Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Leader: God of the cosmos, God of the commonplace,
All: Through your grace, we seek to do what is required of
Leader: God of the mundane, God of the mystery,
All: Through your grace, we seek to do justice.
Leader: God-in-the-midst, God on the margins,
All: Through your grace, we seek to be kind.
Leader: God of power & plenty, God of the dispossessed,
All: Through your grace, we seek to walk humbly in your way.
Please join in the hymn
You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst,
You shall wander far in safety, though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words to foreign men & they will understand.
You shall see the face of God & live.
Refrain: Be not afraid, I go before you always. Come follow me, & I will give you rest.
If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the power of hell & death is at your side,
Know that I am with you through it all.
Refrain:
Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs,
Blessed are you that weep & mourn for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked folk insult & hate you all because of me,
Blessed, blessed are you!
Refrain:
Please say this antiphon & psalm as indicated
All: The Lord surrounds his people.
Side 1: What if God had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us alive in their furious anger against us.
Side 2: Then the flood would have carried us away, the water
would have covered us, the raging torrent would have drowned us.
Side 1: Let us thank God, who has not let our enemies destroy
We have escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap; the trap is broken, and we are free!
All: Our help comes from God, who made heaven and earth.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
All: The Lord surrounds his people.
Please join in with, or listen to, refrain of the next psalm.
(Fountain of Life – Track 10)
O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor haughty my eyes. I have not gone after things too great, nor marvels beyond me.
Truly I have set my soul in silence & peace; at rest, as a child in its mother’s arms, so is my soul.
Reading (Daniel 3.) followed by a time of silence.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king, ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in order to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king’s command was harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counsellors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” He responded, “Look! I see four men untied & walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then they came out of the middle of the fire. The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counsellors gathered together & saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor had even the smell of fire touched them.
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of these men who has sent his angel and rescued his servants who put their trust in him, & would not serve or worship any god except their own God.
The three men prayed: ‘’And now with all our heart we follow you; we fear you and seek your presence. Do not put us to shame, but treat us gently as you yourself are gentle & full of abundant mercy. You have delivered us in accordance with your marvellous works, & brought glory to your name, O Lord. You alone are the Lord God, glorious over the whole world.”
Please sing the Magnificat & its antiphon as indicated.
Cantors: My heavenly father will deal the same way with you
If you do not forgive your sisters & brothers from your heart.
Side 1: My soul glorifies the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Side 2: He looks on his servant, in her lowliness:
Henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
Side 1: The almighty works marvels for me:
Holy is his name.
Side 2: His mercy is from age to age
On those who fear him.
Side 1: He puts forth his arm in strength
And scatters the proud-hearted.
Side 2: He casts the mighty from their thrones,
And raises the lowly.
Side 1: He fills the starving with good things,
Sends the rich away empty.
Side 2: He protects Israel, his servant,
Remembering his mercy-
Side 1: The mercy promised to our fathers,
To Abraham & his sons for ever.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
All: My heavenly father will deal the same way with you
If you do not forgive your sisters & brothers from your heart.
Intercessions: anyone to read
Lord Jesus, you promised to be with those who are gathered in your name – keep us united with you & each other as we pray to you … pause.. Lord hear us,
All: Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for those public service workers who operate here – may they have priorities which best serve the people of the area… pause … Lord hear us,
All: Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for the families in the area – may they be able to access the support they need. ……….. pause……… Lord hear us,
All: Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for all those elderly people of the area, living alone or in residential homes. ……….. pause……… Lord hear us,
All: Lord graciously hear us.
Reader: We pray for people who have died today & for those who will die tonight.
We pray also for those whose anniversary of death occurs tomorrow, remembering in particular………..
Time is allowed here for anyone to add a prayer of intercession.
Leader begins the Our Father….
Leader: As we continue on our Lenten journeys, we ask you, our God, to be mindful of our needs and those of all your people.
May your grace be with us & lead us towards complete union with you, our God & Father.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Leader: In our concerns & in our choices,
All: May God’s blessing be with us.
Leader: In our disappointments & in our joys,
All: May God’s blessing be with us.
Leader: In our protesting & in our serving,
All: May God’s blessing be with us.
All: Tonight, may God’s blessing be with us. Amen.