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 Happy the one whose transgression is forgiven, •
and whose sin is covered.
2 Happy the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, •
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 For I held my tongue; •
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all the day long.
4 Your hand was heavy upon me day and night; •
my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you •
and my iniquity I did not hide.
6 I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ •
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you
in time of trouble; •
in the great water flood, it shall not reach them.
8 You are a place for me to hide in;
you preserve me from trouble; •
you surround me with songs of deliverance.
9 ‘I will instruct you and teach you
in the way that you should go; •
I will guide you with my eye.
10 ‘Be not like horse and mule which have no understanding; •
whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.’
11 Great tribulations remain for the wicked, •
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; •
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
and whose sin is covered.
2 Happy the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, •
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 For I held my tongue; •
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all the day long.
4 Your hand was heavy upon me day and night; •
my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you •
and my iniquity I did not hide.
6 I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ •
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you
in time of trouble; •
in the great water flood, it shall not reach them.
8 You are a place for me to hide in;
you preserve me from trouble; •
you surround me with songs of deliverance.
9 ‘I will instruct you and teach you
in the way that you should go; •
I will guide you with my eye.
10 ‘Be not like horse and mule which have no understanding; •
whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.’
11 Great tribulations remain for the wicked, •
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; •
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, in the depths of their heart; •
there is no fear of God before their eyes.
2 They flatter themselves in their own eyes •
that their abominable sin will not be found out.
3 The words of their mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit; •
they have ceased to act wisely and to do good.
4 They think out mischief upon their beds
and have set themselves in no good way; •
nor do they abhor that which is evil.
5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens •
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; •
you, Lord, shall save both man and beast.
7 How precious is your loving mercy, O God! •
All mortal flesh shall take refuge
under the shadow of your wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the abundance of your house; •
they shall drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life •
and in your light shall we see light.
10 O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you •
and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, •
nor the hand of the ungodly thrust me away.
12 There are they fallen, all who work wickedness. •
They are cast down and shall not be able to stand.
there is no fear of God before their eyes.
2 They flatter themselves in their own eyes •
that their abominable sin will not be found out.
3 The words of their mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit; •
they have ceased to act wisely and to do good.
4 They think out mischief upon their beds
and have set themselves in no good way; •
nor do they abhor that which is evil.
5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens •
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; •
you, Lord, shall save both man and beast.
7 How precious is your loving mercy, O God! •
All mortal flesh shall take refuge
under the shadow of your wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the abundance of your house; •
they shall drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life •
and in your light shall we see light.
10 O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you •
and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, •
nor the hand of the ungodly thrust me away.
12 There are they fallen, all who work wickedness. •
They are cast down and shall not be able to stand.
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
Joshua 7:16–26 (Listen)
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise1 to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,2 then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.3
Footnotes
[1] 7:19
[2] 7:21
[3] 7:26
(ESV)
Luke 10:38–42 (Listen)
Martha and Mary
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus1 entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.2 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
(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 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, •
for it is good for the just to sing praises.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre; •
on the ten-stringed harp sing his praise.
3 Sing for him a new song; •
play skilfully, with shouts of praise.
4 For the word of the Lord is true •
and all his works are sure.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; •
the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made •
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers up the waters of the sea as in a waterskin •
and lays up the deep in his treasury.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; •
stand in awe of him, all who dwell in the world.
9 For he spoke, and it was done; •
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught; •
he frustrates the designs of the peoples.
11 But the counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever •
and the designs of his heart from generation to generation.
12 Happy the nation whose God is the Lord •
and the people he has chosen for his own.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven •
and beholds all the children of earth.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze •
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them •
and understands all their works.
16 No king is saved by the might of his host; •
no warrior delivered by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; •
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him, •
on those who wait in hope for his steadfast love,
19 To deliver their soul from death •
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits longingly for the Lord; •
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him; •
in his holy name have we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, •
as we have set our hope on you.
for it is good for the just to sing praises.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre; •
on the ten-stringed harp sing his praise.
3 Sing for him a new song; •
play skilfully, with shouts of praise.
4 For the word of the Lord is true •
and all his works are sure.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; •
the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made •
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers up the waters of the sea as in a waterskin •
and lays up the deep in his treasury.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; •
stand in awe of him, all who dwell in the world.
9 For he spoke, and it was done; •
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught; •
he frustrates the designs of the peoples.
11 But the counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever •
and the designs of his heart from generation to generation.
12 Happy the nation whose God is the Lord •
and the people he has chosen for his own.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven •
and beholds all the children of earth.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze •
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them •
and understands all their works.
16 No king is saved by the might of his host; •
no warrior delivered by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; •
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him, •
on those who wait in hope for his steadfast love,
19 To deliver their soul from death •
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits longingly for the Lord; •
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him; •
in his holy name have we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, •
as we have set our hope on you.
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
2 Chronicles 28 (Listen)
Ahaz Reigns in Judah
28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done, 2 but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, 3 and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering,1 according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
Judah Defeated
5 Therefore the LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force. 6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 from Judah in one day, all of them men of valor, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. 7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the commander of the palace and Elkanah the next in authority to the king.
8 The men of Israel took captive 200,000 of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. 10 And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have you not sins of your own against the LORD your God? 11 Now hear me, and send back the captives from your relatives whom you have taken, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.”
12 Certain chiefs also of the men of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war 13 and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. 15 And the men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them, and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kinsfolk at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king2 of Assyria for help. 17 For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. 18 And the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. 19 For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah act sinfully3 and had been very unfaithful to the LORD. 20 So Tiglath-pileser4 king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21 For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the LORD and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.
Ahaz’s Idolatry
22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD—this same King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the LORD, the God of his fathers. 26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
[1] 28:3
[2] 28:16
[3] 28:19
[4] 28:20
(ESV)
Romans 4:13–25 (Listen)
The Promise Realized Through Faith
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness1 of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Footnotes
[1] 4:19
(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