Family Service At Ten Thirty (Book of Common Prayer)
Welcome and Introduction to the Service
We have come together in the name of Christ
To offer our praise and thanksgiving
To hear and receive God’s holy
To pray for the needs of the world
And to seek the forgiveness of our sins
That by the power of the Holy Spirit
We may give ourselves to the service of God
Opening Prayer
Lord, teach us to pray.
Lord, keep our thoughts from wandering.
Lord, cleanse our hearts that we may worship thee in spirit and in truth;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Opening Hymn: God the Creator
God the Creator, you in love made me,
who once was nothing, but now have grown.
I bring the best of all my life offers,
for you I share whatever I own.
O Christ the Savior, you in love called me,
who once was no one, lost and alone.
I pledge to go wherever you summon,
making your will and purpose my own.
O God the Spirit, you in love move me,
who once was nowhere and felt unknown.
I know my need of you for companion,
all things can change when not on my own.
And with the people summoned
together to be the Church in which faith is sown.
I make my promise to live for Jesus
and let the world know all are his own.
Asking and Receiving Forgiveness
O Heavenly father,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
and have done that which is wrong in thy sight.
Forgive us our sins, and give us grace always to resist temptation and to do thy holy will; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, have mercy upon you, and forgive you all your sins, deliver you from all evil, preserve and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Praising God.
O Lord, open thou our lips;
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; (standing)
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord;
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Worship in Song: Seek Ye First
Seek ye first the kingdom of God And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia
Refrain: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Man shall not live by bread alone, But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God, Allelu, alleluia. Refrain
Ask, and it shall be given unto you Seek, and ye shall find
Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you. Allelu, alleluia. Refrain
Seek ye first the kingdom of God And His righteousness,
And all these things shall be added unto you Allelu, alleluia. Refrain
The Word of God: Romans 14. 1-12 (The Message)
Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.”
So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
Worship in Song: Thy Word
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid,
And think I’ve lost my way.
Still, you’ re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.
I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus by my guide,
And hold me to your side,
And I will love you to the end.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.
The Second Lesson: Matthew 18. 21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Sermon – The Rector
Hymn: Reckless Love
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve…
Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for Children.
LORD God, who didst reveal thyself to thy prophet Samuel while he was yet a child: Grant unto us whom thou hast made thy children by adoption and grace, that we may above all things seek to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; and in all our learning grant us to fear and love thy holy Name; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for those who teach and those who learn.
O LORD Jesus Christ, be with us who are assembled in thy Name; and grant to those who teach, and to those who learn, a right understanding of thy holy Word, and a readiness to do thy blessed will; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Let us pray for Christian Missions.
HEAVENLY Father, we thank thee for loving us, and for sending thy dear Son into the world to save us from our sins. We pray to thee for all who do not know of thy love, both at home and in other lands. Grant that through the work of our missionaries they may be led to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and with us become soldiers and servants in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for our Sunday Schools.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy Divine Majesty: We make our prayers unto thee for thy favour and gracious goodness towards all teachers and scholars in our Sunday Schools. Let thy Fatherly hand, we beseech thee, ever be over them; let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy Word, that in the end they may obtain everlasting life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Let us pray for Parents and Children.
HEAVENLY Father, bless, we beseech thee, all children, and give to their parents and all who care for them the spirit of wisdom and love. Grant that the homes in which they live may be filled with righteousness, joy, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us thank God for all his goodness to us.
O GOD, our loving Father, we thank thee for all the blessings thou hast given us, and above all for our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to show forth our thankfulness by trying in everything to please thee; for the sake of the same our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Worship in Song: I want to Know You
I’ve tried in vain a thousand ways
My fears to quell, my hopes to raise
But what I need, Your word has said
Is ever, only, Jesus
You died, You live, You reign, You plead
There’s love in all your words and deeds
This weary heart finds all it needs
In ever, only, Jesus
Refrain:
I want to know You, Jesus my Lord
King of the Heavens, King of my soul
I trade my treasures and all my rewards
Jesus to know You, then know You more
Though some should curse me for Your name
I have no fear, I have no shame
You stand with me for all my days
My ever, only, Jesus
Like wave after wave on the ocean
Like all of the sand on the shore
Your beauty and glory are endless
O Jesus I must know you more
Like wave after wave on the ocean
Like all of the sand on the shore
Your beauty and glory are endless
O Jesus I must know you more
I want to know You, Jesus my Lord
King of the Heavens, King of my soul
I trade my treasures and all my rewards
Jesus to know You, then know You more
Jesus to know You, then know You more
Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!