Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Invitation to Worship
Come, let us return to Adonai our God–
our God who is gracious and merciful.
O Holy One,+ open my lips.
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
This is the acceptable time-
~This the day of salvation!
Morning Hymn for Lent
O God of Faith, by you we live, Unfailing is the Hope you give:
True Charity from you now springs and in this praise to Jesus sings.
Led forth beneath the morning skies, A lamb prepared for sacrifice;
The cross he carried on the way, Who bears the sheep that go astray.
May his redemption set us free To follow wheresoe’er he lead.
Until he brings us home to be With You, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Text: Dei Fide, Qua Vivimus (9th cent), tr. Gethsemani (1970) alt. Tune: NEW CREATION Mode 1
Psalmody
Antiphon/Refrain
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
Psalm 32/33
Shout joy to the HOLY ONE, O you just,
Those who love cannot help but sing praise.
Give thanks plucking strings of your harp,
On a lute with ten strings sing your psalms.
O sing a song that is new,
Play loudly with the best of your skill.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
For the Word of the Creator is Truth,
And all creation reflects Its Beauty.
This Lover of justice and truth
Fills the Earth with great love.
With a Word, the heavens are made,
With a Breath, all the stars appear;
The waves of the sea are collected
And stored as a treasure in the deep.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
May all peoples be astounded,
All on earth stand in wonder and awe!
When Love speaks, creation is freed;
All that is– springs into being.
To plan without Love leads to nothing;
Such designs will crumble and fall.
Love’s design will stand forever,
The plans of Compassion for ages.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
How happy the nations who listen;
The peoples who respond to this love.
For God-Love holds all things together
While guarding the children of Earth;
Preparing all things from eternity,
Ready to share all we need;
Into our hands and our hearts
Bestowing what makes us free.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
A nation is not saved by its army
A general not saved by his strength;
Weapons –mere outward expressions
Of greed in fearful hearts.
None of this leads to safety,
This kind of power cannot save.
But God’s love is always at hand
For those whose hearts are open,
To rescue their lives from destruction
To feed them in times of famine.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
Our whole being is waiting for God
Whose love is both help and shield.
Our hearts rejoice in this wonder,
We trust in the NAME of the Holy One.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore, Amen.
May your Love be upon us Adonai,
as we place all our hope in you.
READING Zechariah 12:10-11
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a first-born. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be great.
Responsory
R. But I, if I be lifted up, will draw all peoples to myself. V. These words he said to indicate the death that he would die. V. Believe in the light and you will become children of light.
Gospel Canticle
Antiphon
I am going away and you will look for me.
But where I am going you cannot come.
Canticle of Zachariah
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To Guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
I am going away and you will look for me.
But where I am going you cannot come.
Litany of Intercession
You call us from living by worldly values;
~ teach us the values of the Reign of Heaven.
You call us from selfishness and greed;
~ teach us the values of compassion and generosity.
You call us from elitism and exclusivism;
~ teach us the values of equality and solidarity.
You call us from rivalry and domination;
~teach us the values of cooperation and loving service.
You call us from segregation and isolation;
~teach us the values of inclusion and hospitality.
You call us from waste and destruction;
~ teach us the values of stewardship and restoration.
You call us from obsessions with speed and convenience;
~teach us the values of patience and persistence.
You call us from frenzy and worry;
~ teach us the values of serenity and peace.
Prayer of Jesus
Abba in Heaven, holy is your Name!
May your reign of love come and your way of loving be lived on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us no more than the bread we need for today. Forgive us our sins as we forgive all those who have harmed or wronged us. Keep us free in times of temptation and protect us from evil. For yours is the glory and power of love, both now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
May the Spirit of God + kindle in our hearts the love of God and neighbor that is the fulfillment of the law. ~Amen
Let us bless the world with peace. ~And give thanks to God.