Liturgy and Prayers - Sunday, 19 March 2023 – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A

Liturgy in one document: Liturgy in One Document Lent 4A

Opening sentence

Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.
Live as children of light.  (Eph 5:8 NRSV)

OR
Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.  (Eph 5:14 NRSV)

OR
Jesus said: ‘As long as I am in the world,
I am the light of the world.’  (John 9:5 NRSV)

Prayer of the day - (Collect):

Traditional

Almighty God, grant that we,
who justly suffer for our evil deeds,
may be relieved
by the comfort of your grace;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Modernised Traditional

Almighty God,
we justly suffer for our evil deeds,
but we ask you to relieve us
by the comfort of your kindness.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Alternative

(Let us pray for strength in our weakness. [silence])
Almighty and merciful God,
you love us and make all things new in Christ.
Transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your kindness,
and make known your heavenly glory
in the renewal of our lives.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

New

(Let us pray for faith in Jesus our Saviour. [silence])
Loving Father,
when we were captive
in the darkness of sin and death,
your Son rescued us
and brought us back to you.
Teach us to trust in him
and to live as your people.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Alleluia Verse

Use either the Verse given in the order of service or the following verse.
Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.’  (John 8:12 NRSV)

 

Prayer after the Gospel

This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Lord Jesus, the light for the world,
thank you for healing blindness.
Help us to believe in you and worship you.
Amen.

Offering Prayer

Thank you, Lord,
for sending us your light.
Help us to live as people of the light,
and to show your light and love to others.
Amen.

Prayer of the Church

Prayer points

Additional Prayer Points

LCA International Mission

Services with Holy Communion:

Preface

It is indeed right and good,
Lord God, holy Father,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He has taken on himself our sin,
so that we might die to sin
and live to righteousness.
And so, with angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we adore and praise your glorious name:

Communion Invitation

Every time we eat this bread and drink from this cup
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready.

Prayer after Communion

Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, as you did not spare your own Son,
but gave him up to die on the cross for us all:
Grant that we who have received
his body and blood in the sacrament
may live in him and he in us,
so that, as your children,
we may walk in your ways
and serve you all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

OR use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows:

Almighty and merciful God,
you love us and make all things new in Christ.
Transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your kindness
which you have shown to us in this holy meal.
Make known your heavenly glory
in the renewal of our lives.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Dismissal

BLESSING
This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself,
so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven
and the gift of eternal life; . . .

DISMISSAL
Go in peace, and live as children of the light.
Thanks be to God.

OR  In the name of Christ. Amen.