Our annual 40 day Sacred Assembly was launched on Wednesday in three services featuring repentance, prayer, and reflection. Pastor Blaine and Pastor Fay were actively involved in the service preparation.
Following is the responsive elements of our time together.
Muldoon Community Assembly
A Season of Alms, Fasting, and Prayer
Pastor: Grace and peace to you from God.
Congregation: May God fill you with truth and joy.
Pastor: Let us pray in silence for grace to faithfully observe the three acts of righteousness of Matthew 6, Alms, Fasting, and Prayer.
Pastor: Almighty and merciful God,?you hate nothing that you have made?and forgive the sins of all who are penitent;?create in us new and contrite hearts,?so that when we turn to you and confess our sins?we may receive your full and perfect forgiveness;?through Jesus Christ our Redeemer?who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,?one God now and for ever.
Congregation: Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading from the Prophets: Joel 2:1-2,12-17
Reading from the Epistles: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Reading from the Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:1-17
Pastor: Have mercy on me O God in your great kindness:?in the fullness of your mercy blot out my offences.?Wash away all my guilt:?and cleanse me from my sin.
Congregation: Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Pastor: For I acknowledge my faults:?and my sin is always before me.?Against you only have I sinned?and done evil in your sight.
Congregation: Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Pastor: Create in me a clean heart O God:?and renew a right spirit within me.?Do not cast me away from your presence:?do not take your holy spirit from me.
Congregation: Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Pastor: Give me the joy of your help again:?and strengthen me with a willing spirit.?O Lord open my lips:?and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Congregation: Create in me a clean heart, O God. The Sermon The presider may end with these words:
Pastor: Dear friends in Christ, every year we prepare to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection by walking with Him in His forty days of fasting and prayer. In these forty days we highlight the acts of righteousness of giving of alms, fasting, and prayer. Additionally, these forty days feature longer and more intense time in reading, studying, meditating, hearing, and memorizing the Bible. Today, I invite you to a special forty-day emphasis upon God’s word and prayer.
Our special season with God begins with repentance.
Pastor: We have not loved you with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.?We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.?We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.
Pastor: Lord have mercy.? Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: We have been deaf to your call to serve.?We have been unfaithful, proud, and hypocritical.
Pastor: Christ have mercy.? Congregation: Christ have mercy.
Pastor: We have been self-centered, and have taken advantage of others.
Pastor: Lord have mercy.? Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: We have been envious of those more fortunate than ourselves.
Pastor: Christ have mercy.? Congregation: Christ have mercy.
Pastor: We have loved worldly goods and comforts too much.?We have been dishonest in daily life and work.
Pastor: Lord have mercy.? Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: We have neglected prayer and worship, and have failed to commend the faith that is in us.
Pastor: Christ have mercy.? Congregation: Christ have mercy.
Pastor: We have been blind to human need and suffering, and indifferent to injustice and cruelty.
Pastor: Lord have mercy.? Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: We have thought uncharitably about others, and we have been prejudiced towards those who differ from us.
Pastor: Christ have mercy.? Congregation: Christ have mercy.
Pastor: We have wasted and polluted your creation, and lacked concern for those who come after us.
Pastor: Lord have mercy.? Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Congregation: Merciful God,?we have sinned?in what we have thought and said,?in the wrong we have done?and in the good we have not done.?We have sinned in ignorance:?we have sinned in weakness:?we have sinned through our own deliberate fault.?We are truly sorry.?We repent and turn to you.?Forgive us, for our Saviour Christ’s sake,?and renew our lives to the glory of your name.?Amen!
Pastor: May this holy communion remind us, in our season of alms giving, fasting, and prayer, that our true provision, nourishment, and communication is from you.