Sunday morning October 17

Monday morning
Saturday 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

The Mighty Conqueror Leaves the Dead

Charles Wesley

The mighty conqueror leaves the dead,

Jesus the Lord ascends on high;

The powers of hell are captive led,

Dragged to the portals of the sky.

There his triumphal chariot waits,

And angels chant the solemn lay:

“Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates;

Ye everlasting doors, give way.

Loose all your bars of massy light,

And wide unfold the radiant scene;

He claims these mansions as his right,

Receive the King of Glory in.”

“Who is the King of Glory, who?”

“The Lord, that all our foes overcame;

The world, sin, death, and hell overthrew,

Jesus is the conqueror’s name.”

Lo! His triumphal chariot waits,

And angels chant the solemn lay:

“Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates;

Ye everlasting doors, give way.”

“Who is the King of Glory, who?”

“The Lord, of boundless power possessed,

The King of saints and angels too,

God over all, forever blessed.”

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.

The Word of God

Psalm 133

Refrain:

Faithful love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed.

Look at how good and pleasing it is

when families live together as one!

It is like expensive oil poured over the head,

running down onto the beard—

Aaron’s beard!—

which extended over the collar of his robes.

It is like the dew on Mount Hermon

streaming down onto the mountains of Zion,

because it is there that the Lord has commanded the blessing:

everlasting life.

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:

Faithful love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed.

Psalm prayer

Grant to your people, good Lord,

the spirit of unity,

that they may dwell together in your love,

and so bear to the world

the ointment of your healing and the

dew of your blessing;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 134

Refrain:

Let my whole being bless the Lord!

All you who serve the Lord: bless the Lord right now!

All you who minister in the Lord’s house at night: bless God!

Lift up your hands to the sanctuary

and bless the Lord!

May the Lord, the maker of 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.

Refrain:

Let my whole being bless the Lord!

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 137:1-6

Refrain:

Pray that Jerusalem has peace.

Alongside Babylon’s streams,

there we sat down,

crying because we remembered Zion.

We hung our lyres up

in the trees there

because that’s where our captors asked us to sing;

our tormentors requested songs of joy:

“Sing us a song about Zion!” they said.

But how could we possibly sing

the Lord’s song on foreign soil?

Jerusalem! If I forget you,

let my strong hand wither!

Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth

if I don’t remember you,

if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

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:

Pray that Jerusalem has peace.

Psalm prayer

God of our pilgrimage,

you sent your Son to our strange land

to bring us home to you;

give us your songs to sing,

that even in our exile

we may be filled with the breath of the Spirit

of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading
Isaiah 54:1-14

Sing, barren woman who has borne no child;

break forth into singing and cry out,

you who were never in labor,

for the children of the wife who has been deserted will be more numerous than the children of the married, says the Lord.

Enlarge the site of your tent,

and stretch out the drapes of your dwellings;

don’t hold back.

Lengthen your tent ropes and strengthen your stakes.

To the right and to the left you will burst out,

and your children will possess the nations’ land

and settle their desolate cities.

Don’t fear,

because you won’t be ashamed;

don’t be dismayed,

because you won’t be disgraced.

You will forget the shame of your youth;

you’ll no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.

The one marrying you is the one who made you—

the Lord of heavenly forces is his name.

The one redeeming you is the holy one of Israel,

the one called the God of all the earth.

As an abandoned and dejected woman the Lord has summoned you;

as a young wife when she is rejected,

says your God.

For a brief moment I abandoned you,

but with great mercy I will bring you back.

In an outburst of rage,

I hid my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting love I have consoled you,

says your redeemer, the Lord.

These are like the days of Noah for me,

when I promised that Noah’s waters would never again cover the earth.

Likewise I promise not to rage against you or rebuke you.

The mountains may shift,

and the hills may be shaken,

but my faithful love won’t shift from you,

and my covenant of peace won’t be shaken,

says the Lord, the one who pities you.

Suffering one, storm-tossed, uncomforted,

look, I am setting your gemstones

in silvery metal

and your foundations with sapphires.

I will make your towers of rubies,

and your gates of beryl,

and all your walls of precious jewels.

All your children will be disciples of the Lord—

I will make peace abound for your children.

You will be firmly founded in righteousness.

You will stay far from oppression because you won’t fear,

far from terror because it won’t come near you.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading
Luke 13:31-35

At that time, some Pharisees approached Jesus and said, “Go! Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”

Jesus said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m throwing out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. However, it’s necessary for me to travel today, tomorrow, and the next day because it’s impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather your people just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that. Look, your house is abandoned. I tell you, you won’t see me until the time comes when you say, Blessings on the one who comes in the Lord’s name.”

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticle
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Refrain:

You have shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered your holy covenant.

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 shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered your holy covenant.

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:

The universal church

Bishops, superintendents and all who lead the church

The leaders of the nations

The natural world and the resources of the earth

All who are in any kind of need

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

Response

Loving God, we look to you.

Receive our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Grant, we beseech you, merciful Lord,

to your faithful people pardon and peace,

that they may be cleansed from all their sins

and serve you with a quiet mind;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.