Shane Raynor 12/17/25 Shane Raynor 12/17/25

Thu. morning Dec. 18

Opening response

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God of all, to you be praise and glory forever. In your tender compassion, the dawn from on high is breaking upon us to dispel the lingering shadows of light. As we look for your coming among us this day, open our eyes to behold your presence and strengthen our hands to do your will, that the world may rejoice and give you praise. 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

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Words: German hymn, 15th century; Translated by Theordore Baker (1894)
Music: Alte Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng (1599)
A version of this hymn appears in Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#168)

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-gone was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright
She bore to men a Savior
When half-gone was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load

Confession of Sin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cf Psalm 107

Psalm 76

𝙍: The LORD has established His throne for judgment.

In Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
His abode is in Salem,
His dwelling place in Zion.
There He broke the flaming arrows of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.

𝙍: The LORD has established His throne for judgment.

You are more glorious and excellent
than the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted were plundered;
they sank into sleep;
and none of the mighty men
could use his hands.
At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the rider and horse lay stunned.

𝙍: The LORD has established His throne for judgment.

But You indeed are to be feared;
who may stand in Your presence once You are angry?
You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
the earth feared and was still,
when God arose to judgment,
to save all the meek of the earth.

𝙍: The LORD has established His throne for judgment.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
with the remainder of wrath You will gird Yourself.

Make your vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
let all who are around Him
bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.
He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is feared by the kings of the earth.

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: The LORD has established His throne for judgment.

Psalm prayer

Majestic and gracious God, more awesome than the agents of war, more powerful than the wrath of nations, restrain the violence of the peoples, and draw the despised of the earth into the joyful life of your kingdom, where you live and reign forever and ever.

Psalm 97

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be joyful!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him
and burns up His enemies all around.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
and all the peoples see His glory.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

Let all who serve graven images be put to shame,
who boast of idols;
worship Him, all you gods.

Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of Your judgments, O LORD.
For You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name!

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 Most High over all the earth.

Psalm Prayer

Most high and holy God, enthroned in fire and light, burn away the dross of our lives and kindle in us the fire of your love, that our lives may reveal the light and life we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old Testament reading

Zephaniah 1:1-2:3

The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

I will utterly consume all things
on the face of the earth,
says the LORD;
I will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks with the wicked.
I will cut off man from the face of the land,
says the LORD.

I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal,
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
and those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of heaven;
those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD
and yet swear by Milcom;
those who have turned back from following the LORD,
who have not sought the LORD nor inquired of Him.

Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is at hand;
the LORD has prepared the sacrifice;
He has consecrated His guests.

On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice,
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons,
and all who clothe themselves
with foreign attire.
On that day I will punish
all who step over the threshold,
who fill their masters’ houses
with violence and deceit.

On that day, says the LORD,
a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
Wail, you inhabitants of the market district!
For all the merchants are cut down;
all those who weigh out silver are cut off.
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are settled on their dregs,
who say in their heart,
“The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.”
Their goods will be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they will not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink from their wine.

The great day of the LORD is near,
near and hastening quickly.
The sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;
the mighty man shall cry out there.
That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of ruin and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
a day of trumpet and alarms
against the fortified cities
and against the high towers.
I will bring distress on men,
so that they will walk like blind men.
Because they have sinned against the LORD,
their blood will be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to deliver them
on the day of the LORD’s wrath.

But the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of His jealousy,
for He will make a sudden end
of all those who dwell on the earth.
Gather together, yes, gather together,
O shameless nation,
before the decree takes effect,
before the day passes like chaff,
before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you,
before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,
who carry out His judgment.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
on the day of the LORD’s anger.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 17:22-27

While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were extremely sorrowful.

When they came to Capernaum, those who collected tax money came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the tax ?”

He said, “Yes.”

And when he came home, Jesus stopped him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or taxes? From their own sons or from strangers?”

Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, lest we offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for you and Me.”

Silence may be kept.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Luke 1:68-79

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for He has visited and redeemed His people,
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets of long ago,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
to perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
for you will go before the presence of the Lord to prepare His ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to His people
by the remission of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise from on high has visited us;
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way 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.

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 Church, that she may be ready for the coming of Christ
The leaders of the Church
The nations, that they may be subject to the rule of God
Those who are working for justice in the world
The broken, that they may find God’s healing

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

Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; for you are alive and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Awaiting his coming in glory, 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

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 12/16/25 Shane Raynor 12/16/25

Wed. morning Dec. 17

Opening response

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

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

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Words: James Montgomery (1821)
Music: Gesangbuch der H.W.K. Hofkapelle (1784)
A version of this hymn appears in Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#165).

Hail to the Lord's Anointed,
great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free;
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.

He comes with succor speedy
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
are precious in his sight.

Confession of Sin

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor recompensed us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his mercy toward 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.

As a father pities his children,
so the LORD pities those who fear Him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 75

𝙍: God is the Judge.

We give thanks to You, O God;
we give thanks, for Your name is near;
Your wondrous works declare it.

When I set the appointed time,
I will judge with equity.
The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolving;
I bear up its pillars.
I said to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
Do not lift up your horn on high;
do not speak with a stiff neck.”

𝙍: God is the Judge.

For exaltation comes neither from the east, nor from the west,
nor from the south.
But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and exalts another.
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
full of foaming wine; it is well mixed,
and He pours it out;
indeed the wicked of the earth drain and drink its dregs.

𝙍: God is the Judge.

But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
All the horns of the wicked will I cut off,
but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.

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 is the Judge.

Psalm prayer

Judge of all the earth, restrain the ambition of the proud, and establish among us the reign of the Messiah, who drained for us the cup of judgment and is alive with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Psalm 96

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the people,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
bring an offering, and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before Him, all the earth!
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Indeed, the world is established; it shall not be moved;
He will judge the peoples righteously.”

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forests will rejoice
before the LORD, for He is coming,
for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in His faithfulness.

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: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, you draw us by your beauty and transform us by your holiness; let our worship echo all creation’s praise and declare your glory to the nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 39

At that time Marduk-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered. Hezekiah was glad and showed them the house of his precious things: the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and his whole armory, and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?”

And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

Then he said, “What have they seen in your house?”

And Hezekiah answered, “All that is in my house they have seen. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of Hosts. Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. And some of your sons who descend from you, whom you shall father, shall be taken away. And they shall become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” For he said, “For there shall be peace and truth in my days.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 17:14-21

When they came to the crowd, a man came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

Then Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him. And the child was healed instantly.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast him out?”

Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Silence may be kept.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

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.

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.

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:

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Awaiting his coming in glory, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 12/15/25 Shane Raynor 12/15/25

Tue. morning Dec. 16

Opening response

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

Reveal among us the light of your presence
that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

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

Let Earth and Heaven Agree

Words: Charles Wesley Recorded by: The Hillside Singers, Hillside Methodist Church, Brinscall, Chorley, England

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 70

𝙍: Make haste to me, O God.

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

Let those be ashamed and confused
who seek my life;
let those be turned back and dishonored
who desire to hurt me.
Let them be turned back because of their shame,
who say, “Aha, aha!”

𝙍: Make haste to me, O God.

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

But I am poor and needy;
make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!

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: Make haste to me, O God.

Psalm prayer

God, our helper and defender, deliver us in our weakness, answer our longings and vindicate our faith, that we may see your glory in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 74

𝙍: Arise, O God, plead Your own cause.

O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
which you have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance,
and this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
Direct Your steps to the irreparable ruins;
the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.

Your enemies have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
they set up their ensigns as signs.
They seem like men who wield axes
in a thicket of trees.
But now they break down all its carved work
with axes and hammers.
They set Your sanctuary on fire;
they have defiled the dwelling place of Your name, bringing it to the ground.
They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.”
They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.

We do not see our signs;
there is no longer any prophet,
nor is there any among us who knows how long.
O God, how long will the adversary revile?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
Why do You withdraw Your hand, Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them!

𝙍: Arise, O God, plead Your own cause.

For God is my King from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.
You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,
and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
You split open springs and torrents;
You dried up mighty rivers.
The day is Yours, the night also is Yours;
You have prepared the light and the sun.
You have established all the boundaries of the earth;
You have made summer and winter.

𝙍: Arise, O God, plead Your own cause.

Remember this, that the enemy has reviled, O LORD,
and that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
Do not give the life of Your turtledove to a wild animal;
do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
Have respect for the covenant,
for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
Let not the oppressed return ashamed;
let the poor and needy praise Your name.
Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
Do not forget the voice of Your enemies,
the tumult of those who rise up against You, which increases continually.

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: Arise, O God, plead Your own cause.

Psalm prayer

Redeeming God, renew your broken people with your Holy Spirit, that they may walk your narrow way, and greet your coming dawn in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 38:9-20

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

I said: In the middle of my days,
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.
I said, I shall not see the LORD,
even the LORD, in the land of the living;
I shall see man no more
with the inhabitants of the world.
My dwelling is pulled up
and removed from me as a shepherd’s tent;
I rolled up my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the loom;
from day even to night You make an end of me.
I composed my soul until morning,
like a lion, so He breaks all my bones;
from day even to night You make an end of me.
Like a crane or a swallow, so I twitter;
I mourn as a dove;
my eyes look wistfully upward.
O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

What shall I say?
For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it.
I shall wander about all my years
in the bitterness of my soul.
O Lord, by these things men live,
and in all these things is the life of my spirit;
O restore me to health
and make me live!
Behold, it was for my own peace
that I had great bitterness;
but You have kept my soul
from the pit of corruption,
for You have cast all my sins
behind Your back.
For Sheol cannot thank You,
death cannot praise You;
those who go down into the pit
cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
It is the living who give thanks to You,
as I do this day;
a father explains to his sons
about Your faithfulness.

The LORD shall surely save me;
therefore, we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the house of the LORD.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 17:1-13

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and brought them up to a high mountain alone, and was transfigured before them. His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, let us make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

As they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus replied, “Elijah truly does first come and will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. Likewise, the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Silence may be kept.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

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.

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.

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:

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Awaiting his coming in glory, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
Amen.