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
Forty days and forty nights You spent fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights Tempted, and yet unbeguiled.
Shall we not your vigil share, And from selfish joys abstain,
Fasting with unceasing prayer, life and freedom to sustain?
When our greed and selfishness thwart our loving or assail,
Victor in the wilderness, Help us not to faint or fail.
May your peace and strength be ours That your goodness we may see;
Send us those angelic pow’rs Who acclaimed your victory.
Guard and keep us Savior dear, Ever constant by your side,
that with you we may appear At the-eternal Eastertide. Amen!
Text: GH Smyttan (1822-1870) alt. Tune: HEINLEIN 7.7.7.7.
Psalmody
Antiphon/Refrain
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Psalm 23/24a
For yours is the earth and its fullness the world and all its peoples.
It is you who set it on the seas, on the waters you made it firm.
Who shall climb your mountain Adonai and stand in your holy place?
Those with clean hands and pure hearts who desire no worthless thing.
They shall receive blessings from your Love and reward from your saving Presence.
Such are the people who seek you, who seek the God of Jacob.
READING Isaiah 1: 18-20
Come now, let us argue it out, says ADONAI:
though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient, you shall feast on the good things of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel, your actions will lead to destruction by the sword:
the mouth of ADONAI has spoken!
.
Responsory
R. If only my people would listen, and follow my ways, * I would feed them with finest wheat and with honey from the rock. V. Your promise Adonai! How sweet to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. * I would feed them with finest wheat and with honey from the rock. V. Glory to the Abba, and the Word and the Breath of Love.
Canticle of Zachariah
Antiphon
O Lord, teach us to pray that we may call God our Abba.
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
O Lord, teach us to pray that we may call God our Abba.
Litany of Intercession
When we hallow your Name in prayer but use it to justify religious or racial hatred… ~ Forgive us O God.
When we pray that your will be done on Earth but treat creation as nothing more than a resource to be used and discarded … ~ Forgive us O God.
When we ask you for our daily bread but refuse to share what we have been given with those who are hungry or in need… ~ Forgive us O God.
When we ask forgiveness but refuse to forgive others… ~ Forgive us O God.
When we ask you to help us in time of temptation but spend hours shopping for what we do not need … ~ Forgive us O God.
When we ask you to deliver us from evil but do little that is good for ourselves, our neighbors, or creation… ~ Forgive us O God.
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.