Opening sentence
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are citizens with the saints
and also members of the household of
God,
built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
Call to praise
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God
while I have being.
Glory …
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ezekiel 37.9-14
Then he said to me,
“Prophesy to the breath,
prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath:
Thus says the Lord God:
Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live.”
I prophesied as he commanded me,
and the breath came into them,
and they lived, and stood on their feet,
a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal,
these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They say, ‘Our bones are dried up,
and our hope is lost;
we are cut off completely.’
Therefore prophesy, and say to them,
Thus says the Lord God:
I am going to open your graves,
and bring you up from your graves,
O my people;
and I will bring you back to the land of
Israel.
And you shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves,
and bring you up from your graves,
O my people.
I will put my spirit within you,
and you shall live,
and I will place you on your own soil;
then you shall know
that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,”
says the Lord.
Thanksgiving
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
Amen.
Call to discipleship
Let us hold to the standard of sound
teaching that we have heard,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Acts 2.29-36
[Peter said,] “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Our Father who art in heaven
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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
Benediction
Be filled with the Spirit,
as you sing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs among yourselves,
singing and making melody
to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks to God the Father
at all times and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.