalled the sacrifice of your Son; here we have been fed with the body and blood of your Son; here our sins have been forgiven; here we have tasted the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Grant that in these mysteries we may be united with one another and strengthened for service in your world. Therefore with angels and archangels and those who worship you in every age, we raise our voices in joyful praise to proclaim the glory of your name.
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.
We give thanks to you, Lord our God,
for the goodness and love
you have made known to us in creation;
in calling Israel to be your people;
in your Word spoken through the prophets;
and above all in the Word made flesh,
Jesus your Son.
For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from Mary,
to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.
In him, you have delivered us from evil,
and made us worthy to stand before you.
In him, you have brought us out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death,
a death he freely accepted,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread;
and when he had given thanks to you,
he broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
and said, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them,
and said, “Drink this, all of you:
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, Father, according to his command
we remember his death,
we await his coming in glory;
and we offer our sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all;
presenting to you, from your creation,
this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God,
to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,
that they may be the sacrament
of the body of Christ
and his blood of the new covenant.
Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice,
that we, made acceptable in him,
may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In the fullness of time,
reconcile all things in Christ,
and make them new,
and bring us to that city of light
where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation,
the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father,
now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
We, being many, are one body, for we all share in the one bread.
The Communion
Hymns during Communion:
505 CP Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art; thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word; I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; thou my great Father; thine own may I be, thou in me dwelling, and I one with Thee.
Riches I heed not, nor the world’s empty praise, thou mine Inheritance, now and always: thou and thou only, first in my heart, high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of Heaven, when victory is won, may I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
460 CP Shine Jesus Shine
Lord, the Light of Your Love is shining, In the midst of the darkness shining, Jesus, Light of the World, shine upon us, Set us free by the truth You now bring us, Shine on me. Shine on me. REFRAIN
Shine, Jesus shine,
Fill this land with the Father's glory.
Blaze, Spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy.
Send forth Your word,
Lord and let there be light.
Lord I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance.
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me. Shine on me. REFRAIN
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness. So our faces display Your likeness. Ever changing from glory to glory, Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story. Shine on me. Shine on me. REFRAIN
Prayer after Communion
Gracious God, you have given us this time of joy and have nourished us in heavenly things. Grant that we may show in our lives the love of Christ who is our God and Saviour. Amen
The Doxology
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn: 404 CP The Trumpets Sound, the Angels Sing
The trumpets sound, the angels sing,
the feast is ready to begin;
the gates of heaven are open wide
and Jesus welcomes you inside.
Refrain: Sing with thankfulness songs of pure delight,
come and revel in heaven's love and light;
take your place at the table of the King,
the feast is ready to begin, the feast is ready to begin
Tables are laden with good things; O taste the peace and joy he brings; he'll fill you up with love divine, he'll turn your water into wine. Refrain The hungry heart he satisfies, offers the poor his paradise; now hear all heaven and earth applaud the amazing goodness of the Lord. Refrain
The Blessing
The Dismissal
Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!!
Postlude: Canticle of the Turning
My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
and my spirit sing of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
so from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?
REFRAIN
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!
Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
and your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
you will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn. REFRAIN
From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
ev’ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
there are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn. REFRAIN
Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
‘til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around. REFRAIN