Week Two
Sunday Morning
Greeting and Doxology
PSALM 118
My strength, my song is the Lord, who has become my Savior.
Give thanks, the Lord is good,
God’s love is for ever!
Now let Israel say,
“God’s love is for ever!”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“God’s love is for ever!”
Let all who revere the Lord say,
“God’s love is for ever!”
In distress I called to the Lord,
who answered and set me free.
The Lord is with me, I fear not.
What can they do to me?
The Lord my help is with me,
I can face my foes.
Better to trust in the Lord
than rely on human help.
Better to trust in the Lord
than rely on generous hearts.
The nations surrounded me;
in God’s name, I will crush them!
Surrounded me completely;
in God’s name, I will crush them!
Surrounded me like bees,
blazed in the brushwood fire;
in God’s name, I will crush them!
I was pushed to falling,
but the Lord gave me help.
My strength, my song is the Lord,
who has become my savior.
Glad songs of victory sound
within the tents of the just.
With right hand raised high,
the Lord strikes with force.
I shall not die but live
to tell the Lord’s great deeds.
The Lord punished me severely,
but did not let me die.
Open the gates of justice,
let me praise God within them.
This is the Lord’s own gate,
only the just will enter.
I thank you for you answered me,
and you became my savior.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the work of the Lord,
how wonderful in our eyes.
This I the day the Lord made,
let us rejoice and be glad.
Lord, give us the victory!
Lord, grant us success!
Blest is the one who comes,
who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the Lord’s house.
The Lord God is our light:
adorn the altar with branches.
I will thank you, my God,
I will praise you highly.
Give thanks, the Lord is good,
God’s love is for ever!
READING Ezekiel 36:25-27, 28b
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all you uncleannesses, and from all you idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. You shall be my people, and I will be your God.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Grant to me a new heart and a new spirit, that I may celebrate your love.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who shepherds the people and sets them free.
God raises from David’s house
a child with power to save.
Through the holy prophets
God promised in ages past
to save us from enemy hands,
from the grip of all who hate us.
The Lord favored our ancestors
recalling the sacred covenant,
the pledge to our ancestor Abraham,
to free us from our enemies,
so we might worship without fear
and be holy and just all our days.
And you child, will be called
Prophet of the Most High,
for you will come to prepare
a pathway for the Lord
by teaching the people salvation
through forgiveness of their sin.
Out of God’s deepest mercy
a dawn will come from on high,
light for those shadowed by death,
a guide for our feet on the way to peace.
INTERCESSIONS
Creator God, on the seventh day you rested, pausing to enjoy the wonderful works of your hand. Today we pause, cherishing this sabbath, and offering you the praise and desire of our hearts:
~ Creator God, hear our prayer!
For all with whom we work, minister or collaborate, that they may be renewed by your creative energy, we pray:
For all who struggle to understand and live the call to be good stewards of the planet Earth, we pray:
For all who labor for daily existence, especially those who are physically or emotionally burdened, we pray:
For all who do not experience the joy of God’s love, or the faithfulness of family and friends,
we pray;
For those searching for meaningful work, and for those who are unable to work because of injury, we pray:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER
God of love and compassion, your love is like the sun which banishes the darkness. Each day
the morning light reminds us of your faithfulness and mercy. This day let us join our hearts
with those of all our brothers and sisters in praising your goodness. You who are our saving
God, act once more to free your people from the slavery of injustice, oppression, poverty and prejudice. We ask this with confidence in your promises. Amen.
BLESSING
May God’s blessing be upon us. Amen
May God’s light lead us in the way of Righteousness. Amen.
May our lives be patterned on Christ Jesus. Amen.