PRELUDE MUSIC (a time for silent reflection)
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
HYMN: 440 BLUE Blessed Jesus at Thy Word
Blessed Jesus, at thy word we are gathered all to hear thee; let our hearts and souls be stirred now to seek and love and fear thee; by thy teachings pure and holy, drawn from earth to love thee solely.
All our knowledge, sense, and sight lie in deepest darkness shrouded, till thy Spirit breaks our night with the beams of truth unclouded; thou alone to God canst win us; thou must work all good within us.
Gracious Lord, thyself impart! Light of Light, from God proceeding, open thou our ears and heart, help us by thy Spirit’s pleading. Hear the cry thy Church upraises; hear, and bless our prayers and praises.
THE WORD OF GOD
SIGN OF THE CROSS
People ☩ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Celebrant Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
People Glory to God for ever and ever.
Beloved God, as we approach your Presence, guide and stir us with your Holy Spirit, that we may become one body, one spirit in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE #410 BLUE Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven, v 4
Angels, help us to adore him; ye behold him face to face; sun and moon, bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth. Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
A Reading from Micah 6:1-8
Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Reader Let us read together from Psalm 15 v 1-5
O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.
HYMN #127 RED Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more; feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow; let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through. Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield; be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; death of death and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side. Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee; I will ever give to thee.
THE GOSPEL Matthew 5:1–12
Celebrant The holy gospel according to Matthew
People Glory to you, O Lord.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
SERMON Pastor Jim
THE NICENE CREED (please stand)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Celebrant
In calling forth creation from the void, God, you revealed yourself in human form. You manifest your concern for your whole universe. Hear the world’s needs, as we bring the matters of our hearts before you.
Leader
Pour out your life-giving Spirit on your holy church throughout the world and equip its members to boldly proclaim their common faith and your bountiful blessings across the earth. Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Let your Spirit move over our unruly time and heal its people broken in spirit and body. Bring peace to a weary and struggling world. Protect Mother Earth from human neglect. Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Burn out all that is evil in us; consecrate us for holy service and empower us to work toward the salvation of the world. Give us energy and insight for the mission. Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Renew the faith of all those who call you Lord, so that we may devote ourselves to worship, teaching, and prayer—all to reveal your grace, mercy, and healing to a fragile humanity. Give noble purpose to our secular leaders, and a desire to do justice in the land and in the world. Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Be with those who are dying and ill, and their families and loved ones. Bless the pastoral ministries of this congregation. Safeguard immigrants and refugees. Provide solace and healing to those beleaguered by hurricanes, floods, and fires, and any other human and personal calamities. Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
We especially pray for those we name now… (please add your petitions). Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Celebrant
Holy, holy, holy God: fill us with strength and courage, discernment and compassion, that we may be your instruments of justice, witness, and love in this world; that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Let us confess our sins to God. (Silence may be kept.)
Celebrant and People
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.
Celebrant
Almighty God have mercy on you ☩, forgive you all your sins
through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
THE PEACE
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
(Please greet one another in the name of the Lord.)
OFFERTORY SENTENCE
Celebrant Let us with gladness present the offerings and gifts of our life and labor to the Lord. (Please be seated.)
HYMN #490 BLUE I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus.
Refrain: In him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
I want to see the brightness of God. I want to look at Jesus. Clear sun of righteousness, shine on my path, and show me the way to the Father. (Refrain)
I’m looking for the coming of Christ. I want to be with Jesus. When we have run with patience the race, we shall know the joy of Jesus. (Refrain)
Celebrant
Please stand as you are able.
PRESENTATION HYMN #135 BLUE Songs of Thankfulness
Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise, manifested by the star to the sages from afar; branch of royal David’s stem in thy birth at Bethlehem; anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest.
THE HOLY COMMUNION
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant will chant:
It is truly right to glorify you, Father, and to give you thanks; for you alone are God, living and true, dwelling in light inaccessible from before time and forever. Fountain of life and source of all goodness, you made all things and fill them with your blessing; you created them to rejoice in the splendor of your radiance.
Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day; and, beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise. Joining with them, and giving voice to every creature under heaven, we acclaim you, and glorify your Name, as we sing:
SANCTUS S-130 BLUE
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna in the highest.
In these latter days, God leaned toward the earth and spoke to us by a Son, Jesus the Beloved. Born of our sister Mary and the Holy Spirit, guarded by our brother Joseph with fatherly care, Jesus came among us as a helpless babe, cradled beside the beasts and warmed by their breath—human, as we are, in need of human love.
Kings bowed down before him, bringing gifts; emperors were troubled by his reign—this Child in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. This Word of God was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, and his flesh and blood were given to us, in his final gift of grace. As a servant, Jesus emptied himself of might upon the cross, and as the risen Anointed One is enthroned at God’s right hand to bring mercy and justice to all the earth at the end of days.
And thus so, Jesus in the night in which he was handed over, took bread and gave thanks. He broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
After supper, he took the cup, again 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 sins. 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. Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith:
ACCLAMATION OF FAITH (said together)
We now obey your Son’s command. We recall his blessed passion and death, his glorious resurrection and ascension; and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.
We remember then, his suffering and death, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension to the heavenly throne. With patience and steadfast hope, we await the day of his coming, when the wolf shall live with the lamb; when the righteous shall flourish, and there shall be an abundance of peace; and when he shall share with us the great and promised feast.
Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit, upon your redeemed and holy people, ☩ and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that we may bear fruit worthy of repentance. Bless us to abound in hope, be filled with all joy and peace in believing, and receive our inheritance with all your saints in light.
People Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
THE LORD’S PRAYER (traditional)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
PRE-COMMUNION ANTHEM S-164
Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us. Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us. Jesus, redeemer, redeemer of the world: give us your peace, give us your peace.
Celebrant The gifts of God for the people of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
WELCOME TO THE TABLE
All are welcome to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, without exception. The usher will direct you when to come forward (those in the back of the room come first). Cup your hands together to receive the bread and when the wine is offered, either dip your wafer in the wine or assist the chalice bearer to guide the cup to your lips. Alternately, you may cross your hands over your chest to indicate you wish a blessing from the priest. The elements will be brought to those who are unable to come forward.
COMMUNION MUSIC
THE THANKSGIVING
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now send us forth a people forgiven, healed, renewed; that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
THE BLESSING
Sisters and brothers, we go out into the world in peace, as part of God’s beloved community. May God help us all to be of good courage, hold on to what is good, return to no one an evil for an evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, aid the suffering, do justice and hope, honor all people, and let our gentleness be known by everyone. May God, who raised our Lord Jesus from death, lift us up and restore us to wholeness. And may God bless us all, ☩ in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Amen.
HYMN #423 BLUE Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might; thy justice like mountains high soaring above thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life thou givest, to both great and small; in all life thou livest, the true life of all; we blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree, then wither and perish; but nought changeth thee.
Thou reignest in glory, thou rulest in light; thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; all laud we would render: O help us to see ‘tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
THE DISMISSAL
Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, alleluia, alleluia!
People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
POSTLUDE