Monday, February 3, 2014

An for the Eucharist on Epiphany 5A (9 February 2014)

Rector's Note:  With this Sunday Saint Faith's returns to the 'ordinary' Sundays after Epiphany.  We will be using a eucharistic prayer new to us, 'Thanksgiving at the Table 1' from Evangelical Lutheran Worship as well as a few other elements from that liturgical book.

The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
9 February 2014

The Gathering of the Community

Gathering Music

Opening Hymn

‘Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise’  Common Praise #393

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hymn of Praise

‘Glory, in the Highest Glory’  Common Praise #366

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

O God of light,
your searching Spirit reveals and illumines
your presence in creation.
Shine your radiant holiness into our lives,
so that we may offer our hands and hearts to your work:
to heal and shelter,
to feed and clothe,
to break every yoke and silence evil tongues,
in the name of Christ and in the power of your Spirit.  Amen. [i]

The Proclamation of the Word of God

The First Reading

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (58.1-12).

            Shout out, do not hold back!  Lift up your voice like a trumpet!   Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.  Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.  “Why do we fast, but you do not see?  Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”  Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.  Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist.  Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.

            Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?  Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?  Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?  Is not this the fast that I choose:  to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

            If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.  The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.  Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.

The Psalm

Psalm 112 with the refrain from Songs for the Holy One

Refrain (sung twice):  Holy One, give us true and faithful hearts.

1 Hallelujah!  Happy are they who fear the Lord *
            and have great delight in the divine commandments!
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; *
            the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in their house, *
            and their righteousness will last for ever.
4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; *
            the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

Refrain:  Holy One, give us true and faithful hearts.

5 It is good for them to be generous in lending *
            and to manage their affairs with justice.
6 For they will never be shaken; *
            the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
7 They will not be afraid of any evil rumours; *
            their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord.
8 Their heart is established and will not shrink, *
            until they see their desire upon their enemies.

Refrain:  Holy One, give us true and faithful hearts.

9 They have given freely to the poor, *
            and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
            they will hold up their head with honour.
10 The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and pine away; *
            the desires of the wicked will perish.

Refrain:  Holy One, give us true and faithful hearts.

The Second Reading

A Reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (2.1-12).

            When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.  My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

            Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.  But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.  None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” — these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within?  So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn

‘What Does the Lord Require’  Common Praise #171

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (5.13-20).
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

            [Jesus said,] “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

            “You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

            “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.  Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

An Affirmation of Faith

The Deacon leads the Community in the affirmation of faith.

Let us affirm our faith.

You, O God, are supreme and holy.
You create our world and give us life.
Your purpose overarches everything we do.
You have always been with us.
You are God.

You, O God, are infinitely generous,
good beyond all measure.
You came to us before we came to you.
You have revealed and proved
your love for us in Jesus Christ,
who lived and died and rose again.
You are with us now.
You are God.

You, O God, are Holy Spirit.
You empower us to be your gospel in the world.
You reconcile and heal; you overcome death.

You are our God.  We worship you. [ii]

The Prayers of the Community

Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings

The Exchange of the Peace

May the peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.

The Holy Communion

The Offertory Hymn

‘O God of Every Nation’  Common Praise #593

The Prayer over the Gifts

Holy God,
gracious and merciful,
you bring forth food from the earth
and nourish your whole creation.
Turn our hearts toward those
who hunger in any way,
so that all may know your care;
and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life,
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [iii]

The Thanksgiving at the Table

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.

Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth;
you are the source of light and life for all your creation,
you made us in your own image,
and call us to new life in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Therefore we praise you,
joining our voices to proclaim the glory of your name. [iv]

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.  [v]

You re indeed holy, almighty and merciful God.
You are most holy and great is the majesty of your glory.

You loved the world so much that you gave your only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish
but have eternal life.

We give you thanks for his coming into the world
to fulfill for us your holy will
and to accomplish all things for our salvation.

In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Remembering , therefore, his salutary command,
his life-giving passion and death, his glorious resurrection and ascension,
and the promise of his coming again,
we give thanks to you, O Lord God almighty,
not as we ought but as we are able;
we ask you mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving
and with your Word and Holy Spirit to bless us, your servants,
and these your own gifts of bread and wine,
so that we and all who share in the body and blood of Christ
may be filled with heavenly blessing and grace,
and, receiving the forgiveness of sin,
may be formed to live as your holy people
and be given our inheritance with all your saints.

To you, O God, Source of all being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory in your holy church, now and for ever.  Amen. [vi]

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. [vii]

The Breaking of the Bread

“I am the bread which has come down from heaven,”
says the Lord.
Give us this bread for ever.

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”
May we dwell in Christ as he lives in us. [viii]

The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.

The Communion

Communion Hymn

‘Come, Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove’  Common Praise #344

The Sending Forth of the Community

Prayer after Communion

Almighty God,
we give you thanks
that you have refreshed us
through the healing power of this gift of life.
In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift
in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. [ix]

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.

Closing Hymn

‘You Are Salt for the Earth’  Common Praise #502 (cantor and congregation)

Dismissal

The Deacon or Assisting Minister sends the Community forth with an appropriate Dismissal.

Concluding Music



[i] Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (2002), 62 alt.

[ii] A New Zealand Prayer Book, New ed. (2005), 481.

[iii] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 129 alt.

[iv] ‘Preface for the Lord’s Day 1’ in The Book of Alternative Services (1985), 218.

[v] Common Praise #732.

[vi] ‘Thanksgiving at the Table 1’ in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 108-109 alt.

[vii] Common Praise #744.

[viii] ‘Breaking of the Bread 4’ in The Book of Alternative Services (1985), 212 alt.

[ix] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 136 alt.

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