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O Lord, open our lips;
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessèd are you, Lord our God,
redeemer and ruler of all;
to you be glory and praise for ever!
From the waters of chaos you drew forth the world,
and in your great love, fashioned us in your image.
Now, through the deep waters of death
you have brought your people to new birth
by raising your Son to life in triumph.
May we, the firstfruits of your new creation,
rejoice in this new day you have made;
may Christ your light ever dawn in our hearts
as we offer you our sacrifice of thanks and praise,
Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of Life:
Blessèd be God for ever!
Amen.
Old Testament Reading - Do not let sorrow overwhelm you.
1-5Now, in mid-September, all the people assembled at the plaza in front of the Water Gate and requested Ezra, their religious leader, to read to them the law of God, which he had given to Moses.
So Ezra the priest brought out to them the scroll of Moses’ laws. He stood on a wooden stand made especially for the occasion so that everyone could see him as he read. He faced the square in front of the Water Gate and read from early morning until noon. Everyone stood up as he opened the scroll. And all who were old enough to understand paid close attention. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddenah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
6Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people said, “Amen,” and lifted their hands toward heaven; then they bowed and worshiped the Lord with their faces toward the ground.
7-8As Ezra read from the scroll, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites went among the people[a] and explained the meaning of the passage that was being read. 9All the people began sobbing when they heard the commands of the law.
Then Ezra the priest, and I as governor, and the Levites who were assisting me said to them, “Don’t cry on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God— 10it is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal and to send presents to those in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be dejected and sad!”
. . . . .Nehemiah 8:1-10- Literally, “while the people remained in their places.”
Intercession
We remember this day all those who have suffered and been murdered as a result of genocide, hatred and abuse.
May we honour their pain, hold them in our hearts
and take action for a better future so that one day there will be no more genocide,
no more war,
no more hatred and division among us.
May the words of our mouth and the desires of our hearts find favour in your sight O Lord
We remember, this day, our Christian community.
May we be enriched by its diversity, united in its faith,
pained by its failures, supported by its strengths
as we struggle to be faithful to our mission
to witness to a life of love, mercy, hope and service in our world today.
May the words of our mouth and the desires of our hearts find favour in your sight O Lord
We recognise and rejoice in our common humanity that unites us with our brothers and sisters
past, present and to come.
May we be ever mindful of the precious gift of life
and be aware of the great dignity of our vocation to be lifegivers,
helping the human family further in its journey into fullness of life in Christ.
May the words of our mouth and the desires of our hearts find favour in your sight O Lord
We recognise and rejoice in this earth that gives us life and sustenance.
We acknowledge our interconnectedness with all living things
and our dependence on the natural world around us.
May we appreciate the mystery of life
and learn to treat the earth on which we walk with reverence and respect.
May the words of our mouth and the desires of our hearts
find favour in your sight O Lord
Amen.
