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Liturgy of the Angels
for St. Michael and All Angels

by The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

September 29

With all the interest in angels these days, St. Michael and All Angels, Sept. 29, offers the opportunity to set the record straight on just who or what is and what isn't an angel.  I offer the following special liturgy, and I believe that you can find biblical references for every statement made in this liturgy.  For my sermon "On Angels & Mortals" click here.  See also the Bible study on Angels that I prepared for the sermon.

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GATHERING

Entrance Hymn  "God Himself Is Present"

Dialog of the Angels:

A. Bless the Lord, all you multitude of angels.

C. Bless the Lord, O inhabitants of earth.

A. God sends forth his angels for divine service:

C. To serve those who are to inherit salvation.

A. The Lord commands the angels concerning you:

C. To watch and guard you in all your ways.

A. When the Son of Man comes with the clouds:

C. He will order his angels to gather the elect.

A. Then 'round the throne we all shall gather:

C. And sing with all the heavenly host: "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!"

Hymn of Praise  "Holy God, We Praise Your Name"

Apostolic Greeting

Prayer of the Day

WORD

Lessons

Alleluia Verse

Gospel

Sermon:  "On Angels & Mortals"

Hymn of the Day  "Ye Watchers & Ye Holy Ones"

No creed

Litany of the Angels:

P. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all the orders of creation. He created humankind to have dominion upon the earth, and he created the angels to serve as guardians and messengers of his holy word of love and salvation. Let us pray to the Lord of the angels for all our needs and the needs of people everywhere.

A.  Almighty God, we thank you for the wonder of your creation and the variety of orders within it. We thank you for your servants, the angels, whom you send to us on our behalf. Above all we thank you for your Son, enthroned above the cherubim, for the salvation which he bought us by his blood.

C. We praise you, O God.

A. As you sent angels in dreams to visit Jacob and Joseph with messages of your will, help us also to know your will for our lives and lead us to do it.

C. Lord, send us your holy angels.

A. As you sent angels to rescue Lot and his family in Sodom and to save Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness, so rescue us in our times of need and adversity.

C. Lord, send us your holy angels.

A. As the angel of the Lord stood between the people of Israel and the Egyptians at the Red Sea, so stand between us and our enemies, and lend us your guard and protection.

C. Lord, send us your holy angels.

A. As the angel went before the Israelites to lead them through the wilderness into the promised land, so send an angel before us that we might follow your path of righteousness into your promised kingdom.

C. Lord, send us your holy angels.

A. Make us as welcoming of strangers as Abraham and Sarah, who received and entertained angels unaware.

C. Hear our prayer.

A. Give us eyes that are as open as Balaam and his donkey to see the wonder of your angels standing before us.

C. Hear our prayer.

A. Guard our children with your guardian angels as they venture into life without us, and bring them to faith in the Christ who received the little children.

C. Hear our prayer.

A. Send holy Michael, the archangel, great defender of the faithful, to be our defender in times of trouble and temptation.

C. Good Lord, deliver us.

A. Send your archangel Gabriel, holy bearer of glad tidings, to bring us your word and to help us to understand it.

C. Good Lord, redeem us.

A. Send your archangel Raphael, great healer of your people, to bring healing and health to all our diseases and distresses.

C. Good Lord, heal us.

A. And at the last, send forth your trumpeting angels to waken us from our sleep and take us to your heavenly kingdom.

C. Good Lord, save us.

P. Holy God, mighty Lord, King of the universe, in your goodness and by your grace, you show favor to your people by giving us your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by sending your holy angels to minister to us as they ministered to him in the wilderness. For all this, we thank you. And we ask that you would hearken to our prayers, so that we might praise your holy name in one voice with all the host of heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C. Amen

Peace

MEAL

Offering

Offertory Hymn

Offertory Prayer:

A. Let us pray. Holy Lord,

C. As the angels in heaven bring prayers and offerings before your holy altar, so we offer ourselves, our time and our possessions. May Christ our High Priest commend them to you that they may be acceptable. Amen

Great Thanksgiving

Preface for Easter or Sundays after Pentecost

Sanctus

Prayer of Thanksgiving (ELW IV, LBW I)

Our Father

Distribution

     Hymn  "Holy, Holy, Holy"

Post-Communion Canticle (opt.)

Post-Communion Prayer

SENDING

Solemn Blessings:

P. May the God of heaven and earth shower his grace and favor upon you.

C. Amen

P. May he always send his holy angels to minister to you in your times of need.

C. Amen

P. May you stand with the saints and all the angels of heaven before Christ's eternal throne.

C. Amen

P. And may God almighty, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

C. Amen

A. Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C. Thanks be to God.

Closing Hymn  "Angels We Have Heard on High"