Easter | Wednesday 04 Jun 2025

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O God, the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless,
but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us,
and exalt us to that place
where our Savior Christ has gone before;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

“If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
(Luke 9:23)

From the Psalms: Psalm 29 | Poor Bishop Hooper

every angel honors you
for your glory and your strength
wrapped in endless holiness and the glory of your name
wrapped in endless holiness and the glory of your name

the voice the voice
the voice the voice of the lord

the voice the voice of the lord
echoes above the sea
the voice the voice of the lord
is power displayed
the voice the voice of the lord
falls forests and trees
the voice the voice of the lord
is thundering
the voice the voice of the lord
flashes flames of fire
the voice the voice of the lord
shakes barren the wilderness
the voice the voice of the lord
is writhing with new life and
the voice of the lord lays waste his creation

all the people
every one
in his temple cry glory glory glory glory

they cry glory glory glory glory glory

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OT Reading: Ezekiel 3:12-21 (ESV)  

3:12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

A Watchman for Israel

3:16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

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Woe to my Country | One for Israel Ministry

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NT Reading: Luke 9:18-27 (ESV)  

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

9:18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

9:21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

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Take Up Your Cross – Jaime Cortez / OCPmusic

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

O God, without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed, without whose truth our reason withers: Consecrate our lives to your will, giving us such purity of heart, such depth of faith, and such steadfastness of purpose, that in time we may come to think your own thoughts after you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Almighty God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem: Intervene in ways that only you can, so the whole world will know that you alone are God. Protect your people from the assaults of the evil one, and grant Israel’s leaders the wisdom and courage to do what’s right in your sight. Deliver all the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls. Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones. Protect the innocent and punish the guilty, that all may live in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun,  continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.