Shane Raynor 8/21/26 Shane Raynor 8/21/26

Sat. morning Aug. 22

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

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

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;
andall that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 96

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the people,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
bring an offering, and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before Him, all the earth!
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Indeed, the world is established; it shall not be moved;
He will judge the peoples righteously.”

𝙍: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forests will rejoice
before the LORD, for He is coming,
for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in His faithfulness.

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: Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, you draw us by your beauty and transform us by your holiness; let our worship echo all creation’s praise and declare your glory to the nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 97

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be joyful!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him
and burns up His enemies all around.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
and all the peoples see His glory.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

Let all who serve graven images be put to shame,
who boast of idols;
worship Him, all you gods.

Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of Your judgments, O LORD.
For You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are Most High above all the earth.

You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name!

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: You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth.

Psalm Prayer

Most high and holy God, enthroned in fire and light, burn away the dross of our lives and kindle in us the fire of your love, that our lives may reveal the light and life we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 100

𝙍: The LORD is good; His mercy endures forever.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God!
It is He who has made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

𝙍: The LORD is good; His mercy endures forever.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good; His mercy endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

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 good; His mercy endures forever.

Psalm prayer

O Christ, door of the sheepfold, may we enter your gates with praise and go from your courts to serve you in the poor, the lost, and the wandering, this day and all our days.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 9

David said, “Is there still anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness on behalf of Jonathan?”

Now there was a servant from the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So they summoned him to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He replied, “I am your servant.”

The king said, “Is there no one else from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

Ziba responded to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”

The king said to him, “Where is he?”

Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Machir the son of Ammiel at Lo Debar.”

So King David sent for and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to David and fell upon his face and bowed down. Then David said, “Mephibosheth,” and he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”

David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness on account of Jonathan, your father. I will return to you every field of Saul, your father, and you will eat at my table perpetually.”

He bowed low and said, “What is your servant that you should be concerned for a dead dog like me?”

The king summoned Ziba the servant of Saul, and he said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of your master. You will work the ground for him—you, your sons, and your servants. You will bring in the produce so that the son of your master will have food to eat, but Mephibosheth, the son of your master, will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Ziba said to the king, “Everything that my lord the king has commanded his servant, your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the table of David like one of the sons of the king.

Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mika, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he ate continually at the table of the king. Now he was lame in both of his feet.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 8:4-25

Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miracles which he did, they listened in unity to what he said. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed. And many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

Now a man named Simon was previously in the city practicing sorcery and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying he was someone great, to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” They listened to him, because for a long time he had astonished them by his sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Even Simon himself believed. And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and was amazed as he watched the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they came down, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for still He had come on none of them. They were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power, that whomever I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter said to him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could purchase the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are bitterly envious and in the bond of iniquity.”

Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me that nothing you have spoken may come upon me.”

When they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

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:

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

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

Response

Lord, 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.

Shane Raynor 8/20/26 Shane Raynor 8/20/26

Fri. morning Aug. 21

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

Now Thank We All Our God

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.
Amen.

Psalm 88

𝙍: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

O LORD, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
incline Your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength,
abandoned among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom You remember no more,
and who are cut off from Your hand.

𝙍: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

You have laid me in the depths of the pit,
in the dark and deep regions.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and You have afflicted me with all Your waves.
You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut in and I cannot get out;
my eyes grow dim from affliction.

𝙍: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

LORD, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You?
Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will Your wonders be known in the darkness,
or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

𝙍: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

But to You have I cried out, O LORD,
and in the morning my prayer comes before You.
O LORD, why do You cast my soul away?
Why do You hide Your face from me?

Afflicted and close to death since my youth,
I suffer Your terrors; I am helpless.
Your fierce wrath has swept over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.
They surround me all day long like a flood;
they encircled me altogether.
Lover and friend have You removed far from me;
My acquaintances have become darkness.

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: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

Psalm prayer

In the depths of our isolation we cry to you, Lord God; give light in our darkness and bring us out of the prison of our despair through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 95

𝙍: Come, let us worship and bow down.

O come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms!

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.

𝙍: Come, let us worship and bow down.

In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture,
and the sheep of His hand.

𝙍: Come, let us worship and bow down.

Today, if you will hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day of Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me,
though they had seen My work.
For forty years I loathed that generation,
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they do not know My ways.”
Therefore I swore in My wrath,
“They shall not enter My rest.”

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: Come, let us worship and bow down.

Psalm prayer

Jesus our redeemer, you bore the cut of the lash for us and our salvation; help us to bear our sufferings and to share in the affliction of all who suffer for your holy name.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 7:18-29

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD. He said,

“Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? Yet this was comparatively insignificant in Your sight, Lord GOD, for You have also spoken about Your servant’s house into the distant future. Is this Your manner with man, Lord GOD?

“What more can David say to You? You know Your servant, Lord GOD. Because of Your word, according to Your will, You have done all of this greatness to inform Your servant.

“Therefore You are great, LORD God. There is none like You, and there is no God except You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people, like Israel—a single nation in the land, whom God went to redeem as a people for Himself, making a name for Himself by doing great and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods. You established Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, LORD, became their God.

“Now, LORD God, confirm forever the word that You spoke regarding Your servant and his house and do as You have spoken. May Your name be magnified forever by saying, ‘The LORD of Hosts is God over Israel,’ and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

“For You, O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed a word to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore, Your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to You. Now, LORD God, You are God, and Your words are true. You have spoken this good message to Your servant. Now, be resolved and bless Your servant’s dynastic house, so that it may stand before You forever. You, Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing, the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 7:54-8:3

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart with rage, and they gnashed their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Then they cried out with a loud voice, closed their ears, and rushed at him in unison. And they threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God, praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Having said this, he fell asleep.

And Saul was consenting to his death.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. But Saul ravaged the church, entering house by house and dragging out both men and women and committing them to prison.

Silence may be kept.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Luke 1:68-79

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

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

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

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

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

Amen.

Intercession and thanksgiving

Prayers may be offered for:

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

Prayers may include the following concerns:

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

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

Response

Lord of life
In your mercy, hear us.

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 8/19/26 Shane Raynor 8/19/26

Thu. morning Aug. 20

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

Revive Us again

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 90

𝙍: O LORD my God, in You I put my trust.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You return man to the dust
and say, “Return, O sons of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
are like yesterday when it is past,
and like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood;
they fall asleep; in the morning they are like grass that grows anew:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
in the evening it fades and withers.

𝙍: O LORD my God, in You I put my trust.

For we are consumed by Your anger;
by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days pass away under Your wrath;
we finish our years like a whisper.
The years of our life are seventy,
or even, by reason of strength, eighty;
yet their span is but toil and sorrow;
they soon pass away, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

𝙍: O LORD my God, in You I put my trust.

Return, O LORD! How long?
Have compassion on Your servants!
Satisfy us in the early morning with Your mercy,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
and Your glory to their children.

Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands among us;
yes, establish the work of our hands.

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, in You I put my trust.

Psalm prayer

Almighty God, our eternal refuge, teach us to live with the knowledge of our death and to rejoice in the promise of your glory, revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 92

𝙍: You, O LORD, are on high forever.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
and Your faithfulness in the night,
with the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
and on the lyre with a solemn sound.

For You, O LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will sing joyfully at the works of Your hands.
O LORD, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep!

𝙍: You, O LORD, are on high forever.

A brutish man does not know,
nor does a fool understand this:
that though the wicked spring up like grass
and though all the workers of iniquity flourish,
they will be destroyed forever:

But You, O LORD, are on high forever.

For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, Your enemies shall perish;
all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
But You have exalted my horn like the horn of the wild ox;
You have anointed me with fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies,
and my ears have heard the doom of my wicked adversaries.

𝙍: You, O LORD, are on high forever.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
they shall be healthy and flourishing,
to declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in 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: You, O LORD, are on high forever.

Psalm Prayer

Give us the music of your praise, Lord, morning, noon, and night, that our lives may be fruitful and our lips confess you as the true and only God.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Now when the king settled into his house and the LORD had given him rest from all of his enemies on all sides, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “I am dwelling in a cedar house, but the ark of God is sitting in a tent.”

Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart because the LORD is with you.”

That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan:

Go and say to My servant David: Thus says the LORD: Do you intend to build a house for Me in which I will dwell? I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought the Israelites from Egypt until this day. I have been moving about with a tent as My dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”

Now therefore, you will say to My servant David: Thus says the LORD of Hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following after the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all of your enemies before you. I will make your name great, like the great ones across the land. Moreover, I will appoint a place for My people Israel. I will plant them, and they will dwell in that very place. They will be restless no longer, and the unjust will no longer oppress them, as in former times, ever since the day in which I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all of your enemies.

The LORD declares to you that He will instead bring about a house for you. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up after you an offspring from your body, and I will establish his rule. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he goes astray, I will correct him with the rod of men and afflictions of the sons of men. My commitment will not abandon him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I deposed before you. Your house and dominion will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established by the LORD forever.

So Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all of these words and the entirety of this vision.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 7:44-53

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, telling Moses to make it as He had commanded, according to the pattern that he had seen, which our fathers, having received it, brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out in front of our fathers until the days of David, who found favor in the presence of God and asked to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house.

“However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands. As the prophet says:

‘Heaven is My throne,
and the earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
or what is the place of My rest?
Has not My hand made all these things?’

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They have even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the disposition of angels, but have not kept it.”

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:

Local government, community leaders
All who provide local services
Those who work with young or elderly people
Schools, colleges, and universities
Emergency and rescue organizations

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

Response

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.