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Sunday Service of Morning Prayer in Lent
In the name of Almighty God, Father Son and Holy Spirit
Amen
Opening Prayer
Into your presence we come, Oh Loving God as your children have done throughout the centuries. In vast Cathedrals, parish Churches, Chapels, our own homes in the pandemic, warehouses, converted cinemas, in lonely isolated places. Alone or gathered together with others, your Church is wherever your people meet together in worship, in fellowship and in prayer.
Your presence is discernible wherever your Spirit is welcomed
All: Be with us now, loving Father
Into your presence we come, Redeeming God, mindful of our own failings; our thoughts, words and actions that have shown nothing of your love
All: Forgive us, loving Father
Into your presence we come, Generous God ; remembering the sacrifice of your Son on a cruel cross so that we might know freedom from the guilt of sin, and be made right again with our Creator.
All: Thank you, loving Father Amen.
OPENING HYMN
Act of Penitence
Come to the Lord all you who are troubled and sad
ALL Come to the God who is all tenderness and compassion, the God who heals all of our wounds
Come to the Lord, all you who are weary and overburdened
ALL Come to The Lord who is humble, he will bear your burdens and you shall find rest for your souls
Come to the Lord, all you whose spirits are cast down whose hopes and dreams have been bruised by the failings of humanity
ALL Come to the God who will light our fragile flames and refresh our hope
Come all who are afraid or haunted by guilt
ALL Come to The Lord who bids us have no fear, for he has redeemed us, called us by name and we are His
Come to Our God who has called us by name, who counts us a precious, in whose eyes we are honoured and loved.
Let us pray
SILENCE
Lord God, we come with mixed emotions, longing for the new life of forgiveness, the water of reconciliation, yet reluctant to experience the process of change.
We come wanting to set out on the journey, yet afraid of where we might have to go. In dry barrenness and weary longing we come before you, O God, in all our need, not knowing what to say.
ALL : Break our hearts of stone that we might praise you, O God.
‘Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.’
Psalm 32:5
SILENCE
We have wilfully misused your gifts of creation; destroyed our planet, misused your creation, and taken for granted all you have given us
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin and create in us new and generous hearts
We have seen the ill-treatment of others and have not gone to their aid;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin and create in us new courageous hearts
We have condoned evil and dishonesty and failed to strive for justice;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin and create in us new just hearts
We have heard the good news of Christ, but have failed to share it with others;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin and create in us new hearts on fire with your Good News
We have not loved you with all our heart, nor our neighbours as ourselves;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin create in us new hearts for love alone
Invitation to Confession
SILENCE
We pray together
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.
The Collect
Let us Pray
Psalm / Sung or Said on screen
First Reading
Hymn on screen
Gospel Reading
Sermon
Reflection or Short song
The Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
The Peace is shared
Intercessions
… ending with:
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son Saviour Jesus Christ Amen
The Lord's Prayer
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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
Closing Prayers
Love has its source in you, Creator God.
Flows from you like an ocean into a world as unyielding as any shoreline cliff
And like the ocean which batters erodes and wears away even the hardest stone
your love persists finds cracks and inlets in hardened hearts flows inside and works a miracle.
Who would think that water was more powerful than granite love mightier than the hardest heart
Thank you, Creator God for the power of your love AMEN
Circle us, Lord
Circle us with the light of your presence within this dark world
Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation
Enable us to be victors over sin and despair
Enable us to become that which you would desire
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
ALL: Circle us with the light of your presence
Circle us, Lord
Circle our family within the shelter of your outstretched arms
Protect them in each moment of their daily lives
Protect them in the decisions that they face
Protect their homes and relationships
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
ALL: Circle our families with the light of your presence
Circle us, Lord
Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation
Where there is sickness and disease bring healing
Where there is hunger and despair bring hope
Where there is torture and oppression bring release
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
ALL: Circle this world with the light of your presence
Affirmation and sending out
God is our refuge in these times of trouble,
keeping our feet steady upon the road,
Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!
God is our fortress in times of distress,
circling us in the safety of his arms,
granting peace when our lives are not at ease.
Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!
God our Father and Mother, who knows us so well,
wanting only the best for all humankind
willing always to forgive and forget.
L: Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!
For each step that we might take
Be our guide, O Lord of life
For each load that we might bear
Be our strength, O Lord of life
For each mountain we might face
Be our power, O Lord of life
For each river that might impede
Be our safety, O Lord of life
For each place where we might rest
Be our peace, O Lord of life
For each sunrise and sunset
Be our joy, O Lord of life
Closing Blessing and HYMN
Service Archive
Texts
Videos
Mothering Sunday Service
Midweek Communion 25th March
Morning Become Love
Evening Meditation
Good Friday Meditation
Journey to Easter
Easter Dawn
Walk Rest and Prey
VE Day Commemoration
Bishop Ascension sermon
Pentecost
Trinity Sunday
NHS Aniversary
Anthem
Parable of the Weeds
Light of the Trinity
Harvest
Commissioning of Lay Worship Leaders
Harvest
Commissioning of Lay Worship Leaders
Celtic Communion for St Briget's Day
Remembering 100,000 lives
Dawn Easter Service from Avebury St James
Easter Day Broad Hinton
Other Resources
The Church of England’s lent campaign for 2020. Sign up for free.
These can be found on radio 4 long-wave or on BBC sounds
each day the Church of England publishes audio and text of the Prayer for the Day.
Daily prayer and #LiveLent audio content can be accessed via our smart speaker apps
users can watch live streams of services from a range of churches and we will be improving AChurchNearYou.com in the days ahead to make this clearer.
Prayer Leaflets will be available at the rear of each church
Prayer stations are available in Most of our churches – candles will continue to be on offer in Avebury.