Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father,
you have called your church
to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Give us vigorous faith and a love that is genuine,
so that all may see our works and give you the glory.
We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Introit
Hymn 346
Summoned by the God who made us
rich in our diversity,
gathered in the name of Jesus,
richer still in unity:
Let us bring the gifts that differ
and, in splendid, varied ways,
sing a new church into being,
one in faith and love and praise
Radiant risen from the water;
robed in holiness and light,
male and female in God’s image
male and female God’s delight:
Let us bring the gifts that differ
and, in splendid, varied ways,
sing a new church into being,
one in faith and love and praise
Trust the goodness of creation;
trust the Spirit strong within.
dare to dream the vision promised
sprung from seed of what has been.
Let us bring the gifts that differ
and, in splendid, varied ways,
sing a new church into being,
one in faith and love and praise
Bring the hopes of every nation;
bring the art of every race.
weave a song of peace and justice:
let it sound through time and space.
Let us bring the gifts that differ
and, in splendid, varied ways,
sing a new church into being,
one in faith and love and praise
Draw together at one table
all the human family;
shape a circle ever wider
and a people ever free.
Let us bring the gifts that differ
and, in splendid, varied ways,
sing a new church into being,
one in faith and love and praise
Opening Sentences
Epiphany
God chose to make known how great among the nations are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1: 27
or
For the God who said, "Out of darkness light shall shine," has caused his light to shine in our hearts, the light which is knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 11 Corinthians 4:6
PRESIDENT
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
ALL
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
ALL
Blessed Lord and Father, we have assembled in your name and in fellowship with one another. Enable us by your grace to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; to proclaim and respond to your holy word. Teach us to pray for your world and your Church. Grant that we, confessing our sins, may worthily offer to you our souls and bodies as a living sacrifice and eat and drink of your spiritual food in this Holy Sacrament.
Amen.
COLLECT FOR PURITY
ALL
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE KYRIES
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria In Excelsis
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
PRESIDENT
The Lord be with you.
ALL:
And also with you.
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Collect
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: (page 161)
Set us free, O God from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading
Isaiah 40:21-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 147:12-21
12 But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him, *
in those who await his gracious favor.
13 Worship the LORD, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;
14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.
15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.
17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?
19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Gradual
Hymn 312
God made me for himself, to serve him here
with love’s pure service and in filial fear;
to show his praise, for him to labour now;
then see his glory where the angels bow.
All needful grace was mine, through his dear Son,
whose life and death my full salvation won;
the grace that would have strengthened me, and taught;
grace that would crown me when my work was wrought.
And I, poor sinner, cast it all away;
lived for the toil or pleasure of each day;
as if no Christ had shed his precious blood,
as if I owed no homage to my God.
O Holy Spirit, with thy fire divine,
melt into tears this thankless heart of mine;
teach me to love what once I seemed to hate,
and live to God, before it be too late.
Gospel
Mark 1:29-39
As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Song of Preparation
Sermon
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen or unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake He was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered, died and was buried.
On the third day He rose again
in fulfilment of 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.
With the Father and the Son
He is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
FORM C (page 108)
LEADER
With all our heart and all our mind let us pray to the Lord. saying,
“Lord have mercy.”
LEADER
For the peace from above, for the loving kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For the peace and welfare of the world, for the witness and work of the Church, and for the unity of all peoples:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For our Bishops and all ministers of God’s Word and Sacraments. that they may be filled with truth and love and be found without fault at the Lord’s coming:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For the leaders of the nations and for those in authority among us, that they may serve justice and promote the freedom and dignity of all peoples:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice and oppression, and for all who labour in the cause of human liberation and fulfilment:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For the sick, the suffering, the sorrowful, and the dying; and for all who remember and care for them:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For deliverance from the ravages of hurricane, earthquake, drought or flood, and for a just and proper use of God’s creation:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
LEADER
For ourselves and all who confess the name of Christ, that we may show forth the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light:
Let us pray to the Lord.
ALL:
Lord, have mercy.
Silence may be kept.
ALL
O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people in the multitude of your mercies. Look with compassion on us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious O Lord of love, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.