Welcome and Entrance

THE SEASON OF CREATION AND STEWARDSHIP

 

Opening Hymn

LEVAS II # 111                      “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

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1 Come, thou fount of every blessing,

   tune my heart to sing thy grace!

   Streams of mercy never ceasing,

   call for songs of loudest praise.

   Teach me some melodious sonnet,

   sung by flaming tongues above.

   Praise the mount! O fix me on it,

   mount of God's unchanging love. 

 

2 Here I find my greatest treasure;

   hither by thy help, I've come;

   and I hope, by thy good pleasure,

   safely to arrive at home.

   Jesus sought me when a stranger,

   wandering from the fold of God;

   he, to rescue me from danger,

   interposed his precious blood.

  

3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor

   daily I'm constrained to be!

   Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

   bind my wandering heart to thee:

   prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

   prone to leave the God I love;

   here's my heart, oh, take and seal it,

   seal it for thy courts above. 

THE WORD OF GOD

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Celebrant    The Holy One’s love is new every morning.
People        Glory to God for ever and ever. 
       
Together    Holy God, Creator of the universe                                                              

                    and our own Earth;                                                                             

                    Creator of everything living:                                                                            

                    bless us with your presence in this place.                                                      

                    Savior, through whom all things were made,                                                  

                    who redeems us and makes all things new,                                               

                    speak your word to us and enter our hearts.                                                         

                    Spirit of God, hovering over creation and sustaining it,                             

                    fill us with gratitude and worship.                                                                    

                    Open our minds to the complexity and interdependence                                         

                    of your creation and gather us together in your arms. Amen.
 

“Glory to God in the Highest”       Mass for the Life of the World     David Haas              

                    
                     Refrain
Cantor         Glory to God in the highest!
All                Glory to God in the highest!
Cantor         Peace to all people on the earth!
All                Peace to all people on the earth!
 
Cantor            Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, 
                        We worship you, we give you thanks,                                                                              

                        we praise you for your glory!  Refrain      
           
Cantor            Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God,     
                        Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have 
All                   mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father:                       

                        Father: receive our prayer.    Refrain            
           
All                   For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone         

                       are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of    
                       God, in the glory of God the Father!  Refrain          

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The Collect of the Day                                                                                     

Leader                The Lord be with you.

Response           And also with you.

Celebrant            Let us pray. 

                               O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may                              in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you                                and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. 

            

First Reading:     

Genesis 50:15-21

             Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

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Lector   Food for life.
All         We thank you, God. 
 

Psalm  103:1-13      Read responsively by half verse       

          

1  Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
    and all that is within me, bless his holy Name. 

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2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
   and forget not all his benefits. 

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3 He forgives all your sins *
   and heals all your infirmities; 

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4 He redeems your life from the grave *
    and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness; 

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5 He satisfies you with good things, *
   and your youth is renewed like an eagle's. 

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6 The Lord executes righteousness *
   and judgment for all who are oppressed. 

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7 He made his ways known to Moses *
   and his works to the children of Israel.] 

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8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
   slow to anger and of great kindness. 

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9 He will not always accuse us, *
   nor will he keep his anger for ever. 

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10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
   nor rewarded us according to our wickedness. 

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11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
   so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. 

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12 As far as the east is from the west, *
     so far has he removed our sins from us.

 

13 As a father cares for his children, *
    so does the Lord care for those who fear him.

 

Second Reading:    Romans 14:1-12

             Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day,

observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so  that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
   Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."  So then, each of us will be accountable to God.  

Lector   Food for life.
All        We thank you, God. 

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Praise Before the Gospel

The Hymnal 1982 # 470              “There's a Wideness in God's Mercy”

 

1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
   like the wideness of the sea;
   there’s a kindness in his justice,
   which is more than liberty.
   There is welcome for the sinner,
   and more graces for the good;
   there is mercy with the Savior;
   there is healing in his blood.  

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2 There is no place where earth's sorrows
   are more felt than up in heaven;
   there is no place where earth's failings
   have such kindly judgment given.
   There is plentiful redemption
   in the blood that has been shed;
   there is joy for all the members
   in the sorrows of the Head.  

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3 For the love of God is broader
   than the measure of the mind;
   and the heart of the Eternal
   is most wonderfully kind.
   If our love were but more faithful,
   we should take him at his word;
   and our life would be thanksgiving
   for the goodness of the Lord.
 

The Good News:  Matthew 18:21-35
Deacon     The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. 
All             Glory to you, Lord Christ. 
 

         Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
   “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Deacon   The Gospel of the Lord. 
All           Praise to you, Lord Christ. 
 

Gospel Acclamation        tune: Lasst Uns erfreuen Hymnal 1982 #400 

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Let all things their Creator bless, and worship God in humbleness,
Sing your praises! Alleluia!
Praise God the Father; praise the Son; praise God the Spirit, Three in One!
Sing your praises! Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 
   
Sermon                        The Rev. Melana Nelson-Amaker
 

What We Believe: The Nicene Creed 

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We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,  God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
 

Confession: Admitting Our Wrongdoing              

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Merciful and sustaining God,
we have sinned against you.
We confess our lack of gratitude
for the riches and beauty of your creation:
Teach us to comprehend that your earth sustains us
and all that lives.
We confess that we have misused your earth:
Grant us amendment of life.
We confess that we have been intemperate in our appetites:
Strengthen us in self-control.

We confess that we have taken

the abundance of your world for granted:

Make us urgent now for its protection.

Forgive and renew us now through our Savior Jesus Christ,

by the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live

and reign, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

 

Receiving Forgiveness

God of compassion, have mercy upon us. Heal our relationship with all creation. Forgive us for our mistreatment and neglect of the creatures who share the earth with us. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent for what we have done to harm them, and for what we have not done to help them. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may care for one another and for all creatures, according to your will and in

the fullness of your love; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

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Prayers of the People   
The Congregation’s parts are in bold
Let us pray to God who was, and who is, and who is to come.
 

Almighty God, bless and guide our bishops, priests, deacons and other ministers and all your faithful people. Grant wisdom, grace and strength to Presiding Bishop Michael, to Mariann our Bishop, to the leaders of the Diocese, to the Diocesan staff; to Pastor Melana, Deacon Melissa and Father Elliott, our clergy; to our Vestry, to James and Emilia, to Joseph, Rachelle and Jésus; to Pastor Rudy and the people of Cristo Viene Ya.

Holy One, hear our prayer. 

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God said, “Let there be light.” 
                                                                                                                                   

We thank you for your light and your truth, Eternal One.                                                                                

We praise you for creating a universe which proclaims your glory.                           
Inspire us to worship you, the Creator of all,                                                                                              

and let your truth illumine our world. 
                                                                                                        
God of all that is: 
Hear our prayer.

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God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters,                                                                    

and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

 

We thank you for the vastness of the cosmos and the mysteries of space.                                        

We pray for all explorers and scientists,                                                                                                    

who extend the boundaries of our knowledge.                                                                                               
As we contemplate the wonder of the universe,                                                                                          

may we be grounded in your majesty.        

                                                                                              

God of all that is:
Hear our prayer. 

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God said, “Let the waters be gathered together, and let dry land appear.” 

We thank you for the beauty of this world,                                                                                                        

for the diversity of land and sea, for the resources of the earth.                                                                  

Bless all surveyors, miners, sailors and manufacturers.                                                                                                           Give us the will to cherish this planet you have made                  
and to use its riches for the good and welfare of all.        

                                                                           

God of all that is:
Hear our prayer.

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God said “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed,                                                              

and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.”
                                                  
We thank you for all the many plants:                                                                                                

their beauty, their nourishment and their usefulness.                                                                                      

Bless all who tend and till the soil and all who harvest.                                                                                    

Help us to take only as much we need and not to waste it.        

                                                                                   

God of all that is:
Hear our prayer.

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God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate the day and the night.”

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We thank you for the warmth of the sun,                                                                                                        

the light of the moon, the glory of the stars.                                                                                                  

We praise you for the atmosphere that surrounds and sustains us,                                                                  

the radiance of dawn and sunset.                                                                                                                              

Bless meteorologists, pilots and astronauts.                                                                                                              

Save us from wasting or polluting the air, the water and the energy                                                                    

on which all life depends.    

                                                                                                                       

God of all that is:                                                                                                  

Hear our prayer. 

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God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth living creatures,                                                                                                

and let birds fly across the sky.”
 

We thank you for the teeming life of the oceans and the seas,                                                                          

and the flight and songs of birds.                                                                                                                                                Bless all fisherman, poultry farmers and bird lovers.                                                                                              

Help us to protect the environment so that all life may flourish.          

                                                                  

God of all that is:
Hear our prayer. 

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God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind.”

We rejoice in the assortment of animal life.                                                                                                              

Bless all ranchers, farmers, biologists, 
hunters, veterinarians and pet owners.                                                                                                  

Grant us grace to treat all animals with respect and care;                                                                                

to protect endangered species,                                                                                                                          

to preserve the variety of habitats,                                                                                                                  

and to honor the delicate balance of nature. 

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God of all that is: 
Hear our prayer. 

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God said, “Let us create human beings in our own image.” 

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We exult in the diversity and giftedness of the human family.                                                                                                     We repent of its sins, divisions and violence. 
Confirm us in the truth that every human being is known and loved by you.                                                                          Bless the human family.                                                                                                                                    

Bless all who lead, teach and care for your people.                                                  

Through Christ who came to transform us by his death and resurrection,                                                                     restore your image within us by the power of your Spirit. 
                                                                                                                                                                          
God of all that is:
Hear our prayer. 

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God said, “Let humans have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 

We thank you for this weighty gift and obligation.                                                  

Craft in us love for your creation, make us wise stewards, and bless all our  efforts that are in line with your will, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Prayer in Time of Disaster
Holy One, you are our comfort and strength in times of sudden disaster, crisis, or chaos. Surround us now with your grace and peace through storm or earthquake,  fire or flood. By your Spirit, lift up those who have fallen, sustain those who work to rescue or rebuild, and fill us with the hope of your new creation; through Jesus Christ, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

 

Concluding Collect                     Anglican Church of Southern Africa, altered

Creator God, out of the overflowing of your love you created all things with rich variety and great beauty, and entrusted us with responsibility for them. Grant that we may so value all that you have provided, that we strive to sustain its blessings for all people for all time; through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and for ever. Amen. 

 

Extending God’s Peace and Blessing

 

Celebrant  May the peace of Christ be always with you.                                            

People      And also with you.

 

We greet one another.

 

Welcome and Blessing of Visitors

 

HOLY EUCHARIST: THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

 

Sisters and brothers, God is providing so much for each of us! Let’s respond generously by supporting God’s Church and looking after the poor. St. Christopher’s     depends upon the giving of members and friends, both money and labor, to sustain this ministry.  As you give, so we grow.

 

Thanking God with Our Offerings

 

Offertory         

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Members circle the altar, singing and dancing, joyously praising God and leaving their offerings.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  Praise God all creatures here below.  Praise God above ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Amen.  

 

Celebrant   God of life, Savior of the poor, receive with this money  gratitude for your goodness, penitence for our   

                   pride, and  dedication to your service, through Jesus Christ Our Lord.  Amen. 

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FOCUS ON THE TABLE

 

Eucharistic Prayer 2, Enriching Our Worship           

        

Celebrant     God be with you.

People       And also with you.

Celebrant   Lift up your hearts.

People       We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant   Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People       It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

We praise you and we bless you, holy and gracious God, source of life abundant.  From before time you made ready the creation. Your Spirit moved over the deep and brought all things into being: sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters;  and every living thing.  

 

You made us in your image, and taught us to walk in your ways. But we rebelled against you, and wandered far away; and yet, as a mother cares for her children, you would not forget us. Time and again you called us to live in the fullness of your love. 

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And so this day we join with Saints and Angels in the chorus of praise that rings through eternity, lifting our voices to magnify you as we sing:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy  sung                           Mass for the Life of the World        David Haas    

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              Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,                                                                                                    

             God of power and might,
             heaven and earth are full of your glory.
             Hosanna in the highest.
             Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
             Hosanna in the highest.

 

Glory and honor and praise to you, holy and living God. To deliver us from the power of sin and death and to reveal the riches of your grace, you looked with favor upon Mary, your willing servant, that she might conceive and bear a son, Jesus the holy child of God.

 

Living among us, Jesus loved us. He broke bread with outcasts and sinners, healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the poor. He yearned to draw all the world  to himself; yet we were heedless of his call to walk in love.

 

Then, the time came for him to complete upon the cross the sacrifice of his life,  and to be glorified by you. On the night before he died for us, Jesus was at table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to them, and said:

“Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance  of me.” As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine. Again, he gave thanks to you, gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

  

Now gathered at your table, O God of all creation, and remembering Christ, crucified and risen, who was and is and is to come, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, and ourselves, a living sacrifice. Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ. Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us your new creation, the Body of Christ given for the world you have made.

 

In the fullness of time bring us, with Francis and Clare and all your saints, from every tribe and language and people and nation, to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. AMEN.

 

As our Savior taught us, we now pray

 

The Lord’s Prayer LEVAS #264

 

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.                                                                                            

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

The Breaking of the Bread 

Celebrant   Christ, the Lord of Creation, has been sacrificed for us.                           

People       Let us eat what he has given us, and follow where he leads.  

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Sharing Holy Communion

All Baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion. If you have never been so Baptized, the priest will be happy to give you a blessing if you come to the altar with your arms crossed over your chest.

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Communion Hymn
The Hymnal 1982 # 304              “I Come With Joy to Meet my Lord” 

 

1. I come with joy to meet my Lord,

    forgiven, loved, and free,

    in awe and wonder to recall,

    his life laid down for me.

 

2. I come with Christians far and near

    to find, as all are fed,

    the new community of love

    in Christ's communion bread.

 

3. As Christ breaks bread, and bids us share,

    each proud division ends.

    The love that made us, makes us one,

    and strangers now are friends. 

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4. And thus with joy we meet our Lord.

    His presence, always near,

    is in such friendship better known,

    we see and praise him here.

 

5. Together met, together bound,

    we'll go our different ways

    and as his people in the world,

    we'll live and speak his praise.

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Postcommunion Prayer                
Create in us a new heart and a new vision, O God, that the gifts of your Spirit may work in us and renew the face of the earth. May we be one with you so that our work is yours and your work is ours. Lead us to transform our lives
to reflect your glory in Creation; through Jesus Christ our Savior who is alive with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever.  Amen.

 

Community News
       

Testimony/ Sharing Our Faith 
 

Sending Out and Blessing
Deacon  Go forth now to care for God’s world.
               Use resources wisely. Share your knowledge.
               Sacrifice where necessary.
               Live in harmony with all creation.
               Go out into all the world as prophets of a new way of
               living and preach the good news to all. 

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Priest     The blessing of the Creator God, the Risen Son,
              and the Promised Holy Spirit bless you
              that you might be a blessing to others today and always. Amen. 

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Closing Hymn  
The Hymnal 1982 #529 “In Christ there is no East or West”
 
1 In Christ there is no east or west,

   In him no south or north,

   But one great fam'ly bound by love

   Throughout the whole wide earth.

 

2 In him shall true hearts ev'rywhere

   Their high communion find;

   His service is the golden cord

   Close binding humankind. 

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3 Join hands, disciples in the faith,

   Whate'er your race may be!

   Who serve each other in Christ's love

   Are surely kin to me.

 

4 In Christ now meet both east and west,

   In him meet south and north,

   All Christly souls are one in him

   Throughout the whole wide earth.

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Copyright Notice 

All music reprinted under CCLI License #2897260 and One License #A-723933