Thursday morning October 3
Image: Unsplash
Opening response
Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall 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
God of Unbounded Power
Charles Wesley
God of unbounded power,
God of unwearied love,
Be present in our dangerous hour
Our danger to remove:
Jesus, Jehovah, Lord,
Thy wonted aid we claim;
Not trusting in our bow or sword,
But in thy saving name!
Our lives are hid with thine,
Our hairs are numbered all,
Nor can without the will divine
One worthless sparrow fall.
And shall a nation bleed,
And shall a kingdom fail,
While thou, O Christ, art Lord and head
Over heaven and earth and hell?
Beneath thy wings secure,
In patience we possess
Our souls, and quietly endure
Whatever our God decrees.
Teach us to understand
The thunder of thy power,
And thus, O Lord, to see thy hand,
Thy truth and love adore.
Escaped the hostile sword,
O may we fly to thee,
And find in our redeeming Lord
Our life and liberty.
Our strength and righteousness,
O let us hold thee fast,
With confidence divine, and peace
That shall forever last.
Confession of sin
O King enthroned on high,
filling the earth with your glory:
holy is your name,
Lord God almighty.
A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.
In our sinfulness we cry to you
to take our guilt away,
and to cleanse our lips to speak your word,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
May the God of all healing and forgiveness
draw us to himself,
and cleanse us from all our sins
that we may behold the glory of his Son,
the Word made flesh,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 90
𝙍: O LORD my God, I take refuge in You.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place
through all generations.
Before the mountains were born
or You brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting
You are God.
You return man to dust,
saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”
For in Your sight a thousand years
are but a day that passes,
or a watch of the night.
You whisk them away in their sleep;
they are like the new grass of the morning—
in the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it fades and withers. 𝙍
For we are consumed by Your anger
and terrified by Your wrath.
You have set our iniquities before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
For all our days decline in Your fury;
we finish our years with a sigh.
The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty if we are strong—
yet their pride is but labor and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
So teach us to number our days,
that we may present a heart of wisdom. 𝙍
Return, O LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on Your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen evil.
May Your work be shown to Your servants,
and Your splendor to their children.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
yes, establish the work of our 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: O LORD my God, I take refuge in You.
Psalm prayer
Almighty God,
our eternal refuge,
teach us to live with the knowledge of our death
and to rejoice in the promise of your glory,
revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 92
𝙍: You, O LORD, are exalted forever!
It is good to praise the LORD,
and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
to proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning
and Your faithfulness at night
with the ten-stringed harp
and the melody of the lyre.
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your deeds;
I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.
How great are Your works, O LORD,
how deep are Your thoughts! 𝙍
A senseless man does not know,
and a fool does not understand,
that though the wicked sprout like grass,
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be forever destroyed.
But You, O LORD, are exalted forever!
For surely Your enemies, O LORD,
surely Your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
with fine oil I have been anointed.
My eyes see the downfall of my enemies;
my ears hear the wailing of my wicked foes. 𝙍
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they will still bear fruit;
healthy and green they will remain,
to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock,
and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
𝙍: You, O LORD, are exalted forever!
Psalm prayer
Give us the music of your praise, Lord,
morning, noon and night,
that our lives may be fruitful
and our lips confess you as the true and only God.
Old Testament reading
2 Kings 9:17-37
Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!”
“Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”
“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot.
Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”
“How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan.
And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!”
So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.
(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?”
And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
“Throw her down!” yelled Jehu.
So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”
But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Acts 27:27-44
On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms. Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.
Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea. But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.
Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food. So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and took some food themselves. In all, there were 276 of us on board. After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.
Silence may be kept.
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Luke 1:68-79
𝙍: You have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited and redeemed His people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke through His holy prophets,
those of ages past,
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath He swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us deliverance from hostile hands,
that we may serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him
all the days of our lives.
And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare the way for Him,
to give to His people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
to shine on those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet
into the path of peace.
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 raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
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.
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:
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
Father, by your Spirit
Bring in your kingdom.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us your gift of faith
that, forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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, 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 Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Wednesday morning October 2
Thursday morning
Tuesday morning
Opening response
Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall 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
Partners of a glorious hope
Charles Wesley
Partners of a glorious hope,
Lift your hearts and voices up!
Nobly let us bear the strife,
Keep the holiness, of life;
Still forget the things behind,
Follow Christ in heart and mind,
To the mark unwearied press,
Seize the crown of righteousness.
Jesus, fill us with thy love,
Never from our souls remove,
Heart to heart unite and bless,
Keep us in thy perfect peace!
In our lives our faith be known,
Faith by holy actions shown;
Faith that mountains can remove,
Faith that always works by love.
Confession of sin
When we cry out to the LORD in our trouble,
he will bring us out of 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 loving devotion,
and his wonders to the sons of men.
Let us offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and declare God’s works with rejoicing.
cf Psalm 107
Psalm 119:105-128
𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
I am severely afflicted, O LORD;
revive me through Your word.
Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
and teach me Your judgments. 𝙍
I constantly take my life in my hands,
yet I do not forget Your law.
The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from Your precepts.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes,
even to the very end. 𝙍
The double-minded I despise,
but Your law I love.
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I put my hope in Your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may obey the commandments of my God.
Sustain me as You promised, that I may live;
let me not be ashamed of my hope. 𝙍
Uphold me, and I will be saved,
that I may always regard Your statutes.
You reject all who stray from Your statutes,
for their deceitfulness is in vain.
All the wicked on earth You discard like dross;
therefore I love Your testimonies.
My flesh trembles in awe of You;
I stand in fear of Your judgments. 𝙍
I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
Ensure Your servant’s well-being;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation,
and for Your righteous promise.
Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion,
and teach me Your statutes. 𝙍
I am Your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know Your testimonies.
It is time for the LORD to act,
for they have broken Your law.
Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold,
even the purest gold.
Therefore I admire all Your precepts
and hate every false way.
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: Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion.
Psalm prayer
O God, save us from ourselves,
from double standards
and divided hearts,
and give us light and life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
2 Kings 9:1-16
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”
So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.
“For which of us?” asked Jehu.
“For you, commander,” he replied.
So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’ ”
Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”
“You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
“That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!”
So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ”
Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”
Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.
(Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.)
So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Acts 27:1-26
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care. After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them, “Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”
But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, if somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete. But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island. Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.
Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat. After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along.
We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.
After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship. For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’
So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me. However, we must run aground on some island.”
Silence may be kept.
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Luke 1:68-79
𝙍: You have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited and redeemed His people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke through His holy prophets,
those of ages past,
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath He swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us deliverance from hostile hands,
that we may serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him
all the days of our lives.
And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare the way for Him,
to give to His people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
to shine on those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet
into the path of peace.
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 raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
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.
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 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
In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us your gift of faith
that, forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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, 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 Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Tuesday morning October 1
Opening response
Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall 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
Jesus, At Whose Supreme Command
Charles Wesley
Jesus, at whose supreme command,
We now approach to God,
Before us in thy vesture stand,
Thy vesture dipped in blood.
Obedient to thy gracious word,
We break the hallowed bread,
Commemorate thee, our dying Lord,
And trust on thee to feed.
Now Savior, now thyself reveal,
And make thy nature known,
Affix thy blessed Spirit’s seal,
And stamp us for thine own.
The tokens of thy dying love
O let us all receive,
And feel the quickening Spirit move,
And sensibly believe.
The cup of blessing, blest by thee,
Let it thy blood impart;
The bread thy mystic body be,
To cheer each languid heart.
The living bread sent down from heaven,
In us vouchsafe to be,
Thy flesh for all the world is given,
And all may live by thee.
Confession of sin
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor repaid us for our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his loving kindness towards those who fear him.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Like a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
Praise the LORD, my soul!
All that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and don’t forget all his benefits.
Psalm 87
𝙍: God has founded His city on the holy mountains.
He has founded His city
on the holy mountains.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are ascribed to you,
O city of God.
“I will mention Rahab and Babylon
among those who know Me—
along with Philistia, Tyre, and Cush —
when I say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
And it will be said of Zion:
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High Himself will establish her.”
The LORD will record in the register of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
Singers and pipers will proclaim,
“All my springs of joy are in You.”
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: God has founded His city on the holy mountains.
Psalm prayer
Lord, as you call us to your city
founded on the rock of ages,
let the springs of living water
rise within us to eternal life;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 89:1-18
𝙍: O LORD God of Hosts, who is like You?
I will sing of the loving devotion of the LORD forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, “Loving devotion is built up forever;
in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one,
I have sworn to David My servant:
‘I will establish your offspring forever
and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” 𝙍
The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD—
Your faithfulness as well—
in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can compare with the LORD?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD?
In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared,
and awesome above all who surround Him.
O LORD God of Hosts, who is like You?
O mighty LORD, Your faithfulness surrounds You. 𝙍
You rule the raging sea;
when its waves mount up, You still them.
You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
The heavens are Yours, and also the earth.
The earth and its fullness You founded.
North and south You created;
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name. 𝙍
Mighty is Your arm; strong is Your hand.
Your right hand is exalted.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.
Blessed are those who know the joyful sound,
who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence.
They rejoice in Your name all day long,
and in Your righteousness they exult.
For You are the glory of their strength,
and by Your favor our horn is exalted.
Surely our shield belongs to the LORD,
and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
𝙍: O LORD God of Hosts, who is like You?
Psalm prayer
As we sing of your love, O Lord,
anoint us with the Spirit’s seal,
that we may praise your faithfulness
and proclaim your truth from age to age;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
2 Kings 6:1-23
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.”
“Go,” said Elisha.
Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”
“I will come,” he replied.
So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God.
And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
“Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.”
On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.”
Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Acts 26:24-32
At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Silence may be kept.
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Luke 1:68-79
𝙍: You have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited and redeemed His people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke through His holy prophets,
those of ages past,
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath He swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us deliverance from hostile hands,
that we may serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him
all the days of our lives.
And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare the way for Him,
to give to His people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
to shine on those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet
into the path of peace.
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 raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David.
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.
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, hear your people
and answer our prayers.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us your gift of faith
that, forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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, 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 Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.