Tuesday morning July 23
Wednesday morning
Monday morning
Preparation
Opening response
Lord, open our lips
and our mouth will proclaim your praise.
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all,
to you be glory and praise forever.
You founded the earth in the beginning
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image,
and in these last days you have spoken to us
in your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us
let the light of your love always shine in our hearts,
your Spirit ever renew our lives
and your praises ever be on our lips.
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and forever.
Amen.
Hymn
Away, My Needless Fears
Charles Wesley
Away, my needless fears
And doubts no longer mine!
A ray of heavenly light appears,
A messenger divine.
Thrice comfortable hope,
That calms my troubled breast;
My Father's hand prepares the cup,
And what he wills is best.
He knows whatever I want;
He sees my helplessness,
And always readier is to grant
Than I to ask his grace.
My fearful heart he reads,
Secures my soul from harms,
And underneath his mercy spreads
Its everlasting arms.
If what I wish is good,
And suits the will divine,
By earth and hell in vain withstood,
I know it shall be mine.
Here is firm footing; here,
My soul, is solid rock,
To break the waves of grief and fear,
And trouble's rudest shock:
This only can sustain
When earth and heaven remove:
O turn thee to thy rest again,
Thy God's eternal love!
Here then I doubt no more,
But in his pleasure rest,
Whose wisdom, love, and truth and power
Engage to make me blest.
Confession of sin
Come, Holy Spirit of God,
and search our hearts with the light of Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
‘Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord,
and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your being, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’
No other commandment is greater than these.
All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.
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 love for you is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.
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.
The Word of God
Psalm 106
Refrain:
Bless the Lord, the God of Israel, from forever ago to forever from now!
Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his faithful love endures forever.
Who could possibly repeat all of the Lord’s mighty acts
or publicly recount all his praise?
The people who uphold justice,
who always do what is right, are truly happy!
Remember me, Lord, with the favor you show your people.
Visit me with your saving help
so I can experience the good things your chosen ones experience,
so I can rejoice in the joy of your nation,
so I can praise along with your possession.
We have sinned—right along with our ancestors.
We’ve done what is wrong.
We’ve acted wickedly.
Our ancestors in Egypt didn’t understand your wondrous works.
They didn’t remember how much faithful love you have.
So they rebelled by the sea—at the Reed Sea.
But God saved them for the sake of his good name,
to make known his mighty power.
God scolded the Reed Sea, and it dried right up;
he led them through the deeps like they were a dry desert.
God saved them from hostile powers;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
But the waters covered over their foes—
not one of them survived!
So our ancestors trusted God’s words;
they sang God’s praise.
But how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn’t wait for his advice.
They were overcome with craving in the desert;
they tested God in the wastelands.
God gave them what they asked for;
he sent food to satisfy their appetites.
But then they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
jealous too of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.
So the earth opened up, swallowing Dathan,
and covering over Abiram’s crowd.
Fire blazed throughout that whole group;
flames burned up the wicked.
They made a calf at Horeb,
bowing down to a metal idol.
They traded their glorious God
for an image of a bull that eats grass.
They forgot the God who saved them—
the one who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds at the Reed Sea.
So God determined that he would destroy them—
except for the fact that Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the way, right in front of him,
and turned God’s destructive anger away.
But then they rejected the land that was so desirable.
They didn’t trust God’s promise.
They muttered in their tents
and wouldn’t listen to the Lord’s voice.
So God raised his hand against them,
making them fall in the desert,
scattering their offspring among the nations,
casting them across many lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
They made God angry by what they did,
so a plague broke out against them.
Then Phinehas stood up and prayed,
and the plague was contained.
That’s why Phinehas is considered righteous,
generation after generation, forever.
But they angered God at Meribah’s waters,
and things went badly for Moses because of them,
because they made him bitter
so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
They didn’t destroy the nations
as the Lord had ordered them to do.
Instead, they got mixed up with the nations,
learning what they did
and serving those false gods,
which became a trap for them.
They sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons!
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their own sons and daughters—
the ones they sacrificed to Canaan’s false gods—
so the land was defiled by the bloodshed.
They made themselves unclean by what they did; they prostituted themselves by their actions.
So the Lord’s anger burned against his people;
he despised his own possession.
God handed them over to the nations;
people who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were humbled under their power.
God delivered them numerous times,
but they were determined to rebel,
and so they were brought down by their own sin.
But God saw their distress
when he heard their loud cries.
God remembered his covenant for their sake,
and because of how much faithful love he has,
God changed his mind.
God allowed them to receive compassion
from all their captors.
Lord our God, save us!
Gather us back together from among all the nations
so we can give thanks to your holy name
and rejoice in your praise!
Bless the Lord, the God of Israel,
from forever ago to forever from now!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
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.
Refrain:
Bless the Lord, the God of Israel, from forever ago to forever from now!
Psalm prayer
Holy God,
when our memories blot out your kindness
and we ignore your patient love,
remember us, remake us,
and give to us poor sinners
the rich inheritance of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
Nehemiah 13:1-14
On that day, when the scroll from Moses was being read to the people, they found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter God’s assembly. This is because they hadn’t met the Israelites with food and water but instead hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. When the people heard this law, they separated out from Israel all those of mixed descent.
Now before this, however, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed to be in charge of the storerooms of our God’s house and who was related to Tobiah, prepared a large room for Tobiah to use. This was the room where they had previously kept the grain offering, the incense, and the equipment, together with the tenth-part gifts of grain, wine, and oil. These items were for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers as well as the portions for the priests.
I wasn’t in Jerusalem while this was happening because I had gone to Babylon’s King Artaxerxes in the thirty-second year of the king. After some time, I asked the king’s permission and returned to Jerusalem. That was when I saw the wrong that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by preparing him a room in the courtyards of God’s house. I was very angry and threw all of Tobiah’s household furniture out of the room. Then I gave orders that the rooms be purified, and I put back the temple equipment, along with the grain offering and the incense.
I also found out that the Levites hadn’t been given their portions, so they and the singers who did the work had gone back to their fields. So I scolded the officials, asking, “Why is God’s house being neglected?” I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
Then all Judah brought the tenth-part gifts of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. I appointed the priest Shelemiah, the scribe Zadok, and Pedaiah of the Levites to be in charge over the storehouses. I also appointed Hanan, Zaccur’s son and Mattaniah’s grandson, as their assistant. These men were considered trustworthy, and their task was to hand out shares to their colleagues.
Remember me, my God, concerning this. Don’t erase my good deeds that I have done for my God’s house and for its services.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4
Because I was sure of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you could have a second opportunity to see me. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then come to you again on my way back from Macedonia, at which point I was hoping you would help me on my way to Judea.
So I wasn’t unreliable when I planned to do this, was I? Or do I make decisions with a substandard human process so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? But as God is faithful, our message to you isn’t both yes and no. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the one who was preached among you by us—through me, Silvanus, and Timothy—he wasn’t yes and no. In him it is always yes. All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.
God is the one who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us. God also sealed us and gave the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. I call on God as my witness—I didn’t come again to Corinth because I wanted to spare you. It isn’t that we are trying to control your faith, but we are working with you for your happiness, because you stand firm in your faith. 1 So I decided that, for my own sake, I wouldn’t visit you again while I was upset. If I make you sad, who will be there to make me glad when you are sad because of me?
That’s why I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I wouldn’t be made sad by the ones who ought to make me happy. I have confidence in you, that my happiness means your happiness. I wrote to you in tears, with a very troubled and anxious heart. I didn’t write to make you sad but so you would know the overwhelming love that I have for you.
Silence may be kept.
Gospel canticle
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Refrain:
You have raised up a mighty savior for us in your servant David’s house.
Bless the Lord God of Israel
because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,
just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.
He has brought salvation from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and remembered his holy covenant,
the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
He has granted that we would be rescued
from the power of our enemies
so that we could serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
for as long as we live.
You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
You will tell his people how to be saved
through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s deep compassion,
the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide us on the path of peace.”
Luke 1:68-79
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.
Refrain:
You have raised up a mighty savior for us in your servant David’s house.
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,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.
Prayers
Intercession and thanksgiving
Prayers may be offered for:
the day and its tasks
the world and its needs
the church and her life
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
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Savior 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
As our Savior taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Conclusion
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.