Neoliturgy

[version 29.DEC.08]

PRELUDE

THREE-FOLD HANDBELL, GONG, OR CHIMES

CANTOR'S INTROIT

OPENING HYMN

MORNING PRAYER READINGS

NEW-TESTAMENT EPISTLE READING

CHORAL CHANT

GOSPEL ANNOUNCEMENT

CHORAL ACCLAMATION BEFORE GOSPEL [stand]

NEW-TESTAMENT GOSPEL READING

CHORAL ACCLAMATION AFTER GOSPEL [sit]

INVOCATION

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, purify 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.

SERMON (or video)

SERMON HYMN

ChristoCreed

[ Credo, Sanctus, Kyrie, Agnus Dei, Benedictus & Gloria ]

I believe in One Triune God
Eternally existent before all time,
Manifested as the Father Almighty,
The Son Jesus, who created the heavens and the earth,
And the Holy Spirit
Who gives and sustains life for all life;

The Holy Father through the Spirit begot
The body of His Son Jesus Christ,
Within the virgin Mary who bore our blessed Messiah.

Jesus our Redeemer voluntarily allowed Himself murdered
By disbelieving jewish and gentile humanity;
His self-sacrificial bloody crucifixion
Became our perfect, complete, eternal atonement
Against all our sins.

Though our Saviour and Lord died and was buried,
He rose alive on the third day;
And ascended into heaven;
He shall return in glory with power
To judge both the righteous and the wicked
For salvation and damnation
Whose existence will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Christian Church,
The communion of baptized saints,
Destined for the new heaven and earth to come,
With life everlasting. Amen.

OFFERING WITH OFFETORY

SANCTUS

KYRIE

AGNUS DEI

[ If this is merely a sung mass, as is with numerous musical masses of such great composers as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, etc., skip directly to the Gloria ]

PURIFICATION INVITATION

You who truly and earnestly repent because of your sins, and are in love and benevolence with your neighbors, intending perfection, following the commandments of God, and walking from now on in His holy ways: Draw near with faith, and for your edification, make your heartfelt confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling.

PURIFICATION PRAYER

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all humanity: We acknowledge and lament our many sins and wickedness, which we - from time to time - most grievously have committed by thought, word, and action.....against Your Divine Majesty, provoking most justly Your furious indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are sincerely sorry for our misdoings. The remembrance of them is obnoxious to us, the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy on us, have mercy on us, most merciful Father, for Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all our past misdoings, and grant that we may continually serve and please You in increasing santification, to the honor and glory of Your Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ABSOLUTION PETITION

May Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of His great mercy has promised forgiveness against sins to all those who with desperate repentance and genuine faith turn to Him, have mercy on us, pardon, and rescue us away from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all worthy fruits of the Spirit, and bring us to everlasting life, though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are confident to say:

[ The Lord's Prayer ]

Our Father in heaven, revered is Your Name;
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
On earth, as it is in heaven;
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
Allow us to not be lead into temptation,
But rescue us away from evil;
Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
To the ages of the ages. Amen.

SANCTIFICATION PRAYER

Almighty and everliving God, who by Your Holy Apostle has taught us to make prayers and petitions, and to give thanks for your people....

We humbly request that You most mercifully accept our devotion, and to receive these prayers of ours, which we proclaim to Your Sublime Magnificence, imploring You to continually inspire the Universal Church with Your Spirit of truth, unity, and concord. Grant that all those who confess Your holy Name may agree in the truth of Your Holy Word, and live in peace and godly love.

We ask You also to direct and guide the hearts of all Christian rulers, that they courageously and impartially administer justice of reward and punishment to all those deserving such, and for the maintenance of Your true religion and virtue.

Give grace, Heavenly Father, to all bishops and other ministers, that they may - both by their lives and doctrine - elevate Your living Word and appropriately administer Your holy Sacraments.

To all Your people give Your heavenly grace, especially to this congregation here present, that - with meek heart and grateful reverence - they may hear and receive Your holy Word, truly serving You in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives.

We most humbly ask You of Your goodness, Lord, to comfort and assist all those who - in this transitory life - are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.

We also bless Your holy Name for all Your servants departed this life with reverent faith in You, requesting You to grant them continual activity in Your love and service, and to give us grace to follow their good examples, that with them we may be participants in Your heavenly kingdom.

Grant this, Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

All glory be to You, Almighty God our heavenly Father, because You in Your tender mercy gave Your only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon a cross for our redemption; who made (by that one oblation of Himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of those destined for salvation, and did prepare His apostles to realize that ultimate passover sacrifice of Himself at His Last Supper before crucifixion.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, and when He had given thanks, Our Manna From Above and Bread of Life broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying, 'Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is to be shed for you and for many, for the remission against sins. Do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'

Wherefore, Lord and heavenly Father, according to the example of Your dearly loved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we Your humble servants celebrate the gospel of Your paschal mystery with these Your holy gifts which we have available as a reverent spiritual means of access to the sacred Presence of Your Son - having in mind His blessed kindness and precious sacrifice, His mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, giving You deepest thanks for the innumerable benefits procured for us by Him. We most humbly beg You, merciful Father, to hear us, and of Your almighty goodness, guarantee that You bless and hallow these gifts of bread and wine....that we, receiving them as we contemplate Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, may become one with His most blessed body and blood in the Spirit. We earnestly desire Your fatherly goodness to mercifully accept this communion of praise and thanksgiving, earnestly imploring You to purge us and Your entire penitential church against the full blame of our iniquities among other benefits of Christ's passion. We present our souls and bodies to be a living, holy, and reasonable sacrifice to You as we humbly receive the most precious body and blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, be filled with Your grace and heavenly benediction, and made one with Him, that He may live in us, and we in Him. And although we are unworthy, because of our many sins, to offer to You any sacrifice, we beg You to accept this our righteous responsibility and service - not in view of our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord.....by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be all everlasting honor and glory, Almighty Father. Amen.

[ If there is no eucharistic distribution, skip to the Scriptural Atonement Declarations. If there is an annual passover-reminiscent congregational participation in communion on Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, and/or Holy Saturday during Holy Week, the following may be recited: ]

PREPARATION PRAYER TO ENTER THE COMMUNAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST

We do not presume to come to Your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your indescribably great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Your table. But You are the same Lord, whose intention is to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat Your flesh of the Bread of Life from Heaven, and drink Your blood of the Water of Life, that through Your perfect, one-time and once-for-all atonement of Yourself for us, our sinful bodies are made clean by Your body, and our souls washed through Your shed blood, that we may always live in You and You in us. Amen.

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION

POST-COMMUNION HYMN

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank You that You have promised to feed us, who have conscientiously received holy sacraments - the spiritual food and drink of the blessed elements of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ - and are thus assured of Your favor and goodness towards us, that we are genuine members incorporated into the mystical body of Your Son, which is the blessed company of His faithful people, and are also heirs through hope of Your everlasting kingdom by the merits of His most precious atonement.

We humbly request You, heavenly Father, so to assist us with Your grace, that we may continue in Your holy fellowship, and do all good works You have prepared for us to perform through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom - with You and the Holy Spirit - be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

SCRIPTURAL ATONEMENT DECLARATIONS

Hear what reassuring words our Savior Christ said to all who truly turn to Him:

'God so loved the world, that He gave his only-conceived Son, so that all who believe in Him will not be destroyed, but have eternal life.' (John 3:16)

'You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you.' (John 15:3)

THE FINAL BLESSING

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

GLORIA

CLOSING HYMN

THREE-FOLD HANDBELL, GONG, OR CHIMES

POSTLUDE

Anglican Service Antiphons (music)
Anglican Service Setting 2 (music)
Anglican Service Setting 4 (music)

Augustana-Hymnal Service
Augustana-Hymnal Vespers

LCA Red-Hymnal Liturgy: Setting 1
LCA Red-Hymnal Liturgy: Setting 2

Augustana Liturgy and Hymns

LCA Red Hymnal Liturgy