Shane Raynor 11/18/25 Shane Raynor 11/18/25

Tue. evening Nov. 18

Opening response

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

All your saints shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, our light and our salvation, to you be glory and praise forever. Now, as darkness is falling, wash away our transgressions, cleanse us by your refining fire and make us temples of your Holy Spirit. By the light of Christ, dispel the darkness of our hearts and make us ready to enter your kingdom, where songs of praise forever sound.

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 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 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face to shine upon us,
that Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
let all the peoples praise You.
Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You will judge the people righteously,
and guide the nations upon the earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
let all the peoples praise You.

Then will the earth yield its produce,
and God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear Him.

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

In the face of Jesus Christ, your light and glory have blazed forth, O God of all the nations; with all your people, may we make known your grace and walk in the ways of peace; for your name’s sake.

Psalm 72

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

Give the king Your justice, O God,
and Your righteousness to the king’s son!
May he judge Your people with righteousness
and Your poor with justice.

May the mountains bring peace to the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
save the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor.

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

May they fear You while the sun endures
and as long as the moon shines, throughout all generations.
May he descend like rain upon the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
May those who dwell in the wilderness bow before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
bring gifts;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
render tribute.
May all kings bow down before him,
all nations serve him.

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

For he will deliver the needy when he cries,
the poor also, and him who has no helper.
He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
and will save the lives of the needy.
He will redeem their life from oppression and violence,
and precious shall be their blood in his sight.

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

So may he live,
and may the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer also be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be an abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may those from the city flourish like grass of the earth.
May his name endure forever;
may his name continue as long as the sun shines.

And may men be blessed in him;
and may all nations call him blessed!

𝙍: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
And blessed be His glorious name forever;
and may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.

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 reigns; let the earth rejoice.

Psalm prayer

O God, may your kingdom come, with deliverance for the needy, with peace for the righteous, with overflowing blessing for all nations, with glory, honor and praise for Christ, the only Savior.

Old Testament reading

Daniel 8:15-27

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought for the meaning. And behold, there before me stood one who had the appearance of a man. I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was afraid and fell upon my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision deals with the time of the end.”

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face toward the ground. But he touched me and set me upright.

He said, “Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the final period of the indignation, for the end shall be at the appointed time. The ram which you saw having two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The rough goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now the broken horn and the four horns that stood up in its place are four kingdoms that shall stand up out of his nation, but not with his power.

“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king will arise, having a fierce countenance, skilled in intrigue. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice his will and shall destroy the mighty men and the holy people. By his cunning, he shall cause deceit to succeed under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in a time of peace. He shall also rise up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken, not by human hands.

“And the vision of the evenings and the mornings, which was told, is true. Therefore shut up the vision, for it deals with many days in the future.”

Then I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for some days. Afterward I rose up again and did the king’s business. So I was astonished at the vision, but there was none to explain it.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Revelation 11:1-14

I was given a reed like a measuring rod. The angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. But exclude the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will trample on the Holy City for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way. They have power to shut heaven, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will wage war against them and overcome them and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Those from every people and tribe and tongue and nation will see their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.

At that same hour there was a great earthquake, and one-tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake, and the remnant were frightened and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

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 saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven
All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God
All who fear the winter months
All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
All who grieve or wait with the dying

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

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil, and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear in power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, 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 Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 11/17/25 Shane Raynor 11/17/25

Mon. evening Nov. 17

Opening response

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

All your saints shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom.

Prayer of thanksgiving

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

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 70

𝙍: Make haste to me, O God.

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

Let those be ashamed and confused
who seek my life;
let those be turned back and dishonored
who desire to hurt me.
Let them be turned back because of their shame,
who say, “Aha, aha!”

𝙍: Make haste to me, O God.

Let all those who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You;
and let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”

But I am poor and needy;
make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!

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: Make haste to me, O God.

Psalm prayer

God, our helper and defender, deliver us in our weakness, answer our longings and vindicate our faith, that we may see your glory in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 71

𝙍: O God, be not far from me.

In You, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness and rescue me;
incline Your ear to me, and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge
to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
for You are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;
You are my trust from my youth.
I have leaned on You since my birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise will be continually of You.

𝙍: O God, be not far from me.

I have become a marvel to many,
for You are my strong refuge.
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
and with Your glory all the day.

Cast me not away in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength fails.
For my enemies speak against me,
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,
saying, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and take him,
for there is no one to deliver him.”
O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me.
Let them be confounded and consumed
who are adversaries of my soul;
let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
who seek my hurt.

𝙍: O God, be not far from me.

But I will hope continually,
and will praise You yet more and more.

My mouth will tell of Your righteousness
and of Your salvation all the day,
for I do not know their extent.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

𝙍: O God, be not far from me.

O God, You have taught me from my youth,
and I still declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and gray,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I declare Your might to this generation,
and Your power to everyone who is to come.

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
will revive me again,
and will bring me up again
from the depths of the earth.
You will increase my greatness
and comfort me on every side.

𝙍: O God, be not far from me.

Also with the harp will I praise You
for Your faithfulness, O my God;
to You will I sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will greatly rejoice
when I sing to You,
and my soul, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness
all the day long,
for they are confounded and brought to shame
who seek my hurt.

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: O God, be not far from me.

Psalm prayer

Faithful Lord, living Savior, in youth and old age, from the womb to the grave, may we know your protection and proclaim your great salvation to the glory of God the Father.

Old Testament reading

Daniel 8:1-14

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, even to me Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. I saw in the vision, and while I was looking, I was at Susa in the palace which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision that I was by the canal of Ulai. Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high. But one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward. No animal could stand before him. There was not any who could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

As I was considering this, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. He came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran to him in the fury of his power. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with rage against him, and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped on him. And there was none who could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the male goat grew very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns came up in its place toward the four winds of heaven.

Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Pleasant Land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them. Indeed, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and from Him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of rebellion, an army was given to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifice; and it cast truth to the ground. It practiced this and prospered.

Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spoke, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot?”

And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be cleansed properly.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Revelation 10

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud and a rainbow on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he cried out, seven thunders sounded their voices. And when the seven thunders sounded their voices, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up those things which the seven thunders said, and do not write them.”

The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in them, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be no more delay. But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as He has declared to His servants the prophets.

Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth.”

So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.” He said to me, “Take it and eat it. ‘It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ ” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

𝙍: The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

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 righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

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 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:

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 11/16/25 Shane Raynor 11/16/25

Sun. evening Nov. 16

Opening response

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

All your saints shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom.

Prayer of thanksgiving

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

Hail! Holy, Holy, Holy Lord

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

Chorus
Hail! holy, holy, holy Lord
Whom One in Three we know
By all Thy heavenly host adored
By all Thy church below
By all Thy church below

Verse 1
One undivided Trinity
With triumph we proclaim
Thy universe is full of Thee
And speaks Thy glorious name
And speaks Thy glorious name

Chorus

Verse 2
Thee, Holy Father, we confess
Thee, Holy Son, adore
Thee, Spirit of truth and holiness
We worship evermore
We worship evermore

Chorus

Verse 3
Three Persons equally divine
We magnify and love
And both the choirs ere long shall join
To sing Thy praise above
To sing Thy praise above

Chorus

Hail! holy, holy, holy Lord
Our heavenly song shall be
Supreme, essential One, adored
In co-eternal Three
In co-eternal Three

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins to God.

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

Psalm 93

𝙍: The LORD will reign forever and ever.

The LORD reigns; He is clothed with majesty;
the LORD is clothed; He has girded Himself with strength.
Indeed, the world is established;
it shall not be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.

𝙍: The LORD will reign forever and ever.

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring waves.
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters,
than the mighty waves of the sea.

Your statutes are very sure;
holiness befits Your house,
O LORD, 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 will reign forever and ever.

Psalm prayer

Christ our King, you put on the apparel of our nature and raised us to your glory; reign from your royal throne above the chaos of this world, that all may see the victory you have won and trust in your salvation; for your glory’s sake.

Psalm 97

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be joyful!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him
and burns up His enemies all around.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
and all the peoples see His glory.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

Let all who serve graven images be put to shame,
who boast of idols;
worship Him, all you gods.

Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of Your judgments, O LORD.
For You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name!

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, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth.

Psalm Prayer

Most high and holy God, enthroned in fire and light, burn away the dross of our lives and kindle in us the fire of your love, that our lives may reveal the light and life we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old Testament reading

Daniel 6

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty officials, so that they would be over the whole kingdom, and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, so that the officials might give accounts to them and the king not suffer loss. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and officials because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and officials sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Then these presidents and officials assembled together to the king, and said to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the officials, the counselors, and the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be altered.” Therefore King Darius signed the writing, even the decree.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house. And his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they approached the king and said concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree, that every man who asks a petition of any god or man within thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be altered.”

Then they replied to the king, “That Daniel, who is of the sons of the captivity of Judah, does not regard you, O king, or the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was sorely displeased with himself and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored until sunset to deliver him.

Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”

A stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting, and no instruments of music were brought before him. And his sleep fled from him.

Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. When he came to the den, he cried with a voice full of sorrow to Daniel. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God has sent His angel and has shut the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me, because innocence was found in me before Him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

Then the king was exceeding glad for him and commanded that they take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of harm was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Then the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives. And the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote:

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

“Peace be multiplied unto you.

“I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel.

“For He is the living God,
enduring forever;
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and His dominion shall be forever.
He delivers and rescues,
and He works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
who has delivered Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Great crowds assembled around Him, so that He went into a boat and sat there. And the whole assembly stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying, “A sower went out to sow. While he sowed, some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them. But other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they did not have deep soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And because they did not take root, they withered away. Some seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain: a hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“Therefore listen to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one who received seed beside the path. But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

𝙍: The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

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 righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

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 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:

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory.
Amen.