Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Exodus 3:1–15
Moses meets the Lord in a burning bush, and learns God’s name.
Psalm 105:1–6, 23–26, 45b
Give thanks to the Lord, who sent Moses to set the people free.
Complementary
Jeremiah 15:15–21
Jeremiah laments his calling, but God promises to redeem him.
Psalm 26:1–8
Vindicate me, O Lord; I have trusted you and walked in integrity.
Romans 12:9–21
Love one another; seek what is good; live peaceably with all.
Matthew 16:21–28
Jesus says: If any wish to follow me, they must take up their cross.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
A new song awaits us;
God’s Spirit is coming.
We can hear the music;
we’re ready to move!
God’s praise will be on our lips!
Neighbors from far and wide
will pour out from their doorways.
God’s joy will be alive in the streets;
friends and strangers will gather.
All will rejoice;
together, we will breathe
a deep sigh of peace
as we turn our hearts
toward the justice of the Lord.
Prayer of the Day
God of goodness,
when we gather, we are with you.
Bind us together in your promise,
that our dark nights will soon be over,
and the brightness of day will be near.
The hour has come. Salvation is here.
Let us be your light.
Let us be your love. 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.
Sometimes it sounds too hard:
deny ourselves, take up our crosses,
lose our lives?
Forgive us, Savior,
but we’d rather you do it for us.
Forgive us, Christ,
but we are overwhelmed with what you ask of us.
We long to see you come in glory,
but fear the road we must take.
Have mercy on our weakness.
Be patient with our stumbling.
Do not leave us behind, even when we are slow to follow,
and lead us in your ways of peace.
Lifting water from the font:
Christ does not abandon us,
but died for us, was raised for us, and loves us still.
This is the good news that prevails!
In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection,
we are forgiven!
— 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 faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ,
unashamed to stand with him and share his cross,
unafraid to offer our lives in love for the world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for the earth . . .
Let this wondrous world you have made
continue to blaze with your glory;
do not let it be consumed by greed.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for all nations . . .
Teach us not to act with vengeance and violence,
or to respond to evil with evil,
but to live in peace, and overcome evil with good.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for this community . . .
Help us to extend hospitality to strangers,
to contribute to the needs of the poor,
and to live in harmony with our neighbors.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for loved ones . . .
Let us rejoice with those who rejoice
and weep with those who weep,
sharing the grace and love of Christ with all.
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:
Your name is a secret that cannot be uttered;
your glory is a fire that cannot be put out.
Yet you come to us in mercy; you speak to us with love.
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 calls us to take up our cross and follow him—
letting go of fear, setting our minds on holy things,
and giving our whole lives for the sake of the gospel.
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.
By your Spirit, help us to love and honor one another,
living in the grace of Christ that binds us together
and sends us forth to witness and serve.
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
“Burning Bush”
Annette Gandy Fortt
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- God the Sculptor of the Mountains (Os) JENNINGS-HOUSTON GTG 5
- You Are Holy (Os) YOU ARE HOLY GTG 705
- Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun (Oc) MORNING HYMN GTG 663
- O Come unto the Lord (Oc) KOREA GTG 416
- Arise, Your Light Is Come! (E) FESTAL SONG GTG 744
- I Bind unto Myself Today (OsEG) ST. PATRICK GTG 6
- We Have Come Into This House (G) WORSHIP HIM OLOF 2
WORD
- The Day of Resurrection! (Os) LANCASHIRE GTG 233
- Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak (Oc) CANONBURY GTG 722
- O Hear Our Cry, O Lord (Oc) VINEYARD HAVEN GTG 355
- Beloved, God’s Chosen (E) ANDREW’S SONG ELW 648
- Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (G) CHEREPONI GTG 203
EUCHARIST
- This Is the Feast of Victory (Os) FESTIVAL CANTICLE GTG 513
- Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling (Oc) SOFTLY AND TENDERLY GTG 418
- You Have Put On Christ (E) BAPTIZED IN CHRIST GTG 491
- Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether (G) UNION SEMINARY GTG 529
SENDING
- God Be with You Till We Meet Again (Os) RANDOLPH GTG 541 or GOD BE WITH YOU GTG 542
- To God Be the Glory (Oc) TO GOD BE THE GLORY GTG 634
- Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen (EG) SURGE ECCLESIA GTG 536
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 149
Metrical
- Give Praise to the Lord [LAUDATE DOMINUM]; GTG 550
Responsorial
- Psalm 149, A Responsorial Setting; PAS 149A
- Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a New Song; PSA 156
- Sing to the Lord; PP 298
Psalm 119:33–40
Metrical
- I Long for Your Commandments [WOHL DENEN, DIE DA WANDELN]; GTG 64
- Thou Art My Portion, Lord [CARLISLE]; PAS 119N
Responsorial
- O Lord, You Have the Words of Life; PP 232
- Psalm 119:33–40, A Responsorial Setting; PAS 119J
Organ Music
- “All Glory Be to God on High,” ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HÓH, Augsburg Organ Library: Reformation, Paul Manz, AF (M)
- “Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 672,” Organ Works of J. S. Bach, J. S. Bach, various publishers; IMSLP.org (ME)
- “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” TOPLADY, Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Holy Communion, Peter Pindar Stearms, AF (ME)
- “Toccata per L’Elevazione,” Church Music for All Organs, Girolamo Frescobaldi, GSH (M)
Piano Music
- “Ufie III,” Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volume 1: Early Intermediate, Christian Onyeji, OUP (ME)
- “Jamaican Dance No. 2,” Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volume 3: Early Advanced, Oswald Russell, OUP (MA)
- “Allegretto from Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2,” Ludwig van Beethoven, HEN (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “Gathered in God’s Name,” Michael Burkhardt, MSM, uni, pno, opt fl and hc (E)
- “At the Table of the Lord,” Jay Althouse, HOPE, SATB, pno (ME)
- “Just as I Am, I Come,” Victor Johnson, LOR, SATB, pno, opt cl (ME)
- “Festival Sanctus,” John Leavitt, ALF, SATB, pno or orch (M)
- “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether,” Harold Friedell, JM, SATB, org (MA)
- “Cantate Domino,” Pete Deshler, Imagine Music Publishing, SATB, acap (A)
Vocal Solos
- “Lord, Here I Am,” Sacred Songs of John Ness Beck, John Ness Beck, BP, high/medium/low (ME)
- “Let Your Light Shine,” Vocal Solos of Mary McDonald, Vol. 1, Mary McDonald, HOPE, medium (M)
- “Prayer of Mother Teresa,” Songs for the Journey, Craig Courtney, SHAW, high/medium/low (M)
Art
- King David as Orpheus in a synagogue mosaic, Unknown, 508 (VCS)
- Dancers of Meron, Reuven Rubin, 11923 (VCS)
- Celebration, John August Swanson, 2016 (EYE)
- The Insistent Friend, JESUS MAFA, 1973 (VDL)
- Matthew 18:19-20, Timothy R. Botts, 2016 (EYE)
