Continuing in the Covenant of Baptism: To Live Among God’s Faithful People
A Midweek Evening Prayer Service for Lent 1
Opening Dialogue
Behold, now is the acceptable
time;
now is the day of salvation.
Turn us again, O God of our salvation,
that the light of your face may shine on us.
May your justice shine like
the sun;
and may the poor be lifted up.
Hymn of Light – O Light Whose Splendor Thrills
Thanksgiving for Light
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We give you thanks, O God,
for in the beginning you called light into being, and you set light in the sky
to govern night and day. In a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night you led your people into freedom. Enlighten our darkness by the light of
your Christ: may your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for
you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and with all your creatures
we give you glory, through your Son Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Psalmody: Psalm 133 spoken in Unison
How very good and pleasant it
is
when
kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil
on the head,
running
down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running
down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which
falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the LORD ordained
his blessing,
life
forevermore.
Hymn – God is Here!
A reading from the Book of
Acts 2:37-47
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said
to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for
you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord
our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and
exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who
welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons
were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were
being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all
things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and
distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent
much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food
with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all
the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being
saved.
Reflection
Living in community as God's faithful people is a gift of love, and an invitation to serve in mission. We are chosen not for position or privilege, but to live as faithful witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In our baptism we were made children of God and members of the body of Christ, the church.
God's message of hope and reconciliation strengthens us in our faith walk.
Our life in Christian community supports us as we experience the joys and struggles of life.
In our walk we are encouraged to equally embrace all differences and celebrate the diversity of gifts that can strengthen us.
As we live among God's faithful people we read and study God's Word, whether alone or as part of a bible study. And each week, we learn a lesson together about what God's Word is teaching us.
We celebrate God's presence in our lives through regular participation in worship (and yes, Zoom counts!)
We receive gratefully God's blessings and return a portion of God's abundance through our giving, through our love, and through our support of one another.
We live a new life in Christ by caring for and encouraging others. We evangelize through our love and we live out our mission by fighting for peace and justice.
And we pray daily for each other, our communities and all of creation as we move into God's future.
Scriptural Dialogue
Long ago God spoke to our
ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God
has spoken to us by the Son.
Gospel Canticle – My Soul Proclaims
Your Greatness
The Prayers
In peace, let us pray to the
Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above, and
for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole
world, for the well-being of the church of God,
and for the unity of all, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house, and for
all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the health of the
creation, for abundant harvests that all may share, and for peaceful times, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For public servants, the
government, and those who protect us; for those who work to bring peace,
justice, healing, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who travel, for
those who are sick and suffering, and for those who are in captivity, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance in the time
of affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all servants of the
church, for this assembly, and for all people who await from the Lord great and
abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
A time of silence follows.
Giving thanks for all who
have gone before us and are at rest, rejoicing in the communion of all the
saints, we commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to you, through
Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
O God, from whom come all
holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: give to us, your servants,
that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your
commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies,
may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.
Amen.
We give thanks to you,
heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously
protected us today. We ask you to forgive us all our sins, where we have done
wrong, and graciously to protect us tonight. Into your hands we commend
ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels be
with us, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us.
Amen.
The Lord’s
Prayer
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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