A Service of Prayer at Midday
March 07, 2024
Lent Three
CALL TO WORSHIP
It is good Lord to be in your holy house.
We come with joy.
We stand secure within.
Here we find peace and security and security
Because of your saving hand and strong right arm.
Always Lord we seek your goodness.
INVOCATION AND 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.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Holy and gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against you this day.
Some of my sin I know – the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed – but some is known only to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ I ask forgiveness.
Deliver and restore me, that I may rest in peace.
By the mercy of God we are united with Jesus Christ, in whom we are forgiven +. We rest now during this time of prayer that we may continue to serve in the peace of Christ throughout the day. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, rich in mercy, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world and rescued us from the hopelessness of death. Lead us into your light, that all our deeds may reflect your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
3and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
17Some were sick through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
18they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
20he sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from destruction.
21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
22And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
Psalm 122
1I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem — built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
7Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers."
8For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you."
9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.
Gloria Patri
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.
READING: Ephesians 2:1-10
1You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
REFLECTION
DIALOGUE
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
A prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
Lord make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand.
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
And it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Make me an instrument of your peace.
Amen.
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 hours, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us gracious Lord.
Amen.
Gathered together across the miles, we as a community of faith offer our prayers this evening
for the peace of the whole world…
for this holy assembly and all the faithful everywhere who worship and pray…
for God’s good creation …
for those who are suffering or grieving…
for those in need of deliverance from hardship and oppression…
Gracious God, grant peace among the nations. War and conflicts abound in the world you have created and we are particularly mindful this day of the conflict and danger in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza and the Red Sea. Stir the hearts and minds and wills of all people and leaders that peaceful solutions may be found and further violence averted. Grow in all people and nations an awareness of and a care for the common good above individual desires, a common good that is so strong that it cannot be torn by the evils of war. Help us all to be people who seek peace and pursue. We trust you O Lord, because of your love for us poured out in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus who is our peace. Amen.
Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
you, the Almighty have done great things for me
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
to remember the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our forebears,
to Abraham and his children forever.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
BENEDICTION
Portions from Sundays&Seasons.com under license # SAS016761 and from the Book of Common Prayer, public domain.
