Shane Raynor 2/4/26 Shane Raynor 2/4/26

Thu. morning Feb. 5

Opening response

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare 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

Power in the Blood

Words and Music: Lewis E. Jones (1899)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#487)

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain:
There is power, power, wonder-working power
in the blood of the Lamb;
there is power, power, wonder-working power
in the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide.
There's wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
there's wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

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 14

𝙍: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is no one who does good.

The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men,
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
They have all gone astray;
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.

𝙍: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Have they no knowledge, all the workers of iniquity,
who eat my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon the LORD?
There they are in great fear,
for God is with the company of the righteous.
You shame the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is his refuge.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
When the LORD turns back the captivity of His people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

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 fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalm prayer

God of heaven, look with mercy on all who are consumed by ignorance and greed, and let the children of earth know that you are God forever.

Psalm 15

𝙍: In the abundance of Your mercy I will enter Your house.

LORD, who will abide in Your tabernacle?
Who will dwell in Your holy hill?

He who walks uprightly,
and does righteousness,
and speaks truth in his heart;
he who does not slander with the tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
he who swears against harm and does not change;
he who does not put his money out to usury,
nor takes a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things
will never be moved.

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: In the abundance of Your mercy I will enter Your house.

Psalm prayer

Lord, lead us to our heavenly home by single steps of self-restraint and deeds of righteousness; through the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 16

𝙍: The LORD is at my right hand; I shall not be moved.

Preserve me, O God,
for in You I take refuge.

I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
my welfare has no existence outside of You.”
For the holy ones in the land,
they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
Those who choose another god
multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer
nor take their names upon my lips.

O LORD, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
yes, I have a goodly inheritance.

𝙍: The LORD is at my right hand; I shall not be moved.

I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because He is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my flesh also will rest secure.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
nor will You allow Your holy one to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life.
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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 is at my right hand; I shall not be moved.

Psalm prayer

Give to us, Lord Christ, the fullness of grace, your presence and your very self, for you are our portion and our delight, now and forever.

Old Testament reading

Genesis 21:1-21

The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. All who hear will laugh with me.” Also she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

So the child grew and was weaned. Then Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac.”

This matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset concerning the boy and your slave wife. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to what she says, for in Isaac your descendants will be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the slave woman, because he is your offspring.”

So Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and sent her away with the child. So she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she placed the child under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot, for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the child.” She sat across from him, and lifted up her voice and wept.

And God heard the boy’s voice. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Arise, pick up the boy and hold him in your hands, for I will make him a great nation.”

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy; and he grew and lived in the wilderness and became an archer. He lived in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother found a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 27:57-66

When the evening came, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. And he rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb and departed. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.”

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go your way. Make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

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:

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

God our creator, who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness: we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, shine into the hearts of all your people, and reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of 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.

Shane Raynor 2/3/26 Shane Raynor 2/3/26

Wed. morning Feb. 4

Opening response

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

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, creator of all, to you be praise and glory forever. As your dawn renews the face of the earth, bringing light and life to all creation, may we rejoice in this day you have made; as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep, 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.

WORSHIP Song

“23” from Young David

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 119:1-32

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
who seek Him with all their heart.
They also do no injustice;
they walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
to keep Your precepts diligently.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

Oh that my ways were directed
to keep Your statutes!
Then I shall not be ashamed,
when I look upon all Your commandments.
I will praise You with an upright heart,
when I learn Your righteous judgments.
I will keep Your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to Your word.
With my whole heart have I sought You;
let me not wander from Your commandments.
Your word have I hidden in my heart,
that I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD;
teach me Your statutes.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

With my lips have I declared
all the ordinances of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
and have respect unto Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live
and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of Your law.
I am a stranger on the earth;
hide not Your commandments from me.
My soul is consumed with longing
for Your decrees at all times.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

You rebuke the proud, the cursed,
who stray from Your commandments.
Remove from me reproach and contempt,
for I have kept Your testimonies.
Even though princes sit and speak against me,
Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Your testimonies also are my delight
and my counselors.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

My soul clings to the dust;
revive me according to Your word.
I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
so shall I meditate on Your wondrous works.
My soul melts for sorrow;
strengthen me according to Your word.

𝙍: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

Remove from me the way of lying,
and graciously teach me Your law.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
Your judgments have I set before me.
I cling to Your testimonies;
O LORD, put me not to shame!
I will run the way of Your commandments,
for You shall enlarge my heart.

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: Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.

Psalm prayer

Faithful God, let your word be the treasure of our hearts, that we may delight in your truth and walk in the glorious liberty of your Son Jesus Christ.

Old Testament reading

Genesis 19:1-3, 12-29

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them he rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. Then he said, “Here, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet; and then you may rise early and go on your way.”

They said, “No, we will stay in the open square all night.”

But he strongly insisted, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, take them out of this place! For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has grown great before the presence of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Otherwise you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.”

And while he lingered, the men took hold of his and his wife’s hands, along with the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and brought him out and set him outside the city. When they had brought them out, one of them said to them, “Escape for your lives! Do not look behind you or stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed.”

Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! Behold, your servant has found grace in your eyes, and you have shown your mercy, which you have shown to me by saving my life. However, I cannot escape to the mountain. Otherwise some evil will overtake me, and I will die. Behold, this city is close enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Please, let me escape there (is it not a little one?), and my life will be saved.”

He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request in this matter also. I will not overthrow this city of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The sun had risen over the land when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was from the LORD out of heaven. So He overthrew those cities, all the valley, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the LORD. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of a furnace.

So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the destruction, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 27:45-56

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Some of those who stood there heard it and said, “This Man is calling for Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with wine, and put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink. The rest said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

And Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, released His spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. And the ground shook, and the rocks split apart. The graves also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised, and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the Holy City and appeared to many.

When the centurion and those with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they feared greatly and said, “Truly He was the Son of God!”

Many women who were there watching from afar followed Jesus from Galilee, serving Him, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

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:

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

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 2/2/26 Shane Raynor 2/2/26

Tue. morning Feb. 3

Opening response

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

Prayer of thanksgiving

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

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

Words: Ray Palmer (1875)
Music: Lowell Mason (1831)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#351)

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
be wholly Thine.

May Thy rich grace impart
strength to my fainting heart,
my zeal inspire;
as Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
pure, warm, and changeless be,
a living fire.

While life’s dark maze I tread,
and griefs around me spread,
be Thou my Guide;
bid darkness turn to day,
wipe sorrow’s tears away,
nor let me ever stray
from Thee aside.

When ends life's transient dream,
when death’s cold, sullen stream
shall o'er me roll,
blest Savior, then in love,
fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
a ransomed soul.

Confession of Sin

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

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

Almighty God, patient and of great goodness: I confess to you, I confess with my whole heart my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments, my wrong doing, thinking, and speaking; the hurts I have done to others, and the good I have left undone. O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you; and raise me to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins, heal and strengthen us by his Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Psalm 5

𝙍: You, LORD, will bless the righteous.

Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my meditation.
Listen to the voice of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to You will I pray.

O LORD, in the morning You will hear my voice;
in the morning I will direct my prayer to You,
and I will look up expectantly.
For You are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness,
nor will evil dwell with You.

𝙍: You, LORD, will bless the righteous.

Those who boast will not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You will destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors
the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But as for me, in the abundance of Your mercy
I will enter Your house;
in fear of You I will worship
at Your holy temple.

𝙍: You, LORD, will bless the righteous.

Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make Your way straight before me.
For there is no uprightness in their mouth;
destruction is in their midst;
their throat is an open tomb;
they flatter with their tongue.
Declare them guilty, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
for they have rebelled against You.

𝙍: You, LORD, will bless the righteous.

But let all those who take refuge in You rejoice;
let them ever shout for joy,
because You defend them;
let those who love Your name be joyful in You.

For You, LORD, will bless the righteous;
You surround him with favor like a shield.

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, LORD, will bless the righteous.

Psalm Prayer

Lord, protect us from the deceit of flattering tongues and lying lips; give us words of life which speak your truth and bless your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 6

𝙍: Return, O LORD, rescue my soul.

O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
nor discipline me in the heat of Your anger.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking.
My soul is greatly troubled,
but You, O LORD—how long?

Return, O LORD, rescue my soul.
Save me for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
For in death there is no remembrance of You;
in Sheol who will give You thanks?

I am weary with my groaning;
all night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
My eyes waste away from grief;
they grow weak because of all my enemies.

𝙍: Return, O LORD, rescue my soul.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
The LORD has heard my supplication;
the LORD accepts my prayer.
May all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
may they turn back and be suddenly ashamed.

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: Return, O LORD, rescue my soul.

Psalm Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, may the tears shed in your earthly life be balm for all who weep, and may the prayers of your pilgrimage give strength to all who suffer; for your mercy’s sake.

Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord,
how excellent is Your name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory
above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength
because of Your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You have established,
what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You attend to him?

For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
and whatever travels the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
how excellent is Your name in all 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.

Psalm prayer

We bless you, master of the heavens, for the wonderful order which enfolds this world; grant that your whole creation may find fulfillment in the Son of Man, Jesus Christ our Savior.

Old Testament reading

Genesis 18:16-33

Then the men rose up and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to see them on their way. Then the LORD said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? I chose him, and he will instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He promised him.”

Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has come to Me. If not, I will know.”

The men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Shall You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous in the city? Shall You also destroy, and not spare the place, for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated like the wicked; far be it from You. Should not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the entire place for their sakes.”

Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous. Will You destroy all the city for lack of five?”

And He said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there will be forty found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

Then he said to Him, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose there will be thirty found there?”

Again He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there?”

He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. Suppose ten will be found there?”

Then He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

So the LORD went His way as soon as He had stopped speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 27:27-44

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole detachment of soldiers before Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and when they wove a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a staff in His right hand. They knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spit on Him, and took the staff and hit Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. This man they compelled to bear His cross. When they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. When they crucified Him, they divided His garments by casting lots to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, “They divided My garments among themselves and for My clothing they cast lots.” And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. They put His accusation over His head, which read:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then two thieves were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. Those who passed by insulted Him, shaking their heads, saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying, “He saved others. He cannot save Himself. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God. Let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” Even the thieves who were crucified with Him insulted Him in the same way.

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:

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

Loving God, we look to you.
Receive our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.