Shane Raynor 4/30/26 Shane Raynor 4/30/26

Fri. morning May 1

Opening response

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

In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be praise and glory forever. As once you ransomed your people from Egypt and led them to freedom in the promised land, so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son. May we, the first fruits of your new creation, rejoice in this new day you have made, and praise you for your mighty acts.

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

O Word of God Incarnate

Words: William W. How (1876)
Music: Neuvermehrtes Gesangbuch (1693)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#126)

O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth, unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky,
we praise Thee for the radiance
that from the hallowed page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.

The church from thee Our Savior,
received the gift divine,
and still that light is lifted
o'er all the earth to shine.
It is the sacred vessel,
where gems of truth are stored;
it is the heav'n-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.

The Scripture is a banner
before God's host unfurled;
it is a shining beacon
above the darkling world.
It is the chart and compass
that o'er life's surging tide,
mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
to Thee, O Christ, will guide.

O make Thy Church, dear Savior,
a lamp of purest gold,
to bear before the nations
Thy true light as of old.
O teach Thy wand'ring pilgrims
by this, their path to trace,
'til, clouds and darkness ended,
they see Thee face to face.

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 139

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

O LORD, You have searched me
and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You perceive my thought from afar.
You winnow my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You beset me behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Where shall I go from Your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there shall Your hand lead me
and Your right hand take hold of me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall befall me,
even the night about me shall be my light.”
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You
and the night shines as the day,
for darkness and light are alike with You.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marvelous are Your works,
and that my soul knows right well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret,
and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance.
And in Your book were they all written,
the days created for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would be in number more than the sand.
When I awake,
I am still with You.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, O bloodthirsty men!
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me, and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

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: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Psalm prayer

Creator God, may every breath we take be for your glory, may every footstep show you as our way, that, trusting in your presence in this world, we may, beyond this life, still be with you where you are alive and reign forever and ever.

Psalm 146

𝙍: The LORD shall reign forever.

Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD, O my soul!

While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Do not put your trust in princes,
nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

𝙍: The LORD shall reign forever.

Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

𝙍: The LORD shall reign forever.

The LORD sets free the prisoners.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
the LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow,
but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

The LORD shall reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise 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: The LORD shall reign forever.

Psalm prayer

Lord of all, our breath and being come from you, yet our earthly end is dust; as you loose the bound and feed the hungry, so bring us in your mercy through the grave and gate of death to the feast of eternal life, where you reign forevermore.

Old Testament reading

Proverbs 4:10-18

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
and the years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered,
and when you run, you will not stumble.
Take hold of instruction; do not let her go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
their sleep is taken away unless they make someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until the full daytime.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

James 1:1-12

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

Faith and Wisdom

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. But let patience complete its work, that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a burning heat and it withers the grass, and its flowers fall, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man wither away in his ways.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

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 people of God, that they may proclaim the risen Lord
God’s creation, that the peoples of the earth may meet their responsibility to care
Those in despair and darkness, that they may find the hope and light of Christ
Those in fear of death, that they may find faith through the resurrection
Prisoners and captives

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

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Rejoicing in God’s new creation, 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 risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 4/29/26 Shane Raynor 4/29/26

Thu. morning Apr. 30

Opening response

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

In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.

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

Fight the Good Fight

Words: John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1863)
Music: John Hatton (1793)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#473)

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God's good grace;
Lift up thine eyes, and seek his face.
Life with its way before us lies;
Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside; lean on thy Guide
His boundless mercy will provide;
Trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life, and Christ its love.

Faint not, nor fear, his arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.

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 118

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His mercy endures forever!

Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

I called upon the LORD in my distress;
the LORD answered me and set me in an open place.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side, with those who help me;
therefore shall I look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in princes.

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

All nations surrounded me;
but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
They surrounded me; yes, they surrounded me;
but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
They surrounded me like bees;
they were extinguished like a fire of thorns,
but in the name of the LORD I destroyed them.
You pushed against me violently, that I might fall,
but the LORD helped me.

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

The LORD is my strength and song;
and He has become my salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation
is in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but He has not given me over to death.

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter through them, and I will give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me
and have become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Save us, I beseech You, O LORD;
O LORD, I beseech You, send now prosperity!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
we have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God,
and He has given us light;
bind the sacrifice with cords,
to the horns of the altar.

𝙍: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God; I will exalt You.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His mercy endures forever!

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: I will give thanks to You, for You have become my salvation.

Psalm prayer

Saving God, open the gates of righteousness, that your pilgrim people may enter and be built into a living temple on the cornerstone of our salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Exodus 34:1-10, 27-35

Now the LORD said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. No one is to come up with you. Do not let anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain, and the flocks or herds may not graze in front of the mountain.”

So he cut out two tablets of stone like the first, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone. Then the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Moses made haste and bowed to the ground and worshipped. He said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Then He said: Behold, I am making a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people among whom you live will see the work of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I will do with you.

Then the LORD said to Moses: Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of testimony in the hands of Moses, when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites drew near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he took the veil off until he came out. Then he came out and spoke to the Israelites what he had been commanded. The Israelites saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, and then Moses put the veil over his face again until he went in to speak with Him.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Ephesians 6:10-20

Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted by the devil for forty days. During those days He ate nothing. And when they were ended, He was hungry.

The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

The devil, taking Him up onto a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this power and their glory, for it has been delivered to me. And I give it to whomever I will. If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours.”

Jesus answered him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’ ”

He brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge concerning you,
to preserve you,’

and

‘In their hands they shall hold you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

When the devil had ended all the temptations, he departed from Him until another time.

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

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

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

The Lord’s Prayer

Rejoicing in God’s new creation, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.

Shane Raynor 4/28/26 Shane Raynor 4/28/26

Wed. morning Apr. 29

Opening response

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

In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.

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

Am I a Soldier of the Cross

Words: Isaac Watts (c. 1721)
Music: Thomas A. Arne (1762)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#600)

Am I a soldier of the cross,
a follower of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own His cause,
or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies
on flow'ry beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize,
and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign;
increase my courage, Lord!
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
supported by Thy word.

Am I a soldier of the cross,
a follower of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own His cause,
or blush to speak His name?

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 135

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;
praise Him, O servants of the LORD,
you who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God!

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases,
He does, in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and in all deep places.
It is He who causes the mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
who makes lightning for the rain,
and brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

It is He who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and beast;
who sent into your midst, O Egypt, signs and wonders
upon Pharaoh and all his servants;
who struck down many nations
and slew mighty kings,
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to His people Israel.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate His people,
and He will have compassion on His servants.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
Mouths have they, but they speak not;
eyes have they, but they see not;
ears have they, but they hear not,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
so is everyone who trusts in them.

𝙍: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
He who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise 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: Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.

Psalm prayer

Wise and gracious God, save us from the idols of our hearts and keep us in your living presence, that we may become a people for your praise in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Exodus 33

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. However, I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

When the people heard this disturbing word, they mourned. And no one put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for one moment, I might destroy you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, so that I may know what I will do to you.’ ” The Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and called it the tent of meeting. And anyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. So whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up and stand, every man at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD spoke with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at the entrance of his tent. The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When he returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.

Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You, and that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people.”

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how will it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”

The LORD said to Moses, “I will do this thing of which you have spoken, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”

Then Moses said, “I pray, show me Your glory.”

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live.”

Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me. You must stand on the rock. While My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face may not be seen.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 3:15-22

As the people were in expectation, and everyone reflected in their hearts upon John, whether he might be the Christ or not, John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water. But One mightier than I is coming, the straps of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into His granary. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Then he preached many other things in his exhortation to the people.

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, added also this above them all: He locked John up in prison.

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son. In You I am well pleased.”

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

In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

The Lord’s Prayer

Rejoicing in God’s new creation, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Conclusion

May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.