Shane Raynor 7/14/26 Shane Raynor 7/14/26

Wed. morning Jul. 15

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

Just As I Am

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 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

1 Samuel 7

So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. And they brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And from the day the ark resided in Kiriath-jearim, the days increased to twenty years.

And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths from your midst. And make firm your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only. Then He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served the LORD only.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” They gathered together to Mizpah. And they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” So Samuel judged the Israelites in Mizpah.

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites were gathered together to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. The Israelites said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying unto the LORD our God for us, that He might save us out of the hand of the Philistines.” Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD heard him.

As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines, and confused them. So they were beaten before Israel. Israel’s fighting men went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, as far as below Beth-kar.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen. And he called its name Ebenezer saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not again come into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. And Israel rescued their territory out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went annually in a circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all those places. But his return was to Ramah, for his house was there and there he judged Israel. And there he built an altar to the LORD.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 21:20-28

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led away captive to all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

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

Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; 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 7/13/26 Shane Raynor 7/13/26

Tue. morning Jul. 14

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

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

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 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

1 Samuel 6:1-16

Now the ark of the LORD had been in the country of the Philistines seven months. The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”

They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

Then said they, “What will be the guilt offering which we will return to Him?”

They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Therefore you will make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land. And you will give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand off of you, even from off of your gods and from off of your land. Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He dealt severely with them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

“Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke. Then tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home, away from them. Then take the ark of the LORD and set it on the cart. And put the images of gold, which you return to Him for a guilt offering, in a box by the side. And send it away, that it may go. See, if it goes up by the way of His own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it is not His hand that struck us; it was by chance that it happened to us.”

The men did so. And they took two milk cows, tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, as well as the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. Then the cows took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went. They did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left with the lords of the Philistines walking after them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

Now Beth-shemesh was reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, where the articles of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD. When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 21:5-19

As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when this is about to happen?”

He said, “Beware lest you be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.When you hear of wars and commotions, do not be afraid. For these things must first take place, but the end will not be at hand.”

Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Great earthquakes will occur in various places, and there will be famines and pestilence. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

“But before all these things, they will seize you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. It will turn out as a testimony for you. Therefore resolve in your hearts beforehand not to practice your defense. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your opponents will be able to neither refute nor resist. You will be betrayed by parents and brothers and relatives and friends. And they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake, but not a hair of your head shall perish. In your endurance you will gain your souls.

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, hear your people
and answer our prayers.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

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 7/12/26 Shane Raynor 7/12/26

Mon. morning Jul. 13

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

I Need Thee Every Hour

Confession of Sin

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

cf Isaiah 55

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

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

cf Psalm 51

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

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

cf Psalm 28:7,9

Psalm 123

𝙍: Our eyes wait upon the LORD our God.

Unto You do I lift up my eyes,
O You who are enthroned in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God,
until He has mercy upon us.

𝙍: Our eyes wait upon the LORD our God.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease,
and with the contempt of the proud.

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: Our eyes wait upon the LORD our God.

Psalm prayer

Sovereign God, enthroned in the heavens, look upon us with your eyes of mercy, as we look on you with humility and love, and fill our souls with your peace through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 124

𝙍: Our help is in the name of the LORD.

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
if it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
when men rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
the stream would have gone over our soul;
then the raging waters
would have gone over our soul.

𝙍: Our help is in the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
Our soul has escaped
like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

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: Our help is in the name of the LORD.

Psalm prayer

O God, maker of heaven and earth, through the blood of your Son you have set us free; help us to put our trust in his victory and to know the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 125

𝙍: Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds His people,
from this time forth and forevermore.

𝙍: Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.

For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous put forth
their hands to do wrong.

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
As for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
the Lord will lead them away with the workers of iniquity.

Peace be upon Israel!

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: Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.

Psalm prayer

God of power, you are strong to save, and you never fail those who trust in you; keep us under your protection and spread abroad your reign of peace through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 126

𝙍: The LORD has done great things for us.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then was our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with singing;
then said they among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are glad.

𝙍: The LORD has done great things for us.

Bring back our captives, O LORD,
like the streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with joy.
He who goes forth weeping,
bearing seed for sowing,
shall come home with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.

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 done great things for us.

Psalm prayer

Lord, as you send rain and flowers even to the wilderness, renew us by your Holy Spirit, help us to sow good seed in time of adversity and to live to rejoice in your good harvest of all creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

1 Samuel 5

Now the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. When the Ashdodites arose early in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. When they arose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold. Only the torso of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any coming into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon the Ashdodites. He desolated them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its territories. When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel cannot remain with us, for His hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?”

And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried around to Gath.” And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

It happened that after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction. And He struck the men of the city, both small and great. And tumors broke out on them. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

And it came about that as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to slay us and our people.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to His own place that He might not kill me and my people,” for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men that did not die were plagued with the tumors. And the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 20:41-21:4

Then Jesus said to them, “How do they say that Christ is David’s Son? David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
until I make Your enemies
Your footstool.” ’

David therefore calls Him ‘Lord.’ How is He then his Son?”

Then as all the people heard, He said to His disciples, “Beware of the scribes who desire to walk in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the prominent seats in the synagogues and the seats of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive greater condemnation.”

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts in the treasury. He also saw a poor widow putting in two mites, and He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these out of their abundance have put in their gifts for God. But she out of her poverty has put in all the living she had.”

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 media and the arts
Farming and fishing
Commerce and industry
Those whose work is unfulfilling, stressful or fraught with danger
All who are unemployed

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

Response

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

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

The Lord’s Prayer

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.