We will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Ascribe greatness to our God.
1
Deuteronomy 32:3
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of God's Mercy
God who is rich in mercy:
out of the great love with which he loved us,
Even when we were dead through our trespasses:
made us alive together with Christ,
And raised us up with him:
and made us sit with him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
That he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace:
in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
out of the great love with which he loved us,
Even when we were dead through our trespasses:
made us alive together with Christ,
And raised us up with him:
and made us sit with him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
That he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace:
in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7
3 The Opening Prayer
The night has passed and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be 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 for ever. Amen.
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever. Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; •
consider my lamentation.
2 Hearken to the voice of my crying, my King and my God, •
for to you I make my prayer.
3 In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice; •
early in the morning I make my appeal to you, and look up.
4 For you are the God who takes no pleasure in wickedness; •
no evil can dwell with you.
5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight; •
you hate all those that work wickedness.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; •
the bloodthirsty and deceitful the Lord will abhor.
7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy,
I will come into your house; •
I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness,
because of my enemies; •
make your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth,
in their heart is destruction, •
their throat is an open sepulchre,
and they flatter with their tongue.
10 Punish them, O God; •
let them fall through their own devices.
11 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, •
for they have rebelled against you.
12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; •
let them sing out their joy for ever.
13 You will shelter them, •
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
14 For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; •
and with your favour you will defend them as with a shield.
consider my lamentation.
2 Hearken to the voice of my crying, my King and my God, •
for to you I make my prayer.
3 In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice; •
early in the morning I make my appeal to you, and look up.
4 For you are the God who takes no pleasure in wickedness; •
no evil can dwell with you.
5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight; •
you hate all those that work wickedness.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; •
the bloodthirsty and deceitful the Lord will abhor.
7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy,
I will come into your house; •
I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness,
because of my enemies; •
make your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth,
in their heart is destruction, •
their throat is an open sepulchre,
and they flatter with their tongue.
10 Punish them, O God; •
let them fall through their own devices.
11 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, •
for they have rebelled against you.
12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; •
let them sing out their joy for ever.
13 You will shelter them, •
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
14 For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; •
and with your favour you will defend them as with a shield.
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath; •
neither chasten me in your fierce anger.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; •
Lord, heal me, for my bones are racked.
3 My soul also shakes with terror; •
how long, O Lord, how long?
4 Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul; •
save me for your loving mercy’s sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you; •
and who can give you thanks in the grave?
6 I am weary with my groaning; •
every night I drench my pillow
and flood my bed with my tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief •
and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all you that do evil, •
for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication; •
the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be put to shame and confusion; •
they shall suddenly turn back in their shame.
neither chasten me in your fierce anger.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; •
Lord, heal me, for my bones are racked.
3 My soul also shakes with terror; •
how long, O Lord, how long?
4 Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul; •
save me for your loving mercy’s sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you; •
and who can give you thanks in the grave?
6 I am weary with my groaning; •
every night I drench my pillow
and flood my bed with my tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief •
and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all you that do evil, •
for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication; •
the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be put to shame and confusion; •
they shall suddenly turn back in their shame.
1 O Lord our governor, •
how glorious is your name in all the world!
2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised •
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.
3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, •
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, •
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,
5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; •
the son of man, that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him little lower than the angels •
and crown him with glory and honour.
7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands •
and put all things under his feet,
8 All sheep and oxen, •
even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea •
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our governor, •
how glorious is your name in all the world!
how glorious is your name in all the world!
2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised •
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.
3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, •
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, •
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,
5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; •
the son of man, that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him little lower than the angels •
and crown him with glory and honour.
7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands •
and put all things under his feet,
8 All sheep and oxen, •
even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea •
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our governor, •
how glorious is your name in all the world!
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Lord, our God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier: we ask you to cleanse us from all hypocrisy, to unite us to our fellow men and women by the bonds of peace and love, and to confirm us in holiness; now and for ever. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
2 Kings 22–23:3 (Listen)
Josiah Reigns in Judah
22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Josiah Repairs the Temple
3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.
Josiah’s Reforms
23:1 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
(ESV)
1 Timothy 1:18–2:15 (Listen)
18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Pray for All People
2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man1 Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Footnotes
[1] 2:5
(ESV)
The reading may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
and bear much fruit to your glory.
7 The Canticle, A Song of the Blessed
Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful:
for mercy shall be shown to them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful:
for mercy shall be shown to them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-10
8 The Apostles' Creed may be said
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.
9 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
10 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
12 The Morning Collect
Lord and heavenly Father,
you have brought us safely to this new day:
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
you have brought us safely to this new day:
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the Lord bless us and keep us; the Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious to us; the Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26
1
O sing to the Lord a new song:
sing to the Lord all the earth.
sing to the Lord all the earth.
Psalm 96:1
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, The Song of the Three
Blessed are you, the God of our forebears:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is your holy and glorious name:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you, glorious in your holy temple:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you who behold the depths:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the heights of heaven:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is your holy and glorious name:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you, glorious in your holy temple:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you who behold the depths:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the heights of heaven:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Song of the Three 29-34
3 The Opening Prayer
The day is now passed and the night is at hand.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept
Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our evening sacrifice; make us a light for all the world, delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each
1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with my whole heart; •
I will tell of all your marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; •
I will make music to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies are driven back, •
they stumble and perish at your presence.
4 For you have maintained my right and my cause; •
you sat on your throne giving righteous judgement.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; •
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 The enemy was utterly laid waste. •
You uprooted their cities;
their very memory has perished.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever; •
he has made fast his throne for judgement.
8 For he shall rule the world with righteousness •
and govern the peoples with equity.
9 Then will the Lord be a refuge for the oppressed, •
a refuge in the time of trouble.
10 And those who know your name will put their trust in you, •
for you, Lord, have never failed those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion; •
declare among the peoples the things he has done.
12 The avenger of blood has remembered them; •
he did not forget the cry of the oppressed.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; •
consider the trouble I suffer from those who hate me,
you that lift me up from the gates of death;
14 That I may tell all your praises in the gates of the city of Zion •
and rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations shall sink into the pit of their making •
and in the snare which they set will their own foot be taken.
16 The Lord makes himself known by his acts of justice; •
the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands.
17 They shall return to the land of darkness, •
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten •
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O Lord, and let not mortals have the upper hand; •
let the nations be judged before your face.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord, •
that the nations may know themselves to be but mortal.
I will tell of all your marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; •
I will make music to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies are driven back, •
they stumble and perish at your presence.
4 For you have maintained my right and my cause; •
you sat on your throne giving righteous judgement.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; •
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 The enemy was utterly laid waste. •
You uprooted their cities;
their very memory has perished.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever; •
he has made fast his throne for judgement.
8 For he shall rule the world with righteousness •
and govern the peoples with equity.
9 Then will the Lord be a refuge for the oppressed, •
a refuge in the time of trouble.
10 And those who know your name will put their trust in you, •
for you, Lord, have never failed those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion; •
declare among the peoples the things he has done.
12 The avenger of blood has remembered them; •
he did not forget the cry of the oppressed.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; •
consider the trouble I suffer from those who hate me,
you that lift me up from the gates of death;
14 That I may tell all your praises in the gates of the city of Zion •
and rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations shall sink into the pit of their making •
and in the snare which they set will their own foot be taken.
16 The Lord makes himself known by his acts of justice; •
the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands.
17 They shall return to the land of darkness, •
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten •
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O Lord, and let not mortals have the upper hand; •
let the nations be judged before your face.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord, •
that the nations may know themselves to be but mortal.
1 Why stand so far off, O Lord? •
Why hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked in their pride persecute the poor; •
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart’s desire; •
the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
4 The wicked in their arrogance say, ‘God will not avenge it’; •
in all their scheming God counts for nothing.
5 They are stubborn in all their ways,
for your judgements are far above out of their sight; •
they scoff at all their adversaries.
6 They say in their heart, ‘I shall not be shaken; •
no harm shall ever happen to me.’
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit and fraud; •
under their tongue lie mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in the outskirts
and in dark alleys they murder the innocent; •
their eyes are ever watching for the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in his den;
they lie in wait to seize the poor; •
they seize the poor when they get them into their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; •
the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, ‘God has forgotten; •
he hides his face away; he will never see it.’
12 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand; •
forget not the poor.
13 Why should the wicked be scornful of God? •
Why should they say in their hearts, ‘You will not avenge it’?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; •
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, •
for you are the helper of the orphan.
16 Break the power of the wicked and malicious; •
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever; •
the nations shall perish from his land.
18 Lord, you will hear the desire of the poor; •
you will incline your ear to the fullness of their heart,
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, •
so that people are no longer driven in terror from the land.
Why hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked in their pride persecute the poor; •
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart’s desire; •
the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
4 The wicked in their arrogance say, ‘God will not avenge it’; •
in all their scheming God counts for nothing.
5 They are stubborn in all their ways,
for your judgements are far above out of their sight; •
they scoff at all their adversaries.
6 They say in their heart, ‘I shall not be shaken; •
no harm shall ever happen to me.’
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit and fraud; •
under their tongue lie mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in the outskirts
and in dark alleys they murder the innocent; •
their eyes are ever watching for the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in his den;
they lie in wait to seize the poor; •
they seize the poor when they get them into their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; •
the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, ‘God has forgotten; •
he hides his face away; he will never see it.’
12 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand; •
forget not the poor.
13 Why should the wicked be scornful of God? •
Why should they say in their hearts, ‘You will not avenge it’?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; •
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, •
for you are the helper of the orphan.
16 Break the power of the wicked and malicious; •
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever; •
the nations shall perish from his land.
18 Lord, you will hear the desire of the poor; •
you will incline your ear to the fullness of their heart,
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, •
so that people are no longer driven in terror from the land.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
God of grace, we thank you for all your gifts to us; grant us to accept both pain and joy in faith and hope, and never to fail in love to you and to our sisters and brothers; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
Ezekiel 37:15–28 (Listen)
I Will Be Their God; They Shall Be My People
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick1 and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah,2 and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, 21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings3 in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land4 and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”
Footnotes
[1] 37:16
[2] 37:19
[3] 37:23
[4] 37:26
(ESV)
John 15:12–17 (Listen)
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,1 for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Footnotes
[1] 15:15
(ESV)
The reading may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
and bear much fruit to your glory.
7 The Canticle, The Song of Simeon (Nunc dimittis)
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations:
and the glory of your people Israel.
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations:
and the glory of your people Israel.
8 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
9 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
11 The Evening Collect
Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night: that we, who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may rest on your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
12
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May Jesus, the Lord of peace, give us peace at all times and in all ways. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 3:16