Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Thu. evening Dec. 11

Opening response

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of light and darkness, to you be glory and praise forever. As evening falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. May your word be a lantern to our feet and a light upon our path that we may behold your coming among us. Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness and free our tongues to sing your praise.

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and forever.
Amen.

Hymn

Light of Those Whose Dreary Dwelling

Music by The Hymnodist: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube Music, Pandora, Boomplay, Deezer
Lyrics by Charles Wesley

Light of those whose dreary dwelling
Borders on the shades of death
Come, and by Thy love's revealing
Dissipate the clouds beneath
The new heaven and earth's Creator
In our deepest darkness rise
Scattering all the night of nature
Pouring eyesight on our eyes

Still we wait for Thy appearing
Life and joy Thy beams impart
Chasing all our fears, and hearing
Every poor benighted heart
Come, and manifest the favor
God hath for our ransomed race
Come, Thou universal Savior
Come, and bring the gospel grace

Save us in Thy great compassion
O Thou mild pacific Prince
Give the knowledge of salvation
Give the pardon of our sins
By thine all-sufficient merit
Every burdened soul release
Every weary wandering spirit
Guide into Thy perfect peace

Confession of Sin

Seek the LORD while He may be found,
call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

cf Isaiah 55

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Lord God, I have sinned against you; I have done what is evil in your sight. I am sorry and repent. Have mercy on me according to your lovingkindness. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Renew a right spirit within me, and restore unto me the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

cf Psalm 51

May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessed be the LORD,
because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and with my song I will thank Him.

cf Psalm 28:7,9

Psalm 73

𝙍: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.

Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had almost slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no pangs in their death,
but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men are,
nor are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge with fatness;
they have more than a heart could wish.

𝙍: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.

They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
they speak loftily.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue parades through the earth.
Therefore his people return here,
and waters of abundance are drunk by them.
They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease,
they increase in riches.

Surely I have kept my heart clean in vain,
and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been plagued,
and chastened every morning.

If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

𝙍: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.

When I thought how to understand this,
it was troublesome in my sight,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end.

Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed by terrors!
Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when awakened,
You will despise their image.

When my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced in my heart,
I was foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

𝙍: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.

Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have held me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all Your works.

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.

𝙍: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.

Psalm prayer

Holy God, may we find wisdom in your presence and set our hope not on uncertain riches, but on the love that holds us to the end; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Silence may be kept.

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 48:1-11

Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and have come forth from the waters of Judah;
who swear by the name of the LORD,
and invoke the God of Israel,
but not in truth or in righteousness;
for they call themselves after the holy city,
and lean on the God of Israel;
the LORD of Hosts is His name:
I have declared the former things from the beginning;
and they went forth from My mouth, and I announced them.
Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Because I knew that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew,
and your brow bronze;
Even from the beginning I have declared it to you;
before it came to pass I announced it to you,
lest you should say,
“My idol has done them,
and my carved image and my molded image has commanded them.”
You have heard; see all this.
And will you not declare it?

I have shown you new things from this time,
even hidden things, and you did not know them.
They are created now and not from the beginning;
before today you did not hear them,
lest you should say,
“Behold, I knew them.”
You have not heard, you have not known,
indeed, from long ago your ear has not been open.
For I knew that you would deal very treacherously,
and that from birth you have been called a rebel.
For My name’s sake I will defer My anger,
and for My praise I will restrain it for you
so that you are not cut off.
Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver;
I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
For My own sake, even for My own sake, I will do it;
for how can My name be polluted?
And I will not give My glory to another.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

1 Thessalonians 3

Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish and comfort you with regard to your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this. Indeed, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it came to pass, as you well know. For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to inquire about your faith, lest by some means the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor might have been in vain.

But just now Timothy has come from you to us and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, as we also desire to see you. Therefore, brothers, during all our afflictions and distress, we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For now we live, if you stand strong in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God, night and day praying earnestly that we might see your face and might complete that which is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all men, even as we do for you. To this end may He establish your hearts to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded
the low estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

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.

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.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He 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.

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
for peace
for individuals and their needs

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

Father, hear our prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might assist 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, 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,
forever. Amen.

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.

Read More
Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Wed. evening Dec. 10

Opening response

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of light and darkness, to you be glory and praise forever. As evening falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. May your word be a lantern to our feet and a light upon our path that we may behold your coming among us. Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness and free our tongues to sing your praise.

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and forever.
Amen.

Hymn

Author of Life Divine

Music by The Hymnodist: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube Music, Pandora, Boomplay, Deezer
Lyrics by Charles Wesley

Chorus
Author of life divine
Who hast a table spread
Furnished with mystic wine
And everlasting bread
Preserve the life Thyself hast given
Preserve the life Thyself hast given
And feed and train us up for heaven

Verse 1
Our needy souls sustain
With fresh supplies of love
Till all Thy life we gain
And all Thy fullness prove
And, strengthened by Thy perfect grace
And, strengthened by Thy perfect grace
Behold without a veil Thy face

Chorus

Verse 2
And can we call to mind
The Lamb for sinners slain
And not expect to find
What He for us did gain
What God to us in Him hath given
What God to us in Him hath given
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven

Chorus

Verse 3
We now forgiveness have
We feel His work begun
And He shall fully save
And perfect us in one
Shall soon in all His image dress
Shall soon in all His image dress
Receive us to the Marriage Feast

Chorus

Verse 4
This token of Thy love
We thankfully receive
And hence with joy remove
With Thee in heaven to live
There, Lord, we shall Thy pledge restore
There, Lord, we shall Thy pledge restore
And live to praise Thee evermore

Chorus

Confession of Sin

Let us admit to God the sin which always confronts us.

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Almighty God, patient and of great goodness: I confess to you, I confess with my whole heart my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments, my wrong doing, thinking, and speaking; the hurts I have done to others, and the good I have left undone. O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you; and raise me to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins, heal and strengthen us by his Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Psalm 10

𝙍: You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Why do You stand far off, O LORD?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?

In arrogance the wicked persecutes the poor;
let them be caught in the devices they have planned.
For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire,
and blesses the greedy and despises the LORD.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek God;
God is not in all his thoughts.

𝙍: You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

His ways are always prosperous;
Your judgments are high and distant from him;
as for all his enemies, he scoffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
for generations I shall not meet adversity.”

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
in the secret places he murders the innocent;
his eyes lurk against the unfortunate.
He lies in wait secretly as a lion in his den;
he lies in wait to catch the poor;
he catches the poor, drawing them into his net.
He crouches; he lies low,
so that the unfortunate falls by his strength.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten;
He hides His face; He will never see it.”

𝙍: You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
Why do the wicked despise God?
He says in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”
You have seen it, for You observe trouble and grief,
to repay it with Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
seek out his wickedness
until You find none.

𝙍: You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

The LORD is King forever and ever;
the nations perished from His land.
The desire of the humble You have heard, O LORD;
You make their heart attentive; You bend Your ear
to judge the orphan and the oppressed;
man on earth no longer trembles.

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.

𝙍: You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm prayer

When wickedness triumphs, and the poor are betrayed, come to your kingdom, strong and holy God, destroy the masks of evil and reign in our broken hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 14

𝙍: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is no one who does good.

The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men,
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
They have all gone astray;
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.

𝙍: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Have they no knowledge, all the workers of iniquity,
who eat my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon the LORD?
There they are in great fear,
for God is with the company of the righteous.
You shame the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is his refuge.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
When the LORD turns back the captivity of His people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

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.

𝙍: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalm prayer

God of heaven, look with mercy on all who are consumed by ignorance and greed, and let the children of earth know that you are God forever.

Silence may be kept.

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 47

Come down, and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
sit on the ground; there is no throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans.
For you shall no more be called
tender and delicate.
Take the millstones and grind meal.
Uncover your veil,
strip off the skirt, uncover the leg,
pass over the rivers.
Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
and your shame shall be seen;
I will take vengeance,
and I will not meet you as a man.

As for our Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts is His name,
the Holy One of Israel.

Sit silently, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans;
for you shall no more be called
the queen of kingdoms.
I was angry with My people;
I have polluted My inheritance
and given them into your hand.
You did not show them mercy;
on the aged
you have laid your yoke very heavily.
You said, “I shall be a queen forever,”
but you did not take these things to heart,
nor remember the outcome of them.

Therefore, now hear this, you who are given to pleasures,
who dwell carelessly,
who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow,
nor shall I know the loss of children”;
but these two things shall come to you
in a moment, in one day,
the loss of children and widowhood.
They shall come upon you in their fullness
because of the multitude of your sorceries
and for the great abundance of your enchantments.
For you have trusted in your wickedness;
you have said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge have perverted you;
and you have said in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
Therefore, evil shall come upon you,
which you shall not know from where it rises.
And disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you shall not be able to atone.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
which you shall not know.

Stand fast now with your enchantments,
and with the multitude of your sorceries
in which you have labored from your youth.
Perhaps you shall be able to profit,
perhaps you may cause trembling.
You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
the monthly prognosticators stand up
and save you from these things that shall come upon you.
Behold, they shall be as stubble,
the fire shall burn them;
they shall not deliver themselves
from the power of the flame;
it shall not be coal to be warmed by
nor a fire to sit before.
Thus those shall be to you
with whom you have labored,
even your merchants, from your youth;
they shall wander, everyone to his quarter.
No one shall save you.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

For this reason we thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which effectively works also in you who believe. For you, brothers, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. You also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they have from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us. They do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved. In this way they are always piling up their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the extreme.

But we, brothers, being taken from you for a short time, in presence, not in heart, endeavored all the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wished to come to you—even I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Will it not even be you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? You are our glory and joy.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded
the low estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

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.

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.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He 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.

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
for peace
for individuals and their needs

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

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might assist 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, 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,
forever. Amen.

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.

Read More
Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Tue. evening Dec. 9

Opening response

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of light and darkness, to you be glory and praise forever. As evening falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. May your word be a lantern to our feet and a light upon our path that we may behold your coming among us. Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness and free our tongues to sing your praise.

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and forever.
Amen.

Hymn

O For a Thousand Tongues

Music by The Hymnodist: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube Music, Pandora, Boomplay, Deezer
Lyrics by Charles Wesley

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of his grace

My gracious Master and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of thy name

Jesus, the name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease
'Tis music in the sinner's ears
'Tis life, and health, and peace

He breaks the power of canceled sin
He sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me

He speaks, and listening to his voice
New life the dead receive
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice
The humble poor believe

Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb
Your loosened tongues employ
Ye blind, behold your savior come
And leap, ye lame, for joy

In Christ, your head, you then shall know
Shall feel your sins forgiven
Anticipate your heaven below
And own that love is heaven

Confession of Sin

Seek the LORD while He may be found,
call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

cf Isaiah 55

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Lord God, I have sinned against you; I have done what is evil in your sight. I am sorry and repent. Have mercy on me according to your lovingkindness. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Renew a right spirit within me, and restore unto me the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

cf Psalm 51

May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessed be the LORD,
because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and with my song I will thank Him.

cf Psalm 28:7,9

Psalm 11

𝙍: The LORD’s throne is in heaven.

In the LORD I seek refuge;
how do you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain,
for behold, the wicked bend their bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
that they may treacherously shoot
the upright in heart.
If the foundations are broken,
what can the righteous do?”

𝙍: The LORD’s throne is in heaven.

The LORD is in His holy temple,
His throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyes examine mankind.
The LORD tests the righteous,
but the wicked and he who loves violence
His soul hates.
On the wicked He will rain
coals of fire and brimstone; a burning wind
will be the portion of their cup.

For the LORD is righteous;
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

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.

𝙍: The LORD’s throne is in heaven.

Psalm prayer

God of heaven, when the foundations are shaken and there is no escape, test us, but not to destruction, look on the face of your anointed and heal us in Jesus Christ your Son.

Psalm 12

Help, LORD, for the godly man comes to an end,
for the faithful disappear from the sons of men.
They speak empty words, each with his own neighbor;
with flattering lips and a deceitful heart they speak.

The LORD will cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that speaks proud things,
those who say, “With our tongue will we prevail;
our lips are in our control. Who is our master?”

“Because the poor are plundered,
because the needy sigh,
now I will arise,” says the LORD;
“I will place him in the safety for which he yearns.”
The words of the LORD are pure words,
silver tried in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.

You will keep them, O LORD;
You will preserve them from this generation forever.
The wicked prowl on every side,
as vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

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.

Psalm prayer

Lord, when faith is faint and speech veils our intentions, restore us by your word of power and purity, both now and forever.

Psalm 13

𝙍: I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul,
having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

𝙍: I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God.
Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him,”
lest my adversaries rejoice when I stumble.

𝙍: I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

But I have trusted in Your mercy;
my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because He has dealt bountifully with me.

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.

𝙍: I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

Psalm prayer

Jesus Christ, Son of God, who passed through the dark sleep of death, remember those who cry to you in shame and silence and defeat and raise them to your risen life, for you are alive and reign forever.

Silence may be kept.

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 46

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops,
their idols are appointed to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome;
they are a burden to the weary beast.
They stoop, they bow down together;
they could not deliver the burden,
but themselves have gone into captivity.

Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
and all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who are borne by Me from birth
and are carried from the womb:
And even to your old age I am He,
and even to your graying years I will carry you;
I have done it, and I will bear you;
I will carry, and will deliver you.

To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal,
and compare Me that we may be alike?
They lavish gold out of the bag,
and weigh silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
they fall down and worship it.
They lift it on the shoulder, they carry it,
and they set it in its place, and it stands;
from its place it does not move.
If one shall cry to it, it cannot answer
nor save him out of his trouble.

Remember this, and show yourselves men;
bring it to mind again, O transgressors.
Remember the former things of old,
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
“My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all My good pleasure,”
calling a ravenous bird from the east,
the man who executes My counsel from a far country.
Indeed, I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it; I will also do it.
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,
who are far from righteousness;
I bring My righteousness near;
it shall not be far off,
and My salvation shall not tarry.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
and My glory for Israel.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain. But even after we had previously suffered and were shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to declare to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation was not from deceit, nor from impure motive, nor in treachery. But as we were allowed by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not to please men, but God, who examines our hearts. For neither at any time did we come with flattering words, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is our witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you, or from others, even though we might have made demands as the apostles of Christ.

But we were gentle among you, like a nurse caring for her own children. So having great love toward you, we were willing to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you were dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil. Laboring night and day so as not to be an expense to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You and God are witnesses of how pure, upright, and blameless we ourselves behaved among you who believe. As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and commanded every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk in a manner worthy of God, who has called you to His kingdom and glory.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded
the low estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

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.

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.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He 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.

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
for peace
for individuals and their needs

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

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might assist 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, 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,
forever. Amen.

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.

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