Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Exodus 1:8—2:10
Pharaoh orders the drowning of Hebrew boys, but Moses is spared.
Psalm 124
Were the Lord not on our side, the water would have consumed us.
Complementary
Isaiah 51:1–6
Look to the rock from which you were hewed; God will deliver.
Psalm 138
I sing your praise, O Lord; do not forsake the work of your hands.
Romans 12:1–8
Offer yourselves to God as a living sacrifice; one body, many gifts.
Matthew 16:13–20
Who is Jesus? Peter answers: You are the Messiah, the Son of God.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Let [church or community name] say,
If the Lord had not been on our side,
where would we be?
Prayer of the Day
Son of God, Son of Man,
you offered your body on the cross.
Help us to offer our bodies
as a living sacrifice of thanksgiving,
that we may be transformed
and reformed by your word,
in the name of our Sovereign Lord,
Christ Jesus. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving For Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the grace that is at work in us
through the gift of our baptism—
the sign of your threefold name,
the communion of your faithful people,
the promise of your glorious realm.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let your grace and peace grow in us,
until we gather at your heavenly throne
to give you thanks and praise forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
We seek the will of God,
but still find ourselves conformed to this world,
instead of being transformed into God’s image.
Let us seek forgiveness
for the ways we have turned away from justice and mercy.
Almighty God,
When faced with earthly powers that seem overwhelming,
we crumble.
We fear this world.
We fear losing our status, our stability, our station
more than we fear you.
Forgive our shortcomings
and teach us to trust in you
when we take a risk for what we know is right.
Lifting water from the font:
If God was not on our side,
we could not stand in the judgment.
But God is with us, steadfast and faithful,
as we seek to live in peace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Faithful God, how blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Sanctify us by your Word and Spirit
so that we may glorify you
in the company of the faithful;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
After the readings:
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God.
Deuteronomy 6:6
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
To the Lord our God, Alpha and Omega,
be all glory and honor forever. Amen.
Revelation 21:6
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
The life, death, resurrection,
and promised coming of Jesus Christ
has set the pattern for the church’s mission.
His human life involves the church
in the common life of all people.
His service to men and women
commits the church
to work for every form of human well-being.
His suffering makes the church sensitive
to all human suffering
so that it sees the face of Christ
in the faces of persons in every kind of need.
His crucifixion discloses to the church
God’s judgment on the inhumanity
that marks human relations,
and the awful consequences
of the church’s own complicity in injustice.
In the power of the risen Christ
and the hope of his coming,
the church sees the promise
of God’s renewal of human life in society
and of God’s victory over all wrong.
The church follows this pattern
in the form of its life
and in the method of its action.
So to live and serve
is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33
Prayers of Intercession
With one mind in Christ, and one heart in the Spirit,
let us pray to the Lord of heaven and earth.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for the church . . .
Make us one body in Christ, many as we are,
and empower us by the gifts of your Spirit
to live in faith and seek your will in the world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for the earth . . .
Do not let the rising waters overwhelm us.
Help us to escape from the trap we have made,
and to seek the healing of your creation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for all nations . . .
Let the leaders of the nations learn from you
to have regard for the poor and lowly
and to deliver them from their trouble.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for this community . . .
Give rest to those whose work seems endless.
Hear the cries of those who are oppressed,
who endure harsh treatment and hard labor.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for loved ones . . .
Protect children who are in jeopardy;
encourage those who struggle against evil;
sustain those whose work is to care for others.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Enable us, O God, by the power of your Spirit,
to live our lives in a way that is worthy of the gospel,
to the glory of the name that is above all names,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Philippians 1:27, 2:5, 9–11, 13
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
to present yourselves as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Romans 12:1
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
Merciful and gracious God,
you abound in steadfast love and faithfulness.
With gratitude, we bring our gifts to you.
Bless these gifts and bless our lives
that together we may share your mercy and grace
for the world you dearly love. Amen.
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
We give thanks to you with our whole hearts, O Lord,
for you draw us up out of danger and death;
you stretch out your hand to deliver us from evil.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Jesus is the Messiah, the one you sent to save us.
He came to build his church among us,
and to give us the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Receive our lives as a living sacrifice of praise to you.
Renew and transform us according to your will,
and teach us to use your gifts of grace for good.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
God of glory, in this holy feast
you have made us one with Christ
and with that great multitude of the faithful—
those who hunger and thirst no more
and worship night and day in your temple.
Lead us in the paths of righteousness
and guide us to the springs of the water of life,
until we join the choir of the redeemed,
singing: Salvation belongs to our God
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The blessing of the one God—
Spirit, Son, and Father—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Ephesians 4:4–6
Lead a life worthy of your calling,
giving glory to God in all things. Amen.
Ephesians 4:1
“Christ Gives the Keys to the Kingdom to Peter”
Bertel Thorvaldsen, ca. 1817–1818
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
-
Lift Every Voice and Sing (Os) LIFT EVERY VOICE GTG 339
-
Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty (Oc) UNSER HERRSCHER GTG 403
-
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name! (G) CORONATION GTG 263
-
Men of Faith, Rise Up and Sing (EG) SMITH GTG 319
WORD
-
To Abraham and Sarah (Oc) LLANFYLLIN GTG 51
-
Comfort, Comfort Now My People (Oc) GENEVAN 42 GTG 87
-
At the Name of Jesus (G) KING’S WESTON GTG 264
-
I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me (E) I’M GONNA LIVE GTG 700
-
Somos el cuerpo de Cristo / We Are the Body of Christ (E) SOMOS EL CUERPO DE CRISTO GTG 768
-
Is Your All on the Altar (E) YOUR ALL AAHH 393, OLOF 181
-
Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song (E) BRIDEGROOM GTG 285
-
Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said (G) BOURBON GTG 718
-
Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive (G) DETROIT GTG 444
-
Upon This Rock (G) UPON THIS ROCK OLOF 590
EUCHARIST
-
One Bread, One Body (E) ONE BREAD, ONE BODY GTG 530
-
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me (Oc) TOPLADY GTG 438
-
Brethren, We Have Met to Worship (Os) HOLY MANNA GTG 396
-
This Is the Feast of Victory (G) FESTIVAL CANTICLE GTG 513
-
Look Who Gathers at Christ’s Table! (E) COPELAND GTG 506
-
We Lift Our Voices (E) OFFERING GTG 710
-
We Are One in Christ Jesus (E) SOMOS UNO GTG 322
-
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song (G) LES PETITES SOEURS GTG 737
-
Where Charity and Love Prevail (E) TWENTY-FOURTH GTG 316
-
I Am the Bread of Life (G) I AM THE BREAD GTG 522, LUYH 842
SENDING
-
May the God of Hope Go with Us (OsOc) ARGENTINA GTG 765
-
Since Our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus (G) ALL SAINTS GTG 262
-
Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen (E) SURGE ECCLESIA GTG 536
-
In the Midst of New Dimensions (E) NEW DIMENSIONS GTG 315
-
Go with Us, Lord (E) TALLIS’ CANON GTG 748
-
Lead On, O King Eternal! (G) LANCASHIRE GTG 269
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 124
Metrical
- Our Help Is in the Name of God [OLD 124TH]; GTG 330; PAS 124A
- Our Help; PAS 124B, LUYH 497
Responsorial
- Our Help; PSA 128
- Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord; PAS 124C
Psalm 138
Metrical
- With Grateful Heart My Thanks I Bring [ST. PETERSBURG]; GTG 334
- With All My Heart I Thank You, Lord [GENEVAN 138]; PAS 138C, LUYH 323
Responsorial
- Let Every Voice Give Praise; PP 276
- Rulers of All the Earth; PSA 141
Organ Music
-
“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come,” Come, Ye Thankful People: Easy Organ Music for Thanksgiving, Douglas E. Wagner, LOR (E)
-
“He Comes to Us as One Unknown,” God of the World: Hymn Tunes from Many Nations, Edwin T. Childs, AF (M)
-
“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow,” OLD HUNDREDTH, Augsburg Organ Library: November, John Ferguson, AF (M)
-
“Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 41, No. 1,” The Practical Organist: 50 Short Works for Church Services, Alexandre Guilmant, DP (M)
Piano Music
-
“Novelette No. 1 in C Major,” Three Novelettes for Piano, Francis Poulenc, Chester Music (M)
-
“Prelude in C Major, Op. 34, No. 1,” 24 Preludes, Op. 34, Dmitri Shostakovich, International Music Company (M)
-
“Un poco allegro, Op. 20, No. 1,” Excursions, Op. 20, Samuel Barber, GSH (A)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
-
“Take My Life and Let It Be,” Brian L. Hanson, CGA, SATB, pno, opt vln (E)
-
“Built on the Rock,” Michael Burkhardt, MSM, SATB, org, tpt, hb (E)
-
“Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation,” Jeremy Bankston, MSM, SATB, org (ME)
-
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Michael Larkin, MSM, SATB, pno (ME)
-
“Many Gifts, One Spirit,” Allen Pote, TPR, SATB, pno (ME)
-
“Tu es Petrus,” Maurice Duruflé, DSE, SATB, acap (A)
Vocal Solos
-
“Don’t You Let Nobody Turn You ’Round,” Songs for Voice and Piano, Lena McLin, KJO, high/medium (ME)
-
“The Power of Your Love,” Geoff Bullock, Musescore.com, low (E)
-
“Heal Our Land,” Pepper Choplin, SMP, medium, solo or duet (ME)
Art
-
Shiphrah, Puah, Jocheved, Miriam, Pharoah’s Daughter, and the infant Moses, Dura-Europos Synagogue, ca. 245 (VDL)
-
The Finding of Moses, Nicolas Poussin, 1647 (VCS)
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The Finding of Moses, British, 17th cent. (PD)
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Messiah, Timothy Botts, 2016 (EYE)
