Morning Prayer 27.5.23, Saturday in Easter 7

Mortal, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will reside among the people of Israel forever.

Two-time Indianapolis “500” winner Takuma Sato won Friday’s Carb Day, the last day of practice before Sunday’s race. (Michael Conroy/AP)

Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Hebrews 9:24

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

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.

Christ Our Passover
1 Cor. 5:7-8; Rom. 6:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:20-22

Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

Christ has been raised from the dead, *
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Psalm 107:33-43

33 The LORD changed rivers into deserts, *
and water-springs into thirsty ground,
34 A fruitful land into salt flats, *
because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
35 God changed deserts into pools of water *
and dry land into water-springs.
36 God settled the hungry there, *
and they founded a city to dwell in.
37 They sowed fields, and planted vineyards, *
and brought in a fruitful harvest.
38 God blessed them, so that they increased greatly; *
God did not let their herds decrease.
39 Yet when they were diminished and brought low, *
through stress of adversity and sorrow,
40 (God pours contempt on nobles *
and makes them wander in trackless wastes)
41 God lifted up the poor out of misery *
and multiplied their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The upright will see this and rejoice, *
but all wickedness will shut its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, *
and consider well the mercies of the LORD.

Psalm 108:1-6

1 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *
I will sing and make melody.
2 Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp; *
I myself will waken the dawn.
3 I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD; *
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *
and your glory over all the earth.
6 So that those who are dear to you may be delivered, *
save with your right hand and answer me.

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.

David J. Hetland: The River of Life flowing from the altar of the Temple, described by the prophet Ezekiel and installed at Grace Lutheran Church, Elgin, Texas.

THE LESSONS
Ezekiel 43:1-12 (NRSV)

Then he brought me to the gate, the gate facing east. And there, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east; the sound was like the sound of mighty waters; and the earth shone with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like the vision that I had seen by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the inner court; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me out of the temple. He said to me: Mortal, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will reside among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their whoring, and by the corpses of their kings at their death. When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by their abominations that they committed; therefore I have consumed them in my anger. Now let them put away their idolatry and the corpses of their kings far from me, and I will reside among them forever.

As for you, mortal, describe the temple to the house of Israel, and let them measure the pattern; and let them be ashamed of their iniquities. When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the plan of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, and its whole form—all its ordinances and its entire plan and all its laws; and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe and follow the entire plan and all its ordinances. This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. This is the law of the temple.

Sarah Fisher and the 2023 Indianapolis “500” pace car, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. (IMS)

Benedicite Indiana
By Josh Thomas

Give thanks to our God who is gracious and good;
whose lovingkindness embraces us for ever.
You sun and moon, stars of the wide sky:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Pink dawn and red sunset, dark night and bright day:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
All hills of the south and plains of the north:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You rivers and lakes, bubbling springs and mud creeks:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
From the banks of the Wabash, Ohio, and White:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You catfish and walleyes, you bass of all stripes,
bluegills and crappies, salmon and pike:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You maples and hickories, sycamores and tall pines:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Pumas and owls, you chipmunks and snakes,
cardinals, bluejays, finches, titmice:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You cranes of the sand, blowing winds of the dunes:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
O cornstalks, O soybeans, O cattle, O sheep!
Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Miamis and Weas, you Builders of Mounds,
Potawatomis, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Munsees:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Boilermakers, Hoosiers, you racers and pacers:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Forgers of steel and crafters of prose:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Composers and rockers, actors on cue:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Astronauts, pharmacists, painters and clowns:
praise you our God in a Top Ten List.
Soldiers of Lincoln, abolitionists underground,
escapees, upbuilders, you settlers who stayed:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
All colors, all nations, a rainbow array:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You saints and martyrs of this good green land:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You prophets and priests, lay readers and guilds:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
All children and elders, all women and men:
for Indiana, we give God
our thanks and our praise.

Cutaway illustration of Solomon’s Temple. (Center for Online Jewish Studies)

Hebrews 9:1-14 (NRSV)

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.

Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties; but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing. This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.

But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

Canticle: A Song of the Heavenly City
Revelation 21:22-26, 22:1-4

I saw no temple in the city, *
for its temple is the God of surpassing strength and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, *
for the glory of God shines on it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
By its light the nations shall walk, *
and the rulers of the world lay their honor and glory there.
Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; *
into it they will bring the honor and glory of nations.
I saw the clean river of the water of life, bright as crystal, *
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The tree of life spanned the river, giving fruit every month, *
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
All curses cease where the throne of God and the Lamb stands,
and all servants give worship there; *
there they will see God’s face, whose Name shall be on their foreheads.

(source unknown)

Luke 11:14-23 (NRSV)

Now Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? — for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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

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.

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.

Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, on Monument Circle downtown, designed by William Tinsley. (TEC)

Collect of the Day: 7th Sunday of Easter: Sunday after Ascension Day

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

A Collect for Saturdays

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Evangelists
© Daily Office Network

Lord Christ, help your people to seek opportunities to share a word about you with others. Move us beyond our shyness and fear, so that we can speak the word you give. Guide us to speak a true word and a good one, so we attract, not repel; and touch our ears that we may listen first, before we trust our tongues to speak in your Name. Amen.

Saturday Morning Prayer List

For Those Seeking God’s Will
Scotty, discernment
Elizabeth
Diocesan Commissions on Ministry

For Religious Orders
Community of St. Mary at the Cross, UK
Community of St. Mary the Virgin, UK
Community of the Blessed Lady Mary, Zimbabwe
Community of the Gifts of the Holy Fire, Zimbabwe
Community of the Gospel, USA

Please add your own prayers here.

For Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

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++

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