MORNING PRAYER Wednesday, 22 October 2014 Preparation O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. One or more of the following is said or sung: a prayer of thanksgiving (page 109), a suitable hymn, or A Song of God’s Glorious Name O Lord our governor, • how glorious is your name in all the world! Your majesty above the heavens is praised • out of the mouths of babes at the breast. You have founded a stronghold against your foes, • that you might still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, • the moon and the stars that you have ordained, What are mortals, that you should be mindful of them; • mere human beings, that you should seek them out? You have made them little lower than the angels • and crown them with glory and honour. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands • and put all things under their feet, All sheep and oxen, • even the wild beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fish of the sea • and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea. O Lord our governor, • how glorious is your name in all the world! Psalm 8 Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. This opening prayer may be said The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. Silence is 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. The Word of God Psalmody The appointed psalmody is said. Psalm 119.105-128 O deal with your servant according to your faithful love. Your word is a lantern to my feet • and a light upon my path. I have sworn and will fulfil it, • to keep your righteous judgements. I am troubled above measure; • give me life, O Lord, according to your word. Accept the freewill offering of my mouth, O Lord, • and teach me your judgements. R My soul is ever in my hand, • yet I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, • but I have not strayed from your commandments. Your testimonies have I claimed as my heritage for ever; • for they are the very joy of my heart. I have applied my heart to fulfil your statutes: • always, even to the end. R I hate those who are double-minded, • but your law do I love. You are my hiding place and my shield • and my hope is in your word. Away from me, you wicked! • I will keep the commandments of my God. Sustain me according to your promise, that I may live, • and let me not be disappointed in my hope. R Hold me up and I shall be saved, • and my delight shall be ever in your statutes. You set at nought those who depart from your statutes, • for their deceiving is in vain. You consider all the wicked as dross; • therefore I love your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of you • and I am afraid of your judgements. R I have done what is just and right; • O give me not over to my oppressors. Stand surety for your servant’s good; • let not the proud oppress me. My eyes fail with watching for your salvation • and for your righteous promise. O deal with your servant according to your faithful love • and teach me your statutes. R I am your servant; O grant me understanding, • that I may know your testimonies. It is time for you to act, O Lord, • for they frustrate your law. Therefore I love your commandments • above gold, even much fine gold. Therefore I direct my steps by all your precepts, • and all false ways I utterly abhor. O deal with your servant according to your faithful love. O God, save us from ourselves, from double standards and divided hearts, and give us light and life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Each psalm or group of psalms may end with Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle. 2 Kings 9.1-16 Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, ‘Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, “Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.” Then open the door and flee; do not linger.’ So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. He arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he announced, ‘I have a message for you, commander.’ ‘For which one of us?’ asked Jehu. ‘For you, commander.’ So Jehu got up and went inside; the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, ‘Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.’ Then he opened the door and fled. When Jehu came back to his master’s officers, they said to him, ‘Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?’ He answered them, ‘You know the sort and how they babble.’ They said, ‘Liar! Come on, tell us!’ So he said, ‘This is just what he said to me: “Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.” ’ Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, ‘Jehu is king.’ Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against King Hazael of Aram; but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. So Jehu said, ‘If this is your wish, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.’ Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, where Joram was lying ill. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram. Canticle A Song of the Word of the Lord, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 35 (page 586), may be said Refrain: Return to the Lord, who will have mercy, to our God, who will richly pardon. Seek the Lord while he may be found, • call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked abandon their ways, • and the unrighteous their thoughts; Return to the Lord, who will have mercy; • to our God, who will richly pardon. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, • neither are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, • so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ‘As the rain and the snow come down from above, • and return not again but water the earth, ‘Bringing forth life and giving growth, • seed for sowing and bread to eat, ‘So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; • it will not return to me fruitless, ‘But it will accomplish that which I purpose, • and succeed in the task I gave it.’ Isaiah 55.6-11 Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. Return to the Lord, who will have mercy, to our God, who will richly pardon. Scripture Reading One or more readings appointed for the day are read. The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence. Acts 27.1-26 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying, ‘Sirs, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. Since the harbour was not suitable for spending the winter, the majority was in favour of putting to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbour of Crete, facing south-west and north-west. When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. Since the ship was caught and could not be turned with its head to the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea-anchor and so were driven. We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground on some island.’ A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. For I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. And afterwards receive me with glory. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. from Psalm 73 Gospel Canticle The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or A Song of Redemption (page 620) may be said Refrain: You show mercy to our ancestors, and remember your holy covenant. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, • who has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, • born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets God promised of old • to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us, To show mercy to our ancestors, • and to remember his 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 him without fear, • holy and righteous in his sight 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 his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation • by the forgiveness of all 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. Luke 1.68-79 Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. Refrain: You show mercy to our ancestors, and remember your holy covenant. Prayers Intercessions are offered ¶ for the day and its tasks ¶ for the world and its needs ¶ for the Church and her life The cycle on pages 364–365 and the prayer on page 377 may be used. These responses may be used Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer (or) Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us. Silence may be kept. The Collect of the day is said Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us your gift of faith that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to that which is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer is said As our Saviour taught us, so we 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. 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. (or) Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us 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. The Conclusion The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:57:03 +0000
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