Thursday –
Year 1 Proper 26
Morning Prayer
The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
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. Alleluia.
Come let us sing
to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come
before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to
him with psalms.
For the Lord is a
great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are
the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his
also.
The sea is his,
for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow
down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our
God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his
hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
Glory
be to the Father and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.
As it
was in the beginning, is now,
And will be forever. Amen.
70
1 Be pleased, O God, to
deliver me; *
O Lord, make haste to help me.
2 Let those
who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed; *
let
those who take pleasure in my misfortune
draw back and be
disgraced.
3 Let those who say to me "Aha!" and
gloat over me turn back, *
because they are ashamed.
4 Let
all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
let those who love
your salvation say for ever,
"Great is the Lord!"
5
But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
come to me speedily, O
God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O Lord, do not
tarry.
71
1 In you, O Lord, have I
taken refuge; *
let me never be ashamed.
2 In your
righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *
incline your ear to
me and save me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;
*
you are my crag and my stronghold.
4 Deliver me, my God,
from the hand of the wicked, *
from the clutches of the evildoer
and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O Lord God, *
my
confidence since I was young.
6 I have been sustained by you
ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my
strength; *
my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have
become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my
strength.
8 ` Let my mouth be full of your praise *
and
your glory all the day long.
9 Do not cast me off in my old
age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my
enemies are talking against me, *
and those who lie in wait for my
life take counsel together.
11 They say, "God has
forsaken him;
go after him and seize him; *
because there is
none who will save."
12 O God, be not
far from me; *
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13 Let
those who set themselves against me be put to shame and be disgraced;
*
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn and
reproach.
14 But I shall always wait in patience, *
and
shall praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall recount your
mighty acts
and saving deeds all day long; *
though I cannot
know the number of them.
16 I will begin with the mighty works
of the Lord God; *
I will recall your righteousness, yours
alone.
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young, *
and
to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18 And now
that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, *
till I
make known your strength to this generation
and your power to all
who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the
heavens; *
you have done great things;
who is like you, O
God?
20 You have showed me great troubles and adversities,
*
but you will restore my life
and bring me up again from the
deep places of the earth.
21 You strengthen me more and more;
*
you enfold and comfort me,
22 Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for
your
faithfulness, O my God; *
I will sing to you with the
harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing with joy when
I play to you, *
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, *
for
they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do me harm.
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.
After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron— this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.
Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.
This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to the priest Ezra, the scribe, a scholar of the text of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: ‘Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Peace.* And now I decree that any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who freely offers to go to Jerusalem may go with you. For you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, and also to convey the silver and gold that the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill-offerings of the people and the priests, given willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, and their grain-offerings and their drink-offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. Whatever seems good to you and your colleagues to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which you are responsible for providing, you may provide out of the king’s treasury.
‘I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths* of wine, one hundred baths* of oil, and unlimited salt. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, or wrath will come upon the realm of the king and his heirs. We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
‘And you, Ezra, according to the God-given wisdom you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River who know the laws of your God; and you shall teach those who do not know them. All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgement be strictly executed on them, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of their goods or for imprisonment.’
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
I will sing to
the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider
has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge;
*
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will
praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The
Lord is a mighty warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of
Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
the finest of
those who bear armor have been
drowned in the Red Sea.
The
fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths
like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might;
*
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be
compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you,
glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of
wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth
swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you
redeemed; *
with your might you brought them in safety to
your
holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
on the
mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for
yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has
established.
The Lord shall reign *
for ever and 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.
Reading
Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who have been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found; they are blameless.
Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live* on the earth—to every nation and tribe and language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgement has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.’
Then another angel, a second, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’
Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, ‘Those who worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or on their hands, they will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image and for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of* Jesus.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.’
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Canticle 20 Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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.
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
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.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Collect of the Day: Pentecost, Proper 26
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that
your
faithful people offer you true and laudable service:
Grant
that we may run without stumbling to obtain your
heavenly
promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for
ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, who divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Mission
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14