Lectionary Readings
Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10
Ezra reads God’s law to the people; they weep to hear God’s words.
Psalm 19
The heavens tell God’s glory; the law of the Lord is perfect.
1 Corinthians 12:12–31a
Christ’s body has many different members; in the Spirit we are one.
Luke 4:14–21
Jesus reads from Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
We praise you, God, for the diversity of your body.
By God’s Spirit, we are one.
From diverse backgrounds and diverse places,
by God’s Spirit, we are one.
From diverse cultures and diverse generations,
by God’s Spirit, we are one.
From diverse questions and diverse dreams,
by God’s Spirit, we are one.
We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate our unity.
By God’s Spirit, we are one. Hallelujah!
Prayer of the Day
God of jubilee,
in Jesus Christ you are always bringing
good news to the poor
and liberty for the captives.
You grant sight for the blind
and freedom for the oppressed.
You declare the year of holy favor.
Help us this day as we, your people, gather,
to hold this vision of jubilee.
Teach us this day to both receive and embody
the fullness of your Spirit’s vision. 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 faith, hope, and love you give to us
through the blessing of our baptism—
claiming us as your beloved children,
calling us to the path of discipleship,
revealing to us the light of your glory.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
help us to follow you with faith,
to trust in you with hope,
and to serve you with love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
Turning to God and following the light of Christ,
let us in faith confess our sin
and the sins of the world.
Holy God, we confess
that we have wandered from your light.
We follow paths of self-indulgence,
instead of focusing on our need of you.
We passively accept
the suffering of the world,
expecting others to stand up and work
for the change we would like to see.
Lord, in your strength,
renew us and compel us by your invitation
that we may work to pursue
your justice and mercy for all people,
sharing your light in ways great and small.
Lifting water from the font:
May the God of mercy, the Lord of strength,
forgive you all your sins;
and may the Holy Spirit
keep you in new life. Amen.
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Saving God, source of our calling,
your Word is full of power and glory.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
so that we may receive your grace
and live as your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
Listen for the Word of God,
shaking the wilderness.
Psalm 29:8
After the readings:
Powerful and full of majesty
is the voice of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29:4
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
And in the temple of the Lord,
the people of God say: Glory! Amen.
Psalm 29:9
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
God’s sovereign love is a mystery
beyond the reach of the human mind.
Human thought ascribes to God
superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness.
But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ
by showing power in the form of a servant,
wisdom in the folly of the cross,
and goodness in receiving
sinful men and women.
The power of God’s love in Christ
to transform the world
discloses that the Redeemer
is the Lord and Creator
who made all things
to serve the purpose of God’s love.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.15
Prayers of Intercession
Joining our hearts and minds in prayer,
let us call on the name of the Lord,
saying: O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the church . . .
Teach us to be one body in Christ our Lord,
with all the members working together
and striving for the greater gift of love.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the world . . .
Bring good news, release, and freedom
to the poor, captives, and oppressed.
Give new hope and vision to all.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for this community . . .
Lead us, by the wisdom of your Word,
to go forth in mission to our neighbors,
feeding the hungry with the bread of life.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Give us gifts of healing and compassion
to help those who are hurting
and honor those who suffer shame.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
Mighty God, strengthen your people
so that we may live in the world
as those you have chosen and called;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
There is only one Lord and God,
from whom all things come
and for whom we live.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 8:4–6
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
We praise and thank you, Lord God,
for the majesty of your work,
the wisdom of your word,
and the generosity of your grace.
Let the gifts of our lives bear witness
to your goodness and mercy,
your faithfulness and justice,
and your steadfast love for all. Amen.
Psalm 111
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:
The heavens tell your glory, and we cry: Amen!
Your word goes out through all the earth,
bringing life and joy to all.
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:
You anointed Jesus with your Spirit
to bring good news,
set captives free, restore sight,
liberate the oppressed,
and announce the year of your favor.
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.
As members of Christ’s body,
baptized in one Spirit,
teach us to honor and care for one another,
and clothe us all with your grace.
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:
We give you thanks and praise, O God,
that you have fed us with your mercy
and poured out your Spirit in this place.
Continue to nourish and fill us each day,
that we may live as your beloved people;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the blessing of the Lord our God,
the grace of Jesus Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and forever. Alleluia!
Luke 4:18–19
In the name of Jesus,
bring good news to the poor. Amen.
Luke 4:18
Jesus Mural: Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace
Chicago
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Blessed Jesus, At Your Word (OEG) LIEBSTER JESU GTG 395, PH 454
- Open Your Ears, O Faithful People (OG) YISRAEL V’ORAITA GTG 453
- Sound a Mystic Bamboo Song (EG) MYSTIC BAMBOO SONG GTG 323
- Holy Is the Lord (O) Chris Tomlin LUYH 597
WORD
- O Word of God Incarnate (OG) MUNICH GTG 459, PH 327
- Spirit, Open My Heart (OEG) WILD MOUNTAIN THYME GTG 692
- Live Into Hope (G) TRURO GTG 772, PH 332
- We Praise the Word of God (G) WORD OF GOD / David Gambrell VT 404
EUCHARIST
- Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy (OG) CUÉLLAR GTG 594
- Amen, We Praise Your Name (O) AMEN SIAKUDUMISA GTG 598
- We Are One in Christ Jesus (E) SOMOS UNO GTG 322
- Christ Has Broken Down the Wall (E) BROKEN WALLS VT 174
SENDING
- Arise, Your Light Is Come! (OEG) FESTAL SONG GTG 744, PH 411
- We Are One in the Spirit (E) THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS GTG 300
- Listen, God Is Calling (G) NENO LAKE MUNGU GTG 456
- Masithi: Amen (Sing Amen) (O) AMEN SIAKUDUMISA VT 90
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 19
Metrical
- God’s Glory Fills the Heavens [ST. PATRICK, CREATION]; GTG 690, PAS 19B, LUYH 719
- The Stars Declare His Glory [DEERFIELD]; PAS 19A
- Silent Voices [SILENT VOICES]; PAS 19F
Responsorial
- Through the Witness of Creation; PAS 19C
- Lord, You Have the Words of Everlasting Life; PFTS2 44
- Lord, You Have the Words; PP 32
Organ Music
- “Psalm XIX,” Wedding Music, Part 1, Benedetto Marcello, CON (M)
- “LIEBSTER JESU, WIR SIND HIER,” BWV 730, BWV 731, J. S. Bach, IMSLP.org (M)
- “TRURO,” Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing, downloadable, Wilbur Held, MSM (M)
- “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” Sonata Celtica No. 4, Op. 153, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, IMSLP.org (A)
Piano Music
- “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word,” LIEBSTER JESU, The Church Pianist’s Library, vol. 22, Terry Osman, LOR (M)
- “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” LOBE DEN HERREN, 60 Easy Hymn Settings for Piano, Joel Raney, HOPE (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “Sing! Sing! Let Creation Sing!” Rebeca Hogan and Joshua Metzger, Daybreak Music, SATB, keybd (ME)
- “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” Molly Ijames, LOR, SATB, pno (ME)
- “The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Me,” J. William Greene, AF, SATB, org (M)
- “Awake the Harp,” The Creation, Franz Joseph Haydn, public domain, SATB, keybd (M)
- “The Heavens Are Telling,” The Creation, Franz Joseph Haydn, public domain, SATB, keybd (ME)
Art
- Brother Francis and Brother Sun (Frate Francesco e Frate Sole), Giovanni Costa, 1878–85 (VCS)
- Jesus Mural of Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace, mural in Chicago, 20th century (VDL)
- Reading from the Torah, Cara B. Hochhalter, 2019 (VDL)
- Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue, James Tissot, 1886–94 (VDL)
- Baptism into Community, Wayne Forte, 2016 (EYE)
