Shane Raynor 5/28/26 Shane Raynor 5/28/26

Thu. evening May 28

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

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

Come, Holy Spirit of God,
and search our hearts with the light of Christ.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

“The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

After a period of reflection

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

Lord our God, in our sin, we have avoided your call. Our faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew, it goes away. Have mercy on us; deliver us from judgment; bind up our wounds and revive us; in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

cf Hosea 6

May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring us his pardon and peace, now and forever.
Amen.

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 140

𝙍: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
who devise evil things in their hearts;
continually do they stir up wars.
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent’s;
under their lips is the venom of vipers.

Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from violent men,
who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
The proud have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread cords as a net;
by the wayside they have set traps for me.

𝙍: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

I said to the LORD, “You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my supplications, O LORD.”
O GOD, the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
do not further his evil scheme,
lest they be exalted.

𝙍: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

As for the head of those who surround me,
let the evil of their lips overwhelm them.
Let burning coals fall upon them;
let them be cast into the fire,
into deep pits, from which they cannot rise.
Let not a slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

𝙍: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
the upright shall dwell in Your presence.

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: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

Psalm prayer

Glorious Savior, rescue us from the subtle evils that are too strong for us, from poisonous words and the spirit of war; by your judgment overthrow the forces of violence, that all the world may join to worship you in thanksgiving and peace, now and forever.

Psalm 141

𝙍: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

O LORD, I cry unto You; make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry unto You.
Let my prayer be set as incense before You,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing,
to practice deeds of wickedness
with men who work iniquity;
and let me not eat of their delicacies.

𝙍: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

Let the righteous strike me;
it shall be a kindness.
Let him rebuke me;
it shall be an excellent oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is still against the deeds of the wicked.

Their judges are thrown over the sides of the cliff,
and they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

𝙍: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

But my eyes are toward You, O GOD, my Lord;
in You do I take refuge; leave not my soul destitute.
Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me,
and from the traps of those who work iniquity.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I escape safely.

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: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

Psalm prayer

Lord God, our protector and guide, who made us knowing both good and evil, help us to desire all that is good, that the offering of our lives may be acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Chronicles 20:1-23

After that, the Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle.

Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and behold, they are in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En-gedi). Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the LORD, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD before the new courtyard, and he said:

“O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are strength and might, and there is no one who can oppose You. Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? And they have dwelt in it and have built in it for You a sanctuary for Your name saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, then we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your name is in this temple. And we will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver.’

“And now, behold, the Ammonites and Moabites and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, when they turned away from them and did not destroy them, behold how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit. 1O our God, will You not render judgment on them? For we have not strength enough to stand before this great army that is coming against us. And we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.”

Now all of Judah was standing before the LORD, even their infants, wives, and children.

And in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the line of Asaph.

And he said, “Pay attention all Judah, and those dwelling in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the back of the valley, before the Wilderness of Jeruel. It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the LORD for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be filled with terror. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem fell before the LORD to worship Him. And the Levites from the descendants of the Kohathites and Korahites rose up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a very loud voice.

So they rose up early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be supported. Believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” And he consulted with the people and then appointed singers for the LORD and those praising Him in holy attire as they went before those equipped for battle saying,

“Praise the LORD,

for His mercy endures forever.”

When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. Then the Ammonites and Moabites stood up against those dwelling from Mount Seir to destroy and finish them. Then when they made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, each man attacked his companion to destroy each other.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Romans 2:17-29

Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God. You know His will and approve the things that are more excellent, because you are instructed in the law. You are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, and a teacher of babes, who have the full content of knowledge and truth in the law: You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach not to steal, do you steal? You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? As it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Circumcision indeed is of value if you keep the law, but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteousness of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? Will the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, not judge you who, by the letter of the law and circumcision, violate the law?

He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is external in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the letter. His praise is not from men, but from God.

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

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

Response

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord, from whom all good things come: grant to us your humble servants, that by your holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by your merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Being made one by the power of the Spirit, 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 5/27/26 Shane Raynor 5/27/26

Wed. evening May 27

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

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Words: William W. Walford (1772-1850)
Music: William B. Bradbury (1816-1868)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#440)

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father's throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter's snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

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 136

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His mercy endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the God of gods,
for His mercy endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who alone does great wonders,
for His mercy endures forever;
to Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
for His mercy endures forever;
to Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for His mercy endures forever;
to Him who made the great lights,
for His mercy endures forever;
the sun to rule by day,
for His mercy endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule by night,
for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for His mercy endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them,
for His mercy endures forever;
with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm,
for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for His mercy endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for His mercy endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who led His people through the wilderness,
for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who struck down great kings,
for His mercy endures forever;
and slew mighty kings,
for His mercy endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for His mercy endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan,
for His mercy endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage,
for His mercy endures forever;
a heritage to Israel His servant,
for His mercy endures forever.

It is He who remembered us in our low estate,
for His mercy endures forever;
and has rescued us from our enemies,
for His mercy endures forever;
who gives food to all flesh,
for His mercy endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the God of heaven,
for His mercy endures 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.

Psalm prayer

Remember us, God, and shape our history, form our inward eyes to see the shadow of the life-giving cross in the turbulence of our time; for his sake who died for all, Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Job 3

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. Job said:

“Let the day perish in which I was born
and the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.’
As for that day, let it be darkness;
let God above not regard it;
and let not light shine upon it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it;
let a cloud settle on it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
As for that night, let darkness capture it;
let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.
Yes, as for that night, let it be barren!
Let no joyful cry come into it!
Let them curse it who curse any day,
those who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
Let its morning stars be dark;
let it look for light, but have none;
let it not see the rays of dawn,
because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
nor hide trouble from my eyes.

“Why did I not die at birth?
Why did I not expire when I came out of the womb?
Why did her knees receive me?
And why her breasts that I should nurse?
For now I would be lying down and would be at peace;
I would have slept; then there would be rest for me,
with kings and counselors of the earth,
who built ruins for themselves,
or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
like infants who never saw light?
There the wicked will have stopped causing trouble,
and there the exhausted will rest.
Captives will relax together;
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
The small and great, they are there,
and the servant is free from his master.

“Why is light given to the miserable,
and life unto the bitter in soul,
who look for death, but it is not there;
and they search for it more than for hidden treasures;
who rejoice exceedingly,
and they are glad when they find the grave?
And why is light given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
For my sighing comes before I eat,
and my groaning pours forth like the waters.
For the thing which I greatly feared has happened to me,
and that which I dreaded has come to me.
I am not at peace; I have no quiet,
I cannot rest, and turmoil has come.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Romans 2:1-16

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judges, for when you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge do the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things. Do you think, O man, who judges those who do such things, and who does the same thing, that you will escape the judgment of God? Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

But because of your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself on the day of wrath when the righteous judgment of God will be revealed, and He “will render to every man according to his deeds.” To those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality will be eternal life. But for those who are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be indignation and wrath. There will be tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. But glory, honor, and peace will be to every man who does good work —to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile, for there is no partiality with God.

As many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law, for the hearers of the law are not justified before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, not having the law, are a law unto themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, while their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them, in the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Jesus Christ.

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:

The social services
All who work in the criminal justice system
Victims and perpetrators of crime
The work of aid agencies throughout the world
Those living in poverty or under oppression

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

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 5/26/26 Shane Raynor 5/26/26

Tue. evening May 26

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

O For a Heart to Praise My God

Words: Charles Wesley (1742)
Music: Thomas Haweis (1792)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#314)

O for a heart to praise my God,
a heart from sin set free,
a heart that always feels Thy blood
so freely shed for me.

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer's throne,
where only Christ is heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns alone.

A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
believing, true, and clean,
which neither life nor death can part
from Christ who dwells within.

A heart in ev'ry thought renewed
and full of love divine,
perfect and right and pure and good,
a copy, Lord, of Thine.

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
come quickly from above;
write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new best name of Love.

Confession of Sin

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

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

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 134

𝙍: Bless the LORD, O my soul

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
and bless the LORD.

May the LORD who made heaven and earth
bless you from Zion!

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: Bless the LORD, O my soul

Psalm prayer

Guard all your household, Lord, through the dark night of faith, and purify the hearts of those who wait on you, until your kingdom dawns with the rising of your Son, Christ, the morning star.

Psalm 135

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;
praise Him, O servants of the LORD,
you who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God!

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases,
He does, in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and in all deep places.
It is He who causes the mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
who makes lightning for the rain,
and brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

It is He who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and beast;
who sent into your midst, O Egypt, signs and wonders
upon Pharaoh and all his servants;
who struck down many nations
and slew mighty kings,
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to His people Israel.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate His people,
and He will have compassion on His servants.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
Mouths have they, but they speak not;
eyes have they, but they see not;
ears have they, but they hear not,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
so is everyone who trusts in them.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
He who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise the LORD!

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: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Psalm prayer

Wise and gracious God, save us from the idols of our hearts and keep us in your living presence, that we may become a people for your praise in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Job 2

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Adversary came also among them to present himself before the LORD. The LORD said to the Adversary, “From where do you come?”

And the Adversary answered the LORD, saying, “From roaming on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”

The LORD said to the Adversary, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and an upright man, who fears God and avoids evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

The Adversary answered the LORD, saying, “Skin for skin; yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. Put forth Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face.”

The LORD said to the Adversary, “Very well, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

Therefore, the Adversary went out from the presence of the LORD, and he afflicted Job with severe sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. So he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die.”

He said to her, “You talk like one of the foolish women talks. Will we indeed accept the good from God but not accept the adversity?”

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Three friends of Job heard about all this evil that had come upon him, and each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They had agreed together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. They saw him from a distance and did not recognize him, so they wept aloud. Each one tore his robe, and they tossed dust into the air above their heads. Then they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights. Meanwhile, no one was speaking to him at all because they saw that his pain was severe.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Romans 1:18-32

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth through unrighteousness. For what may be known of God has been revealed in them, because God has shown it to them. The invisible things about Him—His eternal power and deity —have been clearly seen since the creation of the world and are understood by the things that are made, so that they are without excuse.

Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him or give thanks to Him as God, but became futile in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up to impurity through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves. They turned the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged the natural function for what is against nature. Likewise the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men with men doing that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not proper. They were filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and craftiness. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, proud, boastful, inventors of evil things, and disobedient toward parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, calloused, and unmerciful, who know the righteous requirement of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death. They not only do them, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

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:

All who are sick in body, mind, or spirit
Those in the midst of famine or disaster
Victims of abuse and violence, intolerance, and prejudice
Those who are bereaved
All who work in the medical and healing professions

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

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.