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Sunday Prayers @ Home – February 21 2021

February 16, 2021 By Rev. Dr. Sean Davidson

INTRODUCTION

Good morning everyone. Below you will find a service of Morning Prayer that includes readings, prayers, and music. We are living through unprecedented times, and there are many ongoing challenges, but we have an amazing opportunity to take up new practices of reading, singing, and praying in our own homes. We are not alone in this. God is in our midst, leading us through.

Instructions: If you are in a group, choose someone to lead (unbolded parts) and the rest will respond in unison (bolded parts). You may want to divide up responsibilities for the prayers and readings. Notice too that I’ve included music selections with lyrics. This is entirely optional, but if it suits you, please feel free to sing along. Many blessings in your time of worship. – Pastor Sean+

THE PENITENTIAL RITE

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found, call upon him when
he draws near; let the wicked forsake their ways, and the evil
ones their thoughts; and let them return to the Lord, and he
will have compassion, and to our God, for he will richly
pardon. Isaiah 55.6, 7

Let us confess our sins
against God and our neighbour.
 
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy upon us,
pardon and deliver us from all of our sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES

Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

THE INVITATORY

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: O come, let us worship.

 Come, let us sing to the Lord; 
 let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving 
 and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
 For the Lord is a great God, 
 and a great king above all gods.
 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, 
 and the heights of the hills are his also.
 The sea is his for he made it, 
 and his hands have moulded the dry land.
 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
 and kneel before the Lord our maker.
 For he is our God,
 and we are the people of his pasture and the
 sheep of his hand.
 Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: O come, let us worship.    

SONG – Steadfast (Sandra McCracken)

 I will build my house
 Whether storm or drought
 On the rock that does not move
 I will set my hope
 In Your love O Lord
 And Your faithfulness will prove

 You are steadfast steadfast

 By the word You spoke
 All the starry host
 Are called out by name each night
 In Your watchful care
 I will rest secure
 As you lead us with Your light

 I will not trust in the strength of kings
 On Your promise I will stand
 I will shout for joy I will raise my voice
 Hallelujah to the Lamb
 In the moment of emptiness all was fulfilled

 In the hour of darkness Your light was revealed
 In the presence of death Your life was affirmed
 In the absence of holiness You are still God  

THE PSALMS

PSALM 25

 In you, Lord my God,
     I put my trust.
 I trust in you;
     do not let me be put to shame,
     nor let my enemies triumph over me.
 No one who hopes in you
     will ever be put to shame,
 but shame will come on those
     who are treacherous without cause.
 Show me your ways, Lord,
     teach me your paths.
 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
     for you are God my Savior,
     and my hope is in you all day long.
 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
     for they are from of old.
 Do not remember the sins of my youth
     and my rebellious ways;
 according to your love remember me,
     for you, Lord, are good.
 Good and upright is the Lord;
     therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
 He guides the humble in what is right
     and teaches them his way.
 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
     toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.  

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.
Amen.

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

FIRST READING

A reading from Genesis, chapter 9, beginning at verse 8.

 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” 17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.” 
 
The word of the Lord. / Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING

A reading from 1 Peter, chapter 3, beginning at verse 18.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.  

The Word of the Lord / Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL SONG – O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (Lowana Wallace)

 Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
 Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
 Rolling as a mighty ocean
 In its fullness over me

 Underneath me, all around me
 Is the current of your love
 Leading onward, leading homeward
 To your glorious rest above

 Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus
 'Tis heaven of heavens to me
 And it lifts me up to glory
 For it lifts me up to thee

 Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus
 Spread his praise from shore to shore
 How he loves us, ever loves us,
 Changes never, nevermore    

GOSPEL READING

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark, chapter 1, beginning at verse 9. / Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”  

The Gospel of Christ. / Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

BIBLE STUDY FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL GROUPS

Have a look at the questions below. They are deigned to help you make the most of the Gospel reading. There’s no need to answer every question. Draw on them as they seem helpful for your reflection and/or discussion. The hope by the end is that our reading and meditating will turn naturally to prayer.

READING

  • Return to the Gospel and read it again
  • What stands out for you? What are your impressions? Try to isolate a moment, image, theme, phrase or word that feels important. Write it down. Take some time to reflect. Give yourself freedom to wonder.

REFLECTING

  • Imagine yourself in the story. Look around. What can you see? What can you hear?  Who are the main characters? What do they look like? How do they sound?
  • Where is Jesus in the story? How do the other characters relate to him? Who do they think he is?
  • What is happening for you? What are you thinking and feeling? Where do you find yourself in the story? Which characters do you find easiest to relate to?
  • Read the Gospel again.
  • The word “Gospel” means “good news.” What makes this passage of scripture good news?

RESPONDING

  • We believe that God speaks into our lives and reveals himself to us through scripture. What could God be saying through our readings for this morning? How is he making himself known to you? 
  • God not only speaks and reveals himself, but he invites us to respond to him. Are there parts of our readings you’d like to turn back to God in prayer? Is there something you’d like to celebrate? Something to confess? Something to ask for? Something to rest in?
  • When you think about your life in connection with our readings is there something you’d like to start doing? Stop doing? Continue doing?

SONG – Rest in You (All Sons & Daughters)

 Who is Lord but our Lord
 Who is God only God
 You are the highest
 You are most good
  
 Matchless is Your love
 Our praise will rise above
 Your peace like a river
 Floods over us
  
 Our hearts are restless until they find rest in You
 Our hearts are restless until they find rest in You
 This is where my hope lies
 This is where my souls sighs
 And I will always find my rest in You
 So full of mercy
 Beauty and mystery
 You are most hidden
 But always with us
  
 You cannot change yet You change ev'rything 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

Let us confess our faith as we say,

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

INTERCESSIONS & THANKSGIVINGS

 Almighty God,
 give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
 cleanse and deliver us from our sins,
 confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
 and bring us into the way that leads to life;
 through him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For peace from on high and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world,
for the welfare of the holy Church of God,
and for the unity of all,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For bishop David,
and for all clergy and people,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For Elizabeth our Queen,
for the leaders of the nations,
and for all in authority,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this place where we live,
for every city and community,
and for those who live in them in faith,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For all who are affected by coronavirus,
through illness or isolation or anxiety,
that they may find relief and recovery,
let us pray to the Lord,
Lord, have mercy.

For our own needs and the needs of others,
for the lonely, the sick and the suffering … (we pray now for those in need, whether aloud or quietly in our own hearts ...)

Together we pray, Lord have mercy

Remembering all the saints,
we commit ourselves, one another,
and our whole life to Christ our God.
To thee, O Lord.

O Lord our God, 
you call us in the depths of our being: 
open our ears to your call, 
open our hearts to your love, 
open our minds to your will, 
that we may know you and give ourselves 
fully in your service, 
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE COLLECT

 Almighty God,
 whose Son fasted forty days in the wilderness,
 and was tempted as we are but did not sin,
 give us grace to discipline ourselves
 in submission to your Spirit,
 that as you know our weakness,
 so we may know your power to save;
 through Jesus Christ our Lord,
 who lives and reigns with you. Amen        

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, let us pray with confidence as our Savior taught us,
 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

SONG – Your Grace Is Enough (Matt Maher)

 Great is Your faithfulness O God
 You wrestle with the sinner's restless heart
 You lead us by still waters into mercy
 And nothing can keep us apart
  
 Remember Your people
 Remember Your children
 Remember Your promise O God
  
 Your grace is enough
 Your grace is enough
 Your grace is enough for me
  
 Great is Your love and justice God of Jacob
 You use the weak to lead the strong
 You lead us in the song of Your salvation
 And all Your people sing along
  
 Your grace is enough
 Heaven reaches out to us
 Your grace is enough for me
 God I sing Your grace is enough
 I'm covered in Your love
 Your grace is enough for me for me  

DISMISSAL

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, evermore. Amen.
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