GATHERING THE CIRCLE

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death!

That you the wedding feast may share." Philip Nicolai

"O Come, All Ye Faithful"   John Francis Wade

Psalm 27

Resurrection

Psalm 68 

1.   Psalm 146

2.   Psalm 100

3.   Psalm 103

4.   Psalm 148

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:18

Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is One!

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:4

There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist,

And one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.    1 Corinthians 8:6

What shall we return to the Lord for all the good things God has done for us?

We will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:12, 13

What is the chief end of human life?

The chief end of human life is to glorify God and to enjoy God forever.    Westminster Shorter Catechism

Praise the Lord.

It is time for the Lord to act.    Psalm 119:126a

O God, you are infinite, eternal and unchangeable, glorious in holiness, full of love and compassion, abundant in grace and truth. Your works everywhere praise you, and your glory is revealed in Jesus Christ our Savior. Therefore, we praise you, blessed and holy Trinity, one God, forever and ever.    BCW, 1906

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

In humility and faith, let us confess our sin to God.

The proof of God’s amazing love is this: While we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in him, we dare to approach God with confidence.       Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:16

In faith and penitence, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

God of grace and truth, in Jesus Christ you came among us as light shining in darkness. We confess that we have not welcomed the light, or trusted good news to be good. We have closed our eyes to glory in our midst, expecting little, and hoping for less. Forgive our doubt, and renew our hope, so that we may receive the fullness of your grace, and live in the truth of Christ the Lord.

Lent

God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way. We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained, and great when we are small. We have failed in love, neglected justice, and ignored your truth. Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin. Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned by my own fault, in thought, word, and deed; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life.

Amen.

May Almighty God have mercy on you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins and give you time to amend your life.

Amen.      Liturgy of St. James

Kyrie

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Or:

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Declaration of Pardon

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Gloria Patri

Hear the teaching of Christ: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. See John 20:19, 21, 26

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Gracious God and lover of all that you have made: make the imperishable light of your divine knowledge to shine in our hearts. Open the eyes of our understanding that we may apprehend the preaching of your holy Word. Implant in us likewise an awe of your blessed commandments, that, abandoning the power of evil in our lives, we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing only and always that which is pleasing in your sight. For you are the enlightening of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and to you we render glory, now and forever. Amen.   Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Revelation 7:12

Three Holies

The Nicene Creed

or:

The Apostles’ Creed

or some other creed or faith statement of the Church.

O Lord, we pray in peace:

For the peace from above and the salvation of our souls....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for the peace of the whole world....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for the stability and unity of the holy Church....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for all who serve Christ in the Church....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for our country, the president, and all those in public service....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for [this city], for every municipality and country, and for the faithful who live in them....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for favorable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the Earth, and temperate seasons....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for travelers by land, sea, and air, and through outer space....

Let us pray to the Lord:

for the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation....

Let us pray to the Lord:

and for our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress....

We pray for....

Let us pray to the Lord:

We pray as well for those being instructed in the Christian faith and learning the Christian life, that the Lord may teach them the Word of Truth; that he may reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness. Save them, have mercy upon them, preserve them, and protect them, O God, by your grace.

Hear our supplication: cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and grant that we may approach your holy Table without blame or condemnation. Grant also, O God, progress in life, faith, and spiritual discernment to the faithful who pray with us, so that they may always worship you with reverence and love, partake of your Holy Sacrament..., and become worthy of your heavenly kingdom. And grant that always guarded by your power we may give glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Help us, save us, have mercy upon us, and protect us, O God, by your grace. Remembering Mary, with all the saints, we commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. Amen.

The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it; the world and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, praise God, all creatures here below, praise God above, ye heavenly hosts: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen. Thomas Ken, alt.

Blessed are you, God of all creation; through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. Amen.

Presentation Hymn, "Let all mortal flesh keep silence"   Liturgy of St. James / Par. J. M. Neale

Let us stand in reverence and awe, giving our full attention to the living God, that we may celebrate this holy sacrament in peace.

They will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. This is the Lord's table. Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which he has prepared. Based on Luke 13:29 and 24:27, 30, 31, 32

The Lord be with you.

Lift up your hearts.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

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 all 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 glorify your name and lift our voices in joyful praise:

Sanctus

We acclaim you, holy God, glorious in power; your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love. You formed us in your own image, giving the whole world into our care, so that, in obedience to you, our creator, we might rule and serve all your creatures. When our disobedience took us far from you, you did not abandon us to the power of death. In your mercy you came to our help, so that in seeking you we might find you. Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation.

Almighty God, you loved the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, he lived as one of us, yet without sin. To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation; to prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy. To fulfill your purpose he gave himself up to death; and, rising from the grave, destroyed death and made the whole creation new.

And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose for us, God sent the Holy Spirit, God's first gift for those who believe, to complete God's work in the world, and to bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all.

When the hour had come for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end: at supper with them he took bread, and after giving thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:

After supper he took the cup, saying:

Holy God, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption. Recalling Christ's death and his descent among the dead, proclaiming his resurrection and ascension to your right hand, awaiting his coming in glory; and offering to you, from the gifts you have given us, this bread and this cup, we praise you and we bless you.

Acclamation

Lord, we pray that in your goodness and mercy your Holy Spirit may descend upon us, and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that all who share this bread and this cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ, to the praise of your Name.

And grant that we may find our inheritance with the blessed Virgin Mary, with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and all the saints who have found favor with you in ages past.

We praise you in union with them and give you glory through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, all honor and glory are yours, almighty God and Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.   The Common Eucharistic Prayer (1975), based on the Alexandrine Liturgy of St. Basil (5^th c.)

We give you thanks, O God, through your beloved Servant, Jesus Christ, whom you have sent in these last times as savior and redeemer, and messenger of your will.

He is your Word, inseparable from you, through whom you made all things and in whom you take delight. You sent him from heaven into the Virgin's womb, where he was conceived, and took flesh. Born of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was revealed as your Son. In fulfillment of your will he stretched out his hands in suffering to release from suffering those who place their trust in you, and so won for you a holy people. He freely accepted the death to which he was handed over, in order to destroy death and to shatter the chains of the evil one; to trample underfoot the powers of hell and to lead the righteous into light; to fix the boundaries of death and to manifest the resurrection.

And so he took bread, gave thanks to you, and said:

In the same way he took the cup, saying:

Remembering therefore his death and resurrection, we set before you this bread and cup, thankful that you have counted us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you as your priestly people.

We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon the offering of the holy church. Gather into one all who share these holy mysteries, filling them with the Holy Spirit and confirming their faith in the truth, that together we may praise you and give you glory, through your Servant, Jesus Christ.

Through him all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever.       Hippolytus of Rome, 3rd century

It is proper and right to sing to you, bless you, praise you, thank you and worship you in all places of your dominion; for you are God ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, beyond understanding, existing forever and always the same; you and your only begotten Son and your Holy Spirit. You brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, you raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until you led us to heaven and granted us your kingdom to come.

For all these things we thank you and your only begotten Son and your Holy Spirit; for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that have been bestowed upon us. We also thank you for this [sacrament] which you are pleased to accept from our hands, even though you are surrounded by thousands of Archangels and tens of thousands of Angels, by the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring with their wings,

Singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying:

Together with these blessed powers, merciful Master, we also proclaim and say: You are holy and most holy, you and your only begotten Son and your Holy Spirit. You are holy and most holy, and sublime is your glory. You so loved your world that you gave your only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. He came and fulfilled the divine plan for us. On the night when he was delivered up, or rather when he gave himself up for the life of the world, he took bread in his holy, pure, and blameless hands, gave thanks, blessed, sanctified, broke and gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying:

Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, saying:

Remembering, therefore, this command of the Savior, and all that came to pass for our sake, the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the enthronement at the right hand of the Father, and the second, glorious coming, we offer to you these gifts from your own gifts in all and for all.

Once again we offer to you this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood, and we ask, pray, and entreat you: send down your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here presented.

And make this bread the precious Body of your Christ. And that which is in this cup the precious Blood of your Christ.  By the transforming power of your Holy Spirit. So that they may be to those who partake of them for vigilance of soul, forgiveness of sins, communion of your Holy Spirit, fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, confidence before you, and not in judgment or condemnation.    The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, alt.

Of God, like a mother hen you are always gathering your children; like a woman searching for a lost coin so do you seek each one of us.  And so we are bold to pray as Jesus taught us, saying:

Because there is one loaf, we, many as we are, are one body; for it is one loaf of which we all partake.

When we break the bread, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

When we give thanks over the cup, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?        1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:

The holy things are for the holy.

The people share the Body and Blood of the Lord by intinction (taking a piece of the holy Bread, dipping it into the holy Cup, and eating it).  When all have communed we sing the following hymn, which is introduced by the words:

O God, save your people, and bless your inheritance.

Acclamation Hymn

We thank you, Christ our God, that you have deemed us worthy to have this holy meal sharing your Blood and Body for forgiv’ness of sins, and everlasting life.  Preserve our souls, we pray, good God: the Friend of all! Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom/ Par. PFR

We thank you, holy Father, for your holy name which you caused to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which you made known to us through Jesus your Servant; to you be the glory for ever. You, Master almighty, created all things for your name’s sake; to us you have freely given spiritual food and drink and life eternal through your Servant. Remember, Lord, your Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for your kingdom which you have prepared for it; for yours is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Maranatha. Amen.   The Didache (2nd c.) 

God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God.

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol....

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God.

Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.

Honor your father and your mother.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet... anything that belongs to your neighbor. From Exodus 20:1-17

The blessing of God be yours,

The blessing of the perfect Spirit be yours,

The blessing of the Three be poured out upon you, serenely and generously, today and forever.

Serenely and generously, today and forever. Carmina Gadelica

May the everlasting God shield you, east and west and wherever you go. And the blessing of God be upon us.

The blessing of Christ be upon us,

The blessing of the Spirit be upon us,

The blessing of the Trinity be upon us. Now and forever.

Amen. Carmina Gadelica

May the everlasting God shield you, east and west and wherever you go. And the blessing of God be upon us.

The blessing of Christ be upon us,

The blessing of the Spirit be upon us,

The blessing of the Trinity be upon us. Now and forever.

Amen. Carmina Gadelica

The love and affection of heaven be to you,

The love and affection of the angels be to you,

The love and affection of the moon be to you, each day and each night of your lives,

To keep you from haters, to keep you from harmers, to keep you from oppressors. Carmina Gadelica

The peace of God be with you,

The peace of Spirit be with you and with your children.

The grace of God be with you,

The grace of Spirit be with you and with your children,

For an hour, forever, for eternity. Carmina Gadelica

The compassing of the King of life be yours,

The compassing of Holy Spirit be yours, unto the crown of life eternal,

Unto the crown of life eternal. Carmina Gadelica

Deep peace of the running wave to you,

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,

Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you,

Deep peace of the Son of peace to you! Gaelic

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (Alleluia!) Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:13

*Binding "Song of Simeon"

Lord, bid your servant go in peace, your word is now fulfilled.  These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn: this child, so long foretold.  This is the Savior of the world, the Gentiles promised Light, God’s glory dwelling in our midst, the joy of Israel.    Luke 2:29-32/ Par. James Quinn

Dismissal

Go In Peace to Love and Serve the Lord. Amen.

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