Lent Liturgy, Songs, and Prayers
February 28, 2026 - The Second Week of Lent
Instrumental prelude
Each week we take a few moments for silent prayer and reflection during the instrumental prelude. We invite you to quiet your conversations as we begin, and to join us in quiet prayer; to pause for a moment without words, and enter this place with quietness and trust before the Lord.
Call to worship: (during Lent we are starting service kneeling or seated as you’re able)
Trisagion
Holy God,
Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal,
Have mercy on us
THE ACCLAMATION (standing together)
Blessed the Lord who forgives all our sins.
His mercy endures forever.
You are our strength, Lord, we will love you;
Under the shadow of your wings keep us.
THE COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.
THE SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.(Matthew 22:37-40)
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY (standing together)
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
SUNG WORSHIP (standing together)
God of Wonders
Verse 1
Lord of all creation
Of water, earth and sky
The Heavens are Your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
Chorus
God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Verse 2
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
And when I stumble into darkness
I will call Your name by night
God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth
THE LESSON (standing together)
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah (40.18-31).
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
An idol? —A workman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
and casts for it silver chains.
As a gift one chooses mulberry wood
—wood that will not rot—
then seeks out a skilled artisan
to set up an image that will not topple.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
To whom then will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
mighty in power,
not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God’?
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.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
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.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Sung Worship (continues)
Cannons
It's falling from the clouds, a strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and the rain
It's ringing in the skies, like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays; we're singing...
Chorus
You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I feel unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing
Of how great You are
Verse 2
Beautiful and free, a song of galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the Milky Way
Let's join in with the sound,
Come on let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays; singing...
Bridge
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen
THE GOSPEL (standing together)
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. (Matthew 18: 1-6)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.
[and a little later…]
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Message Cn Tim Clayton
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (kneeling or seated as you’re able)
Celebrant: Let us raise to the Lord our common prayers for the Church and for the needs of all humanity.
*silence is kept
God the Father,
have mercy on us.
God the Son,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity,
have mercy on us.
*silence is kept
Intercessor:
From the islands and the oceans, we worship you, O God, the Creator of life.
Throughout the mountains and the valleys, we praise you, O God, the Savior of the world. With the tongues of all nations, we thank you, O God, the Comforter of bodies and souls. We come before you bearing our burdens and hopes.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
We pray for those who live in the midst of injustice.
Encourage us to lift up their voices and strengthen their hope.
We pray for those who continue to perpetuate injustice.
May your kindness fill their and our hearts and make us agents of freedom and peace. We pray for every institution and person who stands for justice.
Let us act justly according to your words.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
We pray for the visible unity of the Church.
Lead us to fulfill Jesus’ prayer that we may be one and work together to manifest your Kingdom.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
We thank you for the many colors, cultures, and customs that we share in this world. In our differences, unite us by your love. Enable us to act together to uphold life and to make this world a just and peaceful household for all humanity.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
(Intercessor continues)
For Trinity North Shore
O God, thank you for calling us into being as Trinity North Shore and calling us to connect with you, our communities, and creation. We remember that you led your people on a long exodus, to the promised land. We feel ready; lead us to the right place for our home, for worship and gathering and hospitality. We long to stay in step with you along the way, for we are yours, the communities of the North Shore are yours, and indeed the earth and all that is belongs to you.
Amen.
(Intercessor continues)
Prayer for God’s Justice to be Manifest
Lord Jesus, we pray along with the prophecy your mother, Mary, spoke to celebrate your birth: that you would scatter those who are proud in the imagination of their hearts and bring down the mighty from their imagined thrones; that you would exalt and lift up the lowly and the poor; that you would send the ungenerous rich away empty and that the hungry would be filled with good things. Have mercy on our nation in these troubling times and deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Celebrant:
Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen
THE NICENE CREED (standing together)
Let us confess our faith, and recall together the narrative summary of God’s love story, using the words of the Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
THE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION OF SIN
(kneeling or seated as you’re able)
Let's confess our sins and those things that prevent our being filled with love for God and our neighbors:
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We desire to turn from the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, the evil done on our behalf. Forgive us our fear and self-excusing, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ who showed courage and the way of whole-hearted love. Give us your Spirit, that we may abide in your love and serve you with our whole being.
Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE PEACE (standing together)
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
And with your spirit.
(Let’s greet one another with a sign of peace)
Announcements and Upcoming Events -
more details on our Events Page
Christ Blessing the Children, Nicolaes Maes
The Joseph Fund -
ARDF Relief Support for the People of Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Mozambique, Turkey, Syria, Hurricane relief, California Wildfires, Flood, Earthquake and other relief efforts.
Details on our Missions Page
The Hour Calls
WE FORFEIT RIGHT TO WORSHIP GOD AS LONG AS WE [CONTINUE TO] HUMILIATE NEGROS. CHURCH and SYNAGOGUE HAVE FAILED.
[THEY] MUST REPENT. ASK OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO CALL FOR NATIONAL REPENTANCE AND PERSONAL SACRIFICE.… I PROPOSE THAT YOU, MR PRESIDENT, DECLARE STATE OF MORAL EMERGENCY. THE HOUR CALLS FOR MORAL GRANDEUR AND SPIRITUAL AUDACITY.
-Abraham Joshua Heschel, writing to President John Kennedy, summer of 1963
The Latest News
Parish Town Hall, Potluck, Nursery Help and more
On our News Page
Potluck March 14, Following Service
Details on our Events Page, be sure to sign up (even if you can’t bring a dish) to help us plan! Invite your friends and family, everyone is welcome!
Trinity Books:
Lent with Irenaeus
Our Lent book is out and about!
Available on Amazon: Lent with Irenaeus: Journeying with Jesus Towards Becoming Truly Human.
Buy now on Amazon
Details on our Trinity Books Page
Sung Worship/Offering: we worship together with our hearts in song and in giving
the opportunity to worship through giving is available online here.
There is also a giving area near the welcome table. Look for the box shaped like a church building on the table near the entry.
Down at Your Feet
With all my heart, all my mind, all of my soul, and all my strength
Jesus, I love you
All of my life down at your feet
Pouring it out for you
All that you are and that you’ve done
I will worship you
Jesus, I love you
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS
All things come from you, O Lord,
And of your own have we given you.
THE SURSUM CORDA (standing together)
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
THE SANCTUS
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
(kneeling as you’re able or sitting)
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had sinned against you and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent your only Son Jesus Christ into the world for our salvation. By the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary he became flesh and dwelt among us. In obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the Cross and offered himself once for all, that by his suffering and death we might be saved. By his resurrection he broke the bonds of death, trampling Hell and Satan under his feet. As our great high priest, he ascended to your right hand in glory, that we might come with confidence before the throne of grace.
On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my Body, which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, after supper, Jesus took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins: Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
Celebrant: Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Word and Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Sanctify us also, that we may worthily receive this holy Sacrament, and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us and we in him. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us with all your saints into the joy of your heavenly kingdom, where we shall see our Lord face to face.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: by him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
your Name be hallowed,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
as in heaven, also on earth.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
(Matthew 6:9–13)
THE FRACTION
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast
AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Grant us peace.
THE MINISTRATION OF COMMUNION
The gifts of God for the people of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
*silence is kept, a short pause for eucharistic adoration
A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
(for those with us online)
Lord Jesus, truly present in the Holy Sacrament: come spiritually into my heart and give me yourself, for I love you above all else, and I desire to be united with you within my soul.
Amen.
Reminder Communion Instructions: Prayer and Blessing Opportunities are available from a member of the prayer team as you return to your seat after receiving the bread and wine. Personal and Confidential Prayer is available following the service.
Sung Worship
The Wondrous Cross
Verse 1
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
Verse 2
Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood
Verse 3
See from His head His hands his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ere such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
Verse 4
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, love so divine
Demands my soul, my life my all
THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER (standing together)
Heavenly Father, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal Kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.
Amen.
THE BLESSING
May God the Father,
who does not despise the broken spirit, give to you a contrite heart.
Amen.
May Christ,
who bore our sins in his body on the tree, heal you by his wounds.
Amen.
May the Holy Spirit,
who leads us into all truth, speak to you words of pardon and peace.
Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God
SUNG WORSHIP
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, love so divine
Demands my soul, my life my all
May the Peace of God be with you
*Personal and Confidential Prayer is available after the service in the back of the chapel, look for the team with the Prayer badges around their shoulders.
Cn Timothy Clayton, lead pastor
Mtr Wendy Dixon, clergy
Mtr Jen Keifer, clergy
Michael Pritzl, sung worship leader
Christian Erickson, keyboards, vocals
Ian Clayton, production, guitar
Jennifer Mahnke, vocals,
Juniper Mahnke, vocals
Sung Worship during lent:
Trisagion, written by Michael Pritzl
Holy and Anointed One, written by John Barnett
Goodness of God, written by Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Edward Martin Cash, Jason Ingram, and Jenn Johnson
Sanctus, written by Peter Scholtes, adapted by Michael Pritzl and Cindy Rethmeier
Down at Your Feet, written by Ryan Delmore
This Wild Darkness, written by Moby (Richard Melville Hall)
Doxology, written by Thomas Ken in 1674
How Great Thou Art, Written by Carl Moberg based on an original Swedish hymn, "O Store Gud".
This is My Father’s World, written by Maltbie Babcock 1901; Tune: "Terra Beata" arranged by Franklin Sheppard 1915
From the Inside Out, written by Joel Houston
God of Wonders, written by Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong
Cannons, written by Phil Wickham
The Wondrous Cross, written by Sir Isaac Watts to the tune of Rockingham by Edward Miller
as adapted by Michael Pritzl
Today’s liturgy is based on the Book of Common Prayer, 2019, and the Church of England’s Times and Seasons liturgical supplement for Lent.
*Eucharist Adoration moment:
This is an adaptation of a spiritual practice known as Eucharistic Adoration, normally practiced in the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and in some Anglican expressions.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We all live on Indigenous land. We would like to acknowledge the Massachusett Tribe: the tribe of Indigenous peoples from whom the Colony, Province, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have taken their name. We would like to pay our respect to the ancestral bloodline of the Massachusett Tribe and their descendants who still inhabit historical Massachusett Tribe territories to this day.
We are grateful to Thomas Green, VP of the Massachusett Tribe, for providing this paragraph. https://massachusetttribe.org/the-tribe
”Trinity”, and “Prayer of the Pharisee and the Publican” artwork by Ukrainian Icon Artist, Ivanka Demchuk
be·gin·ning
/bəˈɡiniNG/
noun: the point in time or space at which something starts.
mer·cy
/ˈmərsē/
noun: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
