Suggested Liturgical Elements for Use on the Sundays from September through November 2018

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, 2 September 2018, we will be using several new liturgical elements to express the second part of Ordinary Time in Year B.  Perhaps you will find them helpful in the worship life of your own congregation.

Greeting

The Presider greets the Community, saying,

May the strength of God,

and the compassion of Christ

and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit

be with you.

And also with you. [1]

The Great Thanksgiving

The Presider says or sings,

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. [2]

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.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal:  

you we praise and glorify, you we worship and adore.  

You formed the earth from chaos; you encircled the globe with air; 

you created fire for warmth and light; you nourish the lands with water.  

You moulded us in your image, and with mercy higher than the mountains, 

with grace deeper than the seas, you blessed the Israelites 

and cherished them as your own.  

So that we might be adopted to live in your Spirit,

you called to us through the life and death of Jesus.

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.

Together as the body of Christ, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.  

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

With this bread and cup we remember your Son, 

the first-born of your new creation.  

We remember his life lived for others, 

and his death and resurrection, 

which renews the face of the earth.  

We await his coming, 

when, with the world made perfect through your wisdom, 

all our sins and sorrows will be no more.

Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and compassionate, 

send upon us and this meal your Holy Spirit, 

whose breath revives us for life, whose fire rouses us to love.  

Enfold in your arms all who share this holy food.  

Nurture in us the fruits of the Spirit, 

so that we may be a living tree, sharing your bounty with all the world.

Holy and benevolent God, receive our praise and petitions, 

as Jesus received the cry of the needy, 

and fill us with your blessing, 

until, needy no longer and bound to you in love, 

we feast forever in the triumph of the Lamb:  

through whom all glory and honour is yours, 

O God, O Living One, with the Holy Spirit, 

in your holy church, now and for ever.  Amen. [3]

The Invitation to Communion

The Presider says,

This is the table of the Lord.

It is made ready for those who want to know and love God more.

Come whether you have much faith or little.

Come whether you have been here long or have just arrived.

Come whether you are confident or have questions.

Come because it is Christ who invites you,

for these are the gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God. [4]

The Blessing

The Presider blesses the Community, saying,

May the power of God sustain you.

May the wisdom of the Word enlighten you.

May the mercy of the Holy Spirit united you.

And the blessing of God,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

be with you and remain with you always.  Amen. [5]

---

[1]The Rev’d Richard Geoffrey Leggett, August 2018.

[2]The Book of Alternative Services1985, 218.

[3]Evangelical Lutheran Worship2006, 67 alt.

[4]Adapted from existing invitation in use at Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster BC.

[5]Adapted from ‘A prayer of Catherine of Siena’ in Evangelical Lutheran Worship2006, 87 alt.

Proper Prayers for RCL Proper 22B (2 September 2018)

RCL Proper 22B

Sunday between 28 August and 3 September 

Song of Solomon 2.8-13; Psalm 45.1-2, 7-10; James 1.17-27; Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Collect

Author and Giver of all good things, graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us in all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services  1985, 377]

or

O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures.  Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside, and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves, so that we may be preserved through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 46]

or

Compassionate God, you touch those rejected by the world and those despised by false piety: guide us away from a false purity which hides misshapen hearts; and lead us to the joyful feast in which all are renewed; through Jesus Christ, the beauty of God’s faith.  Amen. [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 91]

or

Blessed are you, O Lord and Lover, source of beauty and depth of passion.  Strengthen and inspire us to do the word we hear and live the faith we confess, through Jesus, our Saviour and Friend.  Amen. [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 91]

or

Father of light, giver of every good and perfect gift, bring to fruition the word of truth sown in our hearts by your Son, so that we may rightly understand your commandments, live your law of love, and so offer you worship that is pure and undefiled.  Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [Opening Prayer:  Collects in Contemporary Language1999, 98]

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful God, receive all we offer you this day.  Give us grace to love one another so that your love may be made perfect in us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 378]

or

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, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time, and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or 

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and forever.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

Prayer after Communion

Almighty God, you renew us at your table with the bread of life.  May your holy food strengthen us in love and help us to serve you in each other.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 378]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, 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. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, that/so that more and more we will give you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]

Under Orders and On Active Service: Reflections on Ephesians 6.10-20 (RCL Proper 21B, 26 August 2018)

Under Orders and On Active Service

Reflections on Ephesians 6.10-20

RCL Proper 21B

26 August 2018

Holy Trinity Cathedral

New Westminster BC

Click here to listen to the Sermon as preached at the 10.00 Eucharist on Sunday the 26th t Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Ephesians 6.10-20

                  ^6.10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  ¹³Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.  ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

                  ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.  ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

            Both Paula and I grew up as the children of serving members of the United States Air Force.  We grew up knowing that we might find ourselves relocating to some new town or country at the pleasure of the President of the United States as expressed through the chain of command.  Just as our fathers served the defence needs of the United States, so we served our fathers and our country by supporting our fathers and, especially, our mothers. We learned to adapt to new contexts and to understand the notion of ‘being under orders’.

            My father was transferred to Germany in 1960 and we followed along.  Those were particularly tense times with the building of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban missile crisis.  Because of his security clearance there were several times my father disappeared without our knowing where he was or when he would return. We did know that, if the Warsaw Pact forces invaded what was then West Germany, we would find ourselves under their control.  Risk was not limited to our fathers; we shared in it.  We were as much on active duty as our fathers were.

            Paula and I also grew up at a time when the military came under greater scrutiny and growing criticism, especially during and after the Vietnam War.  Our fathers were lumped together with others as ‘war-mongers’ even though Paula and I knew our fathers as men who understood their role to be defensive and geared towards keeping the peace.  I remember my father’s anger when Oliver North, dressed in his Marine officer’s uniform, testified before Congress and claimed what has been called the ‘Nuremberg defence’ --- ‘I broke the law but I was following orders.’  My father was proud of his oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and, in Oliver North, he saw a ‘domestic’ enemy of the Constitution.

            Perhaps some of you have had similar experiences or share some of the views that Paula and I have encountered over the years when we tell people that we are ‘Air Force brats’.  These experiences and feelings can make it difficult to hear today’s reading from Ephesians with its military imagery and say, ‘Thanks be to God.’

            But the followers of Jesus had good reason to be concerned about their safety in early decades of the Christian movement.  Those who were slaves risked physical violence and even death if their owners were hostile to the ‘new’ religion.  Those who were Jewish faced opposition and exclusion from their families and possible death at the hands of local religious authorities.  Those who were Gentiles but not slaves could lose their livelihoods and perhaps their lives if they did not participate in the non-Christian religious rites of their cities and of the Empire.

            So should we be surprised that the writer of Ephesians turns to the image of a Roman soldier preparing for battle as an image for how Christians should live in difficult times?  Not at all. To be a Christian is to be someone under orders and in active service of God in a world that is not always receptive to the good news of God in Christ.  The good news, it has been said, always comes first as bad news to someone, especially those in power and those who feel threatened by the love of God in Christ.

            And how shall we defend ourselves?  Today we hear some familiar exhortations from earlier portions of Ephesians.  We defend ourselves (i) by speaking the truth; (ii) by living lives of justice, kindness and humility; (iii) by working for peace, whether locally or globally; (iv) by having faith and confidence in God’s purposes for us and for the whole of creation.

            And who shall we approach those who find us inconvenient or a threat, those whom the writer describes as the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places?  We approach them with the Word of God which is simply the story of God’s love for us and revealed in the creation of the universe, in the saving love of Jesus of Nazareth and in the power of the Spirit to do infinitely more in and through us than we can ask or imagine. 

            Friends, today’s reading is not about an aggressive assertiveness of the supremacy of our faith over any other.  Nor is it an exhortation to build walls to keep ‘others’ out or to divide the world between what is ‘holy’ and what is ‘profane’.  Today’s reading is a reminder that we, as disciples of Jesus, still have work to do and that we should not expect that the good news of God in Christ will always be greeted with cheers and with commitments to change. And so, as the writer tells us, we need to be prepared (i) to speak God’s truth in love, (ii) to resist anger and to live in peace with everyone, believer and non-believer, (iii) to work for the common good of all creation rather than for the advantage of one group over another, for ‘us’ over ‘them’.

            We are, as the Book of Common Prayer says, ‘the Church militant on earth’, not ‘militant’ in aggressively asserting our privilege but ‘militant’ in our service to Christ who came to serve not to be served.  It is what is means for us, as much as it means for those in the armed forces, to be under orders and on active duty for the One who calls us out of darkness into the glorious light of Christ.

O God, 

the author of peace and lover of concord, 

to know you is eternal life, to serve you is perfect freedom.  

Defend us your servants form the assaults of our enemies, 

that we may trust in your defence, 

and not fear the power of any adversaries; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Proper Prayers for RCL Proper 21B: 26 August 2018

RCL Proper 21B

Sunday between 21 and 27 August 

1 Kings 8.(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84; Ephesians 6.10-20; John 6.56-69

Collect

Almighty God, we are taught by your word that all our doings without love are worthy nothing.  Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 376]

or

Holy God, your word feeds your people with life that is eternal.  Direct our choices and preserve us in your truth, so that, renouncing what is false and evil, we may live in you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 45]

or

Offensive God, refusing our religion of sacrifice and power:  find us in our wandering, speak to us the word of life, liberate our violent hearts, and let us abide with you; through Jesus Christ, the holy one of God.  Amen.  [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 91]

or

Gracious God, although we once were strangers, you receive us as friends and draw us home to you.  Set your living bread before us, so that we may be strengthened to continue the work your Son has commissioned us to do.  Amen.  [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 91]

or

In every age, O God, you give your people freedom to walk in faith or to turn away. Grant us grace to remain faithful to your Holy One, whose words are spirit and life, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [Opening Prayer:  Collects in Contemporary Language 1999, 96]

Prayer over the Gifts

God of glory, receive all we offer this day as a symbol of our love, and increase in us that true and perfect gift.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 376]

or

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, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time, and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or 

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and forever.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

Prayer after Communion

Living God, increase in us the healing power of your love.  Guide and direct us so that we may please you in all things, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 376]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, 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. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, that/so that more and more we will give you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]

Now Is the Right Time: Reflections on Ephesians 5.15-20 (RCL Proper 20B, 19 August 2018)

Now Is the Right Time

Reflections on Ephesians 5.15-20

RCL Proper 20B

19 August 2018

Holy Trinity Cathedral

New Westminster BC

Click here to listen to the Sermon as preached at the 10.00 Eucharist on Sunday the 19th.

Ephesians 5.15-20

                  ^5.15Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

         Every family has at least one time in its life when it faced both welcome and unwelcome challenges.  The autumn of 1990 and the spring of 1991 was just such a time in the life of our family here in Metro Vancouver.  The Board of Governors at Vancouver School of Theology had unexpectedly given me the gift of a full year’s sabbatical rather than just the six months I was entitled to have so that I could make significant progress on my doctoral thesis.  The same day that I learned of the Governors’ decision, Paula told me that she was pregnant with Owen, our youngest, and that he would be born in October, just as I was beginning my sabbatical --- another bit of unexpected news.  Juggling two young children, a pregnant wife and the research and writing of a thesis made for an autumn that was, to say the least, both eventful and stressful.

         We did have an unexpected source of support. Marjorie and Cyril Powells, retired missionaries of the Anglican Church of Canada, took up residence in the apartment across the hall from us at VST.  Their presence was a gift of calm, of stability and of perspective during that autumn.  A few months after Owen was born, early in the spring of 1991, Paula and Marjorie met for a cup of tea.  The conversation turned to the future and Marjorie asked Paula what her heart was calling her to do in the years ahead.  ‘I want to become a priest,’ Paula said, ‘but I’ve been waiting for the right time to begin the process.’  Marjorie was a very wise person and she replied, ‘Paula, there is no such time as the “right” time.  There is only the here and now.  We do what we think God is calling us to do and figure out the details as best we can as we go along.’  That afternoon I arrived home to learn that my spouse had applied for admission to VST. And, just as Marjorie said, we worked out the details as we went along.  Even now I have no regrets.  It was not and has not been easy, but it was the right thing to do.

         There is a sentence in today’s reading from Ephesians that Paula and I could have used as our working principle during those days: “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” [1]  The writer reminds his audience that the days are ‘evil’, in other words, they are living in a time when being a Christian is not easy in a culture and society that was often hostile to the claims of the good news of God in Jesus.  Some Christians at that time might have thought that it would be better to hunker down and avoid notice, in the hopes that the promised ‘day of the Lord’ would come soon.  But hunkering down was not then, nor is it now, an option for the disciples of Jesus.  To be sure we wait with longing for the promised ‘day of the Lord’, but we live in the present.

         Our present day, just as it was for our ancestors in the faith, is both the ‘meantime’ and the ‘mean time’.  It is the ‘meantime’ because we live and witness to Christ in the time between Jesus’ life, death and resurrection two thousand years ago and the day when God’s purposes for the creation will be fulfilled ‘so that we and all [God’s] children shall be free’.[2]  But our time is also the ‘mean time’ because we are witnesses to the continued human resistance to doing justice, to loving kindness and to walking humbly with God. What the writer of the Letter to the Ephesians describes as evil days we might easily call ‘mean times’ when the ‘better angels of our nature’ struggle to assert themselves against ‘the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God’. [3]

         My friends, there is always something said for taking time to discern what God is calling us to be and to do, whether as individuals, families or communities, and then to plan how we are to move towards the goals we have discerned.  But we can find ourselves paralyzed when we keep looking for the ‘right’ time to act upon the plans we have made.  The only real time we have is ‘now’.

         This is something that the writer of Ephesians knew all too well.  When he exhorts his audience to make the most of ‘the time’, he chooses a very particular word for ‘time’ --- ‘kairos’.  ‘Kairos’ is sometimes translated in the New Testament as ‘the right time’ or ‘the fullness of time’.  It is a quality of human experience rather than a measure of our journey around the sun which is the source of our calendar and our clocks.  ‘Kairos’ is the realization that we are living right now, right here, with these people in God’s reign of justice and peace.  The world we hope for is both a future hope and a present reality --- if we have eyes to see it, ears to hear it, wills to embrace it and hands to work with God in making it present now.

         In the months and years ahead this community of faith we call Holy Trinity Cathedral will write a new chapter in the story of our life and witness to Jesus here in New Westminster.  Our decision to re-develop this property is a clear indication that we do not plan to hunker down and hope for ‘better’ times.  We have chosen to act and, in choosing to act, we have set ourselves on a path which will no doubt bring unexpected challenges even as it will bring unexpected gifts of God’s grace.  What we shall be five or more years from today, we can only imagine.  But what we can say is that we are God’s children now, that we have a part to play in God’s love and compassion for New Westminster now, that we are being transformed, bit by bit, into stronger and more able disciples of Jesus now.

         Friends, we are not unwise people.  We know that we are living in the ‘meantime’ and in the ‘mean time’.  But we shall make the most of the time, giving thanks for all that God has done for us, all that God is doing for us and all that God will do for us.  And we shall work things out as we go along, knowing that we do not travel alone but in the grace of God, in the love of Christ and in the communion of the Holy Spirit.

---

[1]Ephesians 5.15-16.

[2]The Book of Alternative Services1985, 215.

[3]The Book of Alternative Services1985, 154.

Proper Prayers for RCL Proper 20B (19 August 2018)

RCL Proper 20B

Sunday between 14 and 20 August 

1 Kings 2.10-12, 3.3-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5.15-20; John 6.51-58

Collect

Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and sent into our hearts the Spirit of your Son.  Give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, so that all people may know the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 374]

or

Ever-loving God, your Son gives himself as living bread for the life of the world. Fill us with such a knowledge of his presence that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life to serve you continually, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 45]

or

Divine love, undaunted by death and fear, who went to the depths to bring back life:  in the power of the cross shape a people for service, who break bread for a hungering world; through Jesus Christ.  Amen. [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 90]

or

Living God, you are the giver of wisdom, guiding those who seek your ways to choose the good. Mercifully grant that your people, who feast on the true bread of heaven, may have eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [Liturgy Task Force 2016, 90]

or

Wise and gracious God, you spread a table before us and nourish your people with the word of life and the bread from heaven.  In our sharing of these holy gifts, show us our unity in you and give us a taste of the life to come.  We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen. [Opening Prayer:  Collects in Contemporary Language 1999, 94]

Prayer over the Gifts

Loving God and Father, you have adopted us to be your heirs.  Accept all we offer you this day and give us grace to live as faithful children.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 375]

or

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, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time, and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 107]

or 

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and forever.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 64]

Prayer after Communion

Eternal God, we have received a token of your promise.  May we who have been nourished by holy things live as faithful heirs of your promised kingdom.  Amen.  [The Book of Alternative Services 1985, 375]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, 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. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 114]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, that/so that more and more we will give you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006, 65]