title: Fourth Order of Service author: admin layout: page exclude: true – PRELUDE

The service may begin with a Chorale, an Introit, a Processional Hymn, or opening Sentences.

SENTENCES, one or more to be said by the Minister.

Peace be to this house, and to all who enter herein. The Lord keep thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth, and even forevermore. Luke X:5. Psalm CXXI: 8.

What shall I render unto the Lord
For all his benefits to me?
I will call upon the name of the Lord,
In the presence of his people,
Yea, in the courts of the house of the Lord. Psalm CXVI: 12, 17-19.

Thoughts of peace, saith the Lord, do I think toward you; ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken to you; ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah XXIX: 11-13.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew XI: 28-30.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? I Corinthians III: 16.

As many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans VIII: 14.

EXHORTATION, by the Minister:

God, in whom we live and move and have our being, never leaves us day or night. But the very nearness and custom of his presence hide him from our infirm and sinful hearts, temptations gain a shameful power, and the good that is in us droops and fades. To clear such blindness away and recover the pure wisdom of a Christian mind, we are called to this day of remembrance and this house of prayer. Entering here, therefore, we cross the threshold of eternal things, and commune with the Father who seeth in secret. Let us shake off the dust of transitory care, and every disguise that can come between us and God; and remembering whose disciples we strive to be, come to the simplicity, though it should be also to the sorrows of the Christ.

INVOCATION, by the Minister:

Let us pray.

O Thou who art the Light of the minds that know thee, the Life of the souls that love thee, the Strength of the hearts that serve thee, help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee, and so to love thee that we may faithfully serve thee, whom to serve is perfect freedom. Amen.

or:

O God our Father, who hast led us apart from the busy world into the quiet of thy house; grant us grace to worship thee in spirit and in truth, to the comfort of our souls and the upbuilding of every good purpose and holy desire. Enable us to do more perfectly the work to which thou hast called us, that we may not fear the coming of night when we shall resign into thy hands the tasks which thou hast committed to us. So may we worship thee not with our lips only at this hour, but in word and deed all the days of our lives. Amen.

Prayer to be said by the Minister and people:

We turn to Thee, O Light and Life of all mankind, for in thy light alone may we see the right and find the good. In this house of light we remember those whose lives are darkened by the greed and wrong of others. We have not purged the commerce of our times of those harsh ways that hinder the hopes and dreams of many. In this house of peace we remember wars and rumors of wars. We have made but feeble effort to understand the peoples of the world and to foster peace among the nations. In this house of joy we remember all sorrowing and troubled folk. Let us here be gathered into a common power of good will which shallissue in lasting peace and larger right. Amen.

Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer, the people joining:

Our Father, who 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, open thou our lips.
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.

HYMN, CANTICLE or ANTHEM

RESPONSIVE READING

ASCRIPTION, to be said or sung.

Blessed be the Lord, our God; who only do-eth won-drous things.
And blessed be his glo-rious name, Forever and ev-er, A-men.

FIRST LESSON

CHANT, if desired.

SECOND LESSON, if desired.

The Minister may then say,
Here endeth the reading of the lesson.
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy holy Spirit from us.

Then may follow a period of silent meditation, after which the Minister may read the Litany, the people responding, and one or more of the following or other suitable prayers, or may ofler prayer in his own words.

LITANY

O God, our true life, in whom and by whom all things live, who by thy Spirit dost command us to seek thee, and art ever ready to be found; to know thee is life, to serve thee is freedom, to praise thee is the joy and hapiness of the soul.
We praise and bless thee, and give thanks for thy great glory.
For seasons of bounty and of beauty, for nights of quiet sleep, for days of health, for the glory of earth and its ministry to our need;
We bless thy name, O Lord.
For all the generations before us who through effort and pain have wrought so that we might be heirs of liberty and truth and peace;
We thank thee, our Father, and pray that we may enter into this heritage.
For new hopes of fairer life and nobler freedoms that stir the hearts of many peoples today;
We praise thee, O God.
For the discipline that enriches, for the burden that strengthens, for the failure that is true success, and for the sorrow that enlarges the heart;
We give thee thanks, O Lord.
For the soul and its powers, for strong desires to fashion ourselves after the likeness of Christ, and all our world into new orders of beauty and right;
For these also we rejoice and give thee thanks.
Keep us, we pray thee, in thy love; and in and through the quickening of our spirits make us worthy of sonship with thee.
And to thee be the honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

PRAYERS

O God, before whose face the generations rise and pass away; age after age the living seek thee, and find that of thy faithfulness there is no end. Our fathers in their pilgrimage walked by thy guidance, and rested on thy compassion; still to their children be thou the cloud by day, and fire by night. Where but in thee have we a covert from the storm or shadow from the heat of life? In our manifold temptations, thou alone knowest and art ever nigh; in sorrow, thy pity revives the fainting soul; in our prosperity and ease it is thy spirit only that can wean us from our pride, and keep us low. O thou sole source of peace and righteousness, take now the veil from every heart, and join us in one communion with thy prophets and saints who have trusted in thee, and were not ashamed. Not of our worthiness, but of thy tender mercy hear our prayer. Amen.

Eternal Spirit, who art thyself the exceeding great reward of those who turn unto thee, grant us grace no longer to set our hearts upon the things which moth and rust do consume, but to seek after thy more precious gifts, which, being incorruptible, shall never pass away. Awaken within us the longing for truth, for righteousness and for peace, and kindle in our hearts an eager desire to use for no selfish end whatever power thou hast given us, but to bring hope and life and light into the souls of men. And this we ask for thy name’s sake. Amen.

O God most merciful, teach us to be considerate, just and true in all relations with our neighbors. Bring our hearts in willing obedience under thy law of service and goodwill. Guard our thoughts and acts, lest we have part in the oppression of the poor or in refusal of justice to those who have had lesser opportunities than ourselves. May the well-being of all the people be our innermost desire. Make us good workmen and good neighbors, seeking gain for others as well as for ourselves, patient under trials, rejoicing in the promise of thy kingdom and seeking its fulfilment in the brotherhood of man. Amen.

Almighty Lord, of whose righteous will all things are, and were created; who liftest the islands out of the deep, and preparest not in vain the habitable world: thou hast gathered our people into a great nation, and sent them to sow beside all waters and multiply sure dwellings on the earth. Deepen the root of our life in everlasting righteousness. Make us equal to our high trusts, reverent in the use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, generous in the protection of weakness. With all thy blessings bless thy servant the President of the United States. Fill his heart with loyalty to thee. To our legislators and counsellors give insight and faithfulness, that our laws may clearly speak the right, and our judges purely interpret it. Let it be known among us how thou hatest robbery for burnt-offering; that the gains of industry may be upright, and the common wealth may become the heritage of all. May wisdom and knowledge be the stability of our times and our deepest trust be in thee, the Lord of nations and the King of kings. Amen.

Eternal God, with whom do live the spirits that depart hence, we praise and magnify thee for thy grace and blessings manifested to all thy true saints and faithful servants, of every nation and every age, who have glorified thee in their mortal lives. Grant to us, we pray, their spirit of love and of devotion to thy will. May their example quicken us to a better life; so that we, who cherish their memory, may by thy grace be gathered into the company of those who abide with thee forever. Amen.

Then may follow a period of silence, an organ interlude, or the following chant.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts:
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Amen.

OFFERTORY, during which an anthem may be sung

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

SERMON

PRAYER

HYMN

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE