Tuesday morning December 11

Wednesday morning
Monday morning

Preparation


Opening response


Lord, open our lips

and our mouth will proclaim your praise.


Reveal among us the light of your presence

that we may behold your power and glory.


Prayer of thanksgiving


Blessed are you, Sovereign God of all,

to you be praise and glory forever.

In your tender compassion

the dawn from on high is breaking upon us

to dispel the lingering shadows of night.

As we look for your coming among us this day,

open our eyes to behold your presence

and strengthen our hands to do your will,

that the world may rejoice and give you praise.

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God forever.


The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;

let us pray with one heart and mind.


Silence is kept.


As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,

so may the light of your presence, O God,

set our hearts on fire with love for you;

now and forever.

Amen.


Hymn


Hail! Holy, Holy, Holy Lord


Charles Wesley

Hail! Holy, holy, holy Lord,

Whom one in three we know;

By all thy heavenly hosts adored,

By all thy church below.


One undivided Trinity

With triumph we proclaim;

Thy universe is full of thee,

And speaks thy glorious name.


Thee, Holy Father, we confess,

Thee, Holy Son, adore;

And thee, the Holy Ghost, we bless

And worship evermore.


Hail! Holy, holy, holy Lord,

This be our song to thee,

Supreme, essential one, adored

In co-eternal three!


Confession of sin


Come, Holy Spirit of God,

and search our hearts with the light of Christ.


Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

The first commandment is this:

‘Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord,

and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your being, with all your mind,

and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’

No other commandment is greater than these.

All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.


Amen. Lord, have mercy.


After a period of reflection


Come, let us return to the Lord and say:


Lord our God,

in our sin we have avoided your call.

Our love for you is like a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes away early.

Have mercy on us;

deliver us from judgment;

bind up our wounds and revive us;

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.


cf Hosea 6


May almighty God,

who sent his Son into the world to save sinners,

bring us his pardon and peace, now and forever.

Amen.


The Word of God


Psalm 56


Refrain:

I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.


God, have mercy on me because I’m being trampled.

All day long the enemy oppresses me.

My attackers trample me all day long

because I have so many enemies.

Exalted one, whenever I’m afraid,

I put my trust in you—

in God, whose word I praise.

I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.

What can mere flesh do to me?

All day long they frustrate my pursuits;

all their thoughts are evil against me.

They get together and set an ambush—

they are watching my steps,

hoping for my death.

Don’t rescue them for any reason!

In wrath bring down the people, God!

You yourself have kept track of my misery.

Put my tears into your bottle—

aren’t they on your scroll already?

Then my enemies will retreat when I cry out.

I know this because God is mine.

God: whose word I praise.

The Lord: whose word I praise.

I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?

I will fulfill my promises to you, God.

I will present thanksgiving offerings to you

because you have saved my life from death,

saved my feet from stumbling

so that I can walk before God in the light of life.


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:

I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.


Psalm prayer


Faithful God,

your deliverance is nearer than we know;

free us from fear

and help us to find courage in your Word,

Jesus Christ our Lord.


Psalm 57


Refrain:

Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven! Let your glory be over all the earth!


Have mercy on me, God;

have mercy on me

because I have taken refuge in you.

I take refuge

in the shadow of your wings

until destruction passes by.

I call out to God Most High—

to God, who comes through for me.

He sends orders from heaven and saves me,

rebukes the one who tramples me.

God sends his loyal love and faithfulness.

My life is in the middle of a pack of lions.

I lie down among those who devour humans.

Their teeth are spears and arrows;

their tongues are sharpened swords.

Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

They laid a net for my feet to bring me down;

they dug a pit for me,

but they fell into it instead!

My heart is unwavering, God—

my heart is unwavering.

I will sing and make music.

Wake up, my glory!

Wake up, harp and lyre!

I will wake the dawn itself!

I will give thanks to you,

my Lord,

among all the peoples;

I will make music to you among the nations

because your faithful love

is as high as heaven;

your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!

Let your glory be over all the earth!


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:

Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven! Let your glory be over all the earth!


Psalm prayer


Tender God,

gentle protector in time of trouble,

pierce the gloom of despair

and give us, with all your people,

the song of freedom and the shout of praise;

in Jesus Christ our Lord.


Old Testament reading
Isaiah 46


Bel crouches down; Nebo cowers.

Their idols sit on animals, on beasts.

The objects you once carried about

are now borne as burdens by the weary animals.

They crouch down and cower together.

They aren’t able to rescue the burden,

but they themselves go into captivity.

Listen to me, house of Jacob,

all that remains from the house of Israel

who have been borne by me since pregnancy,

whom I carried from the womb

until you grow old. I am the one,

and until you turn gray I will support you.

I have done it, and I will continue to bear it;

I will support and I will rescue.

To whom will you liken me and count me equal

and compare me so that we are alike?

Those who pour out gold from a bag

and weigh silver with a balance

hire a metalworker; then he makes a god.

They bow down; they worship;

they carry the idol on their shoulders and support it;

they set it down, and it stands still,

unable to move from its place.

If one cries out to it, it doesn’t answer.

It can’t save people from their distress.

Remember this and take courage;

take it to heart, you rebels.

Remember the prior things—from long ago;

I am God, and there’s no other.

I am God! There’s none like me,

who tells the end at the beginning,

from ancient times things not yet done,

saying, “My plan will stand;

all that I decide I will do,”

I call a bird of prey from the east,

a man from a distant land for my plan.

As surely as I have spoken, I’ll make it happen;

I have planned, and yes, I’ll do it.

Listen to me, you bullheaded people

who are far from victory:

I’m bringing my victory near—it isn’t far,

and my salvation—it won’t delay.

I will establish salvation in Zion

and grant my splendor to Israel.


Silence may be kept.


New Testament reading
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12


As you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, our visit with you wasn’t a waste of time. On the contrary, we had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition, although we had already suffered and were publicly insulted in Philippi, as you know. Our appeal isn’t based on false information, the wrong motives, or deception. Rather, we have been examined and approved by God to be trusted with the good news, and that’s exactly how we speak. We aren’t trying to please people, but we are trying to please God, who continues to examine our hearts. As you know, we never used flattery, and God is our witness that we didn’t have greedy motives. We didn’t ask for special treatment from people—not from you or from others— although we could have thrown our weight around as Christ’s apostles. Instead, we were gentle with you like a nursing mother caring for her own children. We were glad to share not only God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much. You remember, brothers and sisters, our efforts and hard work. We preached God’s good news to you, while we worked night and day so we wouldn’t be a burden on any of you. You and God are witnesses of how holy, just, and blameless we were toward you believers. Likewise, you know how we treated each of you like a father treats his own children. We appealed to you, encouraged you, and pleaded with you to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.


Silence may be kept.


Gospel canticle
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)


Refrain:

You have shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered your holy covenant.


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:

You have shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered your holy covenant.


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 may be offered for:

the day and its tasks

the world and its needs

the church and her life


Prayers may include the following concerns:

The church, that she may be ready for the coming of Christ

The leaders of the church

The nations, that they may be subject to the rule of God

Those who are working for justice in the world

The broken, that they may find God’s healing


Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.


Response


Lord, hear your people

and answer our prayers.


Silence may be kept.


Collect of the day


O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power

and come among us,

and with great might succor us;

that whereas, through our sins and wickedness

we are grievously hindered

in running the race that is set before us,

your bountiful grace and mercy

may speedily help and deliver us;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,

be honor and glory, now and forever.

Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Awaiting his coming in glory, 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 Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.

Amen.