Church of the Good Shepherd
3700 Rutherford Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111-1940
The Reverend Kathleen J. Baker, Pastor
Order of Service
Word & Sacrament
Word & Sacrament
All baptized Christians are invited to share faithfully in the Holy Eucharist. In this sacrament, by the power of God's Word and Holy Spirit, we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ along with the bread and wine for our forgiveness and salvation, as we celebrate our unity with Christ and all the saints.
Visitors are always welcome at Good Shepherd. We want to make your visit meaningful and comfortable. To that end, our bulletins are as user friendly as possible. Following is an outline of a typical liturgy.
| The Gathering | |
| Prelude | |
| Gathering Hymn | |
| Greeting | The Apostolic Greeting uses words from the Bible to greet the congregation in the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
| Confession and Forgiveness | |
| Entrance Antiphon | |
| Kyrie
and/or Hymn of Praise |
One or both of these is sung at every Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. |
| Prayer of the Day | The Prayer of the Day is an important "keynote" prayer that sets the tone of the day. |
| Proclamation of the Word | |
| 1st Reading | The First Reading is almost always from the First Testament. After the reading the assisting minister proclaims, "The Word of the Lord," The people respond, "Thanks be to God!" |
| The Psalm | The Psalm is sung from the oldest hymnal of the Church. Each Sunday and Holy Day a Psalm is assigned for our use. |
| 2nd Reading | The Second Reading is usually chosen from one of the letters of the Second Testament. After the reading the assisting minister proclaims, "The Word of the Lord," The people respond, "Thanks be to God!" |
| Gospel Acclamation | |
| Gospel | The Holy Gospel is proclaimed from one of the first four books of the Second Testament. "Liturgical cheers" surround the Gospel "Glory to you, O Lord" "Praise to you, O Christ!" |
| Sermon | |
| Response to the Word | |
| Hymn of the Day | The most important hymn of the liturgy It is carefully chosen to be in keeping with the Word that has been read and preached. |
| Profession of Faith | |
| The Prayers of the People | |
| Sharing of the Eucharistic Meal | |
| Peace | We exchange the peace with one another as a sign of our reconciliation with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. |
| Offering | The time that we offer ourselves, our time, and our possessions to God so that he may bless and return them to us for our use in service and ministry. We receive the gifts of bread and wine and the monetary offerings of the people of God. |
| Offertory Song | Sung as the gifts are received. |
| Offertory Prayer | Prayed by the assisting minister, offering in words that which is taking place by our actions. |
| Great Thanksgiving | |
| Preface | Begins our "thanksgiving" to God for all the blessings we have received, especially the gift of Jesus Christ. |
| Sanctus | Holy, Holy, Holy was first sung on Palm Sunday as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. |
| Eucharistic Prayer | A time to be transported to the Upper Room where Jesus first took bread and wine, gave thanks over them, and distributed them as his Body and Blood. A time for verbalizing our profound gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ. |
| The Lord's Prayer | |
| Agnus Dei | Lamb of God sung as a great hymn to Christ present on the altar. We remember that it is Christ who has taken away the sin of the world by offering himself on our behalf. |
| Communion of the Faithful | |
| Post-Communion Song | |
| Post-Communion Prayer | |
| Sending Forth to Love and to Serve | |
| Benediction | |
| Sending Hymn | |
| Silent Prayer and Dismissal | |
| Postlude | |
Spiritual Growth & Resources