The Church of Our Saviour The Redeemer
25 Lake Avenue South, Stoney Creek
Morning Prayer as Chanting and Taize
March 24th, 2023
The Rev. Canon Bahman Kalantari
Every Tuesday, at 3 p.m. we are holding a new worship opportunity.
which consists of Taize music and includes the Holy Eucharist as
well as prayers for healing. This is a beautiful opportunity for
those who feel more comfortable gathering in a smaller,
more intimate setting to return to worship.
At the beginning of the service, you are invited to light a candle – to affirm a personal vow, to pray for someone or a particular situation, to invite the light of Christ to shed light on your path, and to receive illumination.
The Invitatory
Great are you, O Lord, and greatly to be praised.
There is no end of your greatness.
One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power.
All your works praise you, and your faithful servants bless you.
They make known the glory of your reign of justice and peace and speak of your power.
Our mouths shall speak your praise; let all flesh praise your holy name for ever. Amen.
We will now sing Holy Spirit come to us:
Psalm 17
O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
for it comes from honest lips.
Declare me innocent,
for you see those who do right.
You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
I have followed your commands,
My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you
because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from the enemy.
Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Arise, O Lord!
Because I am righteous, I will see you.
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.
Let us now sing: The Kingdom of God:
Affirmation
God is our refuge and our strength,
our present help in tribulation.
Even when the mountains fall
and tumble into the sea,
even when the earth shakes,
we have to sing.
We all have to sing!
Exalt God among all nations!
Praise God!
We will now sing: In The Lord
The Gospel
John 11:1-16
The Death of Lazarus
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,
and yet you are going back?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
The Word of the Lord
Let us now sing: Stay with Me
The Third Song of Isaiah
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land,
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation,
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day;
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
We will now sing: God is Forgiveness
Illumination
God our faithful Shepherd,
we depend on you for everything we need:
for daily food, for guidance and protection,
for healing in injury and comfort in sorrow.
You respond in abundant provision.
Thank you for your tender care of us.
Thank you for soothing the wounds of this life.
Thank you that in the presence of enemies,
especially the last enemy of death,
you are with us, as Shepherd, Host, Home.
.
Let us now sing O Lord Hear My Prayer
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
With all the faithful, let us pray to the Lord,
who is our hiding place in times of trouble,
who surrounds us with glad cries of deliverance.
We pray for all who are hungry—
whether hungry for power and glory
or hungry for a simple meal.
Show the mighty
that you alone can satisfy their deepest need,
and feed the poor
from the abundance of your good creation.
We pray for the church in times of trial—
whether tested by tempestuous change
or tempted by the safety of the status quo.
Give us peace
when anger and fear threaten to divide us,
and challenge us
when we are too comfortable in this world.
We pray for leaders in high places—
whether determined to help those who suffer
or distant from the cries of the oppressed.
Open their eyes
to see your saving power at work,
and open their ears
to hear your prophets’ calls for justice.
Lord God, instruct us in the way we should go
and let your steadfast love surround us always;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Let us now sing: Bless the Lord O My Soul
The Lord's Prayer
And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Let us now sing: Jesus Remember Me
Closing Prayer
May the grace of Christ,
the love of Abba,
and the Spirit’s joy surround us
as we walk in the light of the Lord. Amen.
Postlude:
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