Shane Raynor 7/28/26 Shane Raynor 7/28/26

Wed. morning Jul. 29

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, Thine All-Victorious Love

Confession of Sin

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

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

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

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

After a period of reflection

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

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

cf Hosea 6

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

Psalm 34

𝙍: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise will continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
the humble will hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and became radiant,
and their faces were not ashamed.

𝙍: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints,
for those who fear Him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.

𝙍: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man who desires life,
and loves many days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.

𝙍: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the contrite of spirit.

𝙍: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.

Evil will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of His servants,
and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

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: Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Psalm prayer

Send your holy angels to watch over us, O God, that on our lips will be found your truth and in our hearts your love; so we may ever taste your goodness in the land of the living; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

1 Samuel 16

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from ruling over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself from among his sons.”

Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”

And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you will do. And you will anoint for Me him whom I tell to you.”

Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come in peace?”

And he said, “I have come in peace to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab, and said, “Surely the anointed of the LORD is before Him.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for the LORD sees not as men see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” So Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all your young men?”

And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, there he is shepherding the flock.”

Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”

So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy with beautiful eyes and a good appearance.

And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

So the servants of Saul said to him, “Behold, an evil spirit from God troubles you. Let our lord now tell your servants, who are before you, that they might seek out a man experienced in playing the lyre. And it will come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he will play with his hand, and you will be well.”

Saul said to his servants, “Find for me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

Then one from the servants answered, and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is experienced in playing music, a mighty man of valor, a man of battle, and skillful in words, even a man of fine appearance. And the LORD is with him.”

Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, a bottle of wine, and a young goat and he sent them with his son David to Saul.

David came to Saul, and stood before him. And Saul loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”

It happened that when the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David would take the lyre in his hand and play. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 23:44-55

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour, while the sun was darkened. And the veil of the temple was torn in the middle. And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He gave up the spirit.

When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God and said, “Certainly, this was a righteous Man.” All the crowds who came together to that sight, witnessing what occurred, struck their chests and returned. But all those who knew Him and the women accompanying Him from Galilee stood at a distance, seeing these things.

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, who was a good and just man. He had not consented to their counsel and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, and he himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took Him down, and wrapped Him in linen, and placed Him in a hewn tomb, where no one had ever been buried. It was the Day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.

The women who came with Him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was placed. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

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

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

God our Father, whose Son enjoyed the love of his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, in learning, argument and hospitality: may we so rejoice in your love that the world may come to know the depths of your wisdom, the wonder of your compassion, and your power to bring life out of death; through the merits of Jesus Christ, our friend and brother, 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 7/27/26 Shane Raynor 7/27/26

Tue. morning Jul. 28

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

Day by Day

Confession of Sin

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

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

After a period of reflection

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

cf Hosea 6

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

Psalm 32

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

Blessed is he
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man
against whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I kept silent,
my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
Your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was turned
into the drought of summer.

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

I acknowledged my sin to You,
and my iniquity I did not conceal.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD,”
and You forgave
the iniquity of my sin.

For this cause everyone who is godly will pray to You
in a time when You may be found;
surely in the flood of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
You will preserve me from trouble;
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.

𝙍: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
which have no understanding,
which must be restrained with bit and bridle,
or they will not come near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but lovingkindness will surround
the man who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!

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: Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones.

Psalm prayer

Give us honest hearts, O God, and send your kindly Spirit to help us confess our sins and bring us the peace of your forgiveness; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 36

𝙍: With You, O God, is the fountain of life.

An oracle within my heart
about the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
so that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
He devises mischief on his bed;
he sets himself on a path that is not good;
he does not reject evil.

𝙍: With You, O God, is the fountain of life.

Your mercy, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the great mountains,
Your judgments are like the great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
How excellent is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore mankind
seeks refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They will drink their fill from the abundance of Your house,
and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.

𝙍: With You, O God, is the fountain of life.

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Let not the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
they are cast down and are not able to rise.

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: With You, O God, is the fountain of life.

Psalm prayer

O God, the fountain of life, make us bright with wisdom, that we may be lightened with the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

1 Samuel 15:1-23

Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you to be king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of Hosts, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not have compassion on them but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

So Saul summoned the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. Then Saul came to the city of Amalek and laid an ambush in the valley. Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

Then Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is near Egypt. He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs. And of all that was good, they were not willing to utterly destroy them. But everything that was despised and weak, that they completely destroyed.

Then came the word of the LORD to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have set up Saul to be king because he has turned back from following Me, and he has not carried out My words.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried to the LORD all night.

When Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned and has passed on down to Gilgal.”

Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD. I have carried out the word of the LORD.”

Samuel said, “Then what is the sound of this flock of sheep in my ears? And the sound of the cattle which I am hearing?”

And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and I will tell you what the LORD spoke to me this night.”

And he said to him, “Speak.”

Samuel said, “When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel? And the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are destroyed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? And why did you rush upon the spoil and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. And I have followed in the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took from the plunder sheep and oxen, the firstfruits of the banned things to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

Samuel said,

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice,
a listening ear than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 23:26-43

As they led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him to carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and lamented Him. Jesus turned to them, saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, who never bore and never nursed!’ Then

they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’

For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Two different men, who were criminals, also were led with Him to be killed. When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they divided His clothes by casting lots.

The people stood by watching. But the rulers with them scoffed, saying, “He saved others. Let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the Chosen One of God.”

And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him sour wine, saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

An inscription was written over Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us!”

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, seeing you are under the same sentence? And we indeed, justly. For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. But this Man has done nothing amiss.”

Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Silence may be kept.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Luke 1:68-79

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

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Intercession and thanksgiving

Prayers may be offered for:

the day and its tasks
the world and its needs
the church and her life

Prayers may include the following concerns:

All who are sick in body, mind, or spirit
Those in the midst of famine or disaster
Victims of abuse and violence, intolerance, and prejudice
Those who are bereaved
All who work in the medical and healing professions

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

Response

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty Lord and everlasting God, we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern both our hearts and bodies in the ways of your laws and the works of your commandments; that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and soul; 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

Conclusion

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

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

Mon. morning Jul. 27

Opening response

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

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and forever.
Amen.

Hymn

At Calvary

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 27

𝙍: The LORD is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked came against me
to devour my flesh —
my enemies and my foes—
they stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
though war may rise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He will hide me in His pavilion;
in the shelter of His tabernacle He will hide me;
He will set me high upon a rock.

Now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies all around me;
therefore will I offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

𝙍: The LORD is my light and my salvation.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Be gracious to me and answer me!
When You said, “Seek My face,”
my heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, will I seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
do not turn thrust Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help.
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
If my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me in.
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path,
because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my enemies;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

I believe
that I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait on 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 is my light and my salvation.

Psalm prayer

God, our light and our salvation, illuminate our lives, that we may see your goodness in the land of the living, and, looking on your beauty, may be changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 30

𝙍: O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
and You healed me.
O LORD, You brought my soul up from Sheol;
You have kept me alive, so that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing to the LORD, you saints of His,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger endures but for a moment;
His favor is for a lifetime;
weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes in the morning.

𝙍: O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

In my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
LORD, by Your favor
You made me stand as a strong mountain;
You hid Your face,
and I was dismayed.

I cried to You, O LORD,
and to the LORD I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me;
LORD, be my helper.”

𝙍: O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

You have turned my mourning into dancing;
You have taken off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
so that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You 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: O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

Psalm prayer

Lord, you hide your face when we trust in ourselves; strip us of false security and re-clothe us in your praise, that we may know you as the one who raises us from death, as you raised your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Old Testament reading

1 Samuel 14:24-46

Now Israel’s fighting men were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under a curse, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before it is evening, and I have been avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted any food.

All the people of the land came to the forest, and behold, there was honey on the ground. When the people came into the forest, behold, there was flowing honey. But no man put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard when his father made the people swear. Therefore he put forward the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb. Then he put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were brightened. Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father surely made the people swear, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats any food this day.’ ” And the people were weary.

Then said Jonathan, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if the people had surely eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? But now the defeat of the Philistines has not been great.”

And they struck the Philistines that day from Mikmash to Aijalon, and the people were very weary. The people rushed upon the spoil; they took sheep, oxen, and calves and slew them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. Then they reported to Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating the blood.”

And he said, “You have dealt faithlessly. Roll a great stone to me this day.” Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring to me here every man his ox or sheep. And slaughter them here, and eat. But you shall not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’ ”

And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. And Saul built an altar to the LORD. It was the first altar that he built to the LORD.

Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light. And let us not leave a man of them.”

And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”

Then the priest said, “Let us draw near here to God.”

Saul asked of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.

Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and observe and see how this sin has come about this day. For, as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will surely die.” But there was not one who answered him from among all the people.

Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.”

And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”

Therefore Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”

And Jonathan told him, and said, “I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am. I must die.”

Saul said, “May God do so to me and more also, for you will surely die, Jonathan.”

The people said to Saul, “Will Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? God forbid. As the LORD lives, there will not one hair of his head fall to the ground. For he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Luke 23:13-25

Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You have brought this Man to me as one who incites the people. And behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him. No, neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; and indeed, nothing worthy of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him.” For he was obligated to release one man to them at the feast.

But they all cried out at once saying, “Take this Man away and release Barabbas to us!” This man had been thrown in prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder.

Therefore Pilate spoke to them again, desiring to release Jesus. But they cried out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

He said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found in Him no cause worthy of death. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him.”

But they insisted with loud voices, asking that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave the sentence as they demanded. He released to them the man who was thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for. But he sentenced Jesus according to their will.

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.