¶ The Liturgy of the Word

The First Reading        Genesis 12:1 - 9

A reading from Genesis, chapter 12 verse 1 to 9 and ending at
chapter 2 verse 4

12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and
your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will
show you.

2  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and
make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

3  I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you
I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.”

4  So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with
him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed
from Haran. 5  Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son
Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the
persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth
to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land
of Canaan, 6  Abram passed through the land to the place at
Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites
were in the land. 7  Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said,
“To your offspring I will give this land.”

So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to
him. 8  From there he moved on to the hill country on the east
of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai
on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and
invoked the name of the Lord. 9  And Abram journeyed on by
stages toward the Negeb.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Psalm.    Psalm 8 BAS p. 711

Read responsively by the half verse.

1 Lord our governor, *
how exalted is your name in all the world!

2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.

3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honour;

7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet;

8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our governor, *
how exalted is your name in all the world!

And together we pray

Blessed are you, creator of heaven and earth;
amid the immensity of the universe,
you are mindful of us and seek us out.
Blessed are you for the gift of your Son,
who humbled himself to share our life
that we might be raised with him
to glory and splendour.
Blessed be your holy name,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

The Gospel                Matthew 28:16-20

The Lord be with you.
And also with you

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

16  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the
mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17  When
they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted.
18  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit 20  and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the
age.”

                                               This is the Gospel of Christ.
                                                Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism,
as we say,

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer Over the Gifts           BAS p. 361

Merciful God and Father,
in Adam’s fall we were born to death;
in the new Adam we are reborn to life.
In all we offer you this day
may we share a taste of your eternal kingdom.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

The Eucharistic Prayer 3.                 p. 198

The Celebrant says

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Here follows the proper prefaces for Sunday on pp. 218

Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth;
we give you thanks and praise,
because, in the mystery you disclose to us,
you reveal your glory
as the glory of your Son and the Holy Spirit:
three persons equal in majesty,
undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God,
ever to be adored in your everlasting glory.

Therefore with all the company of heaven
we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name

All  Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Celebrant We give thanks to you, Lord our God,

for the goodness and love
you have made known to us in creation;
in calling Israel to be your people;
in your Word spoken through the prophets;
and above all in the Word made flesh,
Jesus your Son.

For in these last days you sent him
to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.

In him, you have delivered us from evil,
and made us worthy to stand before you.

In him, you have brought us
out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness,
out of death into life.

On the night he was handed over
to suffering and death,
a death he freely accepted,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread;
and when he had given thanks to you,
he broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
and said, “ Take, eat:
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them,
and said, “Drink this, all of you:
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore, Father, according to his command,

All we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;

Celebrant and we offer our sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving
to you, Lord of all;
presenting to you, from your creation,
this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God,
to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,
that they may be the sacrament
of the body of Christ
and his blood of the new covenant.

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice,
that we, made acceptable in him,
may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In the fullness of time,
reconcile all things in Christ,
and make them new,
and bring us to that city of light

where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
the firstborn of all creation,
the head of the Church,
and the author of our salvation;

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father,
now and for ever.

People Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we sing:

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 forever. Amen. Amen