| 1. Adapted from Richard
Baxter's Puritan Non-Conformist liturgy of 1660: Eternal, Almighty, and most
gracious God: heaven is your throne, and earth is
your footstool; holy and reverend is your name;
you are praised by the angels of heaven, and in
the gathering of your church on earth. Despite
our unworthiness, you have invited us through our
Mediator, Jesus Christ, to present ourselves and
our prayers to you. Receive us graciously. Help
us by your Spirit. Let us stand in awe of you.
Put your law into our hearts, and write it on our
minds. Let your word come to us in power, and
help us receive it in love, with attentive,
reverent, and teachable minds. Through your word,
allow us to taste the flavor of eternal life.
Make us fervent in prayer and joyful in praise.
Help us serve you this day without distraction,
that we may find that a day in your courts is
better than a thousand elsewhere, and that it is
good for us to come near to God; through Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
2.
Adapted from the Synod of New York and
Philadelphia's 1787 proposed revision of the
Directory for Worship:
Holy, holy, holy Lord God
Almighty, who are and were, and are to come: We,
who are not worthy of the least of your mercies,
humbly present ourselves in your presence. We
come to you, our Creator and Redeemer, with
honor, adoration, and praise. Enable us by your
good Spirit to attend with undistracted minds,
with reverence and awe, to the holy duties to
which you are calling us today. Allow us, we
pray, to come with humble boldness into the holy
of holies, by the new and living way into your
presence Christ has made ready for us through his
sacrifice. Teach us from your word. May we read
it with wise and understanding hearts. Prepare us
to sing your praises with music in our hearts,
and to offer you acceptable worship. Teach us to
pray; inspire us with a spirit of devotion;
enable us to exercise faith in every moment of
our worship. And let all we do be done to the
Glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, one God; and graciously accept us,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
3.
Adapted from the 1906 Book of Common Worship
of the Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America:
Almighty God, who in your
great mercy have gathered us into your visible
Church: Grant that we may not turn from the
purity of your worship, but that we may so honor
you, both in spirit and in action, that your name
may be glorified in us, and we may be true
members of your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
4. Adapted from John
Calvin’s weekday service:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we call your name, praying that it will please
you to turn away from our many terrible sins, by
which we have never stopped deserving your anger.
And because we are not worthy to appear before
your sovereign majesty, we pray that you will see
us in your beloved Son Jesus Christ, and accept
the merit of his death in satisfaction for all
our offenses, and that in him we may be pleasing
in your eyes. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us,
enlightening our minds with true understanding of
your word. And give us your grace, so that as we
receive your truth into our hearts with humility
and awe, we may be led to place all our trust in
you, living to serve and worship you, to the
glory of your holy name. And since you have
chosen to count us among your people, help us to
give you the love and honor that we owe to you,
as children to our Father, and as servants to our
Lord.
If
the Lord’s Prayer is to be said, the prayer
is concluded with the words,
We ask this in the words our
blessed Master taught us, saying—Our
Father, etc.
If
the Lord’s Prayer is not to be said, the
prayer is concluded thus:
We ask this in the name of our
blessed Master, Jesus Christ your Son, who
together with you and the Holy Spirit is
worshiped and glorified, one God, now and ever.
Amen.
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