Morning Prayer
The Preparation:
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
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Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all;
To you be glory and praise for ever!
[You founded the earth in the beginning
and the heavens are the work of your hands.]
As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us,
let the light of your love always shine in our hearts
and your praises ever be on our lips,
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
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The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us:
O come, let us worship.
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Opening Canticle: O Lord, Our Lord (Psalm 8)
O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?
You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honor;
You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
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The Opening Prayer
The night has passed and the day lies open before us; 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.
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The Word of God:
The Psalmody
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam, *
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown; *
God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *
what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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Psalm 48
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; *
in the city of our God is his holy hill.
Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the hill of Zion, *
the very center of the world and the city of the great King.
God is in her citadels; *
he is known to be her sure refuge.
Behold, the kings of the earth assembled *
and marched forward together.
They looked and were astounded; *
they retreated and fled in terror.
Trembling seized them there; *
they writhed like a woman in childbirth,
like ships of the sea when the east wind shatters them.
As we have heard, so have we seen,
in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; *
God has established her for ever.
We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O God, *
in the midst of your temple.
Your praise, like your Name, O God, reaches to the world’s end; *
your right hand is full of justice.
Let Mount Zion be glad
and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments.
Make the circuit of Zion;
walk round about her; *
count the number of her towers.
Consider well her bulwarks;
examine her strongholds; *
that you may tell those who come after.
This God is our God for ever and ever; *
he shall be our guide for evermore.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
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The First Lesson:
1 Kings 3:5-14
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life."
James 4:13-17; 5:7-11
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
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Canticle 2: A Song of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:2-7)
To us a child is born, to us a son is given;*
who is called Mighty God and Prince of Peace.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;*
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, upon them the light
has dawned.
You have increased their joy and given them great gladness;*
they rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest.
For you have shattered the yoke that burdened them;*
the collar that lay heavy on their shoulders.
For to us a child is born and to us a son is given,*
and the government will be upon his shoulder.
And his name will be called: Wonderful Counsellor; the Mighty
God;*
the Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace*
there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom,*
to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness.
From this time forth and for evermore;*
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
To us a child is born, to us a son is given;*
who is called Mighty God and Prince of Peace.
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The Second Lesson:
John 5:1-15
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids-- blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat." But he answered them, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'" They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take it up and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
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Gospel Canticle: The Song of Zechariah (Luke 1: 68-79)
To us is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,*
and all the heavenly hosts now sing, Glory to God in the highest!
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,*
and 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 for ever. Amen.
To us is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,*
and all the heavenly hosts now sing, Glory to God in the highest!
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The Apostles' Creed
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 power of 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.
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The Prayers
Let us give glory to God on high, who from his fullness have received grace upon grace.
For the holy Church of God throughout the world, that with one heart we may rejoice in the Word made flesh, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For good will in the hearts of all; and on earth, peace, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor, the outcast and the homeless; for the helpless, the lonely and the unloved, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have gone before us, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
With the blessed Virgin Mary, Saint N. and all the host of heaven, let our voices rise to praise God’s glory:
Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for others. Silence may be kept.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, let us pray in faith and trust:
The Lord’s Prayer:
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, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The Conclusion
May the grace of Christ our Savior be with us all.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Evening Prayer - Christmastide
The Preparation:
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Reveal among us the light of your presence,
That we may behold your power and glory.
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Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
creator of light and darkness,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As evening falls, you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
May your word be a lantern to our feet
and a light upon our path
that we may behold your coming among us.
Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness
and free our tongues to sing your praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
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Opening Canticle: I Love You, O Lord (from Psalm 18)
I love you, O Lord my strength,*
O Lord my stronghold, my crag and my haven.
I called upon the Lord in my distress*
and cried out to my God for help.
He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling;*
my cry of anguish came to his ears.
He parted the heavens and came down*
with a storm cloud under his feet.
He mounted on cherubim and flew;*
he swooped on the wings of the wind.
He wrapped darkness about him;*
he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds,*
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered out of heaven;*
the Most High uttered his voice.
You will save a lowly people,*
but you will humble the haughty eyes.
You, O Lord, are my lamp;*
my God, you make my darkness bright.
As for God, his ways are perfect;
the words of the Lord are tried in the fire;*
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
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The Opening Prayer
As your word, O Lord, gives light to our path, may we behold the glory of your presence and so rejoice to sing your praise, now and for ever.
Amen.
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The Word of God:
The Psalmody
Psalm 90
Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.
You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.
You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.
Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
When you are angry, all our days are gone; *
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and we are gone.
Who regards the power of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your indignation?
So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.
Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children.
May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
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Canticle 2: A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1:13-20)
Christ is the image of the invisible God,*
the first-born of all creation.
The Father has delivered us
from the dominion of darkness,*
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;
In whom we have redemption,*
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,*
the first-born of all creation.
For in him all things were created,*
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through him and for him,*
he is before all things
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church,*
he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead.
For it pleased God that in him
all fullness should dwell,*
and through him all things be reconciled to himself.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Christ is the image of the invisible God,*
the first-born of all creation.
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The Lesson
Isa. 65:15b-25
You shall leave your name to my chosen to use as a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death; but to his servants he will give a different name. Then whoever invokes a blessing in the land shall bless by the God of faithfulness, and whoever takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of faithfulness; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my sight. For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord-- and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent-- its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
Revelation 21:1-6
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
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Gospel Canticle: The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)
When peaceful silence lay over all, and night was in the midst of her swift course:*
from your royal throne O God, down from the heavens, leapt your almighty Word.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
When peaceful silence lay over all, and night was in the midst of her swift course:*
from your royal throne O God, down from the heavens, leapt your almighty Word.
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The Apostles' Creed
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 power of 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.
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The Prayers
A Litany for the Evening
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful:
We pray to you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in the paths of peace and goodwill:
We pray to you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses:
We pray to you, O Lord.
That there may be peace in your Church and for the whole world:
We pray to you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit, in communion with (N. and with) all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ:
We pray to you, O Lord.
Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for others.
Silence may be kept.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, let us pray in faith and trust:
The Lord’s Prayer:
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, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The Conclusion
May the grace of Christ our Savior be with us all.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
