Wednesday morning May 11
Thursday morning
Tuesday morning
Preparation
Opening response
Lord, open our lips
and our mouth will proclaim your praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, creator God,
to you be praise and glory forever.
As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters
bringing light and life to your creation,
pour out your Spirit on us today
that we may walk as children of light
and by your grace reveal your presence.
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.
Hymn
A Thousand Oracles Divine
Charles Wesley
A thousand oracles divine
Their common beams unite,
That sinners may with angels join
To worship God aright.
To praise a Trinity adored
By all the hosts above,
And one thrice-holy God and Lord
Through endless ages love.
Triumphant host! they never cease
To laud and magnify
The triune God of holiness,
Whose glory fills the sky.
Whose glory to this earth extends,
When God himself imparts,
And the whole Trinity descends
Into our faithful hearts.
By faith the upper choir we meet,
And challenge them to sing
Jehovah on his shining seat,
Our maker and our king.
But God made flesh is wholly ours,
And asks our nobler strain;
The Father of celestial powers,
The friend of earthborn man!
Ye seraphs nearest to the throne,
With rapturous amaze
On us, poor ransomed worms look down
For heaven’s superior praise.
The king whose glorious face ye see,
For us his crown resigned;
That fullness of the Deity,
He died for all mankind!
Confession of sin
When we cry out to the Lord in our distress,
he will save us from our desperate circumstances.
God will bring us out of darkness
and out of the shadow of death.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.
May the Father forgive us
by the death of his Son
and strengthen us
to live in the power of the Spirit
all our days.
Amen.
Let us thank the Lord for his faithful love,
and his wondrous works for all people.
Let us offer thanksgiving sacrifices
and declare what God has done in songs of joy.
cf Psalm 107
The Word of God
Psalm 2
Refrain:
The Lord is his people’s strength; he is a fortress of protection for his anointed one.
Why do the nations rant?
Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
The earth’s rulers take their stand;
the leaders scheme together
against the Lord and
against his anointed one.
“Come!” they say.
“We will tear off their ropes
and throw off their chains!”
The one who rules in heaven laughs;
my Lord makes fun of them.
But then God speaks to them angrily;
then he terrifies them with his fury:
“I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
my holy mountain!”
I will announce the Lord’s decision:
He said to me, “You are my son,
today I have become your father.
Just ask me,
and I will make the nations your possession;
the far corners of the earth will be your property.
You will smash them with an iron rod;
you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”
So kings, wise up!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord reverently—
trembling, kiss his feet
or else he will become angry,
and your way will be destroyed
because his anger ignites in an instant.
But all who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain:
The Lord is his people’s strength; he is a fortress of protection for his anointed one.
Psalm prayer
Most high and holy God,
lift our eyes to your Son
enthroned on Calvary;
and as we behold his meekness,
shatter our earthly pride;
for he is Lord forever and ever.
Psalm 29
Refrain:
Let the Lord bless his people with peace!
You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—
give to the Lord glory and power!
Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bow down to the Lord in holy splendor!
The Lord’s voice is over the waters;
the glorious God thunders;
the Lord is over the mighty waters.
The Lord’s voice is strong;
the Lord’s voice is majestic.
The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—
yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon jump around like a young bull,
makes Sirion jump around like a young wild ox.
The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames;
the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—
yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks,
strips the forests bare,
but in his temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the floodwaters;
the Lord sits enthroned—king forever!
Let the Lord give strength to his people!
Let the Lord bless his people with peace!
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain:
Let the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm prayer
Open our ears, glorious Lord Christ,
to hear the music of your voice
above the chaos of this world;
open our eyes to see the vision of your glory,
for you are our King, now and forever.
Old Testament reading
Numbers 23:13-30
Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me, please, to another place where you’ll see them. You’ll see only part of them. You won’t see all of them. Then curse them for me from there.” He took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your entirely burned offering, while I seek an appearance over there.”
The Lord granted Balaam an appearance and gave him a message. He said, “Return to Balak and say this.”
Balaam approached Balak, who was standing by his entirely burned offering with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, “What did the Lord say?”
Then Balaam raised his voice and made his address:
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me out, Zippor’s son.
God isn’t a man that he would lie,
or a human being that he would change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and not done it,
or promised and not fulfilled it?
I received a blessing, and he blessed.
I can’t take it back.
He hasn’t envisioned misfortune for Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble for Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
proclaimed as his king.
God, who brought them out of Egypt,
is like a magnificent wild bull for him.
There is no omen against Jacob,
no divination against Israel.
Instantly it is told to Jacob,
and to Israel, what God performs.
A people now rises like a lioness,
like a lion it stands up.
It doesn’t lie down until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them or bless them.”
But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘I’ll do whatever the Lord tells me to’?”
Balak said to Balaam, “Please come and I’ll take you to another place. Perhaps God will prefer it, so that you could curse him for me from there.”
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon. Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Luke 8:16-25
“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand so that those who enter can see the light. Nothing is hidden that won’t be exposed. Nor is anything concealed that won’t be made known and brought to the light. Therefore, listen carefully. Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don’t have, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them.”
Jesus’ mother and brothers came to him but were unable to reach him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who listen to God’s word and do it.”
One day Jesus and his disciples boarded a boat. He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set sail.
While they were sailing, he fell asleep. Gale-force winds swept down on the lake. The boat was filling up with water and they were in danger. So they went and woke Jesus, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” But he got up and gave orders to the wind and the violent waves. The storm died down and it was calm.
He said to his disciples, “Where is your faith?”
Filled with awe and wonder, they said to each other, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”
Silence may be kept.
Gospel canticle
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Refrain:
Christ has gone up on high and has led captivity captive. Alleluia.
Bless the Lord God of Israel
because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,
just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.
He has brought salvation from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and remembered his holy covenant,
the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
He has granted that we would be rescued
from the power of our enemies
so that we could serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
for as long as we live.
You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
You will tell his people how to be saved
through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s deep compassion,
the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide us on the path of peace.”
Luke 1:68-79
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain:
Christ has gone up on high and has led captivity captive. Alleluia.
Brief silence.
The Apostle’s Creed
Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers
Intercession and thanksgiving
Prayers are offered
for the day and its tasks
for the world and its needs
for the Church and her life
Response
In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Savior Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
as our Savior taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Conclusion
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
Amen.