I pledge my heart forever To serve with humble pride, This shining homeland ever, So long as earth abide. I pledge my heart this island As God and faith shall live, My work, my strength, my love And my loyalty to give. O green isle of the Indies, Jamaica strong and free, Our vows and loyal promises, O heartland ‘tis to thee. (Victor S. Reid) Today most churches are celebrating Independence. Here’s your morning prayer for today, August 3, 2014. Have a Blessed day Let me hear of your loving kindness in the morning for I put my trust in you. Show me the road that I must walk for I lift up my soul to you. Psalm 143:8 Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbour. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. 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. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. Father we come to you in the name of your Son Jesus our Redeemer, to offer you our worship, praise and thanksgiving. To you belong all power and glory. You are the source of all goodness. Let our worship bear witness to your peace and saving power. Through your Spirit may we ever rejoice in the abiding presence of our risen and ascended Lord. Amen The Te Deum Laudamus You are God: we praise you; * You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: * All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, * Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, * heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. * The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you; * Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, * and the Holy Spirit advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the King of glory, * the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free * you did not abhor the Virgin’s womb. You overcame the sting of death * and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. * We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, * bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints * to glory everlasting. Save your people and bless your inheritance:* govern and uphold them, now and always. Day by day we bless you* we praise your name forever. Keep us today, Lord, have mercy:* Lord, show us your love and mercy:* for we put our trust in you. In you, Lord is our hope:* let us not be confounded at the last. PSALM 146:4-9 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. 5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. Glory to the Father and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now: and shall be forever. Amen. Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 8:11-20 11 Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous[a] snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16 and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17 Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. 19 If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. THE BENEDICTUS Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel, * you have come to your people and set them free. You have raised up for us a mighty Saviour,* born of the house of your servant David. Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us from our enemies,* from the hands of all who hate us, to show mercy to our forebears, * and to remember your holy covenant. This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:* to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship you without fear: * holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High:* for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way, to give God’s people the 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 shall be forever. Amen. New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:8-16 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised.[a] 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’ 13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED (Magna et mirabilia) Revelation 15:3-4 O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done,* surpassing human understanding. Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth.* O King of all ages, Who can fail to do you homage, Lord and sing the praises of your Name?* for You only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you,* because your just and holy works have been revealed. Glory to the Father and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now: and shall be forever. Amen. The Gospel Reading: Mark 12:13-17 13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ 17 Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 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 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’S PRAYER 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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance; R. Govern them 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 upon 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. Let us Pray Collect of the Day: Independence O God our Father, whose will it is that your people should live in ordered societies; inspire the people of this nation with the spirit of justice, truth and love; and so guide our leaders, and all who make decisions on our behalf, that they may direct our affairs in righteousness and peace; that we may live in peace and harmony and to your honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. For Mission O God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; ; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever . Amen. For Families Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who places solitary persons in families: We commend to your continual care the homes in which your people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech you, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, and godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in marriage, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Let us pray for: Our needs and the needs of others; For those recovering from sickness; For the Unemployed Prayer of Dedication Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of your holy word. May it be a lantern to our feet, a light to our paths, and strength to our lives. Take us and use us to love and serve in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 Let us bless the Lord Thanks be to God.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 10:00:00 +0000