An Ancient-Future Faith Community Liturgy October 3, 2021 (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

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An Ancient-Future Faith Community

Liturgy

October 3, 2021 (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost) GATHERING

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory above the heavens.

From the praises of children and infants You have established a stronghold, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider the heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

What are we, that You are mindful of us and that You care for us?

Yet You have made us a little lower than the angels, crowned us with glory and honor,

and given us dominion over the works of Your hands.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

– from Psalm 8

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God Is Alive

Sing to the Lord, sing out a song;

Tell of His wonders and glory,

For God is alive. And God is at work in the earth;

God is alive. And God is at work in the earth.

So praise Him, you heavens, all heavens above;

Let creation sing out a song.

God is alive. And God is at work in the earth.

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah. (repeat) Oh, and I must praise God, and I must praise God, And I must praise God.

God, as I listen and hear of Your fame, I see Your works today,

God is alive. God is at work in the earth. Sing – Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah. (repeat) Oh, and I must praise God, and I must praise God, And I must praise God. Praise God.

PRAYERS OF ADORATION,INVOCATION AND THANKS

Calling on our Father God, in the Name of Jesus, inspired by the Spirit

All Creatures of Our God and King Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship Him in humbleness: O praise Him! Alleluia!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One.

O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Text: St. Francis of Assisi, c. 1225; transl. William H. Draper, 1919. Music: Geistliche Kirchengesänge, Cologne, 1623; hymn tune: LASST UNS ERFREUEN.

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PROFESSION OF FAITH

Let us together profess the faith of the church of all ages in these words from the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians:

God has given us life –

we who were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked,

following the course of this world;

we who were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of humankind.

But God, being rich in mercy,

because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ;

And He raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him

in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come

He might show the immeasurable riches

of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace we have been saved through faith;

and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works so that no one may boast.

For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them.

– Ephesians 2:1-10

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PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

Thus says the high and exalted One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place, and with the contrite and lowly of spirit, in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” – Isaiah 57:15

For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly,

but the proud He knows from afar. – Psalm 138:6

“These are the ones I look on with favor,” says the LORD, “those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.”

– Isaiah 66:2

[Silence]

Merciful God,

we confess that we have done things we regret . . . that we have failed to do what we ought . . . that we have acted without love . . .

that we have reacted without thought . . . that we have failed to forgive . . .

that we have not fully walked in Your ways . . .

Be gracious to us, and hear our prayer.

Accomplish in us the work of Your salvation, that we may walk as Your people of hope

and show forth Your ways, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

O Lord, Hear My Prayer

O Lord hear my prayer, O Lord hear my prayer, When I call answer me.

O Lord hear my prayer, O Lord hear my prayer, Come and listen to me.

The Lord is my song, the Lord is my praise;

All my hope comes from God.

The Lord is my song, the Lord is my praise;

God, the well-spring of life.

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ASSURANCE OF PARDON

The word of the Lord, His faithful and true promise:

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD. Look to the Rock from which you were hewn.

For the LORD will comfort His people; joy and gladness will be found in them, thanksgiving and the voice of song. And His justice will be a light to the peoples: His salvation will be forever, and His deliverance will never be ended. – from Isaiah 51:1-6

Thanks be to God!

TIME OF OFFERING

Words and prayers of thanksgiving and praise

Great Are You, Lord

You give life; You are love.

You bring light to the darkness.

You give hope; You restore Every heart that is broken.

And great are You, Lord.

It’s Your breath in our lungs;

So we pour out our praise, We pour out our praise.

It’s Your breath in our lungs;

So we pour out our praise to You only.

And all the earth will shout Your praise.

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing,

“Great are You, Lord!”

THE WORD

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 Psalm 26

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THE TABLE

Remembering the Body of Christ

The Lord be with you!

And also with you!

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again!

The Lord’s Prayer (sung)

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heav’n.

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.

Yet I Will Praise You

Verse 1

I will praise You, Lord, my God;

Even in my brokenness I will praise You, Lord.

I will praise You, Lord. my God;

Even in my desperation I will praise You, Lord.

And I can't understand all that You allow, I just can't see the reason.

But my life is in Your hands,

And though I cannot see You, I choose to trust You.

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Even when my heart is torn, I will praise You, Lord.

Even when I feel deserted, I will praise You, Lord.

Even in the darkest valley, I will praise You, Lord.

And when my world is shatter'd, and it seems all hope is gone Yet I will praise You, Lord.

I will trust You, Lord, my God;

Even in my loneliness I will trust You, Lord.

I will trust You, Lord, my God;

Even when I cannot hear You I will trust You, Lord.

And I will not forget that You hung on a cross, Lord, You bled and died for me.

And if I have to suffer I know that You've been there, And I know that You're here now.

Even when my heart is torn I will trust You, Lord.

Even when I feel deserted I will trust You, Lord.

Even in the darkest valley I will trust You, Lord.

And when my world is shatter'd, and it seems all hope is gone, Yet I will praise You, Lord.

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be Your name, when I'm found in the desert place;

Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering;

Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.

SENDING FORTH

The Life of the Body

God Is Alive (reprise)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah. (repeat) Oh, and I must praise God, and I must praise God, And I must praise God. Praise God.

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Benediction:

Grant to us, Lord Jesus, our Brother,

to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which pleases You most, to dislike whatever is evil in Your eyes, and to sit apart from that which is opposed to the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Grant us true judgment to distinguish things that differ, to understand when to sit and when to stand,

knowing that we have been set apart by You,

and above all to search out and do what is well pleasing to You, who along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit

be honor and glory forever.

Amen. Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

A thought about worship from the Ancient Fathers – “Is there genuine peace among us and untiring love for others? If we rebuke a fault, is our goal to encourage and not to destroy? Is our correction meant to save and not to be cruel? Do we exercise not only sincere faith towards God, but faithfulness in our social relationships? Do we pity the unfortunate? Do we have simple lives that hate concealing evil behind deceit and hypocrisy? Do we acknowledge the true God and His undivided sovereignty? This is real godliness and sincere, undefiled religion, . . . Those who confess allegiance to God aren't easily enraged. Instead, they stand nobly under the pressure of necessity. Trials that test their loyalty are, in effect, passports to God's favor. For we can't doubt that God is pleased with excellent human conduct. If both powerful and lowly people thank those who have helped them and serve them in return, it would be absurd if the supreme, Sovereign One, who is Good itself, neglected doing likewise. He follows us throughout our lives, is near to us in every one of our good acts, and accepts and rewards our righteousness and obedience. He postpones full compensation, however, until the time when He will review all of the actions of our lives. At that time, those who are clear will receive the reward of everlasting life, while the wicked will experience the penalties they

deserve.” – Eusebius

Image credits – p. 1: J. Michael Orr, Psalm 8:3 #2, contemp.; p. 3: Sarah Hall, Living Cross, contemp. Creative Commons; p. 5: Linda McCray, The True Light, contemp.; p. 6: Daniel Bonnell, Communion Cup.

*Benediction: adapted from a prayer by Thomas à Kempis, 15^th C.

Lectionary for next week: Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Psalm 22:1-15; Amos 5:6-15;

Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31 Epiclesis: An Ancient-Future Faith Community

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Sunday mornings at The Carmichael Chapel, 4600 Winding Way (Corner of Winding Way and Pasadena), Sacramento, CA 95841.

Informal gathering: 10:00 AM; Worship at 10:30 AM.