Shane Raynor 8/28/26 Shane Raynor 8/28/26

Sat. morning Aug. 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

Near the Cross

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 120

𝙍: Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips.

In my distress I cried unto the LORD,
and He heard me.
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you,
or what shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?
Sharp arrows of the warrior,
with coals of the broom tree!

𝙍: Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips.

Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,
that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Too long has my soul dwelt
with ones who hate peace.
I am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war!

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: Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips.

Psalm prayer

God of consolation, look on us, pilgrims in a strange land; preserve us from slander and deceit, show us the truth, and give to our souls the peace of Christ.

Psalm 121

𝙍: The LORD will keep you from all evil.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills;
from whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

𝙍: The LORD will keep you from all evil.

The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

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

𝙍: The LORD will keep you from all evil.

Psalm prayer

Lord, ever watchful and faithful, we look to you to be our defense and we lift our hearts to know your help; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 122

𝙍: How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

Jerusalem is built as a city
that is firmly joined together,
to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
For there were set thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.

𝙍: How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls|
and prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brothers and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.

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: How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!

Psalm prayer

God of our pilgrimage, bring us with joy to the eternal city founded on the rock, and give to our earthly cities the peace that comes from above; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 17:1-23

Ahithophel also said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men so that I may arise and pursue David tonight. I will overtake him while he is weary and weak and strike him with terror; all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike only the king, and I will return all of the people to you. When all return except the man whom you are seeking, all of the people will be at peace.” The advice pleased Absalom and all of the elders of Israel.

So Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Arkite so that we may hear what he has to say as well.” When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel had advised. Should we do this thing? If not, you should tell us.”

Hushai said to Absalom, “At this time, the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.” Moreover, Hushai said, “You know that your father and his men are warriors, and they have been provoked like a bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is a veteran of warfare. He will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in a ravine or some other place, and when one of them falls in the first attack, whoever hears will say, ‘It was a defeat for the people who follow Absalom.’ Then even the valiant one, whose heart is like that of a lion, will completely despair, for all of Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and those who are with him are brave.

“Therefore my advice is for all of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, to be completely gathered to you like the multitude of the sand along the shoreline and for you to go to battle in person. We will come upon him in one of the places where he may be found, and we will fall upon him like the dew upon the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will remain, not a single one. If he withdraws into a city, then all of Israel will bring ropes to that city. We will raze it until it is a valley, until there cannot be found there even a pebble.”

Then Absalom and all of the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had decided to undermine the prudent advice of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity to Absalom.

Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do another thing. Now quickly send someone to report to David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but instead cross over. Otherwise, the king and all of the people who are with him will be swallowed up.’ ”

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A servant girl would go report to them, and they would go report to King David, because they could not be seen entering the city. But a young man saw them and reported this to Absalom. So the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. The wife took a covering and spread it over the opening of the well. Then she scattered grain over it so that nothing could be discerned.

The servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

She said, “They crossed over the brook of water.” When they searched, they could not find them. So they returned to Jerusalem.

After they left, they came up from the well, went, and reported to King David. They said to David, “Arise and quickly cross over the water because thus has Ahithophel advised against you.” So David and all of the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By daybreak, there was not one left who had not crossed over the Jordan.

When Ahithophel realized that his advice was not followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his own city. He gave instruction to his household, then he hanged himself and died; he was interred in the tomb of his father.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 10:17-33

Now while Peter wondered what this vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius had inquired for Simon’s house and stood at the gate, and called and asked whether Simon, who was named Peter, was lodging there.

While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. So rise and go down, and go with them, doubting nothing. For I have sent them.”

Then Peter went down to the men who were sent to him by Cornelius and said, “Here I am, the one you are seeking. Why have you come?”

They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a man who is righteous and fears God and is of good report throughout the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house to hear your words.” Then he invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day Peter went with them, and some brothers from Joppa accompanied him. And the next day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up. I myself am a man.”

As he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to visit or approach a foreigner. But God has shown me not to call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without question. Therefore I ask why you have sent for me.”

Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour. At the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, whose name is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ So immediately I sent for you, and you have done well to come. Now therefore we are all here, present before God, to hear everything the Lord has commanded you.”

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of 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 8/27/26 Shane Raynor 8/27/26

Fri. morning Aug. 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

I am Resolved

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 139

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

O LORD, You have searched me
and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You perceive my thought from afar.
You winnow my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You beset me behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Where shall I go from Your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there shall Your hand lead me
and Your right hand take hold of me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall befall me,
even the night about me shall be my light.”
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You
and the night shines as the day,
for darkness and light are alike with You.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marvelous are Your works,
and that my soul knows right well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret,
and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance.
And in Your book were they all written,
the days created for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would be in number more than the sand.
When I awake,
I am still with You.

𝙍: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, O bloodthirsty men!
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me, and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

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: Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Psalm prayer

Creator God, may every breath we take be for your glory, may every footstep show you as our way, that, trusting in your presence in this world, we may, beyond this life, still be with you where you are alive and reign forever and ever.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 16:1-14

When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of saddled donkeys carrying two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and one skin of wine.

The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these things?”

Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the household of the king to ride. The bread and the summer fruit are for the servants to eat. The wine is for those who become weary in the wilderness to drink.”

The king said, “And where is your master’s son?”

Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today they will return to me the house of Israel and my father’s kingdom.’ ”

Then David said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”

Ziba replied, “I bow before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he came out continuously cursing. He threw stones at David and all of the servants of King David, as well as all of the people and all of the warriors who were at his right and left. Shimei said when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you scoundrel! The LORD has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. And the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. You are taken in your own evil, because you are a man of blood.”

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “How can this dead dog curse my lord the king! Let me go over and remove his head.”

The king responded, “What do you have against me, sons of Zeruiah? Suppose that he curses because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who shall then say, ‘Why do you do so?’ ”

David then said to Abishai and to all of his servants, “Behold, my son who came from my own body seeks my life, and now also this Benjamite. Leave him alone and let him curse if the LORD has so instructed him. Perhaps today the LORD will look upon my guilt and return kindness instead of his cursing.”

So David and his men continued on the road, and Shimei went along on the hillside beside them, cursing, throwing stones, and flinging dust at them as he went. The king and all of the people who were with him arrived at their destination exhausted, but he refreshed himself there.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 10:1-16

In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, the centurion of a band of soldiers called the Italian Detachment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave many alms to the people and continually prayed to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.”

When he looked intently at him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?”

He said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa and bring back Simon whose name is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who continually waited on him. When he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

The next day as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. He became very hungry and desired to eat. But while they prepared a meal, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sheet, tied at the four corners, descending to him, and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth and wild beasts and reptiles and birds of the air. Then a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

Peter said, “Not at all, Lord. For I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

The voice spoke to him a second time: “What God has cleansed, do not call common.”

This happened three times. And again the vessel was taken up into heaven.

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

Thu. morning Aug. 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

When we cry to the LORD in our trouble,
He will save us from our distress.

God will bring us out of darkness
and out of the shadow of death.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

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

May the Father forgive us by the death of his Son, and strengthen us to live in the power of the Spirit all our days.
Amen.

Let us give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to all people!

Let us offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare God’s works with rejoicing.

cf Psalm 107

Psalm 113

𝙍: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Praise the LORD!

Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.

The LORD is high above all nations,
and His glory above the heavens.

𝙍: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Who is like the LORD our God,
who dwells on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and on the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
to seat him with princes,
with the princes of His people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
to be a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!

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

𝙍: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Psalm prayer

From the rising of the sun to its setting, we praise your name, Lord; may your promise to raise the poor from the dust and turn the fortunes of the needy upside down be fulfilled in our time also, as it was in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 115

𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
but unto Your name give glory,
for the sake of Your mercy, for the sake of Your truth.

Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.

𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.

They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
they have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell;
they have hands, but they do not feel;
they have feet, but they do not walk,
nor do they make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
so is everyone who trusts in them.

𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.

O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.

The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the LORD,
both small and great.

𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.

May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

The heavens are the LORD’s heavens,
but the earth has He given to the sons of men.
The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the LORD!

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

𝙍: The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us.

Psalm prayer

Living God, defend us from the idols which our hearts enthrone, that we may not go down into silence but be raised to our heaven of heavens in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 15:13-37

A messenger came to David and said, “The hearts of the men of Israel are following Absalom.”

David said to all of his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We must flee or there will be no escape from Absalom for us. Hurry up and leave, or he will soon reach us and bring disaster upon us, striking the city with the edge of the sword.”

The king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.”

So the king left with his entire house after him, but he left behind ten women, concubines, to watch over the house. So the king left with all of the people after him, and they came to a stop at the furthest house. Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Go back and dwell with the king, for you are a foreigner and, moreover, exiled from your own place. You came only yesterday. Shall I cause you to go roaming around with us today? I am going where I go. Go back, and take back your brothers with you. Mercy and truth be with you.”

Ittai answered the king and said, “As the LORD lives and as lives my lord the king, only in the place where my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, there alone will your servant be.”

So David said to Ittai, “Go on, pass by.” So Ittai the Gittite passed by, along with all of his men and all of the children and elderly who were with him.

The whole land wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by. Now the king was crossing over the brook Kidron, and all of the people were crossing over on the road to the wilderness.

And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok also came, and all of the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God until all of the people had finished passing out of the city.

The king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I have found favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its resting place. But if He should say now, ‘Behold, I take no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me what seems good to Him.”

The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace with your two sons, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word from you comes to inform me.” So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and he went barefoot. Then all of the people who were with him each covered his head and went up, weeping as they went. Now it was reported to David that Ahithophel was conspiring with Absalom, and David said, “O LORD, make the advice of Ahithophel folly.”

When David came to the summit where he would worship God, behold, Hushai the Arkite approached him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. David said to him, “If you pass on with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city, you may say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king, as I was a servant of your father. As I was then, so now I am your servant,’ so as to counter the advice of Ahithophel. Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? You shall report everything that you hear from the king’s house to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, their two sons Ahimaaz the son of Zadok and Jonathan the son of Abiathar will be there with them. You shall send word of everything that you hear to me by their hand.”

So Hushai, the friend of David, came to the city as Absalom entered Jerusalem.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 9:32-43

As Peter passed through every region, he came down also to the saints who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” And immediately he rose up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and almsgiving. In those days she became ill and died. And when they had washed her, they placed her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, pleading, “Do not delay to come to us.”

Peter rose up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. He gave her his hand and lifted her up. And when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. It became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. He remained in Joppa for many days with Simon, a tanner.

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.