A FORM OF DIVINE WORSHIP
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Shibboleth: A Templar Monitor, by George Cooper Connor, [1894], at sacred-texts.com
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For the Use of Knights Templar on Ascension Day, and Other Occasions.
The following service is so arranged that, by omitting and adding, it will be applicable to general public occasions, and to Ascension Day.
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THE LITURGY.
When the Knights are entering the church or hall they will uncover as they pass the door, and remain standing beside their seats. It is desirable that Swords be not worn; they are so productive of noise and disorder.
Then will be sung, all present participating:
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Holy Father, Holy Son, |
P.—The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
All seated.
Choir will sing some Anthem appropriate to the occasion.
All arise.
P.—What doth the Lord require of thee?
Knights.—To do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
P.—O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.
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Knights.—My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
P.—My soul followeth hard after thee.
Knights.—Thy right hand upholdeth me.
P.—Hear my prayer, O God.
Knights.—Attend unto my cry.
P.—God be merciful unto us, and bless us.
Knights.—And cause his face to shine upon us.
P.—Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord.
Knights.—But unto thy great name be all the glory.
P.—Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne.
Knights.—And unto the Lamb for ever.
P.—Brethren, let us pray.
The Knights, standing, will unite with the Prelate.
OUR FATHER who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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P.—God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of His countenance, and be very merciful unto us. Amen.
Then shall be sung:
THE CORONATION HYMN.
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
2. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
3. O that, with yonder sacred throng,
We at His feet might fall
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Or the Te Deum may be sung instead of this Hymn.
Then the Prelate will read:
The Lesson.—Ezra vi: 1-15; Psalm li.
If the occasion is Ascension Day—
The Lesson.—Acts I: 1-9; Mark xvi: 14-20
If Ascension Day, then will be sung (and the Coronation Hymn will be omitted in place where given, but the Te Deum maybe sung)—
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
See the man of sorrows now;
From the fight returned victorious,
Every knee to Him shall bow;
Crown Him, crown Him;
Crowns become the Victor's brow.
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Rich the trophies Jesus brings;
In the seat of power enthrone Him,
While the heavenly conclave rings;
Crown Him, crown Him;
Crown the Savior King of kings.
3. Hark! those bursts of acclamation;
Hark! those loud triumphant chords;
Jesus takes the highest station;
O what joy the sight affords!
Crown Him, crown Him;
King of kings, and Lord of lords.
If not Ascension Day the above will be omitted, and the Prelate will say, immediately after the Lesson:
P.—Let us pray.
All will kneel.
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, King of kings, and Lord of lords, we humbly bow ourselves at thy footstool, and beseech thee to forgive our sins, and blot our transgressions from before thee. Give unto each of us a clean heart, and renew within us a right spirit. Lift upon us the light of thy countenance, and be reconciled to us; and may the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts all be acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God spake these words and said: I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Knights, or Choir.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our. hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not make unto me any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is
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in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline out hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
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Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not kill.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not steal.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
P.—Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
Knights.—Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
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Should it be desired to omit the Litany, on Ascension Day, the following prayers shall be said by the Prelate instead:
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PRAYERS.
Grant we beseech thee Almighty Father, that like as we believe thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into heaven, so may we now in heart and mind thither ascend, and with Him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, world without end Amen.
O God our Father, who hast exalted thy Son to thy right hand, leave us not comfortless we beseech thee, but send down upon us the outpouring of thy Holy Spirit, the Comforter; and in due time, if it so pleases thee, exalt us into thy presence, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Merciful Father, who on the Pentecostal day didst illuminate the hearts of thy faithful children by sending unto them the light and comfort of thy Holy Spirit, grant us at this time the same spirit, that we may overcome the world and the allurements of the flesh, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
Should it be desired to omit the Commandments on other occasions than Ascension Day, the Prelate will say the following prayers:
We Thank Thee Almighty Father, for the memory of thy faithful servants who have fought the good fight, have finished their course, and who kept the faith. Help us to imitate their examples of holy living, and to follow them in all virtuous and godly ways, through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. Amen.
May it please thee, O God, to guard and govern with thy love our beloved Order of the Temple, its officers and
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members; its widows and orphans; its sick and afflicted; its poor and distressed. Bestow upon all the spirit of truth, charity, unity and peace; help us to keep our vows, and maintain the faith; endue us with innocency of life, purity of thought and conduct, and firmness of purpose to do the right, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.
Father in heaven give to all nations the promised time of peace; build up thy holy temple upon earth, and fill it with thy glory; refresh all hearts with the sweetness of thy grace, and may all done here below soon become pleasing in thy sight, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer shall be said at the close of the Ascension Day prayers above.
All will arise.
The Prelate and Knights will repeat together on all occasions—
THE CHRISTIAN'S CREED.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He arose from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
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I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness' of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen!
OR THIS:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and buried; the third day He arose from the
dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Church, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen!
If the occasion is Ascension Day, the following will be sung:
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story,
Gathers ’round its head sublime.
2. When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the Cross forsake me;
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.
3. Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the Cross are sanctified.
Peace is there, that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
If the occasion is other than Ascension Day, the following will be sung:
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat,
’Tis found beneath the Mercy Seat.
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Where friends hold fellowship with friends;
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common Mercy Seat.
3. There, there on eagle wings we soar,
And sin and sense molest no more,
And heaven comes down our souls to greet,
And glory crowns the Mercy Seat.
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Sermon or Address.
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DOXOLOGY.
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
BENEDICTION.
The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen!
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