Lighting of the Candle
Assistant: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
All: All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made.
Assistant: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
All: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Assistant: Heavenly Father, in honor of your Son, true light of the world and author of life, I am about to kindle the light for the Lord's Day. On this day you raised your Son Jesus from the dead and began the new creation. May our celebration of His resurrection this day be filled with your peace and heavenly blessing. Be gracious to us and cause your Holy Spirit to dwell more richly among us in the Heart of the Redeemer Covenant Community. Father of mercy, continue your loving kindness toward us. Make us worthy to walk in the way of your Son, loyal to your teaching and unwavering in love and service. Keep far from us all anxiety, darkness and gloom, and grant that peace, light, and joy ever abide in our home
All: For in you is the fountain of life, in your light do we see light. Amen.
Assistant lights the candle and prays with hands raised over it:
Assistant: Blessed are you, Lord our God, who created light on the first day, and raised up your Son, the light of the world, to begin the new creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has taught us to kindle the light for the Lord's Day.
Opening the Lord’s Day Prayers
Leader: Brothers and sisters, this is the Lord's Day
All: Let us welcome it in joy and in peace.
Leader: Today we set aside the concerns of the week in order to honor the Lord and celebrate His resurrection. Today we cease from our work in order to worship God and remember the eternal life to which He calls us.
All: The Lord Himself is with us to refresh and to strengthen us.
Leader: Let us welcome the Lord among us and give Him glory.
All: Let us love one another in the Lord.
Leader: May the Holy Spirit be with us, to deepen our devotion to the Lord and to increase our zeal for the particular way of life He has called us to embrace.
Take a time to worship the Lord, read the Sunday gospel reading, and have a brief reflection on the Gospel.
Blessing of the Meal
The leader pours wine into a cup, raises the cup, and prays:
Leader: Let us praise God with this symbol of joy, and thank Him for the blessings of the past week: for health, strength, and wisdom; for home, love, and friendship; for the discipline of our trials and temptations; and for the happiness that has come to us out of our work. Let us thank Him, especially for the great blessings He has bestowed on us in Christ.
All: From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
Leader: We who were dead through sin have been brought to life in Christ.
All: And we will be raised up with Him on the last day.
Leader: Lord our God, you have brought us into the rest of Christ. Now we live with Him through the Holy Spirit, and we look for the day when we will dwell with Him in your everlasting Kingdom.
The leader raises the cup and prays:
Leader: Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.
The leader drinks from the cup, then raised the bread and prays:
Leader: Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
The leader passes the cup and bread around. Proceed with the meal.