A
NEW PRAYER BOOK
Proposals for the Revision of the Book
of Common Prayer and for Additional
Services and Prayers, drawn up by a
Group of Clergy
TOGETHER WITH A FOREWORD BY
WILLIAM TEMPLE, D. Litt.
BISHOP OF MANCHESTER
PART III
SHORT SERVICES FOR OCCASIONAL USE
SECOND EDITION REVISED
LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
AMEN CORNER
1923
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PREFACE TO PART III
THE services which follow arc intended for use at Morning and Evening Prayer, and at other times as occasion requires, The compilers of this book believe that there is need for more experiment and freedom in the worship of the Church, This means not only more elasticity in the regular services, but also a greater variety in the services provided: special services for those who do not come to the usual offices, services of preparation for communicants, services for guilds and fellowships and for special occasions.
The services and prayers in the following section are an attempt to meet this need. These suggestions are confessedly experimental. Many of them approximate to the type of devotion generally known as extempore (a type which should have a larger place in public worship) and they do not even claim that limited permanence which belongs to more formal acts of worship. Judgement in such matters is necessarily individual and subjective, and we have aimed at providing specimens of a wide variety which the varying needs of special circumstances and occasions may approve. No doubt it will be said, not unreasonably, that at least they should not have been included between the covers of a book of common prayer, We are content to admit the logic of this argument. But we are none the less convinced that the Church will be wise to reserve within her ordered garden of prayer a corner where the more simply natural thoughts and emotions in the hearts of our people, which are at present rather repressed in the worship of the Church, may find some kind of expression. In the nature of the case this expression cannot be reduced to exact and stereotyped form; but it is our hope that the forms which we have provided may serve as suggestions for the enrichment of prayer and praise by occasional departure from the methods and language which we too easily assume to be inseparable from 'Church'.
The editing of this part of our book has been delegated to a small number of our group, and we are grateful to them for being allowed to include acts of devotion which they themselves have prepared and which hitherto have not been published. We are also grateful to the respective authors and publishers of litanies and prayers already published for permission to incorporate several of the same.
We have included only skeleton forms of children's services because we believe such services should be constantly varied.
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Note: The Foreward is omitted as it is idetical to that in Part I |
CONTENTS
OCCASIONAL SERVICES
I. IN PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
II. For use after 3rd Collect at Morning or Evening Prayer on appointed days and other times at the Minister's discretion:
1, 2, 3. ADVENT. Suitable for use in times of national crisis
Thanksgivings for the Kingdom
Litany of the Divine Will
4, 5. CHRISTMAS. Of the Incarnation.
Suitable for use at gatherings for workers among children
Of Children
6. EPIPHANY. Suitable for use at services for the extension of Christ's Kingdom
7. LENT AND PASSIONTIDE. Suitable for use in all times of Tribulation
8. EASTER, ASCENSION. Suitable for use on Days of Renewal.
9, 10. PENTECOST. Suitable for use at gatherings of Church workers
The Church
The Fellowship
11, 12. IX PENTECOST. Suitable for use at gatherings of such as serve mankind by industry and learning .
13. SAINTS' DAYS
14. DAYS OF COMMEMORATION
15,16,17,18. GENERAL USE. Thanksgiving and Praise and Intercession .
19. THE LITANY, Prayer for all Conditions, General Thanksgiving (from B. C. P.)
III. AT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
IV. PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
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I.
SERVICES OF PREPARATION
FOR
THE HOLY COMMUNION
ORDER.
It is suggested that the singing of an opening hymn should be followed by one of these Acts of Adoration, Psalm, Lesson, Hymn, Instruction (if there be any) on how to use with spiritual intent one of the closing Acts of Recollection or Acts of Self-examination.
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1. ACTS OF ADORATION.
V. God is Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
R. Glory be to God on high.
V. God is Light. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and truly our fellowship in the Spirit is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
R. Glory be to God on high.
V. God is Power. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
R. Glory be to God on high.
V. God is Love. Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God: and we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love.
R. Glory be to God on high.
Or this:
V. All praise and glory and thanksgiving, more than we can utter, be unto thee, O God: worthy art thou O God, to receive the glory and the honour and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy Will they are and were created.
R. Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever.
V. Blessed be thou, O God, who hast given us the light of the knowledge of thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
R. Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever.
V. Blessed be thou, O God, who hast made known to us that it is thy Will, to gather in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.
R. Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever.
V. Blessed be thou, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: who in him hast blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and in him hast chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before thee in love.
R. Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever.
V. Blessed be thou, the Father of glory, the Father from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named, who for the great love wherewith thou lovest us, hast quickened us together with Christ, that thou mayest show forth the exceeding richness of thy grace.
R. Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever.
V. Now unto him that sitteth on the throne, unto him who maketh all things new, unto him who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: unto him who hath delivered us from the powers of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love: unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
R. Be blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Or this:
V. Glory to thee, O Christ our ascended and ever present Lord, through whom we have access to the Father.
Glory to thee who lovest us and hast loosed us from our sins.
Glory to thee who hast reconciled us all in one Body unto God through thy Cross, so that we are no more strangers and sojourners but fellow citizens with the saints in the household of God.
Glory to thee who hast led captivity captive, and hast given gifts for the perfecting of thy saints.
Glory to thee who dost redeem unto God with thy blood men of every title and tongue and people and nation.
Glory to thee who art with us always, even unto the end of the world.
Glory to thee who art in our midst when we are gathered together in thy name.
Glory to thee who didst institute a perpetual remembrance of thy precious death and dost unite us therein with thy very self.
Glory to thee who hast gone before to prepare a place for us in thy Father's home.
Glory to thee, the author and finisher of our faith, that God in all things may be glorified. Amen.
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2. PSALMS.
One or more of the following Psalms:
15, 19, 23-7, 32, 34,42-3, 46, 48 (omit v. 6), 51 (omit v. 19), 65, 66, 84, 100, 103, 111, 121, 122, 130, 133, 134, 138, 139 (omit vv. 19-22), 145, 146.
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3. LESSONS.
A passage selected from such portions of Scripture as the following:
Isa. 55. Matt. 5. 1-16. Mark 10. 32-45. Luke 15, 24. 13-33. John 4. 6-15. Rom. 12. Eph. 4. 1-16. 1 John 4.
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4. ACTS OF RECOLLECTION AND SELF-EXAMINATION.
(1) THE WILL OF GOD.
V. Jesus said: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
It is the Will of God:
To gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.
That we should show forth his praises who called us out of the darkness into his marvellous light.
That we should believe in him and love him with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength.
That we should worship him and put our whole trust in him all the days of our life.
R. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to do thy Will.
V. Jesus said: Ye are the salt of the earth, but If the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Ye are the light of the world.
It is the Will of God:
That our light should so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.
That speaking the truth in love, we should grow up together in all things unto him, which is the Head of the Body, even Christ.
That we should train our minds and be true in our thinking and just in all our judging.
That we should be honest, truthful, and upright in thought word, and deed.
That we should be diligent and faithful in our several callings doing our daily work in all simplicity and integrity, and labouring only for the things which are just and good.
R. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to do thy Will.
V. Jesus said: Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister.
It is the Will of God:
That we should rule our spirits, bear with each other's infirmities, and as much as lieth in us live peaceably with all men.
That we should live chiefly to minister to other's needs and not to seek only our own pleasure and gain.
That we should do what we can to take away the sin of the world and to overcome evil with good.
That we should not be anxious for the morrow, nor for our life what we shall eat or what we shall drink, nor for the body what we shall put on.
R. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to do thy Will
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful: that we, who cannot do anything that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy Will: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Or this:
(2) A RECOLLECTION OF JESUS.
V. Let us remember Jesus:
Who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor and dwelt among us.
Who was content to be subject to his parents, the child of a poor man's home.
Who lived for nearly thirty years the common life, earning his living with his own hands and declining no humble tasks.
Whom the common people heard gladly, for he understood their ways.
R. May this mind be in us that was in Jesus Christ.
V. Let us remember Jesus:
Who was mighty in deed, healing the sick and the disordered, using for others the powers he would not invoke for himself.
Who refused to force men's allegiance.
Who was Master and Lord to his disciples, yet was among them as their companion and as one who served.
Whose meat was to do the will of the Father who sent him.
R. May this mind be in us that was in Jesus Christ.
V. Let us remember Jesus:
Who loved men, yet retired from them to pray, rose a great while before day, watched through a night, stayed in the wilderness, went up into a mountain, sought a garden.
Who, when he would help a tempted disciple, prayed for him.
Who prayed for the forgiveness of those who rejected him, and for the perfecting of those who received him.
Who observed good customs, but defied conventions which did not serve the purposes of God.
Who hated sin because he knew the cost of pride and selfishness, of cruelty and impurity to man, and still more to his Father in heaven.
R. May this mind be in us that was in Jesus Christ.
V. Let us remember Jesus:
Who believed in men to the last and never despaired of them.
Who through all disappointment never lost heart.
Who disregarded his own comfort and convenience, and thought first of others' needs, and though he suffered long, was always kind.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, and when he suffered, threatened not.
Who humbled himself and carried obedience to the point of death, even death on the Cross, and endured faithful to the end.
R. May this mind be in us that was in Jesus Christ.
O Christ, our only Saviour, so come to dwell in us that we may go forth with the light of thy hope in our eyes, and with thy faith and love in our heads. Amen.
Or this:
(3) THE ORDERING OF OUR PERSONAL LIFE.
V. Be ye not shaped to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed for the service of the world by the renewing of your minds, so that ye may prove what is the good and beautiful and perfect will of God.
Let us examine our life in the light of these qualities of character which according to the teaching of Jesus make for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said:
V. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
We humbly beseech thee, O Lord, that thou wouldest give us the true spirit of detachment in our lives, that we may not become enslaved by our possessions, or entangled in any interests which cannot be consecrated to thee.
That it may please thee to deliver us from pride and self-complacency, and make us ever willing to confess that we cannot walk in our own strength or by ourselves live good and useful lives.
That it may please thee to keep us always awake to the vast possibilities of Christian saintship and Christian endeavour, lest we should ever feel that we had already attained.
V. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
R. For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
V. Jesus said:
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Give us, O Lord, sorrow for our sins, and for the sins of the world; that through our sorrow there may be joy in the presence of the angels of God.
Give us, O Lord, the spirit of thy Son, that being well and glad and strong, we may never lack sympathy for those who suffer and are sad.
Give us, O Lord, the power when we suffer pain to look unto thy face, and learn from thee how to bear it patiently for thy sake.
V. Blessed are they that mourn.
R. For they shall be comforted.
V. Jesus said:
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Teach us, good Lord, to think less of our own importance ; help us to overcome our desire to push ourselves forward at the expense of others; and grant that we may never congratulate ourselves on our achievements, as though they were ours only, and not thine.
Make us, O Lord, willing to learn to be thy servants through whom thou mayest achieve thy perfect will, and so fill us with the spirit of service that we shall not only wait to be called but also watch for chances to help others.
Give us, O Lord, such a realization of our sonship to thee, that we may look upon all this wonderful world, its beauty and Its treasures, as thy gift, and so recognize always that all we have must be used in accordance with thy will.
V. Blessed are the meek.
R. For they shall inherit the earth.
V. Jesus said: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Give to each one of us, O Lord, a reverence for the truth a desire both to think and to speak truly, and save us from ever being afraid of the truth, for it is part of the revelation of thyself, and part of thy perfect righteousness.
Give to us all the appreciation of loveliness and beauty, and teach us a great reverence for it, as being also part of thy revealing, and of righteousness as it is in thee.
Increase in us, O Lord, the desire to see justice established among men and to hasten that day when love shall rule in our social and industrial life, and none shall enrich themselves at others' expense, or live indifferent to others' needs and claims.
V. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
R. For they shall be filled.
V. Jesus said:
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Help us, good Lord, to see the good in others and not the evil only: and always to strive to understand before we hastily condemn.
Save us, good Lord, from the spirit of resentment, make us quick to forgive, as men who know how greatly we stand in need of others' forgiveness and of thine.
Help us, good Lord, to remember how often men do wrong through want of thought rather than lack of love and how cunningly are woven the snares that trip men's feet; make us worthy to pray that we may be forgiven in the measure in which we forgive.
V. Blessed are the merciful.
R. For they shall obtain mercy.
V. Jesus said:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Teach us to reverence our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, and grant that we may never be satisfied with any standard of personal purity lower than thine own. Grant, O Lord, that we may think clean, generous, humble thoughts and harbour none which stain the mind and dim our vision of thee.
Help us, good Lord, so to fix our minds on thy love, thy purpose, and thy power, that we may be delivered from pride and from morbid occupation with ourselves.
V. Blessed are the pure in heart.
R. For they shall see God.
V. Lastly, Jesus said:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
Help us, O Lord, to keep open the windows of our souls to thee in prayer, and renew us ever by thy grace; that through all the restlessness and complexity of life, we may always possess something of the peace of those whose minds are stayed on thee.
Keep us, O Lord, from straining and embittering our earthly relationships, and give us to reveal a courteous and forbearing spirit, that so we may be makers of peace.
Finally, O Lord, grant that we may never rest content with a divided and embittered Church: save us from factiousness and the spirit of the partisan, and grant that in opposing evil and maintaining our faith, we may never forget the law of love.
V. Blessed are the peacemakers.
R. For they shall be called the sons of God.
V. O Lord, hear our prayer.
R. And let our cry come unto thee.
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5. PRAYERS.
VISIT, O Lord, we pray thee, and cleanse our consciences, that thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, when he cometh, may find us in a dwelling prepared for himself: who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
INCLINE thy merciful ear, O Lord, to our prayers and enlighten our hearts by the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may worthily approach these sacred mysteries and love thee with an everlasting love, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
GRANT, we beseech thee, O Christ, that as we all share in one life, being members of thy Body, so we may all use thy gifts for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of thy Body, till we attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of thee, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of thy fulness, to whom be all praise and glory now and for evermore. Amen.
GRANT us, O Lord, the help of thy grace, that at this holy sacrament we may bring all our thoughts and desires into subjection to thy blessed will, and may offer our souls and bodies as a living sacrifice unto thee, in union with the perfect sacrifice of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
¶ Here follow certain prayers which may be used after the service of Holy Communion:
SANCTIFY, O Lord, both our coming in and our going forth: and grant that when we leave thy house we may not leave thy presence, but be thou ever near unto us and keep us near unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSED Lord, who for our sakes wast content to bear sorrow and want and death, grant unto us such a measure of thy Spirit that we may follow thee in all thy courage and self-denial, and help us by thy great love, to succour the afflicted, to relieve the needy and destitute, to share the burdens of the heavy laden and to see thee in all who are poor and desolate, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God world without end. Amen.
O GOD, who in this wonderful sacrament hast left us a memorial of thy Cross and Passion, grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruits of thy redemption, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
GRANT, O Lord, that the ears which have heard the voice of thy songs may be closed to the voice of clamour and dispute; that the eyes which have seen thy great love may also behold thy blessed hope; that the tongues which have sung thy praise may speak the truth; that the feet which have walked thy courts may walk in the region of light; and that the bodies which have partaken of thy living Body may be restored in newness of life. Glory be to thee for thine unspeakable gift. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us to receive the Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, that by means thereof we may be united more closely unto thee, grant that we may strive to promote unity and fellowship among all men, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
REMEMBER, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us and not what we deserve, and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(See also Short Service of Praise, No. 8, p. 218, Prayers pp. 256-259, and Intercessions pp. 263-269.)
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II
SHORT SERVICES OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
1. THANKSGIVING FOR THE KINGDOM.
V. There were great voices in Heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.'
O God, who hast made all things by thy power, thou King and Ruler of the world, glorious in Beauty and Truth and Love.
R. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
V. O God, who hast shown us the glory of thy kingdom in the royal love of Jesus Christ.
R. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
V. O God, who art ever working in the world by thy mighty and creative Spirit, to manifest thy kingdom among men.
R. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
V. O God more wonderful in thy perfection than all that we can ever desire or know.
R. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
V. Let us give thanks to God, for all the depth and wonder and glory of the divine Life, and the progressive and increasing manifestation of his kingdom through the history of the world.
For the perfection which thou art,
For all the glory and wonder which is thine,
For the manifestations of thy kingdom in all thy revelations of thyself,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the vitality and joy of thy Spirit of Life in thy creation:
For all young and swift and happy things,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the creation after long years of man, whom thou hast made in thine own image that thou mightest reign within his heart,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the defeat of darkness by the Light, for truth destroying superstition, and for growing knowledge of thy ways, redeeming men from tyranny and fear,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the onward march of thy kingdom of Right and Justice; for the increase of chivalry and freedom; for the growing reign of law and ordered life, putting cruelty and wrong to flight,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the perfect manifestation of. thy kingdom by the Incarnation of thy Son; and its coming into the world in power through his Life and Death and Resurrection,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the knowledge given us by him, that thy kingdom is at hand and for the fellowship of the Catholic Church, through which thou wilt establish it on earth,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. For the presence of thy kingdom in literature and art, in truth, in courage and sincerity, m loyalty, m fellowship and kindness,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. That thou hast called us, with all our dullness and limitations, to be the inheritors of the wonder and glory and joy of thy kingdom,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious name, O Lord.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to. the Holy Spirit:
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
V. And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth; and I saw the holy city the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall. dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and he that sitteth upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new',
R. Even so come, Lord Jesus, to reign in the hearts of men. Amen.
2. Or this,
V. O Lord, who hast set before us the great hope that thy kingdom shall come on earth, and hast taught us to pray for its coming, make us ever ready to thank thee for the signs of its dawning, and to pray and work for that perfect day when thy will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. For the work of thy Spirit within and beyond the bounds of thy visible Church,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the history of the world, through peaceful advance, and through pain and tumult,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the history of our own country, through its heroes and leaders, in statecraft, law, and industry,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in science and commerce, in literature and art,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit ill the slow triumph of truth over error,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the growing desire for the brotherhood, between men of every class and nation,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the spread of education, and in the development of a fuller life for individuals, with healthier surroundings and better conditions,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the deepening sense of man worth in all nations and classes, and in the growing reverence for womanhood and childhood,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the work of thy Spirit in the Church, which will not cease until it join all nations and kindred and tongues and people into one great family, to thy praise and glory,
R. We thank thee, O Lord. Amen.
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3. LITANY OF THE DIVINE WILL.
Read Rev. 6, or Eph. 1 (3-12), or 'The Will of God' in the 'Acts of Preparation for use especially before the service of Holy Communion.
Or:
V. Jesus said: Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and sister and mother. Mark 3. 35.
O God, who hast created us all and called us to take our part in thy tremendous purpose,
R. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
V. O God, who hast shown us thy eternal will in the life of Christ our Lord,
R. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
V. O God, who art ever working in men's hearts by the operation of thy Spirit, to make us fellow-workers with thy will,
R. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
V. O God, who willest that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of thy truth,
R. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
V. Glory be to the Father, &c.
V. From all reliance on ourselves, from trying to limit the range of thy purposes, from doubts of thy mightiness in operation,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
V. From all unwillingness to learn thy will, from clinging to our own plans and desires, from all want of faith ill self-committal to thy guidance,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
V. From cowardice in following thy leading, from ever suffering our own ambitions to cloud the vision of thy will for us, from trying to serve thee and escape the cost,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
V. From weakness when we are faced with big decisions, from over-confidence in making them, from acting without trying to learn thy will,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
V. From shirking the responsibility of our place in the divine order, from fearing new truth and new ways of thought and life,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
V. From seeking to set forward human progress, whether in the Church or in the world, by doing our own will instead of loyally asking to know thine,
R. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
¶ The Minister shall use all or some of these biddings at his discretion.
1. V. Let us pray for the accomplishment of God's will and purpose as we know it in our Lord. He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will. Eph. 1. 8-9.
No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him John 1. 18.
All things have been delivered unto me by the Father and no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son wills to reveal him. Matt. 11. 27.
If any man do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. John 7.17.
Silence.
2. V. Let us pray that society may be so ordered, that every soul may come to the fulness of the perfection for which God made it.
It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matt. 18. 14.
Silence.
3. V. Let us pray for the betterment of international relationships, the League of Nations, and disarmament.
Ye have heard it said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour und hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemics. Matt. 5. 13-4.
Silence.
4. V. Let us pray for greater mutual respect and trust in our dealings one with another, and for greater love of beauty and active purity in all the associations of daily life.
All ye are brethren, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Matt. 23. 8-9.
Ye have heard it said, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever killeth shall be in danger of the judgement. But I say unto you, Whosoever shall say Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire. Matt. 5. 21-2.
Silence.
5. V. Let us pray for greater reverence for children, and for the revival of the sanctity of home life.
Suffer the little children to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10. 14.
Ye are the salt of the earth. Matt. 5. 13.
Ye are the light of the world. Matt. 5. 14.
Silence.
6. V. Let us pray for the increasing application of science, and for the study of the body and mind; for the restoration of health and wholesomeness and gladness in the lives of men and women.
If thou art willing, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying: I will, be thou clean. Matt. 8. 2-3.
Silence.
7. V. Let us pray for the growth of the spirit of reconciliation and fellowship, that the will of God for man may be realized in the affairs of this world (especially with regard to . . . ).
This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. John 15. 12.
Silence.
8. V. Let us pray for increased power and vision to the Church, that through us the will of God may be fulfilled.
All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth.. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. Matt. 28. 18-19.
Silence.
9. V. Let us pray for the reunion of the Church, that the Spirit of our Lord may be manifest to the world.
I pray that they may all be one, even as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent mc. John 17.21.
Silence.
10. V. Finally, let us pray for loyalty to do the will of God following our Lord. Remember the test of loyalty to him.
Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of God, but he that doeth the will of my Father. I came not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. Thy kingdom come:
R. Thy will be done.
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4. LITANY OF THE INCARNATION.
4A.
V. We preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Seeing it is God that said 'Light shall shine out of darkness', who hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
God being rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ — it is by grace that ye are saved — and raised us up with him and made us sit in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
O God, more wonderful in thy perfection than all that we can ever desire or know,
R. We praise thee, and bless thy glorious Name, O Lord.
V. O God, who hast sent light into darkness showing forth to man thy very self in the life of Jesus Christ,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious Name, O Lord.
V. O God, who by thy pure and mighty Spirit dost lift up all men into the heavenly places, that we may live the life which is divine,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious Name, O Lord.
V. O God, Creator, Redeemer, Teacher, Source of life and truth and love and power, in whom we live and move and have our being,
R. We praise and bless thy glorious Name, O Lord.
V. Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us :
R. He that hath seen him hath seen the Father.
V. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us:
R. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.
V. O Thou, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and to be born of a pure Virgin: grant that we being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For all the perfection which thou art: for all the glory which is thine: for all that thou hast shown us of thyself in the royal love of Christ,
R. We thank thee, O Father.
V. For the manifestation in our flesh of what thou wouldst have man become: and for the bringing in of a better hope,
R. We thank thee, O Father.
V. For the fire cast on earth in the new revelation of thyself, to burn up violence and pride,
R. We thank thee, O Father.
V. For the regeneration of human life and the birth of joy and liberty, through the mission of thy Church,
R. We thank thee, O Father.
V. For all who show forth the Spirit of Christ outside the circle of organized religion,
R. We thank thee, O Father.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
4B.
O Jesus Christ, the Lord of all good life, who hast called us to build the city of God: do thou enrich and purify our lives and deepen in us our discipleship. Help us daily to know more of thee, and through us, by the power of thy Spirit, show forth thyself to other men. Make us humble, brave, and loving : make us ready for adventure. We do not ask that thou wilt keep us safe, but that thou wilt keep us loyal: who for us didst face death unafraid, and dost live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
V. From lack of reverence for Truth and Beauty; from prejudice and sentimentalism; from being contented with the mean and ugly,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From the cowardice that dare not face new truth, the laziness contented with half-truths, and the arrogance that thinks it knows all truths,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From all kinds of artificiality in life and worship and ministering; from all that is hollow, unreal, and insincere,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From trivial ideals and cheap pleasures; from mistaking coarseness and vulgarity for humour,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From being dull and pompous; from being rude and offensive and ill-mannered,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From the blasphemy of cynicism about our brethren made in the image of God; from all false pride, intolerance, and contempt,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From all uncleanness and unwholesomeness; from selfishness, slackness, and self-indulgencc, R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From the false piety which cannot laugh; from being self-centred in our pity; from being narrowly ecclesiastical ; and from·loving systems more than we love thee,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From everything in our lives and methods which may hide the true light of thee, who art the Light of the world,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
V. From the disloyalty of being satisfied with things as they are, in the Church and in the world; and from failing to share thy indignation,
R. O Christ, deliver us.
We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts, that as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his Cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
4C.
V. We pray, O Lord, that thou wilt so reveal thyself in us, that through us men may be drawn to the love of thee,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt give us the gifts of Galilee, the gifts of gaiety and freedom and simplicity to make our tired world grow young again,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt pour thy spirit more and more into the life of men; giving us clean laughter and good sportsmanship, kindness, generosity, and gentleness, honour, courtesy, and self-control,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt reveal thyself in fellowship; that a world, which rests on competition, may learn from thee the nature of the Father, and by the power of thy Spirit live in love according to his will,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt inspire science, art, and letters, to be thc expression of God through human skill,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt consecrate the discontent of the young and the rebellious; and strengthen the prophets that they may be forerunners of thy kingdom,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt give such power to thy Church that she may have life and life more abundantly, with courage to go forward daringly, trusting in thy leadership, and unfettered by the past,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt give courage, vision, and true wisdom to our leaders, that they may guide the Church aright, to face the issues of a new world-order,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt so change human nature by thy Spirit in the hearts of men, that old things may pass away and there may be a new creation,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That all mankind may come to the knowledge of thee, and may grow to that perfection which is thy Father's will for all his children,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. That thou wilt hasten the time which thou hast promised, when all shall be in subjection under thee, and thy kingdom be established in power and thou be all in all,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
V. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the completeness of the personality of Christ.
R. Amen.
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5. CONCERNING THE CHILDREN.
V. Let us give thanks for Christ's revelation to us, of God's love for children, and of their infinite value in his sight.
R. Alleluia. Blessed be God, Eternal friend of children.
V. For his tender compassion towards them: for his burning indignation against those who do them wrong: for his deep and overflowing love, drawing them towards himself: for his message of their nearness to the Father of all,
R. Blessed be God.
V. For the beauty of children and their joy in beautiful things; for their mirth and laughter; and for the joy and light they bring into the world,
R. Blessed be God.
V. For their enthusiasms, their abounding energy, and their love of the heroic and adventurous: for their candid generous trust in those around them; and for their quick response to calls of love and service,
R. Blessed be God.
V. For the childhood of Jesus our Lord; for his birth and helpless babyhood; for his mother's gentle care and nurture; and for all unknown souls who nursed and tended him,
R. Blessed be God.
V. For his joyful, eager, natural, obedient boyhood, uplifting human childhood into the Godhead; for the grace and love of God, by which we know he took to himself the form of a child, and gave to us the joy of knowing the Father,
R. Blessed be God.
V. And as we give thanks for the infinite value of children, so let us pray for Fathers and Mothers, and for all of us through whom children receive their first thoughts of God.
That we may have a deepened sense of the Fatherhood of God, and may so practise his presence, that the children may be won for Jesus,
R. Amen in Jesus.
V. That we may have the love of parents and the wisdom of teachers; that our lives may be ruled by simplicity, gladness, and sympathy; and that we may guide by the constraining influence of love, rather than by the restraint of fear,
R. Amen in Jesus.
V. That with patience we may foster in children a love of goodness, truth, and beauty; and that we may lead the splendid energy of youth to find its outlet and satisfaction in fellowship and service,
R. Amen in Jesus.
V. That by the inspiration of thy loving Spirit we may direct the thoughts of our children through curiosity to wonder, through fairies to angels, through the imagination of the delights of playtime to the worship of the joys of the Eternal,
R. Amen in Jesus.
V. That by the same Spirit we may inspire the children to think of Christ as ever near; to know his standard as our standard, his cause as our cause, himself as our Captain. and Hero and King,
R. Amen in Jesus.
V. Let us in silence remember before God all children born with some defect of body or hindered by their environment, all orphaned, homeless, or unwanted children, all children of loveless homes,
(Silence.)
O Heavenly Father, make our hearts burn within us for the children who go neglected or unloved; let thy Spirit breathe into us a living renewal, that with wise statesmanship, and readiness to combine with others, we may turn to good account every law for their welfare, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Silence.)
May the grace of courage, gaiety, and the quiet mind, with all such blessedness as belongs to the children of the Father in Heaven, be ours; to the praise of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who ever liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.
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6. THANKSGIVING AND LITANY FOR THE MISSIONARY WORK OF THE CHURCH.
V. Blessed be the Lord God for his tender mercy: whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us :
R. To give light unto them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
V. Jesus said: 'They shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.'
R. Thanks be to thee, O Christ, for thy holy gospel.
V. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
R. Thanks be to thee, O Christ, for thy holy gospel.
V. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you.
R. Thanks be to thee, O Christ, for thy holy gospel.
V. Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
R. Thanks be to thee, O Christ, for thy holy gospel.
V. Thanks be to thee, most glorious God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the revelation of thyself in this our world, and for thy commission to thy Church to proclaim the gospel of Christ to every creature.
R. Thanks be to thee, O God.
V. For the early disciples who were sent forth by Christ to proclaim the coming of the kingdom.
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For the apostles of the nations, who in obedience to his word, carried the gospel through the world
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For those missionaries, known and unknown, who first brought the gospel to these shores,
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For all the faithful, who, in ages of darkness, kept their lamps burning and watched for the coming of the Lord,
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For all who at any time have recalled the Church to her great task of evangelizing the world,
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For those who have gone to the ends of the world with the joyful news, and have sought out the dark places of the earth to bring light to them that dwell in the shadow of death,
R. We praise thee, O God.
V. For thy missionary servants who have joined the noble army of martyrs; and for all converts to the faith, who have sealed their testimony with their blood,
R. We praise thee, O God..
V. For the innumerable company who now praise thy name out of every kindred and nation and tongue, .
R. We praise thee, O God. Alleluia. Amen.
V. We acknowledge, O Lord, that we have proved unworthy of thy mercies, and confess how little we have done to hand on, in freedom and fulness, the faith which was brought to us through many perils and purchased with such pain. And the Church's long neglect of this, her bounden duty,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. Our past unfaithfulness,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. Our neglected opportunities,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. Our deafness to thy calls,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. Our small sacrifice for so great a cause,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. Our forgetfulness of those who have gone forth relying on our prayers,
R. O Lord, forgive.
V. We do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord, that thou wouldest stir up the hearts of thy faithful people to greater obedience, and unite thy Church to face the world's great need, and that thou wouldest send forth labourers into thy harvest,
R. Hear us, we beseech thee.
V. That those who have gone forth may be supported by thy presence, guided by thy counsel, and filled with thy power,
R. Hear us, we beseech thee.
¶ Here the congregation should be invited to pray for individuals, for missionary societies, for missionary work in specified areas, for the Church, clergy and laity, in different parts of the world.
Finally, O Lord, we pray that thou wouldest give to all professing Christians, living in foreign lands, a sense of their responsibility, that they may adorn the doctrine of our Saviour, and by their good example commend the faith to others: and that thou wouldest hasten the time when the gospel shall have been preached to all nations, and the whole world shall be filled with the knowledge of thy love. Amen.
O God of all the nations of the earth, help us to remember the multitudes who have been created in thine image, yet know not the fulness of thy truth; and, according to the love of thy Son Jesus Christ, grant that, by the prayers and labours of thy Church, they may be delivered from all superstition and unbelief and brought to worship thee; through him, whom thou hast sent to be our salvation, the resurrection and the life of all the faithful thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.. Amen.
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7. THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND OF MEN.
V. O Father of our Lord Jcsus Christ, who didst send thy Son to suffer and die for us on this earth, a gracious gift to the ungrateful race of men, make us truly and sincerely thankful for this and for all thine other benefits and for thy long-suffering with the sins and sorrows from the beginning even until now,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the sufferings of Christ in the flesh, und his intercession for mankind in glory,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For the redemption of the world through the shame of the cross and the pain of the passion,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For all who have filled up the sufferings of Christ in their own bodies for love of him and of their fellow-men,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For martyrs and confessors; for all who have chosen poverty or solitude for thy sake; for all men of prayer; and for all saints in common life,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. For all suffering dared and endured for noble ends; and for all pain bravely borne, and turned to patience of' character, and purity of life,
R. We thank thee, O Lord.
V. O Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sakes didst undergo want and shame and pain, we confess most humbly that we have refused to share the burden of thy cross; that we have denied thee rather than face mockery, and have sought comfort and security. Forgive our sin, help us to amend and give us courage to endure,
R. Amen.
V. From all misunderstanding of thy purpose in pain; from complaint of thy indifference to our sorrow,
R. Deliver us, good Lord.
V. From refusing to share the sufferings of the world; from forgetting the pain and sorrow of others,
R. Deliver us, good Lord.
V. From seeking comfort and pleasure; from avoiding burdens and neglecting duties,
R. Deliver us, good Lord.
V. From the selfishness which brings needless sorrow to others,
R. Deliver us, good Lord.
V. Almighty Father, who art afflicted in the afflictions of thy people and art full of compassion and tender mercy, hear us as we pray for those who suffer,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For those who bear the pains of childbirth or sickness ; for the aged and the dying,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For all who are handicapped in the race of life through no fault of their own; for the defective and the delicate; and all who are permanently injured,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For those whose livelihood is insecure; the over-worked, the hungry, and the destitute; for those who have been downtrodden, ruined, and driven to despair,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For little children, whose surroundings hide from them thy love and beauty; for all the fatherless and motherless
R. We beseech thee to heal' us, O Lord.
V. For those who have to bear their burdens alone, and for all who have lost those whom they love,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For those who are in doubt and anguish of soul, for those who are over-sensitive and afraid,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For those whose suffering is unrelieved by the knowledge of thy love,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. For those who suffer through their own wrongdoing,
R. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord.
V. Set free, O Lord, the souls of thy servants from all restlessness and anxiety; give us that peace and power which flow from thee; and keep us in all perplexities and distresses, in all griefs and grievances, from any fear or faithlessness; that so, upheld by thy strength and stayed on the rock of thy faithfulness, through storm and stress we may abide in thee. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast shown us in the life and n teaching of thy Son the true way of blessedness, thou hast also showed us in his suffering and death that the path of love may lead to the cross, and the reward of faithfulness may be a crown of thorns. Give us grace to learn these hard lessons. May we take up our cross and follow Christ, in the strength of patience and the constancy of faith; and may we have such fellowship with him in his sorrow, that we may know the secret of his strength and peace, and see, even in our darkest hour of trial and anguish, the shining of the eternal light. Amen.
WORTHY is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing. Unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb, be blessing and honour, and glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.
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