We're going to be looking at Psalm 1, and I'll pray for us briefly, and then we'll turn our attention there for these next few moments.
Lord, we thank you for your word, and we ask that you would open our eyes and open our ears that we may hear from you.
In Christ's name, amen.
Well, Psalm 1, as we just read responsibly, is a really central and important text in the Scriptures.
And there's kind of one theme that really pops out when we hear Psalm 1, and it's really this idea of being blessed.
Can you all engage me and go ahead and say blessed?
Wonderful.
Look at that.
Fantastic.
Very obedient people.
I think if you ask religious or irreligious people if they know what the word blessed means, I think most people are going to say yes.
But then I think if you ask them a follow-up question, if you ask them to give their definition of what it means to be blessed, then I think people would actually struggle to do that.
I think people would kind of lurch in fits and starts and struggle to actually put words of definition around that idea of blessed.
But as we just heard from each of these readings, the notion of blessing, though it might be foggy to us, is crucial to understanding the right direction of human living according to the prophet Jeremiah, according to the psalmist, and according even, as we heard, to Jesus himself.
And so I'd like us to focus in on Psalm 1, and I think that's the way that we get into this gift of what it means to be blessed.
And we can wrap our minds and our hearts around what it means to be blessed by looking closely at Psalm 1.
And I think one of the angles that we have to take in order to wrap our minds and our hearts around this gift that God is giving to us, inviting us into,
is to shift the angle on the question of blessed.
If you ask someone to define blessed, I think people would struggle.
But if you ask someone to define the good life, then I think you'd get answers.
And that's what Psalm 1 is giving us.
That's the picture that Psalm 1 is painting for us.
It's not simply receiving the gift of God's kindness.
That's not all that it's talking about.
It's talking about existing in a state of flourishing.
It's talking about living in this realm of congratulations because the picture painted in Psalm 1 is a picture of blessing understood as inhabiting and walking in the good life according to God.
The good life.
So blessed is the one, as Psalm 1 tells us, if you translate that into modern speech, I think you could just say it like this.
Here is a person that in the middle of a fractured world is experiencing the good life.
That's what it means to be blessed.
Psalm 1 is instruction and inspiration towards the good life with God.
And you notice right away God's kindness to us.
God knows not only are we inclined towards sinfulness, God also knows that part of that we're easily confused.
Therefore, Psalm 1 makes it very clear for anyone who has the humility to take up instruction into the good life,
Psalm 1 makes it abundantly clear that immediately the way into this good life requires that you know what to embrace and you know what to reject.
You need to find something, hold it, and hug it.
And you need to find what is not that, and you need to give it a quick, strong, firm, stiff arm.
You need to know what to embrace and what to reject if we're going to enter into the good life.
That's why Psalm 1, you are a smart group of people, I can already tell.
That's why as you heard Psalm 1, you notice there is so much contrast.
That God is calling to me and to you, inviting us into this good life with him,
and he teaches us how we step into this through embracing and through rejecting.
You notice the power of contrast.
It's the this and not that which is part of the gift God gives in Psalm 1.
Throughout the Psalm, there's a contrast that comes in pairs.
There's the contrast between the two counsels, the counsel of the wicked or the counsel of God's law.
Then there's two images of what you'll become based on the counsel that you choose.
You can either be grounded or groundless, like chaff in the wind.
And then two ultimate outcomes, divine embrace or divine rejection.
This sort of instruction, again, is a gift to us because we have to be honest,
there are a lot of competing ideas inside of us and around us as to what makes up the good life.
And those ideas are at war, internally and externally.
If you don't believe me, just think over the course of your own life.
How often has your conception of the good life changed?
How glad are you that what you once thought was the good life then,
you now no longer think is the good life now.
Amen?
Somebody has a testimony attached to that whole idea.
So we know that these ideas are conflicting.
They're all around us, inside us, internally and externally.
And what God is giving to us through Scripture, through Psalm 1,
is that to really flourish, we actually need instruction and revelation from above,
from outside of us, to lead us into what it really means to flourish as human beings.
And Psalm 1 tells us that the counsel of the ungodly is actually the opposite of wisdom from above.
The counsel of the wicked that Psalm 1 describes,
it can really be boiled down to thinking that the good life is found through my way,
their way, or any way except God's way.
And it's easy, I think, for us, maybe if you're a person that's been around church for a while,
and even if you're not, it's easy to think that God is giving us instruction
to just sort of avoid the big sins, the big problems, the big blunders,
violence, theft, adultery, murder.
Sure, that's part of the counsel of the wicked, but it's really not the full picture.
Listen again to what the psalmist says.
The psalmist says that the flourishing person does not walk, does not sit, does not stand
in this pattern of wickedness, scoffing, and sin.
And all of those verbs describe not just isolated, big, one-time acts,
but a progression, a pattern of living, rooted in ungodliness,
rooting in scoffing, rooted in sin,
rooted in this idea that the good life and life itself is not governed by God,
but ultimately is governed by us through the rejection of him.
That, at bottom, is the counsel of the wicked.
And so to flourish in life means we need to take seriously the diversity
and the popularity of the good life according to the counsel of the wicked.
And in the words of Ice Cube, we need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.
The modern mindset, thank you, three amens.
The modern mindset, which is really not a modern mindset,
it is a broken, shared mindset that we all have in our frailty,
in our weakness as humans under sin.
But so this modern, ancient, inhuman brokenness mindset
is that the good life is getting everything that you want,
and it's your life.
You make it good according to you.
That mindset would remix Psalm 1 to say this.
Blessed is the one who achieves their goals.
Blessed is the one who does as they please.
Blessed is the one who finds a way to make ends meet in the process.
And blessed is the one who cares not for the opinion of others.
For many of us, this is the good life that we slide into.
This is the good life presented around to us.
There's the good life as, even on the other end of the extreme,
family moral values.
Just be good, have kids, provide for them.
That's the good life.
That's great, but that's incomplete.
There's the good life as happy hedonism.
I think often of the good life, I think of the song by Kanye West
where he says the good life, it feels like Houston, it feels like Philly,
it feels like D.C., it feels like V.A., it feels like the Bay.
A, throw your hands up in the sky.
The image of the good life there as you listen further is,
it's nothing more than hedonism.
It's nothing more than doing whatever you want
and then feeling the guilt that weighs on your conscience.
These ideas of the good life, you have the pleasure, the hedonism,
you have the nice, clean morality,
you have the self-driven achievement.
All of these things actually fall short of the flourishing
and the gift that God has given to us.
And Psalm 1 invites us into these things.
Jeremiah the prophet tells us that these options,
the good life, simply according to our understanding,
flourishing according to our way,
it really is not an option.
It's a dead end.
Jeremiah, as we heard earlier, he says this,
thus says the Lord,
Cursed is the man who trusts in man,
who makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Okay, so now what?
Well, again, the psalm simplifies things for us.
We can walk, sit, stand,
the counsel of the ungodly with all of its variations,
or we can get on the other highway and seek the good life
through delighting in the Lord and his law and his counsel.
And Psalm 1 tells us that the good life of flourishing
is not exclusively self-governed nor governed by others,
but it is governed by the good and gracious God
who has made us and redeems us.
And that language of governed, I think, is important.
It's why Psalm 1 presents the way to flourishing
as being attached to a law.
The journey of flourishing is through this doorway
into relationship with God by delighting in him
and in the law that he's given,
to delight in him and the instruction that he provides.
The flourishing person, their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on this law they will meditate day and night,
says the psalmist.
So, friends, this is important.
There is no path to the good life apart from instruction,
apart from a way, apart from a law,
apart from a guide, apart from a Lord.
And so, friends, you will take counsel.
You will live by a law.
You will have a good life idea as your compass.
Do not only follow self.
Do not follow visions that excise the divine.
Take up the invitation again and again into flourishing
by delighting and meditating on the Lord and his law.
And this meditating, as maybe you know,
is not an emptying out but a filling up.
It's a turning over continually.
It's an engaging from head to toe.
It reminds me of this idea of meditating biblically.
It reminds me of my children when we see sports highlights that they enjoy.
Coming from Memphis, there's a great NBA player on the Grizzlies named John Morant
who has this ability to just leap over people
and dunk on them very, very violently and powerfully
for such a small person.
And so, when we see these highlights, you know, I see it once.
I'm like, wow, that's amazing.
But my sons want to watch it again and again and again.
So, they say, show it again, show it again, show it again, show it again, show it again.
And really, I think what they're doing is they're meditating.
They've seen something delightful,
and they want to take it in from every angle.
They want to see it again so they can see the face that Ja makes when he dunks.
But they want to see it again so they can see that the face of the man who's dunked on,
they want to see the face that he makes, the face of embarrassment.
They want to see it again and see, oh, look at this person behind the basket.
Look at how their eyes went wide when they saw him rise, right?
They want to consider this from every possible angle, in every possible way,
because this thing that they've seen, they sense that this, this is special.
And so, they want it to sort of wash over them.
And it's the same sort of thing that the good life is doing,
or calls us to do when we think of the Lord and his law.
We want it to wash over us.
We want it to shape us, to mold us, to fill us,
not simply with our own wisdom,
but from the wisdom and the mercy and the instruction of God.
If the counsel of the ungodly is the impulse to flee from God and enthrone oneself,
then to meditate on God's law, to meditate on Scripture,
is to actually bring yourself over and over again,
from each and every angle, into the joyful ways of God,
from head to toe, for all parts of your life and your living.
Then the question for us is, of these two paths, which will we seek?
Scripture becomes this way to flourishing,
a remedy for the confused, a remedy for the sinful human heart,
because Scripture itself, what is it?
It's a life-giving medicine from the Lord himself that leads us to himself.
I love the way St. Augustine describes this.
He says that,
For now, treat the Scriptures of God as the face of God.
Melt in its presence.
Psalm 1 tells us that as we seek God's face in Scripture, we flourish.
And rather than melt, Psalm 1 gives us a different image.
We don't melt.
We become planted.
We become like a tree.
A tree planted by streams of water in a dry and difficult world.
I love this because if I have any visual learners in the place,
this is the turn from instruction to inspiration.
Who among us has not seen a beautiful, strong, and sturdy tree?
Perfect for climbing.
Perfect for leaning upon.
Who among us hasn't seen a tree that from afar looks strong and sturdy?
You get excited about it.
You get a little closer.
You lean on it.
You realize this thing is rotten to the core.
God is telling us flourishing looks like being planted in him.
Planted by him.
Nourishing from him.
And in fact, this whole image of the tree that Psalm 1 gives really tells us the whole story of humanity in one chapter.
It tells us the whole story of what it looks like to fall into the counsel of the wicked.
And alternatively, to be planted in the mercy, the grace, and the instruction of the Lord.
Again, my kids helped me here talking to them about Psalm 1.
And then they were learning this chapter as part of school.
And so the words were actually on the wall of our kitchen dining room.
And I asked my oldest son, Julian.
I said, Julian, what do you think is important about Psalm 1?
What should I be saying?
And as he often does when I ask him these questions, he says, well, you're the pastor.
Why are you asking me?
He says, I'm trying to teach you.
I'm trying to disciple you.
And you have things to teach me too.
So after he's smart with me, he points to a couple of the words.
He says, well, this is easy, Dad.
He says, the tree is like the tree of life in Eden.
The water is like the Holy Spirit.
And the fruit is the fruit of the Spirit.
So when we trust God and go to his word, we become like the tree in Eden.
And then we flourish.
And then we have the Holy Spirit.
And that's what God wants.
I thought to myself, well, this will work in my sermon.
This will help me a great deal.
Friends, I think what is there, the truth of Psalm 1, the gift that God is giving to us through his word,
which leads us to his son, the living word, is the opportunity by his mercy to return to the life for which we were made.
The life that through sin was lost is now returned to us.
The good life of reunion with God, not simply freedom to act as we please, but the invitation back into what was lost.
The first humans who lived on earth were given a royal task and reunited or rather united deeply with God.
They turned away from the Lord's law and counsel into self-rule.
And they brought death and decay and suffering into God's good creation.
That flourishing was lost.
But through the Lord's revelation, through his law, which tells us how he set captives free from Egypt,
through his law that tells us that he led them at night by a pillar and by fire,
through his law that tells us that he has sent to us a redeemer who has redeemed us.
And as we celebrate in the season of Easter has risen from the dead.
Through his law, we are being told, invited, and shown that what was lost in that garden is now being restored to us.
So this is the good life.
For you and I to receive again that for which we was made and that for a moment was lost,
but now through Christ is being given to the whole world.
And our gospel reading reminds us that this invitation into the good life, its borders are actually expanding.
This is phenomenal.
Jesus surely is one who knew scripture, was familiar with Jeremiah, familiar with someone.
And Jesus comes on the scene and says,
We don't have time to get into this, but let me offer to you the beauty and the truth of Christianity.
See, our world would tell us that the good life is really only accessible for smart people, driven people, rich people, strong people.
Our world would tell us that the good life is reserved only for all the people that Jesus actually said woe to.
But the truth of Christianity, the truth of the Christian gospel,
is that the good life is wide open for all because it's not tied to riches.
It's not tied to intellect.
It's not tied to material means.
It's not tied to achievement.
It's not tied to personal resolve.
It's not tied to avoiding suffering.
It is tied to the goodness of God given to us through his son and his spirit.
So it's available for all who would call on his name.
The other thing that stands out to me is that Jesus expands the borders of blessing that Psalm 1 declares to us,
which makes me think to myself,
who is Jesus to do this,
to expand this border of blessing?
And I think the reason he can do this is because not only did he know and did he love Psalm 1,
but he is actually the one who has lived and fulfilled Psalm 1.
Think of Jesus' stories we just went through through Holy Week.
Jesus himself was tempted to walk in the counsel of the wicked, was he not?
He was tempted to receive the good life according to the world,
riches, power, glory.
He rejected.
How did he reject this?
He rejected by quoting scripture, pushing against evil and Satan and the enemy.
And what did he do?
He then went to a tree.
And from that tree, he died and shed his blood,
so that all who would come to the tree of the cross and understand what he has done
would now enter into reunion with God.
The good fruit that comes from his tree is salvation to the nations.
Our Psalm 1 biography is the opposite.
Who among us can say we have never walked in the counsel of the wicked?
Who among us can say we haven't lived under self-rule by rejecting the divine?
And yet as hard as that truth is, we must remember with Psalm 1, with Jesus,
there is actually good news for us.
And the good news is this,
that left to ourselves, we actually are chaff.
But with Jesus, we are becoming trees.
By his grace, Jesus turns scoffers into saints.
He turns chaff into trees.
And he is gathering all the chaff of the world,
touching it by the blood of his cross,
and turning us into trees planted by his living water.
This is the gift of the good life
that comes not through our resolve,
but through depending, looking, and trusting
in the Lord and his Son
by the power of his Spirit.
Let us pray.
Holy Father, we thank you for the work of your Son.
Would you please, God, by your mercy,
root us in him.
We thank you that the good life of what it means to be blessed
is not tied to material things,
but tied to reunion with you and to our purpose.
We do pray that you would govern us by your Spirit
and by your Word and by your love,
that we would flourish even in the trials of life,
and that we would bear fruit for your kingdom.
It's in your Son's name we pray.
Amen.
Let's rise and respond by singing this.
Amen.
Bread of life
Bread of heaven
You are the living Word
Bread of heaven
God with us
The living truth
Many things you were on earth
A holy king
A carpenter
You are the living Word
Awesome ruler
Gentle redeemer
God with us
The living truth
And what a friend we have in you
You are the living Word
Jesus, Jesus
That's what we call you
A major born
But on a tree
You tied
To save humanity
You are the living Word
Let's confess our faith
using the words of the Nicene Creed
We believe in one God
the Father, the Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth
Of all that is
visible and invisible
We believe in one Lord
Jesus Christ
The only begotten Son of God
Eternally begotten of the Father
God from God
Light from light
True God from true God
Begott and not made
Of one being of the Father
Through Him all things were made
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven
Was incarnate from the Holy Spirit
And 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
Who with the Father
And the Son
Is worshipped
And glorified
Who has spoken
Through the prophets
We believe in one
Holy Catholic
And apostolic church
We acknowledge
One baptism
For the forgiveness
Of saints
We look for the resurrection
Of the dead
And the life
Of the world
To come
Amen
I invite now
All those who are
Willing and able
To kneel
Or to be seated
Let's come before
Our Father
In prayer
With one mind
And one heart
Let us pray to the Lord
Saying
Lord
Hear our prayer
Gracious Lord
You have filled
The universal church
With your people
Created in your image
They are the beautiful
Body of Christ
Through the power
Of the Holy Spirit
May all who confess
Your name
Faithfully live out
In word
And deed
The good news
Of the gospel
Lord
Hear our prayer
In your abundant provision
You have given us
Spiritual leaders
To guide your church
Give grace
O Lord
To all bishops
Priests
And deacons
That guided
By the Holy Spirit
They may proclaim
Your life giving word
And minister
Your holy sacraments
Lord
Hear our prayer
You have also
Given us earthly leaders
To govern our country
And our city
Grant them wisdom
And a will
To do justice
And love mercy
So that all people
May flourish
And live
Peaceably
Use their efforts
To promote
The common good
And bring about
Your kingdom
Lord
Hear our prayer
Lord
Hear our prayer
We give you thanks
For our beloved city
Which is home
To diverse peoples
Yet daily
We see
And experience
The pain
Strife
Injustice
And death
That plague
Our neighborhoods
By the power
Of your spirit
Grant our city
Relief
Encourage
And strengthen
All who serve
Our community
And see first hand
The hardships
Faced by our neighbors
Including educators
Medical professionals
And social workers
Lord
Hear our prayer
Heavenly Father
We ask you to comfort
Strengthen
And heal those
Who are in pain
Of mind
Or body
We bring before you
The Buffalo community
Particularly the communities
And friends
Of those who were
Heneously murdered
In a racist attack
Last Saturday
We decry the hurtful
Dehumanizing beliefs
Behind the attack
And pray for all those
Who are experiencing
Ongoing trauma
And as a result
Of the attack
Save us from
Our disordered lives
And give us
Godly sorrow
Leading to repentance
Lord
Hear our prayer
We give thanks
O Lord
For all your servants
Who have departed
This life
In a certain hope
Of resurrection
Give us the same hope
In your salvation
And the promise
Of eternal life
Lord
Hear our prayer
Let us also humbly
Confess our sins
To almighty God
First in silence
And then aloud together
Most merciful God
We confess
That we may fight in your will
Love and grace
And the glory of the name
Amen
Almighty God
Heavenly Father
Who in His great mercy
Do promise forgiveness
And sins
To all those
Who sincerely repent
And with true faith
Return to Him
Have mercy upon them
Pardon the liberty
Of all your sin
Confirm the strength
And reunion of all goodness
And bring you to everlasting life
All day
Please rise
May the peace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be ours
Be yours
And the Lord
So be here
Thank you
Now please
You give him another
Little sight
All right
If you could please be seated
Once again
Welcome to Church of the Advent
We're so glad you're worshiping
With us this morning
And if you're new
We're especially glad
Whether you're joining us
In person or online
We would love for you
To fill out our
Digital welcome card
And if you do that
That gives us a chance
To know that you're here
And to follow up with you
So please fill out
Our digital welcome card
There's also that QR code
Is on the welcome desk
On your way out
So you can catch it there as well
And we have a mug
For newcomers
So we'd love for you
To pick up one of those as well
There are a couple of ways
To get involved
Whether you're new
Or not new
Coming up in the coming weeks
So the first of all is
To register for a summer supper club
So these are groups
Small groups of people
Who meet throughout the summer
Once in June, July, and August
For dinner in homes across the city
And so we have a number of hosts
Who have signed up
So this is the window opportunity
For you to sign up
To participate in
One of these summer supper clubs
So please sign up
In the next couple of weeks
And then we'll match you
With your hosts
And they'll take it from there
And then we also have
Our annual church picnic
On June 5th
That will be at a park
In Brooklyn
And so please be sure
To RSVP for that as well
Over the years
Advent has co-hosted
A number of events
On science and faith
With the Trinity Forum
And there was one
That happened this past Friday
Ard Lewis and Tremper Longman
One is a professor
Of theoretical physics
And one of biblical studies
Discussed how we can cultivate
A faithful epistemology
So I know some people
From Advent participate in that
If you didn't
You can catch that online
It's on YouTube
On the Trinity Forum's website
And there's going to be
A follow-up dinner
This coming Wednesday night
At the City Tap House
Penn Quarter
So dinner and drinks
Are provided as an opportunity
To meet and to discuss
That event
And so there's still room
If you'd like to participate
In that
And then finally
We've been announcing
The last few weeks
That we have
We were planning on hosting
A child protective training
This afternoon
So Advent has a very strong culture
Of safeguarding for our children
And our diocese
Has recently introduced
Another aspect of that
Which is a training
In their policy
That's going to be required
For everyone who works
With children and youth
Our clergy
Our staff
And our parish council
And we were planning
On hosting that
This afternoon
After the service
But the person
Who's training us
The canon reverend
Meg Gretto
Who is the canon
For ethics
And safeguarding
For the diocese
Was not able to
Because of COVID
In her household
And so we move that
It's going to be
A Zoom training
This evening
We're hoping that
Makes it more accessible
For people
That'll start at 7pm
It's a very interactive training
So we're really
Looking forward to that
Again it's required
For anyone who works
With children and youth
So please be sure
To participate
In that this evening
Before we come to the table
We have an opportunity
To worship the Lord
By giving tithes
And offerings
And you can do that
In one of three ways
You can give online
You can give in the QR code
On the screen
Or you can give up front here
In these boxes
By this stage
During the Eucharist
And we really see
This opportunity
In this part of the surface
To continue our worship
By reflecting on
The generosity
And grace of God
Towards us
Any generosity
That we give to God
Is only a small reflection
Of how incredibly generous
He has been with us
By sending his son
Jesus Christ
Into the world
And so I'd encourage you
To meditate on that
During this time
So let's ascribe
To the Lord
The honor
Due his name
Bring offerings
And come into his courts
How firm a foundation
You saints of the Lord
It is laid for your faith
In his excellent words
What more can he say
Than to you he hath said
To you for refuge
To Jesus have fled
Fear not
I am with you
You will be not dismayed
For I am your God
And will still give you aid
I'll stray side and help you
And cause you to stand
Upheld by my righteous
Boniface and air
When through the deep waters
I call you to go
The long rivers of sorrow
Shall not overflow
For I will be with you
Your troubles to bless
And make it my soul
Your deepest distress
When through fiery trials
Your path we shall lie
My grace all-sufficient
Shall be your supply
The flame shall not burn
I only desire
Your trust to consume
And your gold to revive
The soul that on Jesus
Has sleep for repose
I will not
I will not desert
To his foes
That soul
Though all hell
Should endeavor
To shake
I'll never
No, never
For save
Praise God
From all blessings
Sings flow
Praise Him
All creatures
Here below
Praise Him
Above ye
Heavenly host
Praise God
Praise the Lord
Of earth
Son
And Holy Ghost
Amen
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness
And the power
And the glory
And the victory
And the majesty
For everything in heaven
And on earth is yours
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord
And you are exalted
As head above all
All things come from you, O Lord
And of your own
Have we given you
We're about to come to this meal
That God has prepared for us
That Jesus ordained for us
To participate in
So this is not a table
Church of the Advent
This is the table
Of Jesus Christ
And so all who are
A baptized believer
In Jesus
Baptized in the name of
The Father, Son
And the Holy Spirit
And are seeking to follow
Jesus in trust
And in faith
Are welcome to participate
In this table
By eating and drinking
If what I said
Doesn't describe you
You're still welcome
To participate
We ask you
That as everyone
Comes forward
You would come forward too
And instead of
Receiving the bread
And the wine
You would cross
Your arms like this
And one of the pastors
Can pray for you
When you do come forward
And you are participating
By eating and drinking
We ask that you
Come forward with your
Hands
Shaped like a cross
Just like that
No snatching the bread
You actually receive
The body and the blood
Of Jesus
Okay
And then once you
File through
You're welcome to eat
As soon as you receive
And head back to your seat
If there's anything
You'd like prayer for
We have Eucharistic prayer ministers
Who are willing to pray
For anything
Okay
And they're going to be
Over here I think
Right
Yes
Great
Okay
They're over here
And happy to pray
Eager to pray for you
Okay
And I think that's it
Great
So
The Lord be with you
Lift up your hearts
Let us give thanks
To the Lord our God
It is right
Our duty and joy
Always and everywhere
To give thanks to you
Father Almighty
Creator of heaven and earth
But chiefly
Are we bound to praise you
For the glorious resurrection
Of your son
Jesus Christ our Lord
Yes
For he is the true
Paschal Lamb
Who was offered for us
And has taken away
The sin of the world
Who by his death
Has destroyed death
And by his rising to life again
Is one for us
Everlasting life
Therefore we praise you
Joining our voices
With angels
And archangels
And with all
The company of heaven
Who forever sing this hymn
To proclaim the glory
Of your name
Holy Holy Holy Lord
God of power and light
Heaven and earth are full
Of your glory
Holy Holy Holy Lord
God of power and light
Heaven and earth are full
Of your glory
Hos
Hosanna
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.
Holy and gracious Father, in your infinite love, you made us for yourself.
And when we had sinned against you and become subject to evil and death,
you, in your mercy, sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world for our salvation.
By the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, he became flesh and dwelt among us.
In obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the cross and offered himself once for all,
that by his suffering and death we might be saved.
By his resurrection, he broke the bonds of death, trampling hell and Satan under his feet.
As our great high priest, he ascended to your right hand in glory,
that we might come with confidence before the throne of grace.
On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread.
And when he had given thanks, he broke it.
And he gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Likewise, after supper, Jesus took the cup.
And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
Drink this, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father,
in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
And we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your word and Holy Spirit
to be for your people the body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Sanctify us also that we may worthily receive this holy sacrament
and be made one body with him,
that he may dwell in us and we in him.
In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ
and bring us with all your saints into the joy of your heavenly kingdom
where we shall see our Lord face to face.
All this we ask through your Son, Jesus Christ.
By him and with him and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever.
Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray.
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 forever and ever.
Amen.
Alleluia.
Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed once for all upon the cross.
Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Alleluia.
Together, we do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in your own righteousness, but in your abundant and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table,
but you are the same Lord whose character is always to have mercy.
Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son, Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.
Amen.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace.
This is God for you,
the people of God.
Take the middle of the number of Christ's guide to you,
feed on mineral hearts,
by faith,
and praise to you.
Praise to you.
Rire and a dude.
R 북한 of the
Thank you.
Amen.
Thank you.