Shane Raynor 6/6/26 Shane Raynor 6/6/26

Sun. morning Jun. 7

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

Jesus Paid It All

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 38

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
For Your arrows pierce me,
and Your hand presses down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation,
nor is there health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness.
I am bent down, I am bowed down greatly;
I go around mourning all day long.
For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the disquietness of my heart.

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

O Lord, all my longing is before You,
and my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
My friends and my companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and relatives stand far off.
Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek my harm speak of destruction,
and plan treachery all day long.

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
I am like a mute who does not speak.
Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth is no response.
For in You, O LORD, do I hope;
it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer.
For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is continually before me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
and those who wrongfully hate me are many.
Those who render evil for good attack me
because I pursue good.

Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, do not be far from me.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.

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

𝙍: Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

Psalm prayer

Almighty Lord and Savior, behold with pity the wounds of your people; do not forsake us, sinful as we are, but for the sake of the passion of your Beloved One, Jesus, come quickly to our aid, for his mercy’s sake.

Old Testament reading

Deuteronomy 6:10-25

Then it shall be when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you great and fine cities, which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are full, then beware lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him and shall swear by His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the people which surround you (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you). Otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be inflamed against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth. You shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted Him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you. You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to drive out all your enemies before you, just as the LORD has spoken.

When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your son, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the LORD showed great and devastating signs and wonders upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household before our eyes. He brought us out from there, so that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore to our fathers. The LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us, as He has to this day. It will be our righteousness if we are careful to keep all these commandments before the LORD our God, just as He has commanded us.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 22:22-23:11

They listened to him up to this word, and then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”

As they shouted and threw off their garments and threw dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and examined with scourging, so that he might learn what crime they were alleging against him. As they stretched him forward with straps, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog an uncondemned Roman citizen?”

On hearing this, the centurion reported to the commander, saying, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”

The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

He said, “Yes.”

The commander answered, “I bought my citizenship for a large sum.”

So Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

Therefore those who were about to examine Paul immediately backed away from him. And the commander feared, knowing that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

On the next day, desiring to know exactly why he was accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, and he brought Paul down to stand before them.

Paul looked at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” The high priest Ananias ordered those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the law, yet order me to be struck contrary to the law?”

Those who stood by said, “Do you criticize God’s high priest?”

Paul said, “Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.’ ”

Then Paul, knowing that one sect were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, cried out among the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. I am being judged for my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” When he had said this, dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. But the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

There was a great outcry. The scribes that were from the sect of Pharisees stood up and argued, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” When much dissension arose, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, the commander ordered the soldiers to go down and take him from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, Paul. For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome.”

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 universal church
Bishops, presiding elders, and all who lead the church
The leaders of the nations
The natural world and the resources of the earth
All who are in any kind of need

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

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; 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

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 6/5/26 Shane Raynor 6/5/26

Sat. morning Jun. 6

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

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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 20

𝙍: We trust in the name of the LORD our God.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
may the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
may He send you help from the sanctuary,
and strengthen you from Zion;
may He remember all your offerings,
and accept your burnt sacrifice.
May He grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

𝙍: We trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
with the saving strength of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They have collapsed and fallen,
but we have risen and stand upright.
Save, O LORD!
May the King answer us when we call.

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: We trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm prayer

Merciful God, purify our hearts in the flame of your Spirit and transform our toil into an offering of praise, that we may reject the proud rule of might and trust in Christ alone, for He is our Lord forever and ever.

Psalm 21

𝙍: The king trusts in the LORD.

The king will rejoice in Your strength, O LORD,
and in Your salvation how greatly will he rejoice!

You have given him his heart’s desire,
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked life of You, and You gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.

𝙍: The king trusts in the LORD.

His glory is great in Your salvation;
honor and majesty You bestow on him.
For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him glad with the joy of Your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD,
and by the lovingkindness of the Most High
he shall not be moved.

𝙍: The king trusts in the LORD.

Your hand will find out all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate You.
You will make them like a fiery furnace
in the time of Your anger;
the LORD will swallow them up in His wrath,
and the fire will consume them.

You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
and their descendants from among the sons of men.

𝙍: The king trusts in the LORD.

For they intended evil against You;
they devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
Therefore You will put them to flight;
You will aim Your bows at their faces.

Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.

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 king trusts in the LORD.

Psalm prayer

Crown us, God, but with humility, and robe us with compassion, that, as you call us into the kingdom of your Son, we may strive to overcome all evil by the power of good, and so walk gently on the earth with you, our God, forever.

Psalm 23

𝙍: I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

𝙍: I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.

𝙍: I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
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 dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm prayer

O God, our sovereign and shepherd, who brought again your Son Jesus Christ from the valley of death, comfort us with your protecting presence and your angels of goodness and love, that we also may come home and dwell with him in your house forever.

Old Testament reading

Joshua 10:1-15

Now when King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he and his people were very afraid. Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: “Come and help me! Let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and all the Israelites.”

So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—and all their armies gathered, advanced, and camped against Gibeon. Then they waged war against it.

The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the Gilgal settlement: “Do not abandon your slaves. Come up to us quickly. Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have gathered against us.”

So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a single man can stand before you.”

Then Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. The LORD panicked them before Israel. They struck them with overwhelming force at Gibeon, then Israel pursued them on the road that rises to Beth-horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled from Israel on the downslope from Beth-horon, the LORD hurled large hailstones down upon them from the sky as far as Azekah. They died, and in fact more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

On the day the LORD gave over the Amorites to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD and said in full view of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
So the sun stood still,
and the moon stood in place
until the people brought vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the book of Jashar?

The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day. There has not been a day like this either before or after it, when the LORD obeyed a man, for the LORD waged war for Israel.

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the settlement at Gilgal.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 11:37-54

As He spoke, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish. But inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give alms from what is within, and behold, all things are clean to you.

“Woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb and pass over justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

“Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the prominent seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like unseen graves, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

One of the lawyers answered Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You insult us also.”

He said, “Woe to you also, you lawyers! For you load men with burdens difficult to carry, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So you are witnesses and entirely approve the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the beginning of the world, may be required from this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required from this generation.

“Woe to you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

As He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to incite Him vehemently and angrily draw Him out concerning many things, lying in wait for Him and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.

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:

Our homes, families, friends, and all whom we love
Those whose time is spent caring for others
Those who are close to death
Those who have lost hope
The worship of the church

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 and everlasting God, you have given us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity: keep us steadfast in this faith, that we may evermore be defended from all adversities; 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

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 6/4/26 Shane Raynor 6/4/26

Fri. morning Jun. 5

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

And Can It Be

Confession of Sin

O King enthroned on high, filling the earth with your glory: holy is your name, Lord God Almighty.

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

In our sinfulness, we cry to you to take our guilt away, and to cleanse our lips to speak your word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw us to himself, and cleanse us from all our sins that we may behold the glory of his Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Psalm 17

𝙍: Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand.

Hear a just cause, O LORD,
attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer
that is not from deceitful lips.
Let my vindication come from Your presence;
let Your eyes behold the things that are right.

You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
Concerning the works of men,
by the word of Your lips
I have avoided
the paths of the violent.
Keep my steps in Your paths,
that my footsteps may not slip.

𝙍: Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand.

I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
incline Your ear to me, and hear my words.
Wondrously show Your lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings,
from the wicked who oppress me,
from my deadly enemies who surround me.

𝙍: Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand.

They close their hard hearts;
with their mouths they speak proudly.
They have now surrounded us in our steps;
they have set their eyes to cast me to the ground,
like a lion eager to rip its prey,
and like a young lion lurking in secret places.

𝙍: Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand.

Arise, O LORD! Confront him, cast him down!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword,
from men by Your hand, O LORD,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their belly with Your treasure;
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

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: Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand.

Psalm prayer

Generous Lord, deliver us from all envious thoughts, and when we are tempted by the desire for wealth, let us see your face; for your abundance is enough to clothe our lack; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 19

𝙍: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
and night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor are there words
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice has gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

𝙍: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the decrees of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,
yes, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is Your servant warned,
and in keeping them there is great reward.

𝙍: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I will be upright,
and I will be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

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 commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm prayer

Christ, the sun of righteousness, rise in our hearts this day, enfold us in the brightness of your love and bear us at the last to heaven’s horizon; for your love’s sake.

Old Testament reading

Joshua 9:3-26

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they acted craftily, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves. All the bread of their provision was dry and crumbly. They went to Joshua at the Gilgal settlement and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant land. Now make a pact with us.”

Then the Israelites said to these Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us, so how could we make a pact with you?”

Yet they said to Joshua, “We are your slaves.”

Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

They said to him, “We, your slaves, have come from a very distant land because of the name of the LORD your God, for we heard news of Him and all He did in Egypt and all that He did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take food provisions for the journey and go to meet them. Say to them, “We are your slaves. So now, make a pact with us.” ’ This bread of ours was hot as we took it from our homes on the day we left to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins that we filled were new, and behold, they are ripped open. These clothes and sandals wore out due to the very long journey.”

So the men examined some of the food provisions, but they did not ask the LORD about it. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

Three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were neighbors to them and lived among them. So the Israelites set out and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. Now the Israelites did not attack them, for the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, so the congregation murmured against the leaders.

Yet all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We swore to them by the LORD God of Israel, so now we may not harm them. This is what we will do to them. We will let them live so that wrath will not come upon us due to the oath that we swore to them.” The leaders of the congregation also said to them, “Let them live!” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders told them.

Joshua met them and said, “Why did you trick us, saying, ‘We are very distant from you,’ but you are living in our midst? Therefore now you are cursed, and you will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water for the house of my God.”

They answered Joshua, “It was told to your slaves that the LORD your God commanded Moses His servant to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were very afraid for our lives, and we did this thing. Now behold, we are in your hands. Do to us whatever is good and right in your eyes.”

Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hand of the Israelites; and they did not kill them. That day he made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the LORD, even to this day, at the place He would choose.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 11:29-36

When the crowds pressed upon Him, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It looks for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, One greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore lest the light which is in you is darkness. If your whole body, then, is full of light, no part being dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

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:

Political leaders and the armed forces
Peace and justice in the world
Those who work for reconciliation
All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife
Prisoners, refugees, and homeless people

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

Response

Father, by your Spirit
Bring in your kingdom.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

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.