Ordo for Lent 4

fourth Sunday in Lent

18 March 2012

The Gathering of the Community

The Opening Hymn

‘Amazing Grace’  Common Praise #352

The Introductory Responses

We cast our burdens upon you, O Lord,

and you will sustain us.

Create in us clean hearts, O God,

and renew a right spirit within us.

Cast us not away from your presence

and take not your Holy Spirit from us.

Give us the joy of your saving help again

and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit.

Blessed are you, O Lord, day by day,

the God of our salvation who bears our burdens.

The Hymn of Confession

‘Before I Take the Body of My Lord’  Common Praise #610

The Absolution

May the God of compassion,

who in Jesus Christ has made us a royal priesthood,

forgive you your sins,

open your eyes to God’s truth,

strengthen you to do God’s will

and give you the joy of eternal life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Collect of the Day

Let us pray

Steadfast God,

you reach out to us in mercy

even when we rebel against your holy call

and prefer to walk in disobedience

rather than in the way of your divine truth.

Soften our hearts with the warmth of your love,

that we may know your Son alive in us,

redeeming us and raising us up

into your eternal presence.  Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word of God

The First Reading

Numbers 21.4-9

The Psalm of the Day

Psalm 107.1-3, 17-22 in Songs for the Holy One

The Second Reading

Ephesians 2.1-10

The Gradual Hymn

‘Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery’  Common Praise #179 vv. 2, 4, 6e

The Gospel

John 3.14-21

The Sermon

The Apostles’ Creed

Let us confess the faith of our baptism.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.  Amen.

The Prayers of the Community

Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings

Exchange of the Peace

May the peace of Christ which unites us in love be with you all.

And also with you.

The Holy Communion

Offertory Hymn

‘Now Thank We All Our God’  Common Praise #399

The Prayer over the Gifts

Sustainer of creation,

embrace our gifts in your compassion

and welcome all people to this banquet,

where we may rejoice in your love

and celebrate the inheritance you have given us

in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving

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.

It is right to give you thanks and praise,

O Lord, our God, sustainer of the universe,

you are worthy of glory and praise.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

At your command all things came to be:

the vast expanse of interstellar space,

galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses

and this fragile earth, our island home;

by your will they were created and have their being.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

From the primal elements

you brought forth the human race

and blessed us with memory, reason and skill;

you made us the stewards of creation.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

But we turn again you and betray your trust;

and we turn against one another.

Again and again you all us to return.

Through the prophets and sages

you reveal your righteous law.

In the fullness of time you sent your Son,

born of a woman, to be our saviour.

He was wounded for our transgressions

and bruised for our iniquities.

By his death he opened to us

the way of freedom and peace.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

Therefore we praise you,

joining with the heavenly chorus,

with prophets, apostles and martyrs,

and with those in every generation

who have looked to you in hope,

to proclaim with them your glory,

in their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed are you, Lord our God,

for sending us Jesus, the Christ,

who on the night he was handed over

to suffering and death,

took bread, said the blessing,

broke the bread, gave it to his friends,

and said, “Take this, and eat it:

this is my body which is given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after supper,

he took the cup of wine;

he gave you thanks,

and said, “Drink this, all of you:

this is my blood of the new covenant,

which is shed for you and for all people

for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it,

do this for the remembrance of me.”

Glory to you for ever and ever.

Gracious God,

we recall the death of your Son Jesus Christ,

we proclaim his resurrection and ascension,

and we look with expectation for his coming

as Lord of all the nations.

We who have been redeemed by him,

and made a new people by water and the Spirit,

now bring you these gifts.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us

and upon this offering of your Church,

that we who eat and drink at this holy table

may share the divine life of Christ our Lord.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

Pour out your Spirit upon the whole earth

and make it your new creation.

Gather your Church together

from the ends of the earth into your kingdom,

where peace and justice are revealed,

that we, with all your people,

of every language, race and nation,

may share the banquet you have promised;

through Christ, with Christ and in Christ,

all honour and glory are yours,

Creator of all.

Glory to you for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever.  Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread,

communion in Christ’s body once broken.

Let your church be the wheat

which bears its fruit in dying.

If we have died with him,

we shall live with him;

if we hold firm,

we shall reign with him.

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

The Communion

The Hymn after Communion

‘And Now, O Father, Mindful of the Love’  Common Praise #66

The Commissioning of the Community

The Prayer after Communion

God of the covenant,

in the glory of the cross

your Son embraced the power of death

and broke its hold over your people.

In this time of repentance,

draw all people to yourself,

that we who confess Jesus as Lord

may put aside the deeds of darkness

and embrace the works of light.

In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

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.

The Closing Hymn

‘Lift High the Cross’  Common Praise #602

The Dismissal

Let us go forth as witnesses to the steadfast love of God.

Thanks be to God.

Liturgical Notes

The Introductory Responses are adapted from The Book of Alternative Services (1985), p. 97.

The Absolution is adapted from Common Worship (2000), p. 136.

The Collect is taken from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (2002), p. 85.

The Apostles’ Creed is taken from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), p. 105.

The Prayer over the Gifts and the Prayer after Communion are adapted from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (2002), pp. 84, 76.

The Dismissal was prepared by the Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett.

All other liturgical texts are taken from The Book of Alternative Services (1985), pp. 185-228.