On Eagles' Wings
Worship
On Eagles' Wings
Thematic Prayer, Meditation, And Services Of The Word For Christian Burial
(Family and friends are called to silence for the opening of the prayer service.)
Opening Invocation
Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:11--13).
We gather this day to celebrate the victory of _____________ who has soared above this world of sin and pain and on eagles' wings was carried to the Father in heaven. We thank you, Lord, for your constant care and protection and especially for giving us your Son, Jesus Christ, who assures us a place in your heavenly kingdom.
Responsive Reading from Isaiah 40:28--31
Reader: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Response: He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Reader: Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
Response: But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Prayer
Leader: Let us pray. Heavenly Father, you are powerful and mighty. You lift us up on the wings of eagles and carry us in your protective arms. Your majesty is revealed to us daily as we view your creation. We thank you for our lives, gifts from you, and we praise you for the life which you have prepared for us in heaven. Comfort those who mourn this day with the knowledge that one day we will all rise on eagles' wings to live with you in heaven and meet again those we love who have gone on before us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Old Testament Responsive Reading
Leader: As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its pinion (Deuteronomy 32:11), so the Lord watches over his children. We read in Psalm 103:1--18:
Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits -
Reader: Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Response: Who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Reader: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Response: The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
Reader: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Reader: He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Response: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Reader: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Response: As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
Reader: As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Response: For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
Reader: As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
Response: For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Reader: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
Response: To those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
New Testament Readings
Leader: God's love endures forever and gives us strength. We are reminded in Colossians 1:11--20:
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Responsive Reading
Leader: We are heirs to the kingdom through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In John 6:35--40, Jesus reminds us,
Reader: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Response: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Reader: Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;
Response: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Reader: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Response: This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
Meditation and Prayer
Leader: Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has promised to be with us in life and in death, if we believe in him, true Son of the Father, born sinless into a sinful world, so that his death would give us life. We will share a moment of silence as we remember Jesus' words, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (Silence) Let us pray: God, our Father, you gave us your Son as a willing sacrifice for our sin. You give us bread for our bodies and Jesus, the Bread of Life, for our souls. We give you thanks and praise for the gifts you give us freely and in steadfast love. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Reading from Isaiah 46:3--11
Reader: God assures us that we are his even from before our birth and to our death. God also promises us salvation, planned before man's fall in the Garden of Eden. We read in Isaiah:
Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales - they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention," calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have planned, and I will do it.
Meditation
Leader: God's promise of salvation gives us comfort and hope. In Matthew 4:4, we are reminded: "It is written, One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." God gave us his Son, our bread of life, who offers us eternal life, but we in turn can offer something back to the world. The Bible teaches us to love, comfort, and give guidance and compassion to all who are in need. Let us remember the times when ______________ provided us with love, comfort, guidance, and compassion, touching our lives in unique ways. We will take a few moments of silence to think about these special experiences which we shared with ______________. (Silence) We ask you now if there are any thoughts or memories which you would like to share with us today.
A Time for Sharing (The leader will allow time for recollections.)
Comfort for the Living:
Reader: And Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28--30).
Leader: You have heard Jesus' words, "Come to me." Do not bear your sorrow alone. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is willing to bear your burdens with you. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, can raise you above pain and grief of this world. God reminds us,
I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples (Exodus 19:4--5).
Responsory Reading from Psalm 28:6--9
Reader: Let us give thanks to God. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
Response: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Reader: The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Response: O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
Leader: Let us pray the prayer our Lord taught us to pray:
All: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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, for ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Leader: Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hands are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:11--13).
We thank you for offering us hope of life eternal. Father, we ask you to comfort those who mourn. Renew us with your Word, as we wait for the day we join those we love in heaven. Raise us up on eagles' wings and hold us in the palm of your hand. In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(The service is concluded.)
Service Program For Distribution
On Eagles' Wings
(The participants will read the portions of the service marked Response and All.)
Opening Invocation
Responsive Reading from Isaiah 40:28--31
Reader: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Response: He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Reader: Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
Response: But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Prayer
Old Testament Responsive Reading from Psalm 103:1--18
Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits -
Reader: Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Response: Who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Reader: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Response: The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
Reader: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Reader: He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Response: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Reader: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Response: As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
Reader: As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Response: For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
Reader: As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
Response: For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Reader: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
Response: To those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
New Testament Reading
Responsive Reading from John 6:35--40
Reader: Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Response: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Reader: Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;
Response: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Reader: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Response: This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
Meditation and Prayer
Reading from Isaiah 46:3--11
Meditation
A Time for Sharing
Comfort for the Living
Responsive Reading from Psalm 28:6--9
Reader: Let us give thanks to God. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
Response: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Reader: The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Response: O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
The Lord's Prayer
All: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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, for ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Opening Invocation
Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:11--13).
We gather this day to celebrate the victory of _____________ who has soared above this world of sin and pain and on eagles' wings was carried to the Father in heaven. We thank you, Lord, for your constant care and protection and especially for giving us your Son, Jesus Christ, who assures us a place in your heavenly kingdom.
Responsive Reading from Isaiah 40:28--31
Reader: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Response: He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Reader: Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
Response: But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Prayer
Leader: Let us pray. Heavenly Father, you are powerful and mighty. You lift us up on the wings of eagles and carry us in your protective arms. Your majesty is revealed to us daily as we view your creation. We thank you for our lives, gifts from you, and we praise you for the life which you have prepared for us in heaven. Comfort those who mourn this day with the knowledge that one day we will all rise on eagles' wings to live with you in heaven and meet again those we love who have gone on before us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Old Testament Responsive Reading
Leader: As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its pinion (Deuteronomy 32:11), so the Lord watches over his children. We read in Psalm 103:1--18:
Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits -
Reader: Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Response: Who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Reader: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Response: The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
Reader: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Reader: He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Response: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Reader: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Response: As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
Reader: As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Response: For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
Reader: As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
Response: For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Reader: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
Response: To those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
New Testament Readings
Leader: God's love endures forever and gives us strength. We are reminded in Colossians 1:11--20:
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Responsive Reading
Leader: We are heirs to the kingdom through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In John 6:35--40, Jesus reminds us,
Reader: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Response: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Reader: Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;
Response: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Reader: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Response: This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
Meditation and Prayer
Leader: Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has promised to be with us in life and in death, if we believe in him, true Son of the Father, born sinless into a sinful world, so that his death would give us life. We will share a moment of silence as we remember Jesus' words, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (Silence) Let us pray: God, our Father, you gave us your Son as a willing sacrifice for our sin. You give us bread for our bodies and Jesus, the Bread of Life, for our souls. We give you thanks and praise for the gifts you give us freely and in steadfast love. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Reading from Isaiah 46:3--11
Reader: God assures us that we are his even from before our birth and to our death. God also promises us salvation, planned before man's fall in the Garden of Eden. We read in Isaiah:
Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales - they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention," calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have planned, and I will do it.
Meditation
Leader: God's promise of salvation gives us comfort and hope. In Matthew 4:4, we are reminded: "It is written, One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." God gave us his Son, our bread of life, who offers us eternal life, but we in turn can offer something back to the world. The Bible teaches us to love, comfort, and give guidance and compassion to all who are in need. Let us remember the times when ______________ provided us with love, comfort, guidance, and compassion, touching our lives in unique ways. We will take a few moments of silence to think about these special experiences which we shared with ______________. (Silence) We ask you now if there are any thoughts or memories which you would like to share with us today.
A Time for Sharing (The leader will allow time for recollections.)
Comfort for the Living:
Reader: And Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28--30).
Leader: You have heard Jesus' words, "Come to me." Do not bear your sorrow alone. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is willing to bear your burdens with you. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, can raise you above pain and grief of this world. God reminds us,
I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples (Exodus 19:4--5).
Responsory Reading from Psalm 28:6--9
Reader: Let us give thanks to God. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
Response: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Reader: The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Response: O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
Leader: Let us pray the prayer our Lord taught us to pray:
All: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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, for ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Leader: Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hands are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:11--13).
We thank you for offering us hope of life eternal. Father, we ask you to comfort those who mourn. Renew us with your Word, as we wait for the day we join those we love in heaven. Raise us up on eagles' wings and hold us in the palm of your hand. In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(The service is concluded.)
Service Program For Distribution
On Eagles' Wings
(The participants will read the portions of the service marked Response and All.)
Opening Invocation
Responsive Reading from Isaiah 40:28--31
Reader: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Response: He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Reader: Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
Response: But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Prayer
Old Testament Responsive Reading from Psalm 103:1--18
Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits -
Reader: Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Response: Who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Reader: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Response: The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
Reader: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Reader: He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Response: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Reader: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Response: As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
Reader: As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Response: For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
Reader: As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
Response: For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Reader: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
Response: To those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
New Testament Reading
Responsive Reading from John 6:35--40
Reader: Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Response: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Reader: Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;
Response: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Reader: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Response: This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
Meditation and Prayer
Reading from Isaiah 46:3--11
Meditation
A Time for Sharing
Comfort for the Living
Responsive Reading from Psalm 28:6--9
Reader: Let us give thanks to God. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
Response: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Reader: The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Response: O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
The Lord's Prayer
All: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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, for ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer
