Join us in prayer on the second Sunday of Lent. 

Archbishop Melissa Skelton presides & preaches at her final service as archbishop of the Diocese of New Westminster. 

A pdf of the bulletin is available here. 

The text of bulletin is available below. 

Gathering of the Community

Introit Kyrie (Communion Service in F) - Herbert Sumsion

A Penitential Order

Presider The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
All And also with you.

Presider Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
All His mercy endures for ever.

Presider Almighty God,
All to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession & Absolution
Presider Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
he welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.
Let us confess our sins,
confident in God’s forgiveness.

Silence is kept.

Presider Most merciful God,
All We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Presider Almighty God, have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All Amen.

Lenten Prose:   Hear us O Lord, Have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against thee 

Choir O thou chief Cornerstone, Right Hand of the Father: Way of Salvation,
Gate of Life Celestial: cleanse thou our sinful souls from all defilement.
All Hear us, O Lord, have mercy upon us:
For we have sinned against Thee. 

Collect
Presider Let us pray (silence)
Almighty God,

All whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross,
give us faith to perceive his glory,
that being strengthened by his grace
we may be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Proclamation of the Word
First Reading    Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
All Thanks be to God.

The Psalm           Psalm 139—Encircled by your presence
For Archbishop Melissa Skelton, Diocese of New Westminster
on the occasion of her first Confirmation Liturgy at Christ Church Cathedral on June 19, 2014.
Text: Psalm 139 (selected verses); setting: R. G. Lang

Antiphon: I am encircled by your presence, embraced by your hands 

O God, you have come searching for me.
You know me inside and out.
You know where I rise up and where I fall.
Before I think them, my thoughts are already clear to you. Antiphon

The track of my journey you discern ahead of me.
All the pathways my life shall take are known to you.
Indeed before I speak them, the meaning of every word is understood by you.
These things I can hardly grasp, O my God,
they transport me to heights beyond myself. Antiphon

Suppose I lifted up on wings through the morning’s light,
and flew to the edges of some distant land or sea,
Even there your hands would be holding mine,
guiding, guiding me. Antiphon

You have brought together the constellation of my being.
Before I was born your presence was there forming me.
I am grateful to you for the artistry of my own creation.
I realize that I have been carefully crafted by you. Antiphon

Second Reading    Romans 4:13-25

Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
All Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn Take Up Your Cross, the Saviour Said (CP 431)
Text: Charles William Everest (1814 –1877); Music: Melody Lochamer Liederbuch, 1450?, alt.;
harm: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 –1847), alt.; Breslau

Deacon The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.

Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Before the Gospel Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Mark 8:31-38

Deacon The Gospel of Christ.
After the Gospel Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon The Most Rev. Melissa M. Skelton,
Archbishop of New Westminster & Metropolitan
of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia & Yukon

Silence for Reflection

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

All 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.

Prayers of the People

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Iglesia
Anglicana de la Region Central de America. In the
joint Anglican & Evangelical Lutheran Churches in
Canada Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Rt. Rev. John
Organ, Bishop, and the clergy and people of the
Diocese of Western Newfoundland; the dean, council,
and congregations of the Georgian, Huronia and Bay
Areas of the Eastern Synod. In the Diocesan Cycle of
Prayer we pray for Melissa Skelton our Archbishop
and Metropolitan; John Stephens our Co-Adjutor
Bishop; Linda Nicholls our Primate; Susan Johnson
the National Lutheran Bishop in Canada; Mark Mac-
Donald the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop
Gregory Mohr the Evangelical Lutheran Bishop
in British Columbia; Justin Welby the Archbishop
of Canterbury; our companion diocese, the Episco-
pal Diocese of Northern Philippines and the Rt. Rev.
Brent Alawas; our companion parish, All Saints Ca-
thedral, Bontac, Philippines and the Very Rev. Padi
Luc; and St. Chad (Vancouver) and St. David (Delta).
In our Parish we pray for Welcoming Team Members
and Narthex Greeters.

If you have a special intention for which you wish to
receive prayers, please email your prayer request to the
Rev. Helen Dunn at helen@thecathedral.ca.

Lenten Response: 

O God we call, O God we call, from deep inside we yearn, from deep inside we yearn, from deep inside we yearn for you. 

The Peace
Presider Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has given us access to his grace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All And also with you.

Celebration of the Eucharist
The Offertory
You are invited to make a financial offering to further God’s mission through the work of the church by texting “Give” to 639.739.0843 and following the instructions; or by clicking on this link thecathedral.ca/pages/give. Tax receipts are issued annually for gifts totalling $20 or more. Your financial gifts matter and together with the bread and wine they are presented in spirit at the Altar as a sign of thanksgiving to God from whom all blessings flow.
If you are participating in this worship from another church please give generously to your local parish.

Offertory Hymn Tree of Life & Awesome Mystery (CP 179)
Text & Music: Marty Haugen (1950 –); Thomas

Prayer over the Gifts
Presider God of wisdom,
All may the light of the eternal Word,
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
guide us to your glory.
We ask this in his name. Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving
Presider The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Presider Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
Presider Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Presider We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,
for the gift of a world full of wonder,
and for our life which comes from you.
By your power you sustain the universe.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Presider You created us to love you with all our heart,
and to love each other as ourselves,
but we rebel against you by the evil that we do.
In Jesus, your Son, you bring healing to our world
and gather us into one great family.
Therefore, with all who serve you on earth and in heaven,
we praise your wonderful name, as we sing,

Sanctus Choir (Communion Service in F) Herbert Sumsion

Presider We give you thanks and praise, loving Father,
because in sending Jesus, your Son, to us
you showed us how much you love us.
He cares for the poor and the hungry.
He suffers with the sick and the rejected.
Betrayed and forsaken, he did not strike back but overcame hatred with love.
On the cross he defeated the power of sin and death.
By raising him from the dead you show us the power of your love
to bring new life to all your people.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.

Presider On the night before he gave up his life for us,
Jesus, at supper with his friends, took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat it:
this is my body which is given for you.”

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing,
gave it to his friends, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which is shed for you and for many,
so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.”

All Glory to you for ever and ever.

Presider Gracious God, with this bread and wine
we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus,
and we offer ourselves to you in him.
Send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts,
that we may know the presence of Jesus in the breaking of bread,
and share in the life of the family of your children.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.

Presider Father, you call us to be your servants;
fill us with the courage and love of Jesus,
that all the world may gather in joy at the table of your kingdom.
We sing your praise, almighty Father, through Jesus, our Lord,
in the power of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
All Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
Presider As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All 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.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

Breaking of the Bread
Presider We break this bread.
All Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Presider Let your Church be the wheat which bears its fruit in dying.
All If we have died with Christ, we shall live with Christ;
If we hold firm, we shall reign with Christ.
Presider These are the gifts of God for the People of God.
All Thanks be to God.

Share the Gifts
If you know the brokenness of life, its fractures within and its division without, then you have
participated in the broken body of Christ and you are invited to share in Communion.
If you are not physically receiving Communion, then offer this prayer:

In union, O God, with all your faithful people
gathered wherever the eucharist is celebrated this day,
I offer you praise and thanksgiving for creation and all the blessings of this life,
for the redemption given to us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ,
and for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I pray you come into my heart, my soul and my mind.
Let nothing separate me from you.
May I serve you in this life until, by your grace,
I come to your promised reign of justice and peace;
through Christ and in the unity of the Spirit. Amen.

While the communion is being administered, we respectfully ask that you keep the silence—
this is a time for quiet prayer and meditation.

During Communion  Psalm 23                               Setting: Bobby McFerrin

Sending Out of the Disciples
Presider All your works praise you, O Lord.
All And your faithful servants bless you.
Gracious God we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
May we, who share his body, live his risen life;
we, who drink his cup, bring life to others;
we, whom the Spirit lights, give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so that we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Blessing
Presider God, who from the death of sin raised you to new life in Christ,
keep you from falling and set you in the presence of his glory;
and the blessing...

Closing Hymn King of Glory, King of Peace
Text: George Herbert (1593 –1633); Music: General Seminary, David Charles Walker (1938 –)

Dismissal
Deacon Lord Jesus Christ,
All You have put your life in our hands.
Now we put our lives in yours.

Deacon For bread and wine, for this place and this time.
All Thanks be to God.
Deacon For the peace we are promised that this world cannot destroy
All Thanks be to God.
Deacon For the hope of heaven on earth and the final song of joy.
All Thanks be to God.
Deacon Go in peace to love and serve God and God’s people
All Thanks be to God.

Postlude King of Glory, King of Peace