With Communion
The leader or a designated person may say a blessing over the food
GATHERING/GLORIA
Leader: Blessed be God: most holy, glorious, and undivided Trinity.
People: And Blessed be God’s Reign, now and forever, Amen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Leader: The Lord be with you
People: And Also with you
Leader: Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Reader: A Reading from the Book of Exodus (20:1-20)
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
BRIEF MESSAGE
DISCUSSION & QUESTIONS
What feelings or emotions do you experience as you hear the reading of this text, often called the Ten Commandments? What mental associations immediately come to mind?
What do you find most challenging in the text? What do you find comforting? What questions come up for you?
The last few weeks, we’ve been reading about the Israelites struggling in the desert, first with hunger, then with thirst, then with personal disagreements, and God providing for them each time. Do you think the Commandments fall into this same pattern? If so, how?
Why do you think God begins by reminding the people of their deliverance from Slavery? Why is that important to the purpose of the commandments?
In the United States, some local and state governments have put up the Ten Commandments in public monuments, classrooms, courtrooms or other public places. What do you think of this? Do you think it is appropriate with the purpose of the Commandments, or does it cross a boundary?
The Prayers
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Let us pray.
The Lord’s Prayer
Leader and People:
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.
Suffrages A
Leader: Show us your mercy, O Lord;
People: And grant us your salvation.
Leader: Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
People: Let your people sing with joy.
Leader: Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
People: For only in you can we live in safety.
Leader: Lord, keep this nation under your care;
People: And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Leader: Let your way be known upon earth;
People: Your saving health among all nations.
Leader: Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
People: Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Leader: Create in us clean hearts, O God;
People: And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
The Collect for Holy Cross Day
Leader: O God, who has made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that we, following the example of your servant Philip, may bring your Word to those who seek you, for the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
Leader: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission
Leader: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS
Leader: I now invite your prayers, intercessions & thanksgivings either silently or aloud.
(about 30 seconds for prayer & reflection)
Let us take a moment to pray for any birthdays, anniversaries special occasions or intercessions requested.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
BCP p. 102
Leader: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Without Communion / Morning Prayer
Before the service begins, the leader may say a grace over the food.
Leader: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”Psalm 122:1
Invitatory and Psalter
BCP p. 80
Leader: Lord, open our lips.
People: And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Leader: Glory to God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit *
People: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.
Venite
(BCP p. 82; Psalm 95:1-7)
Leader: The mercy of the Lord is everlasting:
People: Come let us adore him.
Leader: Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
People: let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him.
Psalm 149
Leader: Let us pray Psalm 149 by whole verse.
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song; *
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people *
and adorns the poor with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
let them be joyful on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their throat *
and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To wreak vengeance on the nations *
and punishment on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles with links of iron;
9 To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Hallelujah!
The Lesson
Reader: A Reading from Exodus 12:1-14
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Group Discussion on the Scripture:
This passage comes at the very end of the 10 plagues that God brings upon Egypt to secure freedom from slavery for the Israelite people. The last plague was to be the death of all the firstborn sons in the land. Imagine the scene, what you would experience & how you would feel as an Israelite. What about as an Egyptian?
God gives through Moses gives a specific instruction about sharing with neighbors and eating with “your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly”. Why do you think there is a focus on relying on one another and being prepared to go in a hurry? Do you think that teaches us any lessons today in times of crisis? What does “being ready” look like to you?
God says “it shall be the first month of the year for you” and that “you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance”. Why do you think it is so important for the people to remember and celebrate this moment in this way forever?
Can you think of similar ways we mark important moments of redemption and liberation of our ancestors today? Why is God involved? How do you mark the moments when God has liberated you or those you love in your own life?
This story is one of the deepest places of connection between the Christian and Jewish faiths, although there are often many differences in interpretation and practice. What do you think Christians’ role is in learning about & interacting with people of other religions? Where do you strike a balance between practicing your own religion and connecting with others of different faiths? Is this something you have tried before? Are there any boundaries you draw?
The Prayers
BCP p. 97
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Let us pray.
The Lord’s Prayer
Leader and People:
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.
Suffrages A
Leader: Show us your mercy, O Lord;
People: And grant us your salvation.
Leader: Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
People: Let your people sing with joy.
Leader: Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
People: For only in you can we live in safety.
Leader: Lord, keep this nation under your care;
People: And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Leader: Let your way be known upon earth;
People: Your saving health among all nations.
Leader: Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
People: Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Leader: Create in us clean hearts, O God;
People: And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
The Collect for Holy Cross Day
Leader: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
Leader: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission
Leader: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS
Leader: I now invite your prayers, intercessions & thanksgivings either silently or aloud.
(about 30 seconds for prayer & reflection)
Let us take a moment to pray for any birthdays, anniversaries special occasions or intercessions requested
The General Thanksgiving
BCP p. 101
Leader: Let us pray together.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
BCP p. 102
Leader: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14