THE HOLY REJOICING OF THE SABBATH: An Essene Service

The Children
Of Light

Book of Common Prayer
And Administration of the Sacraments
And Other Rites
And Other Ceremonies of the Church

Together with the Thanksgiving Psalms, from the Dead Sea Scrolls

According to the use of
The B’nai Amen Temple of the Guardians of Grace
Essene Nazarean Church of Mount Carmel

When God saw that his people would perish,
Because they did not see the Light of Life,
He chose the best of Israel,
So that they might make the Light of Life,
To shine before the sons of men,
And those chosen were called Essenes,
Because they taught the ignorant
And healed the sick,
And they gathered every seventh day
To rejoice with the Angels.

The Eucharistic Pure Oblation : An Essene Service

An introductory chant may be chanted or a hymn or song may be sung.

Essene Greeting: The people standing:

Patriarch/Matriarch:	Peace be to all you who are in readiness to give your right hands to the truth of God
Members of the Order	And also with You!

Opening Praise: The people still standing, the Patriarch/Matriarch says:

Patriarch/Matriarch:	Glory, honour, praise and worship be to God; the Father,, Spouse, and Son: One with the Mother, Bride and Maid: From Whom proceedeth the Eternal Spirit: By whom are all created things. From the Ages of Ages. Now: and to the Ages of Ages
Members of the Order	Amun—Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

The following hymn, or some other song of praise, is sung or said, all standing:

I have reached the inner vision
and through Thy spirit in me
I have heard Thy wondrous secret.
Through Thy mystic insight
Thou hast caused a spring of knowledge
to well up within me,
a fountain of power,
pouring forth living waters,
a flood of love
and of all embracing wisdom
like the splendor of eternal Light.

From: The "Book of Hymns" of the Dead Sea Scrolls

THE WORD OF GOD

The members of the Order sit. One or two readings are read by the appointed Reader(s) The reading is first introduced by saying

Reader:	BLESSED ARE THEY WHO READ, HEAR AND DO" "OLD THINGS PASS AWAY, THEN COME THE NEW" "OUT OF THE DARKNESS ARISETH THE LIGHT".
Order	Amen! Amen!

After the Reading:

Reader:	The Word of God, the Heavenly Father.
Order	Thanks be to God, the Heavenly Father.

THE ESSENE GOSPEL

Congregants sit.

Reader: A reading from the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of (Essene Gospel of Peace/Essene Humane Gospel/TheGospel of the Holy Twelve/Mathew, Mark, Luke or John)

After the Reading:

Reader:	Here endeth the Holy Gospel of the Perfect Life of Yeshua, the Christ, the Son of David after the Flesh, the Son of God after the Spirit. Glory be to God by Whose power and help it has been written
Order	Glory be to God!

THE STUDY

The Matriarch/Patriarch leads a facilitated discussion around a topic that relates to the Gospel and the/or the Reading. The Essene Way differs from traditional "sermons" in that the Children of the Light were taught to wrestle with the Holy Texts; to engage with it, and interact with it. To ask questions as a measure of faith – a faith that dares to ask why. The challenge for the discussion leader is two-fold: To (1) facilitate learning by providing information and then (2) facilitate learning through guided discussion.

After the Study:

Patriarch/Matriarch:	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto the aeons of aeons.
People of the Order	Amen. Amen

All Standing:

Patriarch/Matriarch:	And the Spirit of God came upon the Apostles and the Prophets with them and, remembering what the Lord had taught them, with one voice they confessed and praised God, saying.
People of the Order	All recite together:

An Essene Creed

We believe in One God: the Infinite, the Secret Fount, the Eternal Parent: Of Whom are all things invisible and visible. The ALL in all, through all around all. The holy Twain, in whom all things consist; Who hath been, Who is, Who shall be.

We believe in one Lord, the perfect holy Christ: God of God, Light of light begotten. Our Lord, the Father, Spouse and Son. Our Lady, the Mother, Bride and Daughter. Three Modes in one Essence undivided: One Biune Trinity. That God may be manifest as the Father, Spouse and Son of every soul: and that every soul may be perfected as the Mother, Bride and Daughter of God

And this by ascent of the soul into the spirit and the descent of the spirit into the soul. Who cometh from heaven, and is incarnate of the Virgin ever blessed, in Yeshua and every Christ of God: and is born and teacheth the way of life and suffereth under the world rulers, and is crucified, and is buried and descendeth into Hell. Who riseth again and ascendeth into glory; from thence giving light and life to all.

We believe in the Sevenfold Spirit of God, the Life-Giver: Who proceedeth from the holy Twain. Who cometh upon Yeshua and all that are faithful to the light within: Who dwelleth in the Church, the Israel elect of God. Who cometh ever into the world and lighteth every soul that seeks. Who giveth the Law which judgeth the living and the dead, Who speaketh by the Prophets of every age and clime.

We believe in One Holy Universal and Apostolic Church: the Witness to all truth, the Receiver and Giver of the same. Begotten of the Spirit and Fire of God: Nourished by the waters, seeds and fruits of earth. Who by the Spirit of Life, her twelve Books and Sacraments, her holy words and works: knitteth together the elect in one mystical communion and atoneth humanity with God. Making us partakers of the Divine Life and Substance: betokening the same in holy Symbols.

And we look for the coming of the Universal Christ: and the Kingdom of Heaven wherein dwelleth righteousness. And the holy City whose gates are Twelve: wherein are the Temple and Altar of God. Whence proceed three Orders in fourfold ministry: to teach all truth and offer the daily sacrifice of praise.

As in the inner so in the outer: as in the great so in the small. As above, so below: as in heaven so in earth. We believe in the Purification of the soul: through many births and experiences. The Resurrection from the dead: and the Life everlasting of the just. The Ages of Ages: and Rest in God for ever.— Amun.

Lection XCVI, The Gospel of the Holy Twelve

THE OFFERING: A plate is passed..

The Matriarch/Patriarch begins the offering with a reading:

I. From the Gospel of the Holy Twelve:

TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Parent who is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, and take heed that thine alms may be in secret; and the Secret One which seest in secret shall approve then openly.

II. From the Essene Human Gospel of Christ

As Our Lord Christ commanded when the disciples came together on the Sabbath, let us each bring an offering of a tithe, to put it in the treasury for the maintenance of the church and the ministry, and the works thereof. For as Yeshua stated, it is more blessed to give than to receive

A hymn is sung as the plate is passed

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Prayer is offered with intercession for (suggestions provided at Page XXX)

Peace with the Body, the Mind, the Order, with Mankind, with the Wisdom of the Ages, the Kingdom of the Earthly Mother and the

Kingdom of the Heavenly Father.

After the prayer, a song or hymn is sung.

CONFESSION OF SIN :

A communal confession of sin is stated all together:
We have strayed!
We have disobeyed!
We and our fathers before us
Have sinned
Acting wickedly in walking
Counter to the precepts of truth
And righteousness.
In our thoughts, words and deeds,
By what we have done
And by what we have not done.
We have not loved you with our whole heart,
And we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves

The Matriarch/Patriarch absolves the members of the order and vlesses them, calling down on them in particular the gifts of wisdom and knowledge:

May the Almighty bless you with all good and preserve you from all evil! May he lighten your heart with life-giving wisdom and grant you eternal knowledge! May he raise His merciful face towards you for everlasting bliss!

THE SEVENFOLD VOW:

Reverand: Truly, as our Lord Yeshua stated, only he who is at Peace with all the angels can shed light on the peace of others. We ask, Oh Heavenly Father, that you send to all the Sons of Men your angel of Peace; and send to our knowledge the angel of Wisdom, that we may walk in the paths of the Great Ones who have seen the face of God. We also ask, Oh Heavenly Father, that you send to your kingdom your angel of

Eternal Life, so that we may soar beyond the stars and live forever.

Reverand and Congregants together:

I want to and will do my best to live like the Tree of Life, planted by the Great Masters of our Order, with my Heavenly Father who planted the Eternal Garden of the Universe and gave me my spirit; with my Earthly Mother who planted the Great Garden of the Earth and Gave me my body; with my brothers and sisters who are working in the Garden of our Order.
I want to and will do my best to hold every morning my Communions with the angels of the Earthly Mother, and every evening with the angels of the Heavenly Father, as established by the Great Masters of our Order.
I want to and will do my best to follow the path of the Sevenfold Peace.
I want to and will do my best to perfect my Acting Body, my Feeling Body and my Thinking Body, according to the teachings of the Great Masters of our Order.
I will always and everywhere obey with reverence my Masters, who gives me the Light of the Great Masters of all times.
I will submit to my Master and accept his decision on whatever differences or complaints I may have against any of my brothers working in the Garden of the Order; and I shall never take a complaint against a brother or sister to the outside world.
I will always and everywhere keep the traditions of our Order which my Master will tell me; and I will never reveal to anyone the secrets without the permission of my Master. I will never claim as my own the knowledge received from my Master and I will always give credit to him for all knowledge. I will never use the knowledge and power I have gained from my Master for material or selfish purposes.

Reverand: May we all enter the Eternal and Infinite Garden with reverence to the Heavenly Father, to the Earthly Mother, and to the Great Masters. Reverence to the Holy, Pure and Saving Teaching, Reverence to the Order of the Elect.

Patriarch/Matriarch:	May the Peace of Yeshua be always with you.
People of the Order	And also with you.

The members of the Order may greet one another in the Peace of the Lord.

The Holy Communion

The Great Thanksgiving

Patriarch/Matriarch:	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto the aeons of aeons.
People of the Order	Amen. Amen

Patriarch/Matriarch:

On the night he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ joined together with his disciples for the Paschal Supper. Afterwards the lights were kindled. Yeshua arose from the table, laid aside his garment, donned an over garment of pure white linen without spot or seam, girded himself with a towel, poured water into a basin, and washed the feet of each of the fourfold Twelve.

AND then, he sat at the table and said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Lord and Master, and if then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another’s feet. For I have given this example, that as I have done unto you, so also should ye do unto others.

The following hymn is sung:

Put on a promise of humility
Serve your brother,
Wash his feet.
That he may walk
In the way of the Lord
Re–freshed, Re-freshed

Patriarch/Matriarch:

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another and all the creatures of God. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Love is of God, and God is love. Whoso loveth not, knoweth not God. Yeshua said unto them, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and give them light for their darkness and let the spirit of love dwell within your hearts, and abound unto all. And again I say unto you, Love one another, and all the creation of God

People of the Order

Blessed be God

Then he lifted up his voice, and they joined him, saying:

As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Then Yeshua, placing before him the platter, and behind it the chalice, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, gave thanks for the goodness of God in all things and unto all, and after that he took in his hands the unleavened bread, and blessed it; the wine likewise mingled with water and blessed it; chanting the Invocation of the Holy Name the Sevenfold, calling upon the thrice Holy Father-Mother in Heaven to send down the Holy Spirit and make the bread to be his body, even the Body of the Christ, and the fruit of the vine to be his Blood, even the Blood of the Christ, for the remission of sins and everlasting life, to all who obey the gospel.

Then lifting up the Oblation towards heaven, Yeshua said, The Son who is also the Daughter of man is lifted up from the earth, and I shall draw all men unto me; then it shall be known of the people that I am sent from God.

These things being done, Yeshua spake these words, lifting his eyes to heaven. Abba Amma, the hour is come, Glorify thy Son that Thy Son may be glorified in thee.

And now as our Savior has taught us we pray:

Holy Parent, I will also, that they whom Thou hast given me, yea all who live, be with me where I am, that they may partake of my glory which thou givest me, for Thou lovest me in all, and all in me, from before the foundations of the world. The world hath not known Thee in Thy righteousness, but I know Thee, and these know that Thou hast sent me.

And Yeshua declared unto them Thy Name that the love wherewith Thou hast loved me may be in them, and that from them it may abound, even unto all Thy creatures, yea, even unto all These words being ended, they all lifted up their voices with him:

And now as our Savior has taught us we pray:

Our Father-Mother: Who art above and within
Hallowed be Thy sacred Name
in Biune Trinity.
In Wisdom, Love and Equity
Thy Kingdom come to all.
Thy holy Will be done always,
as in Heaven, so on Earth.
Give us day by day
to partake of Thy holy Bread,
and the fruit of Thy living Vine.
As we seek to perfect others,
so perfect us in Thy Christ.
Shew upon us Thy goodness,
that to others we many shew the same.
In the hour of trial,
deliver us from evil.
For Thine are the Kingdom,
the Power and the Glory:
From the Ages of ages,
Now, and to the Ages of ages.
Amun

Our Father-Mother Who art above and within:
Hallowed be Thy Name in twofold
Trinity. In Wisdom, Love and Equity
Thy Kingdom come to all.
Thy will be done,
As in Heaven so in Earth.
Give us day by day
to partake of Thy holy Bread,
and the fruit of the living Vine.
As Thou dost forgive us our trespasse
so may we forgive others who trespass
against us.
Shew upon us Thy goodness,
that to others we may shew the same.
In the hour of temptation,
deliver us from evil.
For Thine are the Kingdom,
the Power and the Glory;
From the Ages of ages,
Now and to the Ages of ages.
Amun

22. THEN our Master taketh the holy Bread and breaketh it, and the Fruit of the Vine also, and mingleth it, and having blessed and hallowed both, and casting a fragment of the Bread into the Cup, he blessed the holy Union.

The Breaking of the Bread

Then he giveth the bread which he had hallowed to his disciples saying, Eat ye, for this is my Body, even the Body of the Christ, which is given for the Salvation of the body and the soul.

Likewise he giveth unto them the fruit of the Vine which he had blessed saying unto them, Drink ye, for this is my Blood, even the Blood of the Christ which is shed for you and for many, for the salvation of the soul and the body.

Facing the people, the Matriarch/Patriarch presents the invitation:

As we assemble together in his Name, we make this Oblation in Memorial of Him.
The Bread of everlasting life and the Wine of eternal salvation. We eat and drink with pure heart, so that we shall receive the Substance and the Life of God, which dwelleth in Him. The Gifts of God for the Children of God.

The ministers receive the Sacraments and them deliver it to the people.
The Members of the Order may sing or chant softly and somberly.
The Bread and the Cup are given with these words:

The Body of Christ, for the salvation of the body and soul (Amen)
The Blook of Christ, for the salvation of the body and soul (Amen)

Once everyone has received the sacrament, the celebrant say:

Afterwards, Yeshua and his disciples sung a hymn, Yeshua stood up in the midst of his apostles, and going to him who was their Centre, as in a solemn dance, they rejoiced in him. And then he went out to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. In this tradition, let us all blessedly follow.

The Order sings A hymn (A praise song or hymn with a lively rhythm is suggested).

After His manner, therefore we pray:

Thou hast glorified us, filling our hearts with fire.
Thou hast set lamps on our right hand and on our left,
so that no part of our being should be without light.
Thy Love shineth on our right hand,
and Thy Wisdom on our left.
Thy Love, Thy Wisdom, Thy Power are manifest in us.
And now may Thy joy be fulfilled within us,
As Thou promised.
Keep us from Evil and
Sanctify us through Thy truth,
For Thy word is Truth.
As Thou sendest us into the world,
Help us to sanctify Thee
That we also may be sanctified through the Truth.
Amen

Patriarch/Matriarch:

May He bless thee with every good, may he keep thee from all evil and illuminate they heart with the knowledge of light and favor thee with wisdom. And may he give His Sevenfold blessings upon thee to everlasting Peace. Let us go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord, keeping the holy communions.

From the "Manual of Discipline" of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Patriarch/Matriarch:	Let us go forth in peace, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Order	Let us forth go in peace! Amen! Amen!