Shane Raynor 3/1/26 Shane Raynor 3/1/26

Mon. morning Mar. 2

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, God of compassion and mercy, to you be praise and glory forever. In the darkness of our sin, your light breaks forth like the dawn and your healing springs up for deliverance. As we rejoice in the gift of your saving help, sustain us with your bountiful Spirit and open our lips to sing your 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

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

Words: Lidie H. Edmonds (1891)
Music: Norse melody
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#135)

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device nor creed.
I trust the ever-living One;
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that he died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul, I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through his blood. [Refrain]

My Great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me his precious blood he shed,
For me his life he gave. [Refrain]

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.
Amen.

Psalm 26

𝙍: LORD, I love the place where Your glory dwells.

Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD;
therefore I will not waver.
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
try my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
and I have walked in Your truth.

I have not sat with the worthless,
nor will I consort with hypocrites.

𝙍: LORD, I love the place where Your glory dwells.

I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.
I will wash my hands in innocence;
thus will I go around Your altar, O LORD,
that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
and tell of all Your wondrous works.
LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
and the place where Your glory dwells.

𝙍: LORD, I love the place where Your glory dwells.

Do not gather my soul with sinners,
nor my life with murderers,
in whose hands is wickedness,
and whose right hand is full of bribes.
But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
redeem me and be gracious to me.

My foot stands on level ground;
in the congregations I will bless the LORD.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

𝙍: LORD, I love the place where Your glory dwells.

Psalm prayer

Have mercy on us and redeem us, Lord, for our merits are your mercies, and in your judgment is our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 32

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

Blessed is he
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man
against whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I kept silent,
my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
Your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was turned
into the drought of summer.

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

I acknowledged my sin to You,
and my iniquity I did not conceal.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD,”
and You forgave
the iniquity of my sin.

For this cause everyone who is godly will pray to You
in a time when You may be found;
surely in the flood of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
You will preserve me from trouble;
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
which have no understanding,
which must be restrained with bit and bridle,
or they will not come near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but lovingkindness will surround
the man who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
and shout for joy, all you who are upright in 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: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

Psalm prayer

Give us honest hearts, O God, and send your kindly Spirit to help us confess our sins and bring us the peace of your forgiveness; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Genesis 43:16-34

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the house steward, “Bring these men home, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men will dine with me at noon.”

The man did as Joseph ordered, so the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”

They approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke with him at the entrance of the house. They said, “My lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks and realized every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us. We have also brought additional money with us to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”

He said, “Be at peace; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and gave feed to their donkeys. Then they made ready the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would be eating a meal there.

When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed themselves to him to the ground. He asked them about their well-being and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health. He is still alive.” And they bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves.

He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph hurried out, for he was deeply moved over his brother and sought a place to weep. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.

Then he washed his face and came out. Controlling himself, he said, “Serve the food.”

They served him by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat a meal with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. He gave them portions from his own table, but Benjamin’s serving was five times more than any of theirs. So they drank and feasted with him.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Hebrews 1

God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the ages. He is the brightness of His glory, the express image of Himself, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He was made so much better than the angels as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He at any time say:

“You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father” ?

Or again,

“I will be a Father to Him,
and He shall be a Son to Me” ?

And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says:

“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Of the angels He says:

“He makes His angels spirits,
and His servants a flame of fire.”

But to the Son He says:

“Your throne, O God, lasts forever and ever;
a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the works of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain;
and they all will wear out like a garment;
as a cloak You will fold them up,
and they will be changed.
But You are the same,
and Your years will not end.”

But to which of the angels did He at any time say:

“Sit at My right hand,
until I make Your enemies
Your footstool” ?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to minister to those who will inherit salvation?

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Response

Lord of life
In your mercy, hear us.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God, 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 God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 2/28/26 Shane Raynor 2/28/26

Sun. morning Mar. 1

“Jesus and the Centurion” (10th century) from Codex Egberti. Public domain.

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

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

Lead On, O King Eternal

Words: Ernest W. Shurtleff (1887)
Music: Henry T. Smart (1835)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#478)

Lead on, O King eternal,
the day of march has come;
henceforth in fields of conquest
your tents will be our home.
Through days of preparation
your grace has made us strong;
and now, O King eternal,
we lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin's fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords' loud clashing
or roll of stirring drums
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal;
we follow, not with fears,
for gladness breaks like morning
where'er your face appears.
Your cross is lifted o'er us,
we journey in its light;
the crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might.

Confession of Sin

Seek the LORD while He may be found,
call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

cf Isaiah 55

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

Lord God, I have sinned against you; I have done what is evil in your sight. I am sorry and repent. Have mercy on me according to your lovingkindness. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Renew a right spirit within me, and restore unto me the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

cf Psalm 51

May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessed be the LORD,
because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and with my song I will thank Him.

cf Psalm 28:7,9

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

Jeremiah 22:1-9

Thus says the LORD: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word there, and say: Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah who sits on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates. Thus says the LORD: Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver the robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. And do no wrong or violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if you indeed do these things, then kings sitting on the throne of David will enter by the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses, he and his servants and his people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself, says the LORD, that this house will become a desolation.

For thus says the LORD to the king’s house of Judah:

You are Gilead to Me,
and the peak of Lebanon;
yet surely I will make you a wilderness
and cities which are not inhabited.
I will prepare destroyers against you,
everyone with his weapons;
and they shall cut down your choice cedars
and cast them into the fire.

Many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?” Then they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Matthew 8:1-13

When He came down from the mountains, large crowds followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. But go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them.”

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home, sick with paralysis, terribly tormented.”

Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But speak the word only, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He was amazed and said to those who followed, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. And as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that very moment.

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Response

Father, hear our prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 2/27/26 Shane Raynor 2/27/26

Sat. morning Feb. 28

Opening response

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

Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
O LORD, give me life according to your judgment.

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

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Words: Robert Robinson (1758)
Music: Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part II (1813)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#37)

Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

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 59

𝙍: You, O God, are my fortress.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
the mighty gather against me,
not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
For no fault of mine, they run and prepare themselves.
Awake to help me, and take notice!
You, O LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel,
awake to punish all the nations;
do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors.

𝙍: You, O God, are my fortress.

They return at evening,
howling like dogs,
prowling around the city.
Behold, they bellow with their mouth;
swords are in their lips;
for they say, “Who hears us?”
But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the nations in derision.

O my strength, I will wait for You;
for You, O God, are my fortress.

My God in His lovingkindness will go before me;
God will cause me to look in triumph on my enemies.

𝙍: You, O God, are my fortress.

Do not slay them,
lest my people forget;
scatter them by Your power,
and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
For the sin of their mouths
and the words of their lips,
let them be taken in their pride,
and for the cursing and lies that they utter.
Consume them in wrath,
consume them that they may be no more;
and let them know that God rules in Jacob
to the ends of the earth.

𝙍: You, O God, are my fortress.

They return at evening,
howling like dogs,
prowling around the city.
They roam around for food,
and growl if they are not satisfied.
But I will sing of Your power;
I will sing aloud of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
for You have been my defense
and a refuge in the day of my trouble.

To You, O my strength, will I sing,
for God is my defense, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

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 God, are my fortress.

Psalm prayer

Strong and merciful God, stand with the oppressed against the triumph of evil and the complacency of your people, and establish in Jesus Christ your new order of generosity and joy, for he is alive and reigns now and forever.

Psalm 63

𝙍: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

O God, You are my God;
early will I seek You;
my soul thirsts for You;
my flesh longs for You,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary,
beholding Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise You.
Thus will I bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.

𝙍: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

When I remember You upon my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
for You have been my help.
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

𝙍: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

But those who seek my soul, to destroy it,
shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword;
they shall be prey for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God;
everyone who swears by Him shall glory,
for the mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

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: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalm prayer

To you we come, radiant Lord, the goal of all our desiring, beyond all earthly beauty; gentle protector, strong deliverer, in the night you are our confidence; from first light be our joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Genesis 43:1-15

Now the famine was severe in the land. When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”

Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”

And they said, “The man asked us directly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we even know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones. I will be a surety for him. You may hold me personally responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not delayed, we could have returned twice.”

Their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this. Take some of the best fruits in the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man: a little balm and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the money with you, along with the money that was brought back in the mouths of your sacks. Carry it with you again. Perhaps it was a mistake. Also, take your brother and arise, return to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may send away your other brother, along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

The men took the gift, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they went on their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Galatians 6

Brothers, if a man is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, watching yourselves, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if someone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own burden. Let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.

Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

You see what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.

It is those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For they themselves who are circumcised do not keep the law. But they desire to have you circumcised, so that they may boast in your flesh. God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be on all who walk according to this rule and upon the Israel of God.

From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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 God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; 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

Trusting in the compassion of God, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.