| An Outline Order for a Memorial Service | |||
| For Notes, see here. | |||
| The Gathering | |||
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1
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The minister welcomes the people and introduces the service. | ||
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2
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Sentences of Scripture may be used. | ||
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3
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Authorized Prayers of Penitence may be used. | ||
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4
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The Collect may be said here or in the Prayers. | ||
| Readings and Sermon | |||
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5
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One or more readings from the Bible is used. Psalms or hymns may follow the readings. | ||
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6
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Other songs and readings may be used and a tribute or tributes made. | ||
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7
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A sermon is preached, testimony may be given and an authorized Creed or Affirmation of Faith may be used. | ||
| Prayers | |||
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8
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The prayers usually follow this sequence: | ||
| ¶ Thanksgiving for the life of the departed | |||
| ¶ Prayer for those who mourn | |||
| ¶ Prayers of Penitence (if not already used) | |||
| ¶ Prayer for readiness to live in the light of eternity | |||
| Commendation and Dismissal | |||
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9
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The dead person is commended to God with authorized words. | ||
|
10
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The service may end with a blessing. | ||
| An Outline Order for a Memorial Service within a Celebration of Holy Communion |
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| For Notes, see here. | |||
| The Gathering | |||
|
1
|
The minister welcomes the people and introduces the service. | ||
|
2
|
Sentences of Scripture may be used. | ||
|
3
|
Authorized Prayers of Penitence are used here or in the Prayers. | ||
|
4
|
The Collect is said here or in the Prayers. | ||
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The Liturgy of the Word
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5
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One or more readings from the Bible, including a Gospel reading, is used. | ||
| salms or hymns may follow the readings. | |||
|
6
|
Other songs and readings may be used and a tribute or tributes made. | ||
|
7
|
A sermon is preached, testimony may be given and an authorized Creed or Affirmation of Faith may be used. | ||
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Prayers
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|
8
|
The prayers usually follow this sequence: | ||
| ¶ Thanksgiving for the life of the departed | |||
| ¶ Prayer for those who mourn | |||
| ¶ Prayers of Penitence (if not already used) | |||
| ¶ Prayer for readiness to live in the light of eternity | |||
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The Liturgy of the Sacrament
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|
9
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The Peace | ||
|
10
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Preparation of the Table | ||
| Taking of the Bread and Wine | |||
|
11
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The Eucharistic Prayer (any authorized Eucharistic Prayer may be used) | ||
|
12
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The Lord's Prayer (used here rather than in the Prayers) | ||
|
13
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Breaking of the Bread | ||
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14
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Giving of Communion | ||
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15
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Prayer after Communion | ||
| Commendation and Dismissal | |||
|
16
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The dead person is commended to God with authorized words. | ||
|
17
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The service may end with a blessing. | ||
|
1
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These Outline Orders are designed for use in church several weeks after the Funeral service has taken place. One way of amplifying the first Order is provided below. | ||
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2
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If the memorial service takes place on the same day as, or very soon after, the Funeral, the Funeral service should be used, without the Committal. | ||
|
3
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For annual memorial services a provision such as that on pages 62-82 in The Promise of His Glory should be used. | ||
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4
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Care should be taken to ensure that there is a clear president throughout, who introduces and concludes the service, and that the number of other speakers, musical items and non-biblical readings does not unbalance the service from its focus on the word of God, prayer and thanksgiving. | ||
| Memorial Service: A Sample Service | |||
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The Gathering
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| The minister welcomes the people and introduces the service. | |||
| Sentences of Scripture may be sung or said, and a hymn may be sung. | |||
| The minister says | |||
| We meet in the name of Jesus
Christ, who died and was raised to the glory of God the Father. Grace and mercy be with you. |
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[All
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And also with you.] | ||
| The minister introduces the service in these or other suitable words | |||
| We look not to the things that
are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal. Today we come together to remember before God our brother/sister N , to give thanks for his/her life and to comfort one another in our grief. |
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Opening Prayer
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| One of these prayers is said | |||
| Father in heaven, we thank you because you made us in your own image and gave us gifts in body, mind and spirit. We thank you now for N and what he/she meant to each of us. As we honour his/her memory, make us more aware that you are the one from whom comes every perfect gift, including the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
| (or) | |||
| Father in heaven, we praise your
name for all who have finished this life loving and trusting you, for the example of their lives, the life and grace you gave them and the peace in which they rest. We praise you today for your servant N and for all that you did through him/her. Meet us in our sadness and fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving, for the sake of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
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Readings and Sermon
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| This canticle may be used | |||
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All
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The ransomed of the Lord
shall return, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
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| The wilderness and the dry land
shall rejoice: the desert shall burst into song. They shall see the glory of the Lord: the majesty of our God. |
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All
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The ransomed of the Lord
shall return, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
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| Strengthen the weary
hands: make firm the feeble knees. Say to the anxious: Be strong, fear not, your God is coming with judgement: coming with judgement to save you. |
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All
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The ransomed of the Lord
shall return, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
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Isaiah 35.1,2b,3,4,10a
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| A reading from the Old or
New Testament may be used. At the end the reader may say |
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| This is the word of the Lord. | |||
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All
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Thanks be to God. | ||
| A reading from the New Testament (which may be a Gospel reading) is used. When the Gospel is announced the reader says | |||
| Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N . | |||
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All
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Glory to you, O Lord. | ||
| At the end | |||
| This is the Gospel of the Lord. | |||
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All
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Praise to you, O Christ. | ||
| Memories may be shared, a tribute or tributes may be made. Psalms, hymns and other songs and readings may be used. | |||
| A sermon is preached. | |||
| One of these prayers may be used to provide a link with the Affirmation of Faith or the Thanksgiving | |||
| Father in heaven, we give you thanks for your servant N. We praise you as we recollect his/her life and cherish his/her memory. We bless you that in bearing your image he/she has brought light to our lives; for we have seen in his/her friendship reflections of your compassion, in his/her integrity demonstrations of your goodness, in his/her faithfulness glimpses of your eternal love. Grant to each of us, beloved and bereft, the grace to follow his/her good example so that we with him/her may come to your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died and rose again and opened the gate of glory, to whom be praise for all eternity. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
| (or) | |||
| Almighty Saviour, those who have died in faith have eternal joy in your presence. For us who remain, be with us in our sadness and turn our eyes to you. By your death once for all upon the cross, raise us to new life, give us victory over death and confidence to look forward to your coming. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
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Affirmation of Faith
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| This Affirmation of Faith may be used | |||
| Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: |
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All
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Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the Scriptures; he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; afterwards he appeared to his followers, and to all the apostles: this we have received, and this we believe. Amen. |
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cf 1 Corinthians 15.3-7
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Prayers
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Prayers of Penitence
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| The minister may introduce the confession with these or other suitable words | |||
| God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. As we acknowledge our human frailty, we call to mind our sins of word, deed and omission, and confess them before God our Father. | |||
| Silence is kept. | |||
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All
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Father eternal, giver of light and
grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen. |
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| The minister says an authorized absolution. | |||
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Prayers of Intercession
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| Suitable prayers are said (see here). | |||
| This introduction and response may be used | |||
| In peace let us pray to the
Lord, using the response: Hear us, risen Lord, |
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All
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our resurrection and our life. | ||
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Prayers of Thanksgiving
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| Hymns may be sung and
testimony given. Either the whole of, or these verses from, the Te Deum may be used |
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| You, Christ, are the King of
glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. |
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| One or more of these thanksgivings may be used | |||
| You are worthy, our Lord and
God, to receive glory and honour and power. |
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All
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For you have created all
things, and by your will they have their being. |
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| You are worthy, O Lamb, for you
were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and nation. |
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All
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You have made them to be
a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign with you on earth. To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour, glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen. |
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| (or) | |||
| We give you thanks and praise,
almighty Father, that you sent your Son to die, and raised him from the dead. We praise you in the confidence that you save all your people, living and dead. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| We thank you for
N, who in baptism was given the pledge of eternal life and is now admitted to the company of the saints. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| We thank you for our
brother/sister who shared the bread of life, a foretaste of the eternal banquet of heaven. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| We thank you for our relatives
and friends and for all who have helped us, who enjoy the reward of their goodness. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| We pray that the family and
friends of our brother/sister N may be consoled in their grief by the Lord, who wept at the death of Lazarus his friend. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| We pray for all of us assembled
here to worship in faith, that we may be gathered together again in God's kingdom. Lord, hear us: |
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All
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Lord, graciously hear us. | ||
| (or) | |||
| Lord God, creator of all, you have made us creatures of this earth, but have also promised us a share in life eternal. According to your promises, may all who have died in the peace of Christ share with your saints in the joy of heaven, where there is neither sorrow nor pain but life everlasting. |
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All
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Alleluia. Amen. | ||
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The Commendation
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| Almighty God, in your great love you crafted us by your hand and breathed life into us by your Spirit. Although we became a rebellious people, you did not abandon us to our sin. In your tender mercy you sent your Son to restore in us your image. In obedience to your will he gave up his life for us, bearing in his body our sins on the cross. By your mighty power you raised him from the grave and exalted him to the throne of glory. Rejoicing in his victory and trusting in your promise to make alive all who turn to Christ, we commend N to your mercy and we join with all your faithful people and the whole company of heaven in the one unending song of praise: glory and wisdom and honour be to our God for ever and ever. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
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The Lord's Prayer
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| As our Saviour taught us, so we pray | |||
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All
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Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. |
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| (or) | |||
| Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us | |||
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All
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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. |
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| The Dismissal | |||
| The Peace | |||
| Jesus said: Peace I leave with
you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives give I unto you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. The peace of the risen Christ be always with you |
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|
All
|
and also with you. | ||
| Conclusion | |||
| Neither death nor life can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant to us, Lord God, to trust you not for ourselves alone, but also for those whom we love and who are hidden from us by the shadow of death; that, as we believe your power to have raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, so may we trust your love to give eternal life to all who believe in him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. |
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All
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Amen. | ||
| The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make you perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. |
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All
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Amen. | ||