Shane Raynor 2/14/26 Shane Raynor 2/14/26

Sat. evening Feb. 14

Opening response

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

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night: to you be praise and glory forever. As darkness falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. By the light of Christ, your living Word, dispel the darkness of our hearts that we may walk as children of light and sing your praise throughout the world.

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

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Words: Henry W. Baker (1868)
Music: Irish melody
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#90)

The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.

And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.

Confession of Sin

When we cry to the LORD in our trouble,
He will save us from our distress.

God will bring us out of darkness
and out of the shadow of death.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

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

May the Father forgive us by the death of his Son, and strengthen us to live in the power of the Spirit all our days.
Amen.

Let us give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to all people!

Let us offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare God’s works with rejoicing.

cf Psalm 107

Psalm 45

𝙍: Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.

My heart is overflowing with a goodly theme;
I recite my special song to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a skillful scribe.

You are fairer than the sons of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
Gird your sword upon your thigh, O Mighty One,
with your glory and your majesty.
In your majesty ride prosperously
because of truth, meekness, and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds.
Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.

𝙍: Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.

Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness more than your companions.
All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
Out of the ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad.
Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women;
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

𝙍: Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.

Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear;
forget your own people and your father’s house,
and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
The daughter of Tyre will be there with a gift;
the richest of the people will seek your favor.
The royal daughter is all glorious within her chamber;
her clothing is plaited gold.
She shall be brought to the king in embroidered robes;
the virgins, her companions who follow her,
shall be brought to you.
With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
they shall enter the king’s palace.

In the place of ancestors shall be your sons;
you will make them princes in all the earth.

I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

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: Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.

Psalm prayer

Lord our God, bring your bride, your holy Church, with joy to the marriage feast of heaven, and unite us with your anointed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth trembles,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains shake with its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when the morning dawns.
The nations raged; the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice; the earth melted.

The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
who brings desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

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

God of Jacob, when the earth shakes and the nations are in uproar, speak, and let the storm be still; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Chronicles 15:1-15

Then the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you all seek Him, He will be found with you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And at that time there was no peace to the one traveling in or out because there was a great panic on all those who dwelt in the land. They were broken to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, because God confused them with every type of distress. But you all must be strong and not lose heart, for there is a reward for your deeds.”

And when Asa heard these words of the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged and removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he captured in the hills of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD.

And he gathered together all of Judah and Benjamin and those who had settled among them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for these had come down to him from Israel in a great number when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

These were gathered in Jerusalem in the third month in the fifteenth year in the reign of Asa. They sacrificed to the LORD that day from the plunder that they brought in, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul. But whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. They swore an oath to the LORD in a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and horns. And all Judah rejoiced over this oath because they swore with their whole heart and they sought Him with all their desire; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples were then glad when they saw the Lord.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.”

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger in the nail prints, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

After eight days His disciples were again inside with the doors shut, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand here and place it in My side. Do not be faithless, but believing.”

Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have yet believed.”

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

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:

Our homes, families, friends, and all whom we love
Those whose time is spent caring for others
Those who are close to death
Those who have lost hope
The worship of the Church

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

Response

In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

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

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 2/13/26 Shane Raynor 2/13/26

Fri. evening Feb. 13

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Opening response

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

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

Nothing But the Blood

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 35

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise up to help me!
Draw the spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”

Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me.
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
and let the angel of the LORD drive them away.
Let their way be dark and slippery,
and let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
which they have dug without cause for my life.
Let destruction come upon him unawares,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall in it, to his destruction.
Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
it shall rejoice in His salvation.
All my bones shall say,
“LORD, who is like You,
delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things I do not know.
They repay me evil for good,
to the sorrow of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting;
and my prayer would return to my own heart.
I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down lamenting,
as one who mourns for his mother.

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together;
assailants gathered against me, and I did not know it;
they tore me apart without ceasing;
with hypocritical mockers at feasts,
they gnashed at me with their teeth.

Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions!
I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You in the mighty throng.

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

Let not my treacherous enemies
rejoice over me,
nor let those who hate me without cause
wink the eye.
For they do not speak peace,
but they devise deceitful matters
against those who are quiet in the land.
They opened wide their mouths against me,
and said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.”

This You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
Stir up Yourself, and awake for my defense,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me.

𝙍: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, we have our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

Let those who rejoice at my calamity be ashamed
and brought to confusion;
let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who exalt themselves against me.
Let those who favor my vindication
shout for joy and be glad;
let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified,
who delights in the peace of His servant.”

Then my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
and of Your praise all day long.

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: Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to Your righteousness.

Psalm prayer

Free us, righteous God, from all oppression, and bring justice to the nations, that all the world may know you as King of kings and Lord of lords, now and forever.

Old Testament reading

Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

Send out your grain on the waters by ship,
for after many days you will find financial return.
Give a portion to seven, or even eight, investments,
for you do not know what calamity might occur on earth.

If the clouds are full,
they empty rain on the land;
and if a tree falls to the north or south,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who observes the clouds will not reap.

Just as you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the bones grow to fullness in the womb of a woman with child;
so you do not know the work of God
who makes everything.

In the morning sow your seed,
and at evening do not let your hands rest;
for you do not know which activity will find success,
this or that,
or whether both alike will be good.

Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
Even if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all;
but let him remember
that the days of darkness will be many.
All that comes is vanity.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 20:11-18

But Mary stood outside at the tomb weeping. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’ ”

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

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 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:

National leaders, public officials, and the armed forces
Peace and justice in the world
Those who work for reconciliation
All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife
Prisoners, refugees, and homeless people

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

Response

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 2/12/26 Shane Raynor 2/12/26

Thu. evening Feb. 12

Opening response

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

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

Hallelujah, I Am Free!

Words and Music: A.A. Jameson (1925)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#543)

I am redeemed- all glory to the Lamb!
Saved from all sin and glorified I am,
bought by the blood that flowed from Calvary,
for the Lord has made me free!

Refrain:
Hallelujah, I am free! O what glorious liberty,
since the blessed Lord has cleansed and made me whole!
I am redeemed- all glory to His name!
He abides within my soul.

I am redeemed; my ransom has been paid,
all of my guilt on Jesus has been laid,
from all my sins I now have liberty.
Hallelujah, I am free! [Refrain]

I am redeemed; my bondage now is past,
I was a slave, but I am free at last,
once I was blind, but now the light I see.
Hallelujah, I am free! [Refrain]

"I am redeemed," my song shall ever be,
both while on earth and for eternity.
Praise be to God for all He is to me!
Hallelujah, I am free! [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 39

𝙍: LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.

I said, “I will guard my ways,
lest I sin with my tongue;
I will keep a muzzle on my mouth
while the wicked are before me.”
I was mute in silence;
I held my peace to no avail,
but my anguish grew worse.

𝙍: LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.

My heart was hot within me.
While I was musing, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

“LORD, let me know my end,
and what is the measure of my days,
that I may know how frail I am.
Behold, You have made my days as a few handbreadths,
and my age is as nothing before You.
Surely every man at his best is as a mere breath.”
Surely every man walks around like a shadow;
surely they make an uproar in vain;
he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.

𝙍: LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.

Now, O Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
I was silent; I did not open my mouth,
because it was You who did it.
Remove Your stroke from me;
I am coming to an end by the hostility of Your hand.
When with rebukes You correct man for sin,
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
surely every man is mere vapor.

𝙍: LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.

Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry;
do not be silent at my tears.
For I am a stranger with You,
and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may become cheerful again,
before I go away and am no more.

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: LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.

Psalm prayer

O Christ, Son of the living God, help us when we are too cast down to pray, and grant that we may trust you all our days, for you are with us in our living and our dying, Jesus, Lord and God.

Psalm 40

𝙍: You have multiplied your wondrous deeds, O LORD.

I waited patiently for the LORD,
and He turned to me and heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth,
praise to our God;
many will see it and fear,
and will trust in the LORD.

Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after lies.
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
Your wondrous deeds
and Your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with You.
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered.

𝙍: You have multiplied your wondrous deeds, O LORD.

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
my ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering
You have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”

I have proclaimed the glad news of righteousness in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
O LORD, as You know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
from the great congregation.

𝙍: You have multiplied your wondrous deeds, O LORD.

Withhold not Your mercy from me, O LORD;
let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
therefore my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me.

Let them be ashamed and confounded together
who seek to snatch away my life;
let them be driven backward and dishonored
who desire my hurt.
Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

𝙍: You have multiplied your wondrous deeds, O LORD.

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

But I am poor and needy;
yet the LORD is mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.

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 have multiplied your wondrous deeds, O LORD.

Psalm prayer

Free us from our sins, God, and may our sacrifices be of praise to the glory of your Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Old Testament reading

2 Chronicles 13:1-14:1

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah. He reigned for three years in Judah, and his mother’s name was Micaiah, the granddaughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

And there was a war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up battle lines against him with an army of eight hundred thousand men, mighty men of valor.

Then Abijah went up to Mount Zemaraim that is in the hills of Ephraim, and he said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! Do you all not know that the LORD God of Israel has perpetually given the kingdom of Israel to David, even to him and to his sons with a covenant of salt? And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon son of David, stood up and rebelled against his lord Rehoboam. Then vain, worthless men gathered together around him and defied Rehoboam son of Solomon. And Rehoboam was young and timid in heart and was not strong before them.

“And now you think that you can withstand before the kingdom of the LORD by the hand of the sons of David. And you all are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam has made for you to be gods. Have you all not driven out the priests of the LORD, even the Levites and sons of Aaron, and made for yourselves priests from the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to be dedicated and has in his hand a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest to what is not a god.

“But for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned Him. And our priests serve the LORD and are sons of Aaron, Levites with their service. They sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD every morning and evening and put out an incense of spices. They also set the showbread in place on the ritual table and set the golden lampstand with its lamps to burn every evening. For we keep the duty of the LORD our God, but you all have abandoned Him. Behold, God is with us as a leader, and His priests with their battle trumpets to call for battle against you all. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD the God of your fathers, because you will not find success.”

So Jeroboam went around them with an ambush to come from behind them. Those from Israel were in front of Judah, while the ambush was behind them. When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. Then they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded their trumpets. Then the men from Judah shouted out; and it happened when Judah shouted out, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. Abijah and his people struck them down with a great slaughter, and the slain from Israel who fell that day were five hundred thousand choice men. So the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah prevailed, for they depended on the LORD God of their fathers.

And Abijah chased after Jeroboam and captured cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron with their surrounding villages. And Jeroboam did not again recover his strength in the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck down Jeroboam, and he died.

So Abijah grew strong and took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, both his ways and words, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son then reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she came running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.”

So Peter came out with the other disciple and they went toward the tomb. They both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. Stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying. Yet he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went inside the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the cloth that was around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came first to the tomb, went in also. He saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

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 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:

Local government, community leaders
All who provide local services
Those who work with young or elderly people
Schools, colleges, and universities
Emergency and rescue organizations

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

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
Amen.