Lord’s Day Celebration

Brothers, “This is the day which the Lord has made…”

Let us set aside the concerns of the week to honor the Lord who is risen indeed from the dead.

Let us worship God and allow the eternal life to which he has called us to break into our time.

Let us cease from our labors and our cares in order to worship the Lord. The Lord is with us, to refresh us and to strengthen us.

Heavenly Father, in honor of your Son, 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 a 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 rightly among us.

Father of mercy, continue your loving kindness towards us. Make us worthy to walk in the way of your Son, loyal to your teachings 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 household.

Let us praise God with this symbol of joy and thank Him for all the blessings of this past week, for sustaining us in our day-to-day life. For nourishing us with His Word, for wisdom and discernment in our studies, work, and fellowship, for our life together at this University and specifically in this household, for the discipline of our trials and temptations, and for the happiness that has come to us in many and various ways.

Let us thank Him especially for His gift to us in Christ. He who is nearest to the Father’s heart has chosen to dwell among us. From his fullness we have all received grace following upon grace. Once we were no people but now in Christ, we are God’s people. Once, we dwelt in darkness and in shadow of death, now we live in the light and share in the Light of life.

Lord, our God, You have brought us into the rest of Christ. Now we live with Him in the Holy Spirit, and we look for the day when we will dwell with Him in your everlasting kingdom.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe who has created the fruit of the vine. Let us especially thank the Lord for the unity of heart and mind given to us out of His loving kindness and symbolized by this cup we share.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth [type of bread] from the earth, the staff of life. Let us thank the Lord for this provision of life. Let this bread shared among us be a symbol of the unity God has bestowed upon His people.

Of Christ’s fullness we have all received grace following upon grace. Lord, you have brought us into the rest of Christ. Now we live with Him in the Holy Spirit, looking for the day when we will dwell with Him in your everlasting kingdom.