Invocation
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Good morning, heavenly Father.
We worship you, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Good morning, Lord Jesus.
We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Good morning, Holy Spirit.
We worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Opening sentences
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek him with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Declaration of faith
To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that you are the Holy One of God.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.
Hebrew Bible reading
Exodus 12:1-14
Instructions for the Passover
12. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 ‘This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ families, one animal per family. 4 If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbour nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat. 5 You must have an unblemished animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6 You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. 7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. 8 They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over fire – its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10 You must not leave any of it until morning; any part of it left until morning you must burn. 11 Here is how you must eat it: You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is theLord’s Passover.
12 ‘I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgements against all the gods of Egypt. 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 ‘This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.
New Testament Reading
Romans 13:8-14
8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbour as yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour. Love, therefore, is the fulfilment of the law.
11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
In you we have so much,
Grace, joy, love and a future.
In you we have our being and meaning and purpose.
In you we have a community with which to join in your mission,
To discover and use our gifts
To help build us in faith
To disciple us and bring us into learning and wisdom.
In you we are the church.
We are your Church
We are your people.
We are your disciples.
You bless us and guide us.
You lead us and empower us.
You gift us and call us
Forgive us when we don’t see the door that you open for us,
Or are too fearful or reticent to approach or go through
Forgive us for not accepting the opportunities which you open for us,
Or taking too long to decide what we might do,
being too worried about what might go wrong.
Forgive us for our flaws and failings,
Our self-centred moments of greed and apathy
Our times of failing to live your love
Our tendency towards ease and comfort
Our not seeing who you call us to and how you call us to love them.
Forgive us our small thinking and lack of vision
and our not working to grow and enlarge your Kingdom.
Bless us anew with your grace,
That we might let go of what has been,
Flaws and failings
Mistakes and wrong turnings
Past glories and successes
Triumphs and flops.
Lead us into our better selves
As we accept your grace in asking for forgiveness,
This we pray in earnest. Amen.
—Rev Jon Humphries, 2024
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.
We are thankful for:
- the many ways in which these countries have moved beyond their colonial histories, especially the scars related to slave trade
- this area’s distinctive music and cultural practices of storytelling (griots)Â
- economic and educational advances that have lifted some out of poverty
- promising transitions into democracy and changes in government leaders
- the persistent, faithful witness of churches in the midst of other faiths.
We pray for:
- those people in these societies who continue to live in abject povertyÂ
- an end to policies, systems, and cultural practices that continue to exploit and marginalize some groups
- the fair election of more just government leaders who respect the rights of all people
- faith communities witnessing and working together for the common good.
In our own place in the world, we pray for:
- all whose decisions involve questions of justice, mercy and peace
- our federal, state and local politicians
- all the churches of our city and those who lead them
- our local community, businesses, and schools
- our congregation and its ministries
- opportunities for meaningful worship and fellowship
- opportunities for practicing the way of Jesus
- opportunities for outreach and service to others
- the needs of our families and friends
- our personal needs
Pause for reflection
Classic Prayer
Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of You.
You only know what I need.
You know me better than I know myself.
O Father, give to Your child what he himself knows not how to ask.
Teach me to pray. Pray Yourself in me.
Amen.
—François Fénelon (1651-1715)
Contemporary Prayer
Teach me work that honors Thy work,
the true economies of goods and words,
to make my arts compatible
with the songs of the local birds.
Teach me the patience beyond work
and, beyond patience, the blest
Sabbath of Thy unresting love
which lights all things and gives rest. Amen.
—Wendell Berry (1934-2026)
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Sending Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray
that we may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, we pray that this day
we may take up our cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, we pray that this day
you will fill us with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
three persons in one God,
have mercy upon us. Amen.
Canticle
Christ, as a light,
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield,
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All Told 