Through Christ let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
1
Hebrews 13:15
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 Grace
We have complete freedom:
to go into the most holy place by means of the death of Jesus
He opened for us a new way, a living way:
through the curtain, through his own body.
Since we have a great high priest
set over the household of God:
let us draw near with a sincere heart and a sure faith,
With hearts that have been made clean
from a guilty conscience:
and bodies washed with pure water.
to go into the most holy place by means of the death of Jesus
He opened for us a new way, a living way:
through the curtain, through his own body.
Since we have a great high priest
set over the household of God:
let us draw near with a sincere heart and a sure faith,
With hearts that have been made clean
from a guilty conscience:
and bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22
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 O Lord, you have searched me out and known me; •
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
2 You mark out my journeys and my resting place •
and are acquainted with all my ways.
3 For there is not a word on my tongue, •
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
4 You encompass me behind and before •
and lay your hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, •
so high that I cannot attain it.
6 Where can I go then from your spirit? •
Or where can I flee from your presence?
7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; •
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
8 If I take the wings of the morning •
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
9 Even there your hand shall lead me, •
your right hand hold me fast.
10 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me •
and the light around me turn to night,’
11 Even darkness is no darkness with you;
the night is as clear as the day; •
darkness and light to you are both alike.
12 For you yourself created my inmost parts; •
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
13 I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; •
marvellous are your works, my soul knows well.
14 My frame was not hidden from you, •
when I was made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
15 Your eyes beheld my form, as yet unfinished; •
already in your book were all my members written,
16 As day by day they were fashioned •
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How deep are your counsels to me, O God! •
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I count them, they are more in number than the sand, •
and at the end, I am still in your presence.
19 O that you would slay the wicked, O God, •
that the bloodthirsty might depart from me!
20 They speak against you with wicked intent; •
your enemies take up your name for evil.
21 Do I not oppose those, O Lord, who oppose you? •
Do I not abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with a perfect hatred; •
they have become my own enemies also.
23 Search me out, O God, and know my heart; •
try me and examine my thoughts.
24 See if there is any way of wickedness in me •
and lead me in the way everlasting.
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
2 You mark out my journeys and my resting place •
and are acquainted with all my ways.
3 For there is not a word on my tongue, •
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
4 You encompass me behind and before •
and lay your hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, •
so high that I cannot attain it.
6 Where can I go then from your spirit? •
Or where can I flee from your presence?
7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; •
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
8 If I take the wings of the morning •
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
9 Even there your hand shall lead me, •
your right hand hold me fast.
10 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me •
and the light around me turn to night,’
11 Even darkness is no darkness with you;
the night is as clear as the day; •
darkness and light to you are both alike.
12 For you yourself created my inmost parts; •
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
13 I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; •
marvellous are your works, my soul knows well.
14 My frame was not hidden from you, •
when I was made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
15 Your eyes beheld my form, as yet unfinished; •
already in your book were all my members written,
16 As day by day they were fashioned •
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How deep are your counsels to me, O God! •
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I count them, they are more in number than the sand, •
and at the end, I am still in your presence.
19 O that you would slay the wicked, O God, •
that the bloodthirsty might depart from me!
20 They speak against you with wicked intent; •
your enemies take up your name for evil.
21 Do I not oppose those, O Lord, who oppose you? •
Do I not abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with a perfect hatred; •
they have become my own enemies also.
23 Search me out, O God, and know my heart; •
try me and examine my thoughts.
24 See if there is any way of wickedness in me •
and lead me in the way everlasting.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Holy God, through your beloved Son you reconciled all things to yourself, making peace by the blood of his cross: fill us and those for whom we pray with your peace and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
Judges 17 (Listen)
Micah and the Levite
17:1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4 So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained1 one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
Footnotes
[1] 17:5
(ESV)
Luke 19:1–10 (Listen)
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
(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, Saviour of the World
Jesus, Saviour of the world,
come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
By your cross and your life laid down,
you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
When they were ready to perish,
you saved your disciples:
we looked to you to come to our help.
In the greatness of your mercy,
loose us from our chains:
forgive the sins of all your people.
Make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer:
save and help us that we may praise you.
come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayers and be with us always.
And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
and to share the life of your kingdom.
come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
By your cross and your life laid down,
you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
When they were ready to perish,
you saved your disciples:
we looked to you to come to our help.
In the greatness of your mercy,
loose us from our chains:
forgive the sins of all your people.
Make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer:
save and help us that we may praise you.
come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayers and be with us always.
And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
and to share the life of your kingdom.
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
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed; guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; 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.
Peace be to us all, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ephesians 6:23
1
Peace to those who are far off.
Peace to those who are near.
Peace to those who are near.
Ephesians 2:17
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 Lord's Servant
He was despised; he was rejected:
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
As one from whom people hide their faces:
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Ours were the sufferings he bore:
ours the torments he endured,
While we thought he was being punished:
struck by God and brought low.
He was pierced for our sins:
bruised for no fault but ours.
His punishment has won our peace:
and by his wounds we are healed.
We had all strayed like sheep:
all taking our own way;
But the Lord laid on him:
the guilt of us all.
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
As one from whom people hide their faces:
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Ours were the sufferings he bore:
ours the torments he endured,
While we thought he was being punished:
struck by God and brought low.
He was pierced for our sins:
bruised for no fault but ours.
His punishment has won our peace:
and by his wounds we are healed.
We had all strayed like sheep:
all taking our own way;
But the Lord laid on him:
the guilt of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-6
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 Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; •
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, •
O Lord, who could stand?
3 But there is forgiveness with you, •
so that you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; •
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning, •
more than the night watch for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, •
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him is plenteous redemption •
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Lord, hear my voice; •
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, •
O Lord, who could stand?
3 But there is forgiveness with you, •
so that you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; •
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning, •
more than the night watch for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, •
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him is plenteous redemption •
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
1 O Lord, my heart is not proud; •
my eyes are not raised in haughty looks.
2 I do not occupy myself with great matters, •
with things that are too high for me.
3 But I have quieted and stilled my soul,
like a weaned child on its mother’s breast; •
so my soul is quieted within me.
4 O Israel, trust in the Lord, •
from this time forth for evermore.
my eyes are not raised in haughty looks.
2 I do not occupy myself with great matters, •
with things that are too high for me.
3 But I have quieted and stilled my soul,
like a weaned child on its mother’s breast; •
so my soul is quieted within me.
4 O Israel, trust in the Lord, •
from this time forth for evermore.
1 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, •
when we remembered Zion.
2 As for our lyres, we hung them up •
on the willows that grow in that land.
3 For there our captors asked for a song,
our tormentors called for mirth: •
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song •
in a strange land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, •
let my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you, •
if I set not Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against the people of Edom
the day of Jerusalem, •
how they said, ‘Down with it, down with it,
even to the ground.’
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, •
happy the one who repays you
for all you have done to us;
9 Who takes your little ones, •
and dashes them against the rock.
when we remembered Zion.
2 As for our lyres, we hung them up •
on the willows that grow in that land.
3 For there our captors asked for a song,
our tormentors called for mirth: •
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song •
in a strange land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, •
let my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you, •
if I set not Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against the people of Edom
the day of Jerusalem, •
how they said, ‘Down with it, down with it,
even to the ground.’
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, •
happy the one who repays you
for all you have done to us;
9 Who takes your little ones, •
and dashes them against the rock.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Holy Spirit, sanctifier, cleans us from all hypocrisy, unite us to one another in the bonds of peace and love, and confirm us in holiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
Nehemiah 9:1–23 (Listen)
The People of Israel Confess Their Sin
9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. 2 And the Israelites1 separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. 4 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
26 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. 7 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.
9 “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, 10 and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. 11 And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. 12 By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.
16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.3 But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden4 calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
22 “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess.
Footnotes
[1] 9:2
[2] 9:5
[3] 9:17
[4] 9:18
(ESV)
Romans 16:1–16 (Listen)
Personal Greetings
16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant1 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert2 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,3 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,4 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers5 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
Footnotes
[1] 16:1
[2] 16:5
[3] 16:7
[4] 16:7
[5] 16:14
(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 to the Lamb
You are worthy, our Lord and God:
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things:
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain:
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God:
and they will reign with you on earth.
To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things:
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain:
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God:
and they will reign with you on earth.
To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 4:11; 5:9b-10
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
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray: and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. 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 the God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, restore, establish, strengthen us. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10-11