Morning Prayer

Thursday after  the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Psalm 122:1

Invitatory and Psalter                              BCP p. 80

Officiant Lord, open our lips.
People
   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.

Venite                                                      Psalm 95:1-7

The earth is the Lord’s for he made it: Come let us adore him.

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!

The earth is the Lord’s for he made it: Come let us adore him.

Psalm 37: Part I                                       BCP p. 633

Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.

For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and like the green grass fade away.

Put your trust in the LORD and do good; *
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

Take delight in the LORD, *
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.

Commit your way to the LORD and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.

He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.

Be still before the LORD *
and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.

Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.

For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but those who wait upon the LORD shall possess the land.

In a little while the wicked shall be no more; *
you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.

But the lowly shall possess the land; *
they will delight in abundance of peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous *
and gnash at them with their teeth.

The Lord laughs at the wicked, *
because he sees that their day will come.

The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow to strike down the poor and needy, *
to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.

Their sword shall go through their own heart, *
and their bow shall be broken.

The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the wicked.

For the power of the wicked shall be broken, *
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

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.

The Lessons

The First Lesson  Ecclus. 10:1-18

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

A wise magistrate educates his people,
   and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered.
 As the people’s judge is, so are his officials;
   as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants.
 An undisciplined king ruins his people,
   but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers.
 The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord,
   and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time.
 Human success is in the hand of the Lord,
   and it is he who confers honour upon the lawgiver.

 Do not get angry with your neighbour for every injury,
   and do not resort to acts of insolence.
 Arrogance is hateful to the Lord and to mortals,
   and injustice is outrageous to both.
 Sovereignty passes from nation to nation
   on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
 How can dust and ashes be proud?
   Even in life the human body decays.
 A long illness baffles the physician;
   the king of today will die tomorrow.
 For when one is dead
   he inherits maggots and vermin and worms.
 The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;
   the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.
 For the beginning of pride is sin,
   and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord brings upon them unheard-of calamities,
   and destroys them completely.
 The Lord overthrows the thrones of rulers,
   and enthrones the lowly in their place.
 The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations,
   and plants the humble in their place.
 The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations,
   and destroys them to the foundations of the earth.
 He removes some of them and destroys them,
   and erases the memory of them from the earth.
 Pride was not created for human beings,
   or violent anger for those born of women.

 

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

8. The Song of Moses                 Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18

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.

The Second Lesson  Luke 10:25-37

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

20. Glory to God                                       BCP p. 94

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.

The Apostles’ Creed                                BCP p. 96

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 Prayers                                              BCP p. 97

 

Officiant The Lord be with you.
People
   And also with you.
Officiant
Let us pray.

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,
            and the power, and the glory,
            for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages B

V.        Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R.
         Govern and uphold them, now and always.
V.
        Day by day we bless you;
R.
         We praise your name for ever.
V.
        Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R.
         Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V.
        Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R.
         For we put our trust in you.
V.
        In you, Lord, is our hope;
R.
         And we shall never hope in vain.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

A Collect for Guidance

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Prayer 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 for our own needs and those of others.

The General Thanksgiving                     BCP p. 101

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.

 

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 15:13