The Rev. Canon Bahman Kalantari

Morning Prayer

March 31st , 2023

Opening Hymn

In the Name of God: Abba our Light, Jesus Christ our Saviour, the Holy Spirit our Liberator.

We thank you, O God,

for all those in Scripture who have pointed to Christ:

for your prophets Elijah and Isaiah, for other prophets,

and for John.

We thank you, too, for those in our lives who have pointed us to Christ:

pastors and teachers, strangers and friends.

Give us eyes to see him today

among those who are oppressed, imprisoned,

brokenhearted, or beaten down,

and we will give our testimony, too:

how Christ releases and sets free;

how he turns ashes into garlands;

how he repairs and builds up what was ruined.

We, too, will point others to Jesus,

the Light of the world. Amen.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

The Invitatory

Mighty God, send your Holy Spirit to speak peace,

that the good news of this age may be proclaimed

through your word, which stands forever. Amen.

Preparation

Light of the world,

you greet me this morning with new possibilities.

Shine brightly, I pray,

until I see into the dark places of this world,

and into the dark places of my own life.

I want to follow you in paths of justice,

speak up with you for liberty,

and bend with you toward the brokenhearted,

even the broken places within myself.

I trade in my faint spirit for your mantle of praise—

and with my whole being

I will rejoice in you. Amen.

Hymn

Today’s Gospel

Matthew 6:1-4

Giving to the Needy

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Holy Word, Holy Wisdom

Statement of Faith (Romans 10:9-10)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

God who restores,

you have done great things for us and we rejoice!

So often you have filled us with laughter,

even turning tears of sadness into shouts of joy.

You send prophets, who point the way to justice

and show the way to you.

We thank you for sending good news to us

and repairing so much that we have devastated.

In this season of light,

we lift up in prayer so many who wait in darkness:

people oppressed by poverty and discrimination,

by political upheaval or dangerous rulers;

people imprisoned wrongly

and also those imprisoned justly.

Right what is wrong among us and in us

and restore us to you,

to others,

to ourselves.

Make the brokenhearted whole again;

comfort those who mourn;

repair our ruined cities.

In all the jostling and jingling of these days,

do not let us lose sight of you

or those whom you especially came to serve:

people who are in need of healing,

people who are overlooked or underserved,

the ones who are lost,

and the ones we have made to feel little and least.

Light of the world,

live among us always,

full of grace and truth. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Closing Prayer

May God strengthen us to the end;

Christ draw near to our very gates;

and the Holy Spirit awaken our spirits;

until, with eager longing,

we greet the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Postlude: