Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation
We put ourselves in the presence of God as we listen to music.
Leader: God watches over our waking & sleeping:
All: Our help comes from God who made heaven & earth.
Leader: God is there when we slip or stumble:
All: Our help comes from God who made heaven & earth.
Leader: God keeps guard over our comings & goings:
All: Our help comes from God who made heaven & earth.
Leader: God is here amongst us as we pray:
All: In the name of father, son & spirit.
Please join in the refrain of the hymn: ‘Do not be afraid’ – Restless is the Heart. Tr 7.
Do not be afraid for I am with you.
Walk while you have the light, or the dark will overtake you;
Those who walk in the dark do not know where they are going.
While you still have the light, believe in the light
And you will become children of the light.
Please sing the first psalm as indicated.
Cantors: We are waiting in hope
For the blessings of the glorious coming of our saviour.
Side 1: In the depths of my being I become quiet & still:
I wait for you, my God, source of my salvation.
Side 2: You are a sure & steady rock, watching over me,
So that I shall not fall to my doom.
Side 1: I am afraid of the powerful who overwhelm me,
Bullies who encircle me, towering over me.
Side 2: They are like a battering ram to a crumbling wall,
They exult as they lust for destruction.
Side 1: Their delight is only in lies;
The truth is far from their hearts.
Side 2: They utter words that are softer than butter,
Inwardly, they do but curse.
Side 1: Nevertheless I hold steadily to you:
In the stillness I wait for your presence:
Side 2: You watch over me,
I shall not fall to my doom.
Side 1: In you, O God is my health & my glory,
The rock of my faith; in you is my trust.
Side 2: I pour out my whole being in your presence:
In you I place all my hope.
Side 1: Teach me again the truth of your name
In you alone belongs power,
Side 2: In you alone we find mercy,
In you alone is our hope.
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: We are waiting in hope
For the blessings of the glorious coming of our saviour.
Antiphon & Canticle: we will read these as indicated:
All: All things were created in him & he holds all things in
Side 1: May you be made strong with all the strength which
comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able
to endure everything with patience. And with joy give
thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have
your share of what God has reserved for his people in
the kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of
darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his
dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins
are forgiven.
Side 2:Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He
is the first-born Son, superior to all created
things. For through him God created everything in
heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen
things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and
authorities. God created the whole through him and
for him. Christ existed before all things, and in
union with him all things have their proper place. He
is the head of his body, the church; he is the
source of the body’s life. He is the first-born Son,
who was raised from death, in order that he alone
might have the first place in all things. For it was
by God’s own decision that the Son has in himself
the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God
decided to bring the whole universe back to
himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on
the cross and so brought back to himself all things,
both on earth and in heaven.
All: All things were created in him & he holds all things in being.
Reading (Matt. 20) followed by a pause for personal reflection.
Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Cantors: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
And to give his life as a ransom for many.
Side 1: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Side 2: For he has looked with favour on his lowly handmaid,
And from this day all generations will call me blessed.
Side 1: The Almighty has done great things for me:
Holy is his name.
Side 2: He has mercy on those who fear him
In every generation.
Side 1: He has shown the strength of his arm
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
Side 2: He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
And has lifted up the lowly.
Side 1: He has filled the hungry with good things
And has sent the rich away empty.
Side 2: He has come to the help of his servant Israel
For he has remembered his promise of mercy.
Side 1: The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham, Sarah, and their children for ever.
All: Give praise to the Father Almighty,
To his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
To the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
Both now and for ever, Amen.
All: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
And to give his life as a ransom for many.
Intercessions:
Reader: Let us, at the end of the day, give thanks to God our
Father, who has accompanied us through the day & will
remain with us through the night hours …… pause …………
we pray,
All: O Lord hear us, O Lord hear us, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Reader: For all those who lack an awareness of God’s presence
in their lives ……pause ……we pray,
All: Response as above.
Reader: In this time of Lent, may we look with clarity at our
lives & determine to model them more closely on that
of Jesus ……pause …. we pray,
All: Response as above.
Reader: May we become more conscious of the needs of others
– those near us & those in far off less developed areas
of the world – may we find ways of greater generosity
with our time & what we have. …… pause ………we pray, All: Response as above.
Reader: We pray for people who have died today – for those who will die tonight – and for those whose anniversaries occur tomorrow, remembering especially:
Pause for people to add silently or aloud any further intentions.
Leader begins the Our Father….
Leader: Continue to protect us, your family, Lord. Strengthen
us with your consoling presence; inspire us to live
better lives; and enable us to help realise your
kingdom here on earth. 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: With your love to enfold us & your peace to uphold us:
All: We go on our way richly blessed.
Leader: With your word to guide us& your heavenly host to guard us:
All: We go on our way richly blessed.
Leader: With the fellowship of the Holy Spirit between us &
your blessing on our homes:
All: We go on our way richly blessed. Amen.