Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Deuteronomy 34:1–12
After seeing the promised land from Mount Nebo, Moses dies.
Psalm 90:1–6, 13–17
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Complementary
Leviticus 19:1–2, 15–18
Be holy, as the Lord is holy; love your neighbor as yourself.
Psalm 1
Happy are those who delight in the law of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 2:1–8
We came to you to share the gospel; we also share ourselves.
Matthew 22:34–46
Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
God speaks to us:
You shall be holy,
for I am holy.
You shall not hate,
but love your neighbor as yourself.
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:
God watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
We have righteousness within us,
but we also have wickedness.
Therefore, let us confess.
God of love,
your commandments are so simple:
love God, love neighbor, love self.
Yet we cannot always muster that love.
Love for you seems too abstract and distant.
Love for our neighbors seems too impractical and draining.
Love for ourselves seems too impossible and unimportant.
But you are truly the God of love;
if there is anyone who can help us love,
it is you.
Shower us with your love
so we might have the greatest example,
and help us learn from you.
Lifting water from the font:
It is true: we are beloved of God.
The God who loves us does not condemn us.
We will live in the glory of God’s love!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Sovereign God, let your Word rule in our hearts
and your Spirit govern our lives
until at last we see the fulfillment
of your realm of justice and peace;
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
Our shepherd satisfies our needs;
in faith, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for the church . . .
Entrust to us the message of your gospel,
so that we may share your good news
through simple kindness and tender words.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for the earth . . .
How long, O Lord, will your creation suffer?
Let the work of our hands be a blessing,
not a curse, to the world you have made.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for all nations . . .
Lift up leaders who delight in your law,
and people who rejoice in what is right.
Let them prosper, like trees bearing good fruit.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for this community . . .
By your wisdom, show us what it means
to live according to your justice and mercy,
and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for loved ones . . .
Bless and keep your faithful servants
who have come at last to their life’s end;
give them a clear vision of your promised land.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving shepherd, lead and guide us—
in green pastures and by still waters,
in right paths and through dark valleys,
until we feast with you in glory
and dwell in your house forever;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Psalm 23
— 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:
God of the harvest,
you are continually planting the seeds of your love
in our world and in our lives.
As we bring our gifts to you,
may they be seeds of your grace, peace, and hope,
planted deeply in our community. 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:
You are our dwelling place in every generation;
you satisfy us each day with steadfast love
and bless the work of our hands.
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 teaches us the essence of your law—
to love you with all of our being
and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
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.
Grant us the gentleness and love of Christ
as we seek to nurse and nurture your children.
Help us to care for those who are so dear to you.
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:
Blessed are you, O Lord our God,
creator and ruler of the universe,
for you have satisfied our souls
with this feast of your grace.
Keep us faithful in your service
until your realm of glory comes;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The blessing of the holy, triune God,
who was and is and is to come—
first and last,
beginning and end,
Alpha and Omega—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Revelation 1:8
Go in peace to love the Lord your God
with heart and soul and mind and strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.
Mark 12:29–31
“Sharing Communion”
Abidjan, 20th Century
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- The God of Abraham Praise (O) LEONI GTG 49, PH 488
- When Israel Was Going Forth (O) PISGAH GTG 58
- Like a Mother Who Has Borne Us (EG) AUSTIN GTG 44
- Make Me a Servant (OE) MAKE ME A SERVANT STF 2176
WORD
- Love the Lord Your God (G) GREAT COMMANDMENT GTG 62
- Praise God for This Holy Ground (O) HEYMONYSTRAAT GTG 405
- Jesus, Lover of My Soul (G) ABERYSTWYTH GTG 440, PH 303
- O God of Love (OG) DHYRIAM STB 63
EUCHARIST
- God of the Sparrow (O) ROEDER GTG 22, PH 272
- Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (OG) CHEREPONI GTG 203, PH 367
- For the Life That You Have Given (G) PLEADING SAVIOR GTG 717
- On Jordan’s Stormy Banks (OE) EVERGREEN SHORE SON 886
SENDING
- Lord, Make Us More Holy (O) LORD, MAKE US MORE HOLY GTG 313, PH 536
- Brethren, We Have Met to Worship (G) HOLY MANNA GTG 396
- Help Us Accept Each Other (O) BARONITA GTG 754, PH 358
- God Is There (OE) ABBOT’S LEIGH Sing No Empty Alleluias, Chris Shelton, GIA
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 90:1–6, 13–17
Metrical
- Our (O) God, Our Help in Ages Past [ST. ANNE]; GTG 687, PH 210, PAS 90B, LUYH 405, SSS 41
- God Everlasting, at Your Word [ST. MAGNUS]; PAS 90A
- Wildflowers Bloom and Fade [INCARNATION]; PAS 90D, LUYH 403
Responsorial
- Teach Us to Know the Shortness of Our Days; PAS 90C, PSA 84
- May the Gracious Care; PAS 90E, PND 26
- In Every Age, O Lord, You Have Been Our Refuge (Gelineau); PSA 83
Psalm 1
Metrical
- How Happy Are the Saints of God [WAREHAM]; GTG 457
- Happy Is the One [BENEDICTUS PRIMUS]; PAS 1F, LUYH 712
- The One Is Blessed [WINCHESTER OLD, DUNFERMLINE]; PAS 1A, LUYH 714, PH 158, PP 5 (with refrain)
- Happy Are They Who Walk in God’s Wise Way [SRI LAMPANG]; PAS 1C
- This Is the First of Songs [LES COMMANDEMENTS DE DIEU]; SP 1
- Feliz el pueblo / How Blest the People [FELIZ EL HOMBRE]; SSS 274
Responsorial
- Feliz será / How Blest They Are [FELIZ EL HOMBRE]; PAS 1E
- Happy Are They Who Trust; PAS 1B, SSS 567–568
- Happy Are They Who Delight; PSA 1
Organ Music
- “O God Beyond All Praising,” THAXTED, Augsburg Organ Library: Autumn, Robert Buckley Farlee, AF (ME)
- “Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart,” BWV 1115, Neumeister Chorales, J. S. Bach, public domain (M)
- “Fuga in C Major,” BuxWV 174, Dietrich Buxtehude, public domain (M)
- “Variations on ‘Kum Ba Yah,’” John Behnke, MSM (E)
- “A Mighty Fortress,” Charles W. Ore, CON (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “To Love Our God,” Mark Hayes, HIN, SATB, keybd (MA)
- “Love to the Lord,” Gilbert Martin, HIN, SATB, keybd (M)
- “Love the Lord,” John Leavitt, AF, SATB, fl (M)
- “Psalm 1,” Michael Burkhardt, MSM, uni, keybd (E)
- “Psalm 1,” Mark Hayes, BP, SATB, keybd (M)
- “Alleluia, Song of Gladness,” Michael Costello, MSM, SATB, org, brass qrt, timp (ME)
- “Lift Thine Eyes,” from Elijah, Felix Mendelssohn, Theodore Presser, SSA (M)
- “I Lift My Eyes,” Bob Chilcott, OUP, SSAA, pno (M)
- “Lord, You Have Been Our Dwelling Place,” Lloyd Larson, Providence Press, SATB, keybd (M)
Handbell Music
- “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place,” Kevin McChesney, 3–5 oct, CGA, CGB253, Level 3
- “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” Hart Morris, 3–5 oct, opt 2 oct hc, RRM, RRHB0055, Level 4
- “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love,” Michael Helman, 3–5 oct, AF, AU1111025, Level 3
Art
- Love, Anneke Kaai (AK)
- Love is the Most Ancient Law, Jan Richardson (JR)
- Peace, Justice, Unity, Public Art Squad, Sydney, Australia, 1984 (VDL)
- The Two Commandments, Jan Richardson (JR)
