Shane Raynor 5/27/26 Shane Raynor 5/27/26

Thu. morning May 28

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

Christian! Dost Thou See Them

Words: Andrew of Crete (660-732); trans. John M. Neale (1818-1866)
Music: John B. Dykes (1823-1876)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#475)

Christian! dost thou see them
on the holy ground,
how the pow'rs of darkness
rage thy steps around?
Christian! up and smite them,
counting gain but loss,
in the strength that cometh
by the holy cross.

Christian! dost thou feel them,
how they work within,
striving, tempting, luring,
goading into sin?
Christian! never tremble;
never be downcast;
gird thee for the battle;
watch, and pray, and fast!

Christian! dost thou hear them,
how they speak thee fair?
"Always fast and vigil?
Always watch and prayer?"
Christian! answer boldly,
"While I breath, I pray!"
Peace shall follow battle,
night shall end in day.

"Well I know thy trouble,
O my servant true;
thou art very weary–
I was weary too;
but that toil shall make thee
some day all Mine own,
and the end of sorrow
shall be near My throne."

Confession of Sin

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

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

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

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

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

Psalm 143

𝙍: Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth.

Hear my prayer, O LORD:
give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
and in Your righteousness.
Enter not into judgment with Your servant,
for in Your sight no one living is righteous.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me dwell in darkness,
like those who have long been dead.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me;
my heart within me is distressed.

𝙍: Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth.

I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
I stretch forth my hands to You;
my soul thirsts for You like a thirsty land.

Answer me quickly, O LORD;
my spirit fails!
Hide not Your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
for in You do I trust;
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk,
for I lift up my soul to You.

𝙍: Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth.

Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I flee unto You for refuge.
Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
And in Your mercy cut off my enemies,
and destroy all those who afflict my soul,
for I am Your servant.

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 I should walk.

Psalm prayer

Jesus, our companion, when we are driven to despair, help us, through the friends and strangers we encounter on our path, to know you as our refuge, our way, our truth, and our life.

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

Joshua 4:1-5:1

When the entire people had completed crossing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from among the people, one man per tribe. Command them: ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the feet of the priests are standing; bring them over with you, and set them in the place you will camp tonight.’ ”

So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from among the Israelites, one man per tribe. Then Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift up a stone upon your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this will be a sign among you. When your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you will answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be a memorial for the Israelites continually.”

Then the Israelites did as Joshua commanded and picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua. They crossed over with them to the settlement and set them there. Joshua also set twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.

The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the LORD had commanded Joshua to say to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people quickly crossed over. When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation in front of the Israelites, according to what Moses had said to them. About forty thousand battle-ready men crossed over before the LORD for battle on the plains of Jericho.

On that day, the LORD honored Joshua in the sight of all Israel. They feared him as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

The LORD spoke to Joshua, “Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony: ‘Come up out of the Jordan!’ ”

So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

Then when the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho. Joshua set up in Gilgal those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall explain to your children, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground!’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we crossed over, so that all the peoples of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, and you would fear the Lord your God always.”

When all the kings of the Amorites west of the Jordan and of the Canaanites by the sea to the east heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites while they crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any breath in them because of the Israelites.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 9:51-62

When the time came for Him to be received up, He was steadfastly set to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers ahead of Him. They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make things ready for Him, but they did not receive Him, because He was set to go to Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

As they went along the way, a man said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

He said to another man, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

Yet another said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go bid farewell to those at my house.”

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back at things is fit for the kingdom of God.”

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

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord, from whom all good things come: grant to us your humble servants, that by your holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by your merciful guiding may perform 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

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

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

Shane Raynor 5/26/26 Shane Raynor 5/26/26

Wed. morning May 27

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

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

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

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

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

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

Psalm 119:153-176

𝙍: I long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Consider my affliction and deliver me,
for I do not forget Your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to Your word.
Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they seek not Your statutes.
Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD;
give me life according to Your judgments.

𝙍: I long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
I look at the transgressors and grieve,
because they keep not Your word.
Consider how I love Your precepts;
revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
The entirety of Your word is truth,
and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

𝙍: I long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of Your word.
I rejoice at Your word
like one who finds great spoil.
I hate and abhor lying,
but Your law do I love.
Seven times a day do I praise You,
because of Your righteous judgments.

𝙍: I long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Great peace have those who love Your law;
nothing causes them to stumble.
LORD, I hope for Your salvation,
and I keep Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
and I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
for all my ways are before You.

Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
give me understanding according to Your word.
Let my supplication come before You;
deliver me according to Your word.
My lips will utter praise,
for You teach me Your statutes.
My tongue will speak of Your word,
for all Your commandments are righteousness.

𝙍: I long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Let Your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen Your precepts.
I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
and Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live that it may praise You,
and let Your ordinances help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
seek out Your servant,
for I forget not Your commandments.

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 long for Your salvation, O LORD.

Psalm prayer

God of mercy, swift to help us, as our lips pour forth your praise, fill our hearts with the peace you give to those who wait for your salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Joshua 3

In the morning Joshua got up early; then he and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They stayed there before crossing over. After three days the officers went through the camp. They commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall set out from where you are and go behind it. There must be a distance of two thousand cubits between you and it. Do not draw closer to it, in order that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will perform wondrous deeds among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and proceed ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to honor you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the bank of the Jordan, stand still in the river.’ ”

So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.” And Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will thoroughly drive out the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites from before you. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth is passing before you into the Jordan. Now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man per tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan that flows from upstream will be cut off and pile up.”

When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests were carrying the ark of the covenant before the people. When the carriers of the ark came to the Jordan, the feet of the priests carrying the ark dipped into the edge of the water. (Now the Jordan overflows its banks all the days of the harvest.) Then the water that flows down from upstream stood still and rose up in a heap very far away at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The water that flows down toward the Sea of Arabah (the Dead Sea) stopped and was cut off. The people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, and all Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire people completed crossing over the Jordan.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 9:37-50

The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met Him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, saying, “Teacher, I beg You, look upon my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth, and bruises him, and scarcely leaves him. I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

Jesus said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

While he was coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and returned him to his father. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.

But while everyone marveled at all the things Jesus did, He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement, and it was hidden from them, so that they did not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

A dispute arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and put him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out demons in Your name and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.”

Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you.”

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

Lord, hear your people
and answer our prayers.

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

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

Shane Raynor 5/25/26 Shane Raynor 5/25/26

Tue. morning May 26

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

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Words: Charles Wesley (1747)
Music: John Zundel (1870)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#88)

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav'n to Earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown;
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter ev'ry trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
Into ev'ry troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest;
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver;
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy host above,
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory
Till in Heav'n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!

Confession of Sin

Come, Holy Spirit of God,
and search our hearts with the light of Christ.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

“The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

After a period of reflection

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

Lord our God, in our sin, we have avoided your call. Our faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew, it goes away. Have mercy on us; deliver us from judgment; bind up our wounds and revive us; in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

cf Hosea 6

May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring us his pardon and peace, now and forever.
Amen.

Psalm 132

𝙍: The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

O LORD, remember David
and all his afflictions;
how he swore to the LORD,
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
“Surely I will not enter my house,
nor go up to my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes,
or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

𝙍: The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
“Let us go into His dwelling place;
let us worship at His footstool.”
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let Your saints shout for joy.

For the sake of Your servant David,
turn not away the face of Your anointed.

𝙍: The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

The LORD has sworn in truth to David
from which He will not turn back:
“A son of the fruit of your body
will I set upon your throne.
If your sons will keep My covenant
and My testimony which I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
shall sit upon your throne.”

𝙍: The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
“This is My resting place forever;
here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Also her priests will I clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.

“There will I make the horn of David sprout up;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame,
but upon himself shall his crown flourish.”

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 my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

Psalm prayer

Jesus, Son of David, make us a priestly people; clothe us in righteousness, make us fruitful, and give us hearts to shout for joy in your salvation; we pray in the power of the Spirit.

Psalm 133

𝙍: Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down upon the edge of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
descending upon the mountains of Zion;
for there the LORD commanded the blessing,
life 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: Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.

Psalm prayer

Grant to your people, good Lord, the spirit of unity, that they may dwell together in your love, and so bear to the world the ointment of your healing and the dew of your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Joshua 2

Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men out from Shittim to spy, saying, “Go see the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab. They spent the night there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of Israel came here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, “Bring out the men who came to you, who have entered your house, for they came to spy out the whole land.”

Now the woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. The men went out when it was time to shut the gate at dark. I do not know where the men went. Chase after them quickly, for you can overtake them.” Yet she had brought them up to the roof. She hid them in the stalks of flax that she had spread out on the roof. So the men chased after them on the road to the Jordan as far as the fords. They shut the gate as soon as the pursuers went out after them.

Before the spies went to sleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof. She said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, for dread from you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land melt in terror before you. For we heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. Our hearts melted when we heard these things, and no man had any breath in him because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

“So now, since I have acted faithfully toward you, please swear to me by the LORD that you will also act faithfully toward my father’s house. Please give me a firm pledge that you will spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all whom they own, and that you will deliver our lives from death.”

The men said to her, “Our lives for yours; if you do not report us, then when the LORD gives us the land, we will act faithfully and kindly with you.”

Then Rahab lowered them by a rope through the window, for her home was set into the wall where she lived. She said to them, “Go to the hill country so that the pursuers do not find you. Hide there three days until the pursuers return. After that, you can go on your way.”

The men said to her, “We will be guiltless concerning this oath that you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you tie this red cord to the window through which you let us down. You must bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all who belong to your father’s household into your home. Anyone who comes out of the doors of your house into the street is responsible for his own blood, and we will be innocent. Yet for anyone who stays with you inside the house, we are responsible for his blood if someone should lay a hand on him. But if you tell about this business of ours, then we will be released from the oath that you have made us swear.”

She said, “Let it be so, according to your words.”

Then she sent them off, and they departed. Then she tied the red cord in the window.

They went and came to the hill country. They stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had sought them all along the way but had not found them. So the two men returned. They descended from the hill country. They crossed the river, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that they had discovered. They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands! Indeed, all the inhabitants of the land melt in terror before us.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 9:28-36

About eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James and went up onto a mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His clothing was white and glistening. And behold, two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep. But waking thoroughly, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. As they departed from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three sanctuaries: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.

While he was speaking, a cloud came and overshadowed them. And they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent and told no one in those days anything they had seen.

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

Lord, in your mercy
hear 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

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