Invocation
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures for ever (Psalm 106:1).
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
Psalm 106:1-6
1 Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures for ever.
2 Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts
or proclaim all the praise due him?
3 How happy are those who uphold justice,
who practise righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, Lord,
when you show favour to your people.
Come to me with your salvation
5 so that I may enjoy the prosperity
of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your nation,
and boast about your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.
New Testament Reading
Matthew 22:1-14
1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants and said, “Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”
5 ‘But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged, and he sent out his troops, killed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8 ‘Then he told his servants, “The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go then to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.” 10 So those servants went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests. 11 When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding. 12 So he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes? ” The man was speechless.
13 ‘Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
14 ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
O Lord, great God, all holy, Father most gracious,
filled with mercy and steadfast love,
we are embarrassed to come before you,
for we have preferred the ways of this world to your ways,
for we have rebelled against your wisdom
and we have gotten into trouble,
for we have rejected your fatherly guidance
and have gotten lost altogether.
To you belongs righteousness, O Lord,
and to us confusion of face.
O Lord, great God, all holy, filled with awe,
Father, most gracious, filled with mercy and steadfast love,
incline your ear to our troubles.
Hear us when we pour out our sorrows before you.
Forgive us, not on the ground of our own righteousness,
but on the ground of your great mercy.
On the ground of your great mercy
in the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.
It is in his name that we pray,
for he is our Savior and the mediator
of the covenant of grace. Amen.
—based on Daniel 9:4-19
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
We are thankful for:
- the beauty in these countries, including in their people and cultural traditions
- persistent, patient, prophetic work of churches and ecumenical and other organizations, to establish peace with justice throughout the region, especially in Colombia
- resistance to past colonization, and to practices of today that prioritize economic ideologies over the needs of the people
- efforts by churches and people of goodwill for inclusive and respectful relations in society and government.
We pray for:
- the continued pursuit of peace in Colombia, the fulfilment of agreements reached, the reintegration of insurgents into society, broad and inclusive dialogue for justice, and fair compensation of those victimized by conflict
- the strengthening of democratically elected governments in the region, without pressure from outside interests
- greater respect for the human rights of all, especially vulnerable populations and those who work for the wellbeing of others and of the environment
- an end to the corruption in these societies, and to unsustainable exploitation of their resources.
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
O Lord, take full possession of my heart,
raise there Your throne, and command there as You do in heaven.
Being created by You, let me live for You;
being created for You, let me always act for Your glory;
being redeemed by You, let me give to You what is Yours;
and let my spirit cling to You alone, for Your name’s sake. Amen.
—John Wesley (1703-1791)
Contemporary Prayer
God of ash and rainbows, we adore you.
You are the colour that permeates our lives;
present in our darkness
when life seems to crumble around us
and disintegrate beneath our feet.
Present in our lightness
when hope is what keeps us going,
The spectrum of colour revealing a vision of possibilities.
God of ash and rainbows, we adore you.
You are humanity and divinity combined;
born of the woman Mary and yet, the son of God
and the hope of the world.
A baby asleep in a crib,
a child at play, and a teenager going to temple.
An adult who brings life and wholeness to the lives
of the hopeless and despairing.
God of ash and rainbows, we adore you.
You deny no one the opportunity to experience
the possibility of new life.
Male or female, young or old each is welcomed
with the same generosity;
each is accepted with the same hospitality,
each is loved without limit.
God of ash and rainbows, we adore you
now and always. Amen.
—Rev Dr Keree Casey, ….Of Ash and Rainbows (1999), 26
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.
