Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Leader: We gather here in your presence, God,
All: In our need & bringing with us the needs of the world.
Leader: We come to you for you come to us in Jesus,
All: And you know by experience what human life is like.
Leader: We come with our faith & with our doubts;
All: We come with our hopes & our fears.
Leader: We come as we are because you invite us to come;
All: And you have promised never to turn us away.
Please join in the hymn:
Oh living water, refresh my soul. Oh living water, refresh my soul.
Spirit of Joy, Lord of Creation, Spirit of Hope, Spirit of Peace,
- Spirit of God, Spirit of God, (refrain)
- Oh set us free, (refrain)
- Come pray in us, (refrain)
A musical version of Psalm 26.
(Fire of Love Tr8. The Lord is my Light).
The Lord is my light, my hope, my salvation;
In him I trust, in him I trust.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long,
To live in his house all the days of my life;
To savour the sweetness of the Lord;
To behold his temple; for this I long.
The Lord is my light, my hope, my salvation;
In him I trust, in him I trust.
Please say the canticle & its antiphon as indicated.
Christ is the first-born of all creation; Christ is supreme over all creatures.
Reader 1: Praise be to God,
All: Calling us to the strangest of ways, turning us inside out,
upside down, revealing a new world to eyes that are open.
Reader 2: Fools to the world, we know the wisdom of God.
Unknown, we cannot be ignored. Dying, we still live on.
Disciplined by suffering, we are not beaten down.
Knowing sorrow, we have always cause for joy. Poor
ourselves, we make many rich. Penniless, we own the world.
All: Calling us to the strangest of ways, turning us inside out,
upside down, revealing a new world to eyes that are open.
Reader 1: Steadfastly, we turn our wills towards God, to meet
hardships & afflictions, hunger & weariness, illness &
failure, with sincerity, insight, patience, kindness,
speaking the truth in love, resilient in the power of the Spirit.
All: Calling us to the strangest of ways, turning us inside out,
upside down, revealing a new world to eyes that are open.
Reader 2: Praise be to God!
All: Praise be to God. Christ is the first-born of all
creation; Christ is supreme over all creatures.
Reading (from Psalm 50) followed by personal reflection.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness; according to the abundance of your compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you have I sinned. You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you make me to know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that my bones may rejoice. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your willing spirit. God of my salvation: my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you do not desire sacrifice, or I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices you desire are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart,
Please sing the Magnificat & its antiphon.
Cantors: As Jonah spent three days & three nights inside the whale,
So will the Son of Man be inside the heart of the earth.
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 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, Sarah, and their descendants for ever.
All: Glory be to the Father & to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now & ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
All: As Jonah spent three days & three nights inside the whale,
So will the Son of Man be inside the heart of the earth.
Intercessions: (to be said ad lib by anyone leaving time between each for reflection)
Help & comfort those who are lonely, bereaved or oppressed………………
Heal those who are sick in body or mind……………………..
Provide for those who are homeless, hungry or cold…………………
Show your loving heart to those who are in prison, to refugees & asylum seekers……………………….
All: When we don’t play our part in your work – Lord have mercy.
When we allow selfishness to limit our response to those in need – Christ have mercy.
When we fail to spread your spirit of kindness & joy – Lord have mercy.
Reader: We pray for people who have died today, those who will die tonight. We also remember those whose
anniversaries of death occur tomorrow in particular:
Pause for people to add silently or aloud any further intentions.
Leader begins the Our Father….
Leader: We ask you, God, to look favourably on our Lenten efforts. May we follow faithfully & courageously knowing that you will always give us the strength we need for the obstacles that lie in our path. 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: You send us to bring the good news to the oppressed,
All: And to bind up the wounds of those broken of heart.
Leader : To proclaim liberty to the captives,
All: And the opening of prisons to those who are bound.
Leader; As we leave to do your will in these things, we ask your blessing:
All: May almighty God bless us – the Father Son and Holy Spirit, Amen