Wed. morning Aug. 19

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

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

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 119:105-128

𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

Your word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.
I have sworn and I will confirm it,
that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
I am exceedingly afflicted;
revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
Accept, I beseech You, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
and teach me Your judgments.

𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

My life is continually in my hand,
yet I do not forget Your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
Your testimonies have I taken as my heritage forever,
for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever,
even to the end.

I hate the double-minded,
but Your law do I love.
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live,
and let me not be ashamed in my hope.

𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

Hold me up, that I may be safe
and that I may observe Your statutes continually.
You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
for their deceit is falsehood.
You destroy all the wicked of the earth like dross;
therefore I love Your testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of You,
and I am afraid of Your judgments.

𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

I have done justice and righteousness;
let not the proud oppress me.
Guarantee the well-being of Your servant;
let not the proud oppress me.
My eyes fail from watching for Your salvation,
and for the fulfillment of Your righteous word.
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
and teach me Your statutes.

𝙍: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

I am Your servant; give me understanding,
so that I may know Your testimonies.
It is time for You, O LORD, to act,
for they have broken Your law.
Therefore I love Your commandments
more than gold, more than fine gold.
Therefore I esteem all Your precepts to be right;
I hate every false way.

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: Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.

Psalm prayer

O God, save us from ourselves, from double standards and divided hearts, and give us light and life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 6:1-19

Again David gathered all of the chosen men in Israel, thirty thousand. David and all of the people who were with him arose and went from Baalah of Judah to bring up the ark of God, so named for the name of the LORD of Hosts who sits enthroned among the cherubim that are upon it. They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab were driving the new cart. They brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill, and Ahio was walking in front of the ark. Meanwhile, David and the entire house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all sorts of instruments made of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. The LORD became angry against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence. He died there beside the ark of God.

David became angry because of the outburst of the LORD against Uzzah; that place is called Perez Uzzah to this day.

David feared the LORD that day, and he thought, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” So David did not allow the ark of the LORD to be brought to him in the City of David. Instead, David redirected it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and his entire household.

When it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed Obed-Edom and everything that belongs to him, for the sake of the ark of God,” David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, David would sacrifice an ox and a fattened steer. David danced before the LORD with all of his might, and he wore a linen ephod. So David and the whole house of Israel escorted the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the horn.

When the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down from the window, and upon seeing King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she thought contemptuously of him in her mind.

They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people before the LORD of Hosts. He distributed to all of the people, the entire multitude of Israel, both men and women, one bread cake, one date cake, and one raisin cake to each one. Then all of the people left, each to his house.

David returned to bless his household, but Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has dignified himself today, exposing himself this day in the sight of his servant’s slave girls like one of the rabble might shamelessly expose himself.”

Then David responded to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me over your father and over everyone in his household, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. I was celebrating before the LORD. I will humble myself even more than this and be abased in my own eyes. But by the maidservants, of whom you have spoken, I will be held in honor.”

Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 7:17-43

“When the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt until another king rose up who did not know Joseph. He dealt deceitfully with our people and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their infants, so that they would not live.

“At that time Moses was born, and was fair in the sight of God. And he was reared for three months in his father’s house. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and reared him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in words and in deeds.

“When he was forty years old, it came to his heart to visit his brothers, the Israelites. But seeing one being wronged, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. On the next day he appeared to them as they fought and tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’

“But the one wronging his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? Will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Moses fled at this word and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

“When forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and dared not look.

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt. I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’ God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear.’ This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust away. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods to go before us. For we do not know what has become of this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt.’ So they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:

‘O House of Israel, have you offered to Me slain animals and sacrifices
for forty years in the wilderness?
Yes, you even raised the shrine of Moloch,
and the star of your god Remphan,
idols which you made to worship;
therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon.’

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

In faith we pray
We pray to you, our God.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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.

Tue. morning Aug. 18

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

Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

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 87

𝙍: The LORD has chosen Zion for himself.

His foundation is in the holy mountains.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God.
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon
to those who know Me;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush:
“This one was born there.”
And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,”
for the Most High Himself will establish her.
The LORD will record when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”

The singers and the players of instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”

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 chosen Zion for himself.

Psalm prayer

Lord, as you call us to your city founded on the rock of ages, let the springs of living water rise within us to eternal life; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 89:1-18

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, “Mercy will be built up forever;
Your faithfulness will be established in the heavens.”
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
‘I will establish your descendants forever,
and build up your throne for all generations.’ ”

Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD,
Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD?
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around Him.
O LORD God of Hosts, who is as mighty as You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness surrounds You.

You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, You still them.
You crushed Rahab like one who is slain;
You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours;
the world and all that is in it, You have founded them.
The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
You have a mighty arm;
strong is Your hand, and exalted is Your right hand.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
mercy and truth go before Your presence.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout.
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
In Your name they rejoice all day long,
and in Your righteousness they are exalted.
For You are the glory of their strength;
by Your favor our horn is exalted.
For our shield belongs to the LORD,
and our king to the Holy One of 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.

Psalm prayer

As we sing of your love, O Lord, anoint us with the Spirit’s seal, that we may praise your faithfulness and proclaim your truth from age to age; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 5:1-12

All of the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one leading Israel out and in. Also, the LORD said to you: You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.”

So all of the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron. They anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. He reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and he reigned over all of Israel and Judah from Jerusalem for thirty-three years.

The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were living in the land. They said to David, “You will not enter here; even the blind and the lame will turn you away”—thinking, “David cannot enter here.” Nevertheless, David overthrew the stronghold of Zion, which is now the City of David.

David said on that day, “Whoever defeats the Jebusites, let him go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind, who are despised by David.” Therefore, it is said, “The blind and lame shall not come into the house.”

So David occupied the stronghold, and he called it the City of David. He built on all sides from the terraces inward. David went on and became great, because the LORD, the God of Hosts, was with him.

King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar wood, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a house for David. Then David understood that the LORD had appointed him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 7:1-16

Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran, and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land which I will show you.’

“Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Harran. When his father died, He removed him from there to this land in which you now live. He gave him no inheritance in it, nor a foothold, and promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him while he had no child. God spoke in this way, ‘Your descendants shall be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who will enslave them and mistreat them four hundred years. And I will judge the nation to whom they will be enslaved,’ said God. ‘After that they shall come out and worship Me in this place.’ Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

“The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his house.

“Then a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan with great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. During the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob and all his kindred, seventy-five souls. Then Jacob went down into Egypt. And he and our fathers died, and were carried to Shechem and put in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

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, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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.

Mon. morning Aug. 17

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

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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 80

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth!
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up Your strength,
and come and save us!

Restore us, O God,
and cause Your face to shine,
and we shall be saved!

O LORD God of Hosts,
how long will You be angry
with the prayers of Your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in great measure.
You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of Hosts,
and cause Your face to shine,
and we shall be saved.

You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shadow
and the mighty cedars with its branches.
It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the Euphrates River.

Why have You broken down its walls,
so that all those who pass by the way pluck its fruit?
The boar from the woods ravages it,
and the insects of the field devour it.
Return, we beseech You, O God of Hosts;
look down from heaven and see;
have regard for this vine,
the shoot that Your right hand planted,
and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself.

It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
Then we will not turn back from You;
give us life, and we will call upon Your name.

Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts;
cause Your face to shine,
and we shall be saved!

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.

Psalm prayer

Faithful shepherd of your people, as we look for the light of your countenance, restore in us the image of your glory and graft us into the risen life of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 82

𝙍: Arise, O God, judge the earth.

God has taken His place in the divine council;
He renders judgment among the gods.

“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the poor and the fatherless;
do justice to the afflicted and the needy.
Rescue the poor and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

𝙍: Arise, O God, judge the earth.

“They have neither knowledge nor understanding;
they walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”

I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
but you shall die like men,
and fall like one of the princes.”

Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for You shall inherit all the nations.

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: Arise, O God, judge the earth.

Psalm prayer

God our deliverer, when the foundations are shaken and justice has departed, defend the poor and needy and give your people strength to fight all wrong in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 3:12-39

So Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring over all of Israel to you.”

He responded, “Very well, I will make a covenant with you, but I require one thing from you: you will not see my face unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul with you when you come to see me.” Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

So Ish-bosheth sent for her, and he took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go. Return.” So he turned back.

Abner had a word with the elders of Israel, “In days past, you were seeking David as king over you. So do it now, because the LORD said to David: By the hand of David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of every enemy.”

Abner also spoke privately with Benjamin. Then Abner went to tell David privately at Hebron all that was received favorably by Israel and the entire house of Benjamin. So Abner, along with twenty men, went to David at Hebron, and David held a festival for Abner and the men who were with him. Abner said to David, “Let me arise, go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went peaceably.

Now the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much plunder with them, but Abner was no longer with David at Hebron, because he had sent him away in peace. When Joab and the whole of the army that was with him arrived, they reported to Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king and he sent him away peaceably.”

So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you sent him away? Now he is long gone. You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to learn of your coming and going, to discern all that you are doing.”

When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. However, David was not aware of this. So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab pulled him aside in the gateway so as to speak with him undisturbed. There he struck him in the midsection so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel, his brother.

Afterward when David heard of this, he said, “My kingdom and I are forever blameless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house. May the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food.”

So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he killed Asahel their brother at Gibeon in the battle.

David said to Joab and all of the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” As for King David, he followed behind the bier. When they buried Abner at Hebron, the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all of the people wept.

Then, the king lamented for Abner, saying,

“Should Abner have died as a fool dies?
Your hands were not bound,
and your feet were not put in fetters;
as a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.”

And all of the people continued to weep over him.

Then all of the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath, saying, “May God do to me, and more also, if I taste food or anything else before the sun sets.”

All of the people recognized this, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did was pleasing to all of the people. That very day, all of the people, all of Israel, understood that it was not ordered from the king to have Abner the son of Ner killed.

David said to his servant, “Do you not understand that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel? Today, I am weak, even if an anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 6

Now in those days, as the disciples were multiplied, there was murmuring among the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were overlooked in the daily distribution. So the twelve called the multitude of disciples together and said, “It is not reasonable for us to leave the word of God and serve tables. Brothers, look among yourselves for seven men who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this duty. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

And what was said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, who was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Procorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they presented before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they placed their hands on them.

So the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples grew rapidly in Jerusalem, and a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Now Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then some men rose up from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and of Asia), disputing with Stephen. But they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and came upon him and seized him and led him to the Sanhedrin, and set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”

All who sat in the Sanhedrin, gazing at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

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 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

O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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.