Praying Together during Remembrance
@St Lukes, Holmes Chapel
note: you can download a copy of this prayer-sheet for printing here
O Lord, open our lips
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
Your saving power among the nations.
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Blessed Lord,
Who has caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Help us so to hear them,
To read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them,
That through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
We may embrace and forever hold fast the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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Hearing and responding to the Word of God
Bible readings can be found on the church website and Facebook page.
Read them out loud then finish with this response:
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
CANTICLES
As the deer longs for the water brooks,
So my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come before the presence of God?
My tears have been my bread day and night,
While all day long my enemies say to me ‘Where is your God?’
When I think on these things, I pour out my soul:
How I went with the multitude
And led the procession to the house of God.
With the voice of praise and thanksgiving,
Among all who kept the holy day.
Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul,
Why so disquieted within me?
Put your trust in God:
For I will yet give Him thanks, my Saviour and my God.
(Psalm 42 )
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in his steps.
He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips,
when he was reviled, he did not revile in turn.
When he suffered, he did not threaten,
but he trusted himself to God who judges justly.
Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds, you have been healed,
for you were straying like sheep,
but have now returned
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
(1 Peter 2.21b–25)
Christ Jesus was in the form of God,
But he did not cling to equality with God.
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
And was born in our human likeness.
Being found in human form he humbled himself,
And became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him,
And bestowed on him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow,
In heaven and on earth and under the earth;
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
For he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
The Almighty has done great things for me
And holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him,
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm
And has scattered the proud in their conceit.
Casting down the mighty from their thrones
And lifting up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
To remember his promise of mercy.
The promise made to our ancestors,
To Abraham and his seed for ever.
(Luke 1:46ff)
PRAYERS
Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you that you have brought us safely
to the beginning of this day.
Keep us from falling into sin
or running into danger;
order us in all our doings
and guide us to do always
what is righteous in your sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Let us pray to the Lord,
who is our refuge and stronghold.
For the health and well-being of our nation,
that all who are fearful and anxious
may be at peace and free from worry:
Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For the isolated and housebound,
the vulnerable and the helpless,
the mistreated and the hurt:
Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For our homes and families,
our schools and young people, health workers and carers,
and all who are in need or distress:
Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For a blessing on our local community,
that our neighbourhoods
may be places of trust and friendship,
where all are known and cared for:
Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen
May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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note: you can download a copy of this prayer-sheet for printing here