Acts of the Apostles: The Believers Pray (August 2, 2020)

Please participate in the following liturgy, reading aloud all the parts in bold italics.

Call to Worship

Psalm 29:1-4
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendour.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
   the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” 

It’s your voice we long for this morning, Lord,
thundering into our lives, mighty and powerful.
The voice of wisdom instructing us,
the voice of justice inspiring us,
the voice of hope encouraging us,
the voice of love calling us home.
Give us ears to hear this morning.
Amen.

Song: Our Father

Our Father in Heaven
  Hallowed be Your name
Your Kingdom come quickly
  Your will be done the same

On Earth as it is in Heaven
Let Heaven come to earth
  As it is in Heaven
  Let Heaven come

Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the power
  Yours is the glory forever, amen

Scripture Reading: Acts 4:23-31

The Believers Pray for Boldness

“After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:

“Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed one”

For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.”

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Homily: The Believers Pray (Acts 4)

Prayers of the People

Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our Prayer.

Confession & Assurance

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in Your will,
and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name.
Amen.

Silent confession (space to confess our sins and wait in God’s presence).

The Lord has already shown you mercy.
The Lord has already had compassion on you.
Jesus strengthens our weak knees
When we still have a long way to go.

Be free!
We are forgiven.
Laugh out loud!
We are forgiven.
Love God with everything!
We are loved.

Silent assurance (space to receive God’s merciful love and say “thank you” in response)

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Is the Father with us?
He is.
Is Christ among us?
He is.
Is the Spirit here?
He is.
This is our God.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We are his people.
We are redeemed.

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Sacrament of Desire

Now, in union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your Church,
I present to You my soul and body
with the earnest prayer that I will remain united to you.
And since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
I pray that you would come to me spiritually.
I unite myself to you, and embrace you with my soul’s affection.
Let nothing separate me from you,
that I may live and die in Your love.
Amen.

Song: Prayer to the Trinity

Father almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
Set up Your kingdom
in our midst.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God:
Have mercy on me
a sinner.

Holy Spirit,
Breath of the living God:
Will You renew me
and all the world.

Community Life

Cross of Christ

All our problems,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All our difficulties,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All the devil’s works,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All our hopes,
we set on the Risen Christ!

3 Good Minutes

What are you praying for this week?