Lectionary Readings
Jeremiah 31:31–34
God says: I will make a new covenant, writing my law in your heart.
Psalm 46
Though the earth changes and the waters roar, God is our refuge.
Romans 3:19–28
We are justified by the gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
John 8:31–36
Jesus says: You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
God is our refuge and strength:
we will not fear.
Though the earth shakes,
we will not fear.
Though the waters swirl around us,
we will not fear.
Though the nations rise and fight,
we will not fear.
God is our help in the time of trouble:
we will not fear.
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:
Jesus says, If you continue in my word,
you are my disciples; and you will know my truth,
and the truth will make you free.
We try to live in Christ’s truth,
but we still fall short and find ourselves bound.
Let us pursue God’s word
through our confession.
God of the ages,
you have been faithful to us,
but we have not been faithful to you.
You have established covenants with us,
but we have not upheld our part.
We have distorted your word for our own gain.
We have claimed you as exclusively ours.
We have focused on power more than discipleship.
We beg your forgiveness.
Reform us again and make us into the image
of your true church.
Lifting water from the font:
I will forgive their iniquity,
and remember their sin no more,
says the Lord.
The story continues. God is not done with us.
We are forgiven! Thanks be to God!
— 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
“Reading the Bible”
Gerrit Dou, ca. 1645
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- I Bind unto Myself Today (E) ST. PATRICK, DEIRDRE GTG 6
- New Songs of Celebration Render (OE) RENDEZ À DIEU GTG 371, PH 218
- O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (G) AZMON GTG 610, PH 466
- We Will Stand (OG) RESTORATION Sing No Empty Alleluias, Chris Shelton, GIA
WORD
- O God, Who Gives Us Life (O) NOEL GTG 53
- I Believe in God the Father (G) GENEVAN 42 GTG 481
- Spirit, Open My Heart (O) WILD MOUNTAIN THYME GTG 692
- Hark! Wisdom’s Urgent Cry (OG) DIADEMATA IHLC 30
EUCHARIST
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (OEG) HYFRYDOL GTG 366, PH 376
- Break Thou the Bread of Life (G) BREAD OF LIFE GTG 460, PH 329
- You Are My Strength When I Am Weak (G) JERNIGAN GTG 519
- Somos pueblo que camina / We Are People on a Journey (OE) SOMOS PUEBLO SSS 683
SENDING
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (E) EIN’ FESTE BURG GTG 275, PH 260
- The Foolish in Their Hearts Deny (E) MAPLE AVENUE GTG 335
- We Shall Overcome (G) WE SHALL OVERCOME GTG 379
- Hallelujah, ’Tis Done (OEG) African American traditional AAHH 673
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 46
Metrical
- God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength [WINCHESTER OLD]; GTG 329, PH 191
- God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength [NOEL/ GERARD]; PAS 46A, LUYH 432
- Dios es nuestro amparo / God Will Be Our Refuge [AMPARO]; PAS 46B, SSS 290
- God, Our Help and Constant Refuge [MICHAEL]; PAS 46C, PH 192
- With God Our Refuge and Our Strength [ST. PATRICK]; PLP1 46
Responsorial
- God Is Our Help, Refuge, and Strength; GTG 380
- The Lord of Hosts Is with Us; PAS 46D
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God [EIN’ FESTE BURG]; UMH 780
Organ Music
- “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” EIN’ FESTE BURG, Aaron David Miller, AF (M)
- “A Mighty Fortress,” EIN’ FESTE BURG, Hymns of Glory, David Cherwien, MSM (E)
- “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” AZMON, Pedals and Pipes for Preludes and Praise, Steven Scott, LOR (ME)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “God is Our Refuge,” Allen Pote, HOPE, SATB, keybd (M)
- “Grace,” Mark Hayes, BP, SATB, pno (E)
- “Praise His Holy Name,” Keith Hampton, Earthsongs, SATB, pno (M)
- “How Firm a Foundation,” Emma Lou Diemer, HIN, SATB, org, opt brass (M)
- “How Firm a Foundation,” Dan Forrest, HIN, SATB, keybd, opt orch (MA)
- “How Firm a Foundation,” arr. Tom Trenney, MSM, SATB, org (E)
- “The Church’s One Foundation,” arr. John Ferguson, AF, SATB, org, brass qrt (M)
- “I Will Sing with the Spirit” by John Rutter, OUP, SATB, pno, opt orch (M)
Handbell Music
- “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” Cynthia Dobrinski, 3–5 oct, opt 3 oct hc, HOPE, 2283, Level 3
- “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Linda R. Lamb, 3–5 oct, opt 3 oct hc, CGA, CGB749, Level 2
- “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Sondra Tucker, 3–6 oct, opt 3 oct hc, opt tpt, ALF/JM, 42896, Level 2
Art
- Five Solas, Timothy Botts (EYE)
- Mosaic from Lullingstone Villa, fourth century, Eynsford, UK (VDL)
- Reading the Bible, Gerrit Dou, c. 1645 (VDL)
