Thu. morning Jul. 9
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
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ 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 113
𝙍: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations,
and His glory above the heavens.
𝙍: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Who is like the LORD our God,
who dwells on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and on the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
to seat him with princes,
with the princes of His people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
to be a joyful mother of children.
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: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Psalm prayer
From the rising of the sun to its setting, we praise your name, Lord; may your promise to raise the poor from the dust and turn the fortunes of the needy upside down be fulfilled in our time also, as it was in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 115
𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
but unto Your name give glory,
for the sake of Your mercy, for the sake of Your truth.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
they have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell;
they have hands, but they do not feel;
they have feet, but they do not walk,
nor do they make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
so is everyone who trusts in them.
𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the LORD,
both small and great.
𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
The heavens are the LORD’s heavens,
but the earth has He given to the sons of men.
The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
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 has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
Psalm prayer
Living God, defend us from the idols which our hearts enthrone, that we may not go down into silence but be raised to our heaven of heavens in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
1 Samuel 2:27-36
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I not plainly reveal Myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? And choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire by the Israelites? Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering, which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’
“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says, ‘I surely said that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me forever,’ but now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from Me to do so, for those who honor Me, I will honor, and those that despise Me will be humbled. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your authority and the strength of your father’s house, so there shall not be an old man in your house. You shall see the distress of My dwelling, despite all the good which will be done for Israel. And there shall not be an elderly man in your house perpetually. Yet the one I do not cut off from My altar will be spared so your eyes will not stop weeping or your soul grieving. All the increase of your house will die in their prime.
“ ‘This will be the sign to you which will come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: In one day, they will both die. And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest; what is in My heart and in My soul he will do it. And I will build him a sure house, and it will walk before My anointed forever. But it will be that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and will say, Please attach me to one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.’ ”
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Luke 20:9-19
He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to vinedressers, and went to a distant country for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the vinedressers so they might give him some fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent another servant. But they beat him also, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. Once again, he sent a third. And they wounded him also and drove him out.
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him when they see him.’
“But when the vinedressers saw him, they debated among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill these vinedressers and will give the vineyard to others.”
When they heard this, they said, “May it not be so!”
He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’ ?
Whoever falls on that stone will be broken. But he on whom it falls will be crushed to powder.”
The chief priests and the scribes tried to lay their hands on Him that same hour, but they feared the people. For they perceived that He had told this parable against them.
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
In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Savior 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
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.
Wed. morning Jul. 8
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
Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus
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 110
𝙍: The LORD reigns; He is clothed with majesty.
The LORD said to my lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
until I make your enemies
your footstool.”
The LORD will send your mighty scepter out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
Your people will follow you
in the day of your battle;
on the holy mountains,
at the dawn of the morning,
the dew of your youth belongs to you.
𝙍: The LORD reigns; He is clothed with majesty.
The LORD has sworn
and will not change His mind,
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at your right hand;
He will execute kings in the day of His wrath.
𝙍: The LORD reigns; He is clothed with majesty.
He will judge among the nations; He will fill them with dead bodies;
He will execute the heads over many countries.
He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
therefore He will lift up His head.
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 reigns; He is clothed with majesty.
Psalm prayer
Lord Jesus, divine Son and eternal priest, inspire us with the confidence of your final conquest of evil, and grant that daily on our way we may drink of the brook of your eternal life, and so find courage against all adversities; for your mercy’s sake.
Psalm 111
𝙍: The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who have pleasure in them.
Honorable and majestic is His work,
and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
𝙍: The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
He has shown His people the power of His works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of His hands are truth and justice;
all His precepts are trustworthy.
𝙍: The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
They stand forever and ever,
and are performed in truth and uprightness.
He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever;
holy and awesome is His name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
a good understanding have all those who do His commands.
His praise 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: The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
Psalm prayer
Gracious God, you are full of compassion; may we who long for your kingdom to come rejoice to do your will and acknowledge your power alone to save; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 112
𝙍: The righteous will be remembered forever.
Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on the earth;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright arises light in the darkness;
he is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
𝙍: The righteous will be remembered forever.
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
he will guide his affairs with justice.
For he will never be moved;
the righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
𝙍: The righteous will be remembered forever.
His heart is established; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his enemies.
He has given freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be exalted with honor.
The wicked will see it and be angry;
he will gnash his teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked will perish.
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 righteous will be remembered forever.
Psalm prayer
Generous God, save us from the meanness that calculates its interest and hoards its earthly gain; as we have freely received, so may we freely give; in the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
1 Samuel 2:12-26
Now the sons of Eli were corrupt. They did not know the LORD. The priest’s custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was cooking with a three-pronged fork in his hand. And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot, and all that the fork brought up the priest took for himself. This they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
If any man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat and then take as much as you wish,” then he would answer him, “No, but you will give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force.”
Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD. For the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, as a boy, wearing a linen ephod. Now his mother would make him a little coat and brought it to him every year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “The LORD give you offspring from this woman for the sake of the request which was made to the LORD.” Then they would return to their home. The LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, even that they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? For I am hearing of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons! Truly, it is not a good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading. If one man sins against another, God will judge him, but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
Now the boy Samuel was growing both in stature and favor with the LORD and also with men.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Luke 20:1-8
One day, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up to Him, and said to Him, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Who is he who gave You this authority?”
He answered them, “I will also ask you one thing. Answer Me: Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
They debated with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
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 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
Father, hear our prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Savior 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
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.
Tue. morning Jul. 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
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
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 106
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His mercy endures forever!
Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
and he who does righteousness at all times!
Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor of Your people;
visit me with Your salvation,
that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
that I may glory with Your inheritance.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
We, like our fathers, have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have behaved wickedly.
Our fathers in Egypt
did not understand Your wonders;
they did not remember the abundance of Your mercy,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
that He might make His mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
and He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
He saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
The waters covered their enemies;
not one of them was left.
Then they believed His words;
they sang His praise.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
But they soon forgot His works;
they did not wait for His counsel,
but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
and tested God in the desert.
He gave them their request,
but He sent a wasting disease on them.
They envied Moses in the camp,
and Aaron, the holy priest of the LORD.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
A fire broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
They made a calf at Horeb,
and worshipped the molten image.
Thus they exchanged their glory
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and marvelous deeds by the Red Sea.
Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
had not Moses, His chosen one,
stood before Him in the breach,
to turn away His wrath from destroying them.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe His word,
but murmured in their tents,
and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
Therefore He raised His hand against them
to overthrow them in the wilderness,
and swore that He would overthrow their descendants among the nations,
and scatter them among the lands.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
They joined themselves to Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
And that was counted to him for righteousness
to all generations forever.
They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah,
so that it went ill with Moses on their account,
because they provoked His Spirit,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
They did not destroy the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
but they mingled with the nations
and learned their works;
they served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons,
and shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled by their works
and played the whore by their deeds.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people,
and He abhorred His own inheritance.
He delivered them into the hand of the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies also oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
Many times He delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their counsel,
and were brought low through their iniquity.
Nevertheless, He regarded their affliction
when He heard their cry.
For their sake He remembered His covenant,
and relented according to the greatness of His mercy.
He also caused them to be pitied
by all those who carried them away captive.
𝙍: The LORD remembered his covenant.
Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
to give thanks to Your holy name,
and to glory in Your praise.
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
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 remembered his covenant.
Psalm prayer
Holy God, when our memories blot out your kindness and we ignore your patient love, remember us, remake us, and give to us poor sinners the rich inheritance of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
1 Samuel 1:21-2:11
Then the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and live there forever.”
So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish His word.” So the woman remained, and nursed her son until she weaned him.
When she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine. And she brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, though the boy was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and they brought the boy to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to the LORD. For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore also I have let the LORD have him. As long as he lives he will be dedicated to the LORD.” And he worshipped the LORD there.
Hannah prayed, saying:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth is bold against my enemies,
because I rejoice in Your salvation.
“There is none holy as the LORD,
for there is none besides You,
and there is no rock like our God.
“Do not multiply proud speech,
nor let arrogance come out of your mouth,
for the LORD is the God of knowledge,
and by Him actions are examined.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
but those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those that were full have hired out themselves for bread,
and those that were hungry ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
and she that has many children wastes away.
“The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
He raises up the poor out of the dust
and lifts up the oppressed from the dunghill
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth belong to the LORD,
and He has set the world upon them.
He will guard the feet of His saints,
but the wicked will be silent in darkness.
“For by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD will be broken to pieces;
He will thunder against them out of heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king
and exalt the horn of His anointed.”
Then Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Luke 19:41-48
When He came near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had known even today what things would bring you peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you and surround you, and press you in on every side. They will dash you, and your children within you, to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another within you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Then He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and bought in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it ‘a den of thieves.’ ”
He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people tried to kill Him. Yet they could not find a way to do it, for all the people were very attentive to hear 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:
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, hear your people
and answer our prayers.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Savior 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
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.