Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Fri. evening Feb. 27

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be glory and praise forever. In the darkness of our sin you have shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Open our eyes to acknowledge your presence, that freed from the misery of sin and shame we may grow into your likeness from glory to glory.

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

Fight the Good Fight

Words: John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1863)
Music: John Hatton (1793)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#473)

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God's good grace;
Lift up thine eyes, and seek his face.
Life with its way before us lies;
Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside; lean on thy Guide
His boundless mercy will provide;
Trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life, and Christ its love.

Faint not, nor fear, his arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.

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 54

Save me, O God, by Your name,
and vindicate me by Your strength.
Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen against me,
and oppressors seek my life;
they do not set God before them.

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is with those who uphold my life.

He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In Your faithfulness, destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For He has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

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

Living God, reach through the violence of the proud and the despair of the weak to create in Jesus Christ a people free to praise your holy name, now and forever.

Psalm 55

𝙍: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint, and I murmur,
because of the voice of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked;
for they bring down trouble upon me,
and in anger they hate me.

My heart is in anguish within me,
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling have come upon me,
and horror has overwhelmed me.

𝙍: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
Indeed, I would wander far off,
and remain in the wilderness.    
I would hasten my escape
from the windy storm and tempest.”

Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues,
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it on its walls;
iniquity and trouble are in its midst.
Destruction is in its midst;
oppression and deceit do not depart from its marketplace.

𝙍: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
then I could bear it;
nor is it he who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
then I could hide from him.
But it was you, a man, my equal,
my companion, and my acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together,
and walked in the house of God in the throng.

Let death seize them,
and let them go down alive to Sheol,
for wickedness is in their dwellings and in their midst.

𝙍: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

As for me, I will call upon God,
and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
will I reflect and groan,
and He will hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace
from the battle that was against me,
for there were many against me.
God will hear and afflict them,
even He who sits enthroned from of old.    
Because they do not change,
therefore they do not fear God.

𝙍: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
he has violated his covenant.
His speech was smoother than butter,
but war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and He will sustain you;
He will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
But You, O God, will cast the wicked down
to the pit of destruction;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
shall not live out half their days.

But I will trust in You.

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: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.

Psalm prayer

Lord, in all times of fear and dread, grant that we may so cast our burdens upon you, that you may bear us on the holy wings of the Spirit to the stronghold of your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Jeremiah 6:22-30

Thus says the LORD:

Behold, a people comes
from the north country,
and a great nation will be raised
from the remote parts of the earth.
They will lay hold on bow and spear;
they are cruel and have no mercy.
Their voice roars like the sea,
and they ride upon horses,
set in array as men for war
against you, O daughter of Zion.

“We have heard the report of it;
our hands grow feeble.
Anguish has taken hold of us,
and pain as of a woman in labor.
Do not go out into the field,
nor walk on the road.
For the sword of the enemy
and terror is on every side.”
O daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth
and wallow in ashes.
Mourn as for an only son,
a most bitter lamentation;
for the destroyer
shall suddenly come upon us.

I have set you as an assayer
and fortress among My people
that you may know
and try their way.
They all are stubborn rebels
walking about practicing slander.
They are bronze and iron;
they all are corrupters.
The bellows blow fiercely,
the lead is consumed by the fire;
the founder melts in vain,
for the wicked are not plucked away.
Men will call them rejected silver,
because the LORD has rejected them.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 6:16-27

Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea. They got into a boat and went across the sea toward Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. The sea was stirred up, because a strong wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat. And they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then they gladly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

The following day the people who stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone. However, other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate bread when the Lord had given thanks. When the people therefore saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God, 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 God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.

Read More
Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Thu. evening Feb. 26

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be glory and praise forever. In the darkness of our sin you have shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Open our eyes to acknowledge your presence, that freed from the misery of sin and shame we may grow into your likeness from glory to glory.

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

Wonderful Words of Life

Words and Music: Philip P. Bliss (1874)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#429)

Sing them over again to me,
wonderful words of life;
let me more of their beauty see,
wonderful words of life;
words of life and beauty,
teach me faith and duty.

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed one, gives to all
wonderful words of life;
sinner, list to the loving call,
wonderful words of life;
all so freely given,
wooing us to heaven. [Refrain]

Sweetly echo the gospel call,
wonderful words of life;
offer pardon and peace to all,
wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
sanctify forever. [Refrain]

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. 

Silence may be kept.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.
Amen.

Psalm 137

𝙍: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept
when we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst of it
we hung our harps.
For there, those who carried us away captive required of us songs,
and our plunderers, mirth,
saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

𝙍: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

How shall we sing the song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its cunning!
If I do not remember you,
let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I prefer not Jerusalem
above my highest joy.

𝙍: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
who said, “Raze it, raze it,
to its foundation!”

O daughter of Babylon, destined to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who rewards you
as you have served us!
Blessed shall he be who takes
your little ones and dashes them against the rocks!

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: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Psalm prayer

God of our pilgrimage, you sent your Son to our strange land to bring us home to you; give us your songs to sing, that even in our exile we may be filled with the breath of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 138

𝙍: Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever.

I will give You thanks, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the gods will I sing Your praise.
I will bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name
for Your lovingkindness and for Your truth,
for You have magnified above all things
Your name and Your word.
On the day I called, You answered me,
and made me bold with strength of soul.

𝙍: Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever.

All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
when they hear the words of Your mouth.
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.

Though the LORD is exalted, yet has He regard for the lowly,
but the proud He knows from afar.

𝙍: Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will preserve me;
You will stretch Your hand out against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand will deliver me.
The LORD will fulfill that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the works of Your hands.

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: Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever.

Psalm prayer

Lord our God, supreme over all things, look upon the humble and lowly and put new strength into our souls to complete your purpose for us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 142

𝙍: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to Your name.

I cry out to the LORD with my voice;
with my voice to the LORD do I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
then You knew my path.
In the way wherein I walk,
they have secretly set a snare for me.
Look to the right and see,
for there is no one who acknowledges me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares for my soul.

𝙍: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to Your name.

I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

Attend unto my cry,
for I am brought very low;
deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are stronger than me.
Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to Your name;
the righteous shall surround me,
for You shall deal 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: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to Your name.

Psalm prayer

God of compassion, you regard the forsaken and give hope to the crushed in spirit; hear those who cry to you in distress and bring your ransomed people to sing your glorious praise, now and forever.

Old Testament reading

Jeremiah 6:9-21

Thus says the LORD of Hosts:

They will thoroughly glean
the remnant of Israel as a vine.
Turn back your hand
as a grape gatherer into the baskets.

To whom shall I speak and give warning
that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are closed,
and they cannot listen.
Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them;
they have no delight in it.
Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD;
I am weary with holding in.

I will pour it out upon the children in the street
and upon the assembly of young men together;
for even the husband with the wife shall be taken,
the aged with him who is full of days.
Their houses shall be turned to others,
with their fields and wives together;
for I will stretch out My hand
upon the inhabitants of the land,
says the LORD.
For from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
everyone is given to covetousness.
And from the prophet even to the priest,
everyone deals falsely.
They have healed also the brokenness
of the daughter of My people superficially,
saying, “Peace, peace,”
when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
They were not at all ashamed,
nor could they blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I punish them they shall be cast down,
says the LORD.

Thus says the LORD:

Stand in the ways and see,
and ask for the old paths
where the good way is and walk in it,
and you shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, “We will not walk in it.”
Also I set watchmen over you, saying,
“Listen to the sound of the trumpet.”
But they said, “We will not listen.”
Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation,
what is among them.
Hear, O earth.
Behold, I will bring calamity on this people,
even the fruit of their thoughts,
because they have not listened to My words,
nor to My law, but rejected it.
To what purpose does incense from Sheba come to Me,
and the sweet cane from a far country?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor are your sacrifices sweet to Me.

Therefore thus says the LORD:

Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people,
and the fathers and the sons together will fall upon them.
The neighbor and his friend will perish.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 6:1-15

After these things Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a great crowd followed Him, because they saw His signs which He did for the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountain, and He sat there with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming to Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for each of them to receive but a little.”

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are they among so many?”

Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, numbering about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; and likewise, they distributed the fish, as much as they wanted.

When they were filled, He told His disciples, “Collect the fragments that remain, that nothing may be lost.” So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

When those men saw the sign which He had done, they then said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore, knowing that they would come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus departed again to a mountain by Himself alone.

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Response

Lord of life
In your mercy, hear us.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God, 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 God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.

Read More
Shane Raynor Shane Raynor

Wed. evening Feb. 25

Partner with Methodist Prayer by giving a recurring or one-time gift.

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be glory and praise forever. In the darkness of our sin you have shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Open our eyes to acknowledge your presence, that freed from the misery of sin and shame we may grow into your likeness from glory to glory.

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

Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine

Words: Fanny J. Crosby (1873)
Music: Phoebe P. Knapp (1873)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#570)

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with His goodness, lost in His love. [Refrain]

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins to God.

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

My God, for love of you, I desire to hate and forsake all sins by which I have ever displeased you; and I resolve by the help of your grace to commit them no more; and to avoid all opportunities of sin. Help me to do this, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord enrich us with his grace, and nourish us with his blessing; the Lord defend us in trouble and keep us from all evil; the Lord accept our prayers, and absolve us from our offenses, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

Psalm 9

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

I will give thanks to You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will declare all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

When my enemies are turned back,
they will stumble and perish at Your presence.
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging what is right.

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

You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked,
You have wiped out their name forever and ever.
O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
You have destroyed cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

But the LORD remains forever;
He has established His throne for judgment.
He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will give judgment to the peoples in uprightness.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

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

Sing praises to the LORD who dwells in Zion;
declare His deeds among the people.
He who avenges deaths remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.

Be gracious to me, O LORD; consider my trouble from those who hate me,
O You who lifts me up from the gates of death,
that I may recount all Your praise
in the gates of the daughter of Zion,
that I may rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made;
their own foot is caught in the net which they hid.
The LORD is known by the judgment that He executes;
the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

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

 The wicked will depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor will the hope of the poor perish forever.

Arise, O LORD, may mortals not prevail;
let the nations be judged in Your sight.
Put them in fear, O LORD,
that the nations themselves may know that they are mortals.

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

Remember, Lord, all who cry to you from death’s dark gates; do not forget those whom the world forgets, but raise your faithful ones to Zion’s gate, with your all-conquering Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 28

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

To You will I cry, O LORD my rock;
do not be silent to me,
lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
when I cry to You,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your most holy place.

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

Do not take me away with the wicked
and with the workers of iniquity,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while mischief is in their hearts.
Repay them according to their deeds,
and according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
render to them their due reward.

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

Because they do not regard the works of the LORD,
nor the work of His hands,
He will destroy them
and not build them up.

Blessed be the LORD,
because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusted in Him, and I was helped;
therefore my heart rejoices,
and with my song I will thank Him.

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

The LORD is the strength of His people,
and He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people
and bless Your inheritance;
shepherd them and bear them up 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.

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

Psalm prayer

Hear us, Shepherd of your people, forgive us our sins and, in a world of pretenses, make us true in heart and mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Jeremiah 5:20-31

Declare this in the house of Jacob
and proclaim it in Judah, saying:
Hear this now, O foolish people and without understanding,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear.
Do you not fear Me? says the LORD.
Will you not tremble at My presence?
For I have placed the sand for the boundary of the sea
by a perpetual decree so that it cannot pass over it.
And though the waves toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail;
though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart;
they have revolted and gone aside.
They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the LORD our God,
who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.
He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
Your iniquities have turned away these things,
and your sins have withheld good things from you.

For among My people are found wicked men.
They lie in wait, as he who sets snares;
they set a trap, they catch men.
As a cage is full of birds,
so are their houses full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and rich.
They are fat, they are sleek.
Indeed, they excel in deeds of wickedness.
They do not judge the cause of the fatherless,
so that they may prosper;
and the right of the needy they do not defend.
Shall I not punish them for these things?
says the LORD.
Shall not My soul be avenged
on such a nation as this?

An appalling and horrible thing
has been committed in the land.
The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule by their own authority;
and My people love to have it so.
Yet what will you do in the end?

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 5:30-47

I can do nothing of Myself. As I hear, I judge. My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me.

“If I bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He bears of Me is true.

“You sent to John, and he bore witness of the truth. I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was a burning and a shining lamp, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

“I have greater testimony than that of John. The works which the Father has given Me to finish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. The Father Himself, who has sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe the One He has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have eternal life. These are they who bear witness of Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

“I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, but you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Response

Father, by your Spirit
Bring in your kingdom.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God, 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 God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.

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