Evening Prayer 26.3.17, Fourth Sunday in Lent

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office, Episcopal Church, Family Life, Holy Eucharist, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Joy, Justice, Lent, Lutherans, Mission, Music Video, National Life, People We Shun, Persecution, Prayer, Refugees, USA

Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

Kelly Latimore: Holy Family. Others are calling it “Refugees.”

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: Light of the World
Phos hilaron

Light of the world in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows forth the work of God’s hands.
2 One day tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3 Although they have no words or language, *
and their voices are not heard,
4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.
5 In the deep has God set a pavilion for the sun; *
it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again; *
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; *
the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8 The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; *
the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Can people tell how often they offend? *
cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; *
then shall I be whole and sound,
and innocent of a great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, *
O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
3 Though its waters rage and foam, *
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
4 The LORD of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the holy habitation of the Most High.
6 God is in the midst of the city;
it shall not be overthrown; *
God shall help it at the break of day.
7 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
8 The LORD of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

9 Come now and look upon the works of the LORD, *
what awesome things God has done on earth.
10 It is the LORD who makes war to cease in all the world; *
who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.
11 ”Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”
12 The LORD of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

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.

Jesus bread, St. Mary’s, Harlem, New York City. (The Rev. K. Jeanne Person)

THE LESSON
Mark 8:11-21 (NRSV)

The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

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 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 it is 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.

(Diocese of California)

Collect of the Day: Fourth Sunday in Lent

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Sundays

Lord God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ triumphed over the powers of death and prepared for us our place in the new Jerusalem: Grant that we, who have this day given thanks for his resurrection, may praise you in that City of which he is the light, and where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of México

Sunday Evening Prayer List

For This Congregation
Our Asia-Pacific, British, North American & Spanish-language subscribers
Our Facebook group, Twitter followers & iTunes audience
Our Mission Board
Our Chaplain, Mother Gwen
Our Missioner, Deacon Maria
Our Honorary Deacon, Clint
Our Officiants, Cantors’ Guild & Production Team
Our Episcopal Visitor, +Catherine

A Collect for Mission

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfil now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21++

VIDEO: O love that will not let me go (St. Margaret, Albert Peace; George Matheson) – Westminster Chorus at Petrikirche, Dortmund, Germany, 2012

Evening Prayer 22.3.17, James DeKoven, Priest, 1879

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Australia, Calamity, Canada, Children, City Life, Creation, Episcopal Church, Fast, Gender & Sexuality, Holy Eucharist, Homeless Persons, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Joy, Justice, Lent, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Parish Life, Peace among Nations, Prayer, Prisoners, Refugees, South Africa, Syria, USA

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Mardi Gras parade in Sydney three weeks ago, attended by 250,000. (Reuters)

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

GENERAL CONFESSION

God of all mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives.
We have denied your goodness in each other,
in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the evil that enslaves us,
the evil we have done,
and the evil done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through our Savior Jesus Christ,
that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: O Gracious Light

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 81

1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the merry harp, and the lyre.
3 Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon, *
and at the full moon, the day of our feast.
4 For this is a statute for Israel, *
a law of the God of Jacob.
5 God laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, *
when the people came out of the land of Egypt.
6 I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *
“I eased their shoulder from the burden;
their hands were set free from bearing the load.”
7 You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: *
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you; *
you shall not worship a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *
“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
11 And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before me, *
and their punishment would last for ever.
16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy them with honey from the rock.

Psalm 82

1 God arises in the council of heaven; *
and gives judgment in the midst of the gods:
2 ”How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?
3 Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;
4 Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.
5 They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;
7 Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any leader.’”
8 Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

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.

Timothy Schmalz, sculptor: Jesus the Homeless. (Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star)

THE LESSON
John 8:12-20 (NRSV)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

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 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.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

James DeKoven window at St. Paul’s, Kankakee, Illinois indicates that this is an Anglo-Catholic congregation. He didn’t care so much about vestments or candles on the altar, which Protestant Episcopalians didn’t use back in his day, but he insisted on the Real Presence of Christ in the sacrament; thus his image here is flanked by two of the Body of Christ. (parish photo)

Collect of the Day: James DeKoven, Priest, 1879

Almighty and everlasting God, who led your servant James De Koven to honor your presence at the altar, and constantly to point to your Christ: Grant that all ministers and stewards of your mysteries may impart to your faithful people the knowledge of your presence and the truth of your grace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent

Give ear to our prayers, O Lord, and direct the way of your servants in safety under your protection, that, amid all the changes of our earthly pilgrimage, we may be guarded by your mighty aid; 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 Protection

O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

For the beauty of the Earth: the Bachalpsee in the Swiss Alps. (Wikipedia)

For the Beauty of the Earth

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Mbhashe, South Africa

Wednesday Evening Prayer List

For Disaster Victims
Tough new fighting on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria
Flooding in Southern California & the U.S. West
Drought in Southern Africa, India and Papua New Guinea
Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and Europe
Famine in Niger, Mali, Ethiopia, Yemen and South Sudan

For Prisoners
Matthew
The Rev. Andrew Brunson, missionary in Turkey

Prisoners of ISIS & Boko Haram: #BringBackOurGirls
Victims of human trafficking, including U.S. & Australian detainees
Guantanamo; political prisoners

The innocent, the guilty, the victims of crime
Children and families of prisoners
Prison chaplains and ministries, especially Sally & Francesca
John P. Craine House, diversion and prevention programs
Sr. Helen Prejean and all prison reformers
All who are condemned to die

For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience

O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.

Prayer for Mission

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.++

VIDEO: Light of the World (Lumina Lumii) – African Children’s Choir, 2012

Morning Prayer 20.3.17, St. Joseph, Guardian of Christ

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Civil Rights, Family Life, Greed, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Justice, Lent, Major Feast Day, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Prayer, Racism, Roman Catholic Church, Slavery, Students, USA

Mary’s husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

Senegalese historian and author Dr. Ibrahima Seck with his son and New Orleans attorney John Cummings, right, owner and restorer of the Whitney Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana, which we visited on our recent Daily Office retreat. Dr. Seck is the author of Bouki Fait Gombo: A History of the Slave Community of Habitation Haydel (Whitney Plantation), which our Vicar is now reading. Our visit to the old sugar cane plantation boggled our collective minds; it is the only plantation tour in the United States that tells the story from the slaves’ point of view. (museum photo)

We give thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12

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.

Psalm 100
Jubilate

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Psalm 132

1 LORD, remember David, *
and all the hardships he endured;
2 How he swore an oath to the LORD *
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not come under the roof of my house, *
nor climb up into my bed;
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *
nor let my eyelids slumber;
5 Until I find a place for the LORD, *
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 “The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *
we found it in the fields of Jearim.
7 Let us go to God’s dwelling place; *
let us fall upon our knees before God’s footstool.”
8 Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, *
you and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *
let your faithful people sing with joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake, *
do not turn away the face of your anointed.
11 The LORD has sworn an oath to David; *
and in truth will not break it:
12 “A son, the fruit of your body *
will I set upon your throne.
13 If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”
14 For the LORD has chosen Zion, *
and desired it for the holy habitation:
15 “This shall be my resting-place for ever; *
here will I dwell, for in Zion I delight.
16 I will surely bless the provisions of Zion, *
and satisfy its poor with bread.
17 I will clothe its priests with salvation, *
and its faithful people will rejoice and sing.
18 There will I make the horn of David flourish; *
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
19 As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *
but as for him, his crown will shine.”

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
Isaiah 63:7-16 (NRSV)

I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD,
the praiseworthy acts of the LORD,
because of all that the LORD has done for us,
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely”;
and he became their savior
in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

But they rebelled
and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
he himself fought against them.
Then they remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
his holy spirit,
who caused his glorious arm
to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
Like cattle that go down into the valley,
the spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
Look down from heaven and see,
from your glorious and holy habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The yearning of your heart and your compassion?
They are withheld from me.
For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.

Canticle: Song of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel; *
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty savior, *
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 you 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 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 will be for ever. Amen.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV)

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Canticle: We Praise You, O God
Te Deum laudamus

We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
All creation worships you,
the Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the 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 took our flesh to set us free
you humbly chose 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 to 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.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

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.

V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

(artist unknown)

Collect of the Day: St. Joseph

O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for Monday in the Third Week of Lent

Look upon the heart-felt desires of your humble servants, Almighty God, and stretch forth the right hand of your majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our heart to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday Morning Prayer List: Most Recent

Archbishop Terry Buckle, formerly Bishop of Yukon, lymphoma
Ann Brewster, chemotherapy
Ashlee, assault victim, and Jason, her husband
Ron Larson, prostate cancer
Sr. Charity, abdominal surgery and complications
Gary Sudyam, hit by car, spinal cord injuries
Kathie Inboden, Stage II pancreatic cancer
Julie, RSD, suicide attempt
Jeanetta MacKay, recurrence of cancer
Martha’s brother Marcus, departed
Arthur Wilbur, advanced Parkinson’s
Kimberly, looking for work
Vinton, Yvonne’s brother-in-law, departed
Marjorie, ovarian cancer
Nick, myeloma
St. James’s, Milwaukee, discernment
Fr. Doug Yarbrough, multiple sclerosis
Sr. Judy, breast cancer

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

For the Mission of the Church

Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21++

VIDEO: Those who love and those who labor (Dohmnach Trionoide, traditional Irish melody; Geoffrey Dearmer) – University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, 2015

Morning Prayer 20.2.17, Frederick Douglass, Prophetic Witness, 1895 [USA & Canada: Civic Holidays]

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Civil Rights, Healing, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Japan, Jesus Christ, Justice, Music Video, National Life, Prayer, Racism, Slavery, USA, War

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Today is Presidents Day in the United States and, in some parts of Canada, Family Day or other provincial holiday. George Washington, the first U.S. president, was an Episcopalian and worthy fellow; other presidents have not been. This painting by Gilbert Stuart is known as the Williamstown Portrait.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

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.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 106:1-18

1 Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, *
whose mercy endures for ever.
2 Can anyone declare the mighty acts of the LORD *
or show forth all God’s praise?
3 Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!
4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you have for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;
5 That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned as our ancestors did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.
7 In Egypt they did not consider your marvelous works,
nor remember the abundance of your love; *
they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 But you saved them for your Name’s sake, *
to make your power known.
9 The LORD rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, *
God led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 The LORD saved them from the hand of those who hated them *
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their oppressors; *
not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed the words of the LORD *
and sang out songs of praise.

13 But they soon forgot the deeds of the LORD *
and did not await divine counsel.
14 A craving seized them in the wilderness, *
and they put God to the test in the desert.
15 God gave them what they asked, *
but sent leanness into their soul.
16 They envied Moses in the camp, *
and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan *
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed up against their company, *
and flames devoured the wicked.

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.

Hendrick Goltzius, 1576: Orpah (right) Leaves Ruth and Naomi

THE LESSONS
Ruth 1:1-14 (NRSV)

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Canticle: A Song of Hannah
1 Samuel 2:1-8

My heart exults in you, O God; *
my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, *
for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *
Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, *
those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *
while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *
gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; *
and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers *
and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s *
on which the whole earth is founded.

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.

On the 75th anniversary of the U.S. dispossession and internment of Japanese-Americans, Google commemorated Fred Korematsu, a citizen who was rounded up and shipped off, but challenged the constitutionality of Franklin Roosevelt's order, handed down two months after Pearl Harbor. The first time, plaintiff Korematsu lost, in one of the worst Supreme Court decisions of all time; he was shunned by many Japanese-Americans for causing trouble. But 40 years later an accidental discovery of once-classified evidence vindicated him; Roosevelt and government lawyers lied through their teeth claiming a military justification; the real reason was to give the public a scapegoat. (google.com)

On the 75th anniversary yesterday of the U.S. dispossession and internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II, Google commemorated Fred Korematsu, one of 120,000 citizens rounded up, who dared to challenge the constitutionality of President Franklin Roosevelt’s order, handed down two months after Pearl Harbor. The first time plaintiff Korematsu lost one of the worst Supreme Court decisions of all time; he was then shunned by many Japanese-Americans for causing trouble. But 40 years later an accidental discovery of once-classified evidence vindicated him. Roosevelt and government lawyers lied through their teeth claiming a military justification; the real reason was to encourage anti-Japanese racism and give the public a scapegoat. The best that can be said for Roosevelt, an Episcopalian, in this case is that he hoped the end justified the means. (google.com)

2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (NRSV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we also are suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Canticle: A Song of Christ’s Humility
Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.

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.

Leonard Perkins: Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1943; at the height of World War II his sign reads, This Machine Kills Fascists." (Al Aumiller/New York World-Telegram and The Sun)

American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1943: This Machine Kills Fascists. (Al Aumiller/New York World-Telegram and The Sun)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

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

Frederick Douglass, the renowned U.S. abolitionist orator, was born into slavery in 1818, learned to read, was converted to Christ in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and escaped his master at the age of 20 to spend the rest of his life working to liberate African-Americans. He went on speaking tours, but the more famous he became, the more he had to worry about being captured and returned to slavery. He went to England in 1845 and while there, his American friends bought his freedom. He became a fierce critic of churches that refused to repudiate slavery.

Collect of the Day: Frederick Douglass, Prophetic Witness, 1895

Almighty God, we bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of people to a deeper obedience to Christ: Strengthen us also to speak on behalf of those in captivity and tribulation, continuing in the Word of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you and the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting. Amen.

For Social Justice

Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the Renewal of Life

Monday Morning Prayer List: Most Recent

Kathie Inboden, Stage II pancreatic cancer
Julie, RSD, suicide attempt
Jeanetta MacKay, recurrence of cancer
Martha’s brother Marcus, departed
Arthur Wilbur, advanced Parkinson’s
Kimberly, looking for work
Vinton, Yvonne’s brother-in-law, departed
Marjorie, ovarian cancer
Nick, myeloma
St. James’s, Milwaukee, discernment
Katherine, early Alzheimer’s, and her son Robert, early dementia
Fr. Doug Yarbrough, multiple sclerosis
Sr. Judy, breast cancer
Rev. Andrew Brunson, American missionary detained in Turkey
Gayle, age 80, will to live
Cameron Lacy, leukemia
Rayell Segerstrom, melanoma
Ron, brain cancer
Baylin, child with cancer, surgery recovery
Maureen, discernment

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

For the Mission of the Church

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

VIDEO: This Land Is Your Land (Carter Family; Woody Guthrie) – Bruce Springsteen, Live at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, 1985

Morning Prayer 19.2.17, Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Anglican, Children, Church Crime, Daily Office, England, Episcopal Church, Genocide, Greed, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Justice, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Prayer, Racism, Reconciliation, Repentance, Slavery, UK, USA

As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry led a pilgrimage to Ghana last month to visit historic sites used in the slave trade, and The Episcopal Church’s efforts through its Relief and Development fund to build up the local economy. Above, the PB and Massachusetts Suffragan Bishop Gayle Harris take a look at one of the British, Dutch and Portugese “castles” which lined Africa’s Atlantic coast to serve the slave trade’s Middle Passage. Human beings were kidnapped in the countryside, taken to camps, then marched to the sea to be loaded onto ships destined for the Southern U.S. and Caribbean islands. Both bishops’ ancestors likely passed through a place like this, along with an estimated 12-25 million others. (Reportage and photos by Lynette Wilson/Episcopal News Service)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

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.

Psalm 100
Jubilate

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the LORD, who is good; *
whose mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
“The mercy of the LORD endures for ever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron now proclaim, *
“The mercy of the LORD endures for ever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD now proclaim, *
“The mercy of the LORD endures for ever.”
5 I called to the LORD in my distress; *
the LORD answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is at my side, therefore I will not fear; *
what can anyone do to me?
7 The LORD is at my side to help me; *
I will triumph over those who hate me.
8 It is better to rely on the LORD *
than to put any trust in flesh.
9 It is better to rely on the LORD *
than to put any trust in rulers.
10 All the ungodly encompass me; *
in the Name of the LORD I will repel them.
11 They hem me in, they hem me in on every side; *
in the name of the LORD I will repel them.
12 They swarm about me like bees;
they blaze like a fire of thorns; *
in the name of the LORD I will repel them.
13 I was pressed so hard that I almost fell, *
but the LORD came to my help.

14 The LORD is my strength and my song, *
and has become my salvation.
15 There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:
16 ”The right hand of the LORD has triumphed! *
the right hand of the LORD is exalted!
the right hand of the LORD has triumphed!”
17 I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me sorely, *
but he did not hand me over to death.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20 ”This is the gate of the LORD; *
those who are righteous may enter.”
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the LORD has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Hosanna, LORD, hosanna! *
LORD, send us now success.
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD, who has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28 “You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you.”
29 Give thanks to the LORD, who is good; *
whose mercy endures 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 LESSONS
Isaiah 66:7-14 (NRSV)

Before she was in labor she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.
Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
she delivered her children.
Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
says your God.

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.

For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.

Canticle: Song of Zechariah
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 will be for ever. Amen.

The Presiding Bishop and other pilgrims from the House of Bishops and Episcopal Relief and Development after Eucharist at Most Holy Trinity Cathedral in Accra 22 January. The pilgrims visited ERD-sponsored development programs, including one that provides donkeys for women to use in agriculture, and the NetsForLife office, which combats malaria.

1 John 3:4-10 (NRSV)

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God. The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters.

Canticle: We Praise You, O God
Te Deum laudamus

A tour guide from the Pikoro Slave Camp in Ghana's Upper East demonstrates the use of the Punishment Rock; slaves who didn't submit were tied to the rock and left in the sun to die. New captives from Burkina Faso and Mali were held at camps like this one before being marched to one of the slave "castles" on the coast.

A tour guide from the Pikoro Slave Camp in Ghana’s Upper East Region demonstrates the use of the Punishment Rock; slaves who didn’t submit were tied to the rock and left in the sun to die. Half a million new captives from Burkina Faso and Mali were held at this camp.

John 10:7-16 (NRSV)

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

Christ the King Church, adjacent to XXX Castle, was the first Anglican church in Ghana; it replaced an Anglican chapel over the slave dungeons.

Christ the King Church, adjacent to Cape Coast Castle, was the first Anglican church in Ghana; it replaced an Anglican chapel over the slave dungeons.

Collect of the Day: Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing; Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Sundays

O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday Morning Prayer List: Our Donors: thank you!

2017 DONORS
as of yesterday

Intercessor – $50 – 99
Davidson Bidwell-Waite
Caroline Braun
Libbye Brooks
Leslie Bryan, in memory of Billy Bryan, in honor of Connie Bryan
The Rev. Denise Cabana
May B. Daw
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Dreisbach
Marilyn Engstrom
Patty Gotway
Jill Littlefield
Steve LoCastro
The McAskill Family, in honor of John Alexander McAskill
Dale McNeill
Julie Morris, in honor of dailyoffice.org
The Rev. Deacon Susan Reeve
Joseph Scholtes

Please add your own prayers here.

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.

The 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++

VIDEO: The spacious firmament on high (#409, Addison’s (London), John Sheeles; Joseph Addison, para. Ps. 19) – Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, 2010

Morning Prayer 17.2.17, Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda & Martyr, 1977

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Anglican, Church Crime, Episcopal Church, Family Life, Gender & Sexuality, Gun Violence, Homeless Persons, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Joy, Justice, Lay Ministry, Martyrs, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Ordination, Persecution, Poverty, Prayer, Terrorism, Uganda, USA

Be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.

A group of women in Yakima, Washington get together every Tuesday to knit and crochet together for a good cause: they make knockers out of yarn for women who have undergone mastectomies. They say the name makes people smile every time it comes up, which makes it easier to talk about a woman's practical needs and to offer support. Wendy Walker, second from left, is one of our webcasters and told us they were being interviewed this week for a feature story on the local news. (KNDO-TV)

A group of women in Yakima, Washington get together every Tuesday to knit and crochet for a good cause: they make knockers out of yarn for women who have undergone mastectomies. They say the name makes people smile every time it comes up, which makes it easier to talk about a woman’s practical needs and to offer support. Wendy Walker, at top, is one of our webcasters and told us they were being interviewed this week for a feature story on the local news. (KNDO-TV)

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. John 4:23

CONFESSION OF SIN

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 neighbors 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.

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.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Psalm 102

1 LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you; *
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
when I call, make haste to answer me,
3 For my days drift away like smoke, *
and my bones are hot as burning coals.
4 My heart is smitten like grass and withered, *
so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the voice of my groaning *
I am but skin and bones.
6 I have become like a vulture in the wilderness, *
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake and groan; *
I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.
8 My enemies revile me all day long, *
and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes for bread *
and mingled my drink with weeping.
10 Because of your indignation and wrath *
you have lifted me up and thrown me away.
11 My days pass away like a shadow, *
and I wither like the grass.
12 But you, O LORD, endure for ever, *
and your Name from age to age.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon it; *
indeed, the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants love its very rubble, *
and are moved to pity even for its dust.
15 The nations shall fear your Name, O LORD, *
and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For you, O LORD, will build up Zion, *
and your glory will appear.
17 You will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless; *
you will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written for a future generation, *
so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD.
19 For the LORD looked down from the holy place on high; *
and from the heavens beheld the earth;
20 To hear the groan of the captive *
and to set free those condemned to die;
21 That they may declare in Zion the Name of the LORD, *
and the praise of our God in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together, *
and the realms also, to serve the LORD.
23 The LORD has brought down my strength before my time; *
and shortened the number of my days;
24 And I said, “O my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days; *
your years endure throughout all generations.
25 In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, *
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
26 They shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment; *
as clothing you will change them,
and they shall be changed;
27 But you are always the same, *
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants shall continue, *
and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.”

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
Isaiah 65:17-25 (NRSV)

For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD—
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the LORD.

Canticle: A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7, 9

I called to you, O God, out of my distress, and you answered me; *
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, *
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and billows passed over me.
Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; *
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?”
The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; *
weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land beneath the earth, *
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O God, *
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; *
what I have vowed I will pay, for deliverance belongs to the Lord!

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.

They meant to say the first African-American *Presiding* Bishop. But Michael Curry’s Black History, all right – and so is the Union of Black Episcopalians. Joy!

1 Timothy 5:17-22 (NRSV)

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves to be paid.” Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest also may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I warn you to keep these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality. Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore.

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.

Mark 12:28-34 (NRSV)

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

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

V. Help us, O God our Savior;
R. Deliver us and forgive us our sins.
V. Look upon your congregation;
R. Give to your people the blessing of peace.
V. Declare your glory among the nations;
R. And your wonders among all peoples.
V. Do not let the oppressed be shamed and turned away;
R. Never forget the lives of your poor.
V. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you;
R. And your favor to those who are true of heart.
V. Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
R. So shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Archbishop Luwum with the infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who had him gunned down for protesting government-sanctioned rape and murder. Uganda is the most Christian country in Africa, and Anglican archbishops are influential public figures valued by the government as long as they don’t cause trouble. Luwum told the truth about Amin, so the dictator eliminated him.

Collect of the Day: Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda and Martyr, 1977

O God, whose Son the Good Shepherd laid down his life for the sheep: We give you thanks for your faithful shepherd Janani Luwum, who after his Savior’s example, gave up his life for the people of Uganda. Grant us to be so inspired by his witness that we make no peace with oppression, but live as those who are sealed with the cross of Christ, who died and rose again, and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer List

For Those Looking for Work or a New Project
Kimberly
Nyck
Tom

Financial Needs
For the Homeless
50,000 U.S. veterans (source: Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
Residents of tent cities and refugee camps
Those living in shelters, motels, cars, on the streets and in the woods

For the Poor of every nation
For the cold and hungry
For those who minister among them
Parish food pantries, gardens and orchards

For Those Facing Danger & Oppression
Christians persecuted in China, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Turkey India and Pakistan
Muslims persecuted in India, Myanmar, Europe, Canada & the USA
Hindus persecuted in Bangladesh
Jews persecuted all over the world
An end to racism in all its forms
All women and girls of the world
LGBTs in places of violence, especially youth worldwide
Victims of human trafficking
Archbishops Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim, Syria, abducted 3 years ago, fate unknown
Rev. Andrew Brunson, American missionary detained in Turkey

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Collect 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.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Webcast Dismissal
by Josh Thomas

O God, we’re ready to depart now to begin the rest of our morning. Thank you for this time together to worship you, to see and listen to each other over miles and time zones. We ask your blessing on the concerns and joys each of us has brought with us, that you will be with N., N., and each of our viewers as we go about our day. Be present in our encounters with others, and give us awareness of you in our solitude. Help us do good work and live good lives, in unity with your Son and Holy Spirit. And now, with one voice,

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time and now and for ever. Amen. Jude 24-25++

VIDEO: Akazooka (sources unknown) – Runyankole Rukiga Choir, All Saints’, Kabale, Uganda (Diocese of Kigezi), 2016

Evening Prayer 15.2.17, Thomas Bray, Priest & Missionary, 1730

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Creation, Evengelism, Human Trafficking, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Prayer, Prisoners, Science, UK, War

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

Yale University has decided to drop the name of racist U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun from one of its residential colleges and replace it with that of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist who helped develop fundamental ideas of programming during and after World War II, leading to the development of the COBOL programming language. She earned her Ph.D. at Yale. (Computer History Museum)

Prestigious Yale University in Connecticut has decided to drop the name of racist 19th Century U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun from one of its residential colleges and replace it with that of an alumna, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist who helped develop fundamental ideas of programming during and after World War II, leading to the development of the COBOL programming language, among a raft of accomplishments. She left the Naval Reserve at the mandatory age of 60, then was brought back to active duty two years later, and remained until her third and final retirement at 79. (Computer History Museum)

Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:15-16

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: O Gracious Light

Psalm 119:121-144

121 I have done what is just and right; *
do not deliver me to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for your servant’s good; *
let not the proud oppress me.
123 My eyes have failed from watching for your salvation *
and for your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your loving-kindness *
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; grant me understanding, *
that I may know your decrees.
126 It is time for you to act, O LORD, *
for they have broken your law.
127 Truly, I love your commandments *
more than gold and precious stones.
128 I hold all your commandments to be right for me; *
all paths of falsehood I abhor.

129 Your decrees are wonderful; *
therefore I obey them with all my heart.
130 When your word goes forth it gives light; *
it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant; *
I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me in mercy, *
as you always do to those who love your Name.
133 Steady my footsteps in your word; *
let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Rescue me from those who oppress me, *
and I will keep your commandments.
135 Let your countenance shine upon your servant *
and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears, *
because people do not keep your law.

137 You are righteous, O LORD, *
and upright are your judgments.
138 You have issued your decrees *
with justice and in perfect faithfulness.
139 My indignation has consumed me, *
because my enemies forget your words.
140 Your word has been tested to the uttermost, *
and your servant holds it dear.
141 I am small and of little account, *
yet I do not forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is an everlasting justice *
and your law is the truth.
143 Trouble and distress have come upon me, *
yet your commandments are my delight.
144 The righteousness of your decrees is everlasting; *
grant me understanding, that I may live.

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.

Parable of the vineyard and tenants; artist unknown.

THE LESSON
Mark 11:27—12:12 (NRSV)

Again Jesus and the disciples came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?”

When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

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 APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

It's hard to overestimate the influence of English priest Thomas Bray on world evangelism, as well as the Church in America. He founded two missionary organizations, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (seal, above) and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which have carried forth the crown of Christ for almost three centuries. The Bishop of London put him in charge of the churches in Maryland colony, which he visited long enough to develop great concern for the treatment of African slaves and Native Americans. He was a prison reformer; he suggested the founding of Georgia colony to Gen. Oglethorpe for the relief of honest debtors. We should have hundreds of churches named for him, but I can't find one.

It’s hard to overestimate the influence of English priest Thomas Bray on world evangelism, including the Church in America. He founded two missionary organizations, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (seal, above) and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which have carried the crown of Christ for almost three centuries. The Bishop of London put him in charge of the churches in Maryland colony, which he visited long enough to develop great concern for the treatment of African slaves and Native Americans. He was a prison reformer; he suggested the founding of Georgia colony to Gen. Oglethorpe for the relief of honest debtors, which took place in 1732, and fifty years later the First Fleet arrived at Sydney.

Collect of the Day: Thomas Bray, Priest and Missionary, 1730

O God of compassion, you opened the heart of your servant Thomas Bray to the needs of the Church in the New World, and to found societies to relieve them: Make the Church diligent at all times to propagate the gospel, and to promote the spread of Christian knowledge; 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 Protection

Atlantic puffin in winter plumage, at the U.S. National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland.

For the Beauty of the Earth

A Collect for Peace

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Machakos, Kenya

Wednesday Evening Prayer List

For Disaster Victims
Battle for Mosul continues to rage
Drought in Southern Africa, India and Papua New Guinea
Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and Europe
Famine in Niger, Mali, Ethiopia and South Sudan

For Prisoners
Matthew
The Rev. Andrew Brunson, missionary in Turkey

Prisoners of ISIS & Boko Haram: #BringBackOurGirls
Victims of human trafficking, including U.S. & Australian detainees
Guantanamo; political prisoners

For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience

Prayer for Mission

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.++

HYMN: Most High, omnipotent, good Lord (#406, Assisi, Alfred Morton Smith; Francis of Assisi) – Andrew Remillard, piano, 2015

Evening Prayer 13.2.17, Absalom Jones, 1st Black Episcopal Priest, 1818

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Children, City Life, Civil Rights, Episcopal Church, Evengelism, Genocide, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Joy, Justice, Mission, Music Video, National Life, Peace among Nations, Persecution, Prayer, Racism, Slavery, Students, Uganda, USA, War, Youth

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The Bosnian war criminal Ljubisa Beara has died in prison, convicted of helping direct the slaughter of up to 8000 Muslim men and boys in Srebenica in 1995, the worst genocide in Europe since the Nazis. He was indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal in 2002, then allegedly sheltered by the Bosnian government for two years before finally turning himself in two years later. An army colonel, he was convicted of personally supervising the beheading of up to 100 Muslims over a five-day killing frenzy, directing the digging of mass graves and flooding the area with spotlights so the killing could go on all night. (Michael Kooren/pool photo, 2005)

The Bosnian war criminal Ljubisa Beara has died in prison, convicted of helping direct the slaughter of about 8000 Muslim men and boys in Srebenica in 1995, the worst genocide in Europe since the Nazis. He was indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal in 2002, then allegedly sheltered by the Bosnian government for two years before finally turning himself in. An army colonel, he was convicted of personally supervising the beheading of up to 100 Muslims over a five-day killing frenzy, directing the digging of mass graves and flooding the area with spotlights so the killing could go on all night. (Michael Kooren/pool photo, 2005)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: O Gracious Light

Psalm 89:19-52

19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: *
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; *
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 My hand will hold him fast *
and my arm will make him strong.
22 No enemy shall deceive him, *
nor any wicked man bring him down.
23 I will crush his foes before him *
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him, *
and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25 I shall make his dominion extend *
from the Great Sea to the River.
26 He will say to me, ‘You are my Father, *
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 I will make him my firstborn *
and higher than the rulers of the earth.
28 I will keep my love for him for ever, *
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29 I will establish his line for ever *
and his throne as the days of heaven.”
30 If his children forsake my law *
and do not walk according to my judgments;
31 If they break my statutes *
and do not keep my commandments;
32 I will punish their transgressions with a rod *
and their iniquities with the lash;
33 But I will not take my love from him, *
nor let my faithfulness prove false.
34 I will not break my covenant, *
nor change what has gone out of my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: *
‘I will not lie to David.
36 His line shall endure for ever *
and his throne as the sun before me;
37 It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, *
the abiding witness in the sky.'”
38 But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; *
you have become enraged at him.
39 You have broken your covenant with your servant, *
defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground.
40 You have breached all his walls *
and laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 All who pass by despoil him; *
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes *
and made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have turned back the edge of his sword *
and have not sustained him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his splendor *
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth *
and have covered him with shame.
46 How long will you hide yourself, O LORD?
will you hide yourself for ever? *
how long will your anger burn like fire?
47 Remember, LORD, how short life is, *
how frail you have made all flesh.
48 Who can live and not see death? *
who can escape from the power of the grave?
49 Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old, *
which you promised David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked, *
how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
51 The taunts your enemies have hurled, O LORD, *
which they hurled at the heels of your anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore! *
Amen, I say, Amen.

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.

He Qi: Entry into Jerusalem

THE LESSON
Mark 11:1-11 (NRSV)

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

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.

Absalom Jones and his friend Richard Allen led a walkout from their Philadelphia Methodist church when it tried to impose racial segregation one Sunday. They organized their own church, which eventually became St. Thomas’s African Episcopal Church, on the condition that Mr. Jones be licensed as a layreader and eventually ordained. (Delaware Art Museum)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

Members of St. Thomas African Episcopal Church, founded by Absalom Jones, at the dedication of a historical marker remembering him in Philadelphia in 2005.

Collect of the Day: Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818

Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear; that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servant Absalom Jones, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Monday Evening Prayer List: Thanksgivings

Ordination of Maria, Leslie, Teresa & Alissa
Our mission partners in Haiti, Liberia, Brazil and on the Rosebud Reservation
Those who give to food banks and pantries, and all who receive
Community Health Centers and Free Clinics

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Luwero, Uganda

A Collect for Mission

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++

VIDEO: Let everything that hath breath (Jeffrey L. Ames) – Montclair State University Singers, dir. Heather J. Buchanan, 2010

Morning Prayer 10.2.17, Friday of Epiphany 5

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Calamity, China, Episcopal Church, Gender & Sexuality, Homeless Persons, Human Trafficking, Hunger, Jesus Christ, Music Video, Persecution, Philippines, Poverty, Prayer

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners.

A fire in a slum in Manila Wednesday night left 15,000 people homeless and fleeing with whatever they could carry; children, pets, laundry baskets, a washing machine. The streets are too narrow for a fire truck to get through, so people were left to battle the blaze with plastic buckets. (Noel Celis/AFP)

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. John 4:23

CONFESSION OF SIN

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.

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.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Psalm 88

1     O LORD, my God, my Savior, *
by day and night I cry to you.
2     Let my prayer enter into your presence; *
incline your ear to my lamentation.
3     For I am full of trouble; *
my life is at the brink of the grave.
4     I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; *
I have become like one who has no strength;
5     Lost among the dead, *
like the slain who lie in the grave,
6     Whom you remember no more, *
for they are cut off from your hand.
7     You have laid me in the depths of the Pit, *
in dark places, and in the abyss.
8     Your anger weighs upon me heavily, *
and all your great waves overwhelm me.
9     You have put my friends far from me;
you have made me to be abhorred by them; *
I am in prison and cannot get free.
10     My sight has failed me because of trouble; *
LORD, I have called upon you daily;
I have stretched out my hands to you.
11     Do you work wonders for the dead? *
will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?
12     Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave? *
your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
13     Will your wonders be known in the dark? *
or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?
14     But as for me, O LORD, I cry to you for help; *
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
15     LORD, why have you rejected me? *
why have you hidden your face from me?
16     Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death; *
I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind.
17     Your blazing anger has swept over me; *
your terrors have destroyed me;
18     They surround me all day long like a flood; *
they encompass me on every side.
19     My friend and my neighbor you have put away from me, *
and darkness is my only companion.

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
Isaiah 61:1-9 (NRSV)

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;
but you shall be called priests of the LORD,
you shall be named ministers of our God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,
and in their riches you shall glory.
Because their shame was double,
and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot,
therefore they shall possess a double portion;
everlasting joy shall be theirs.

For I the LORD love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

Canticle: A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7, 9

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.

2 Timothy 3:1-17 (NRSV)

You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate silly women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires, who are always being instructed and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth. But they will not make much progress, because, as in the case of those two men, their folly will become plain to everyone.

Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

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.

Mark 10:32-45 (NRSV)

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

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

Church of the Holy Spirit, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. (Jim Henderson)

Church of the Holy Spirit, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, where Sunday services are held in Chinese and English. (Jim Henderson)

Collect of the Day: Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Fridays

Friday Morning Prayer List

For Those Looking for Work or a New Project
Kimberly
Nyck

For the Poor of every nation
For the cold and hungry
For those who minister among them
Parish food pantries, gardens and orchards

For Those Facing Danger & Oppression
Christians persecuted in China, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Turkey India and Pakistan
Muslims persecuted in India, Myanmar, Europe, Canada & the USA
Hindus persecuted in Bangladesh
Jews all over the world
Racism in all its forms
All women and girls of the world
LGBTs in places of violence, especially youth worldwide
Victims of human trafficking
Archbishops Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim, Syria, abducted 3 years ago, fate unknown
Rev. Andrew Brunson, American missionary detained in Turkey

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Collect for Mission

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Webcast Dismissal
by Josh Thomas

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

VIDEO: Now thank we all our God (#397, Nun danket alle Gott, Johann Cruger; Martin Rinckart, tr. Catherine Winkworth, alt.) – BBC “Songs of Praise,” 2011

Morning Prayer 20.1.17, Fabian, Bishop of Rome & Martyr, 250

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Josh Thomas under Aboriginal Peoples, Confession, Fast, Gender & Sexuality, Human Trafficking, Jesus Christ, Martyrs, Monastics, Music Video, National Life, People with Disabilities, Persecution, Prayer, Racism, Refugees, Repentance, Roman Catholic Church, Sexism, USA

Assemble yourselves and come together,
draw near, you survivors of the nations!

We ask your prayers today for the repose of the soul of Sr. Hilary of the Community of the Transfiguration in Cincinnati, Ohio; she died a week ago on her name day, the Feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers, and her funeral will be held this morning. “Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints of light.” (convent photo)

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. John 4:23

CONFESSION OF SIN

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.

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.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Psalm 31

1 In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O LORD, O God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, *
and I put my trust in the LORD.
7 I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; *
for you have seen my affliction;
you know my distress.
8 You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; *
you have set my feet in an open place.
9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.
10 For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12 I am forgotten, out of mind, as if I were dead; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.
13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.
14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD. *
I have said, “You are my God.
15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me.”
17 LORD, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; *
rather, let the wicked be put to shame;
let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against the righteous, *
haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt.
19 How great is your goodness, O LORD!
which you have laid up for those who fear you; *
which you have done in the sight of all
for those who put their trust in you.
20 You hide them in the covert of your presence from those who slander them; *
you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD! *
for you have shown me the wonders of your love in a besieged city.
22 Yet I said in my alarm,
“I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.” *
Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty
when I cried out to you.
23 Love the LORD, all you who are faithful; *
the LORD protects the pious,
but repays to the full those who act haughtily.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, *
all you who wait for the LORD.

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
Isaiah 45:18-25 (NRSV)

For thus says the LORD,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
“Seek me in chaos.”
I the LORD speak the truth,
I declare what is right.

Assemble yourselves and come together,
draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge —
those who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.

Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”

Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
shall come to him and be ashamed.
In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.

Canticle: A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7, 9

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.

Ephesians 6:1-9 (NRSV)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.

Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

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.

Jesus calms the sea; source unknown.

Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)

On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

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 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

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

Giovanni di Paolo, c. 1450: St. Fabian. He was a layman when he was elected Bishop of Rome by acclamation; it’s said that a dove landed on him in the midst of the crowd gathered for the election. As Pope he organized the parochial structure in Rome, appointed deacons and subdeacons to write the lives of martyrs so their memory wouldn’t be lost, and was himself executed for the faith by the Emperor Decius, in the first persecution carried out throughout the empire.

Collect of the Day: Fabian, Bishop of Rome and Martyr, 250

Almighty God, you called Fabian to be a faithful pastor and servant of your people, and to lay down his life in witness to your Son: Grant that we, strengthened by his example and aided by his prayers, may in times of trial and persecution remain steadfast in faith and endurance, for the sake of him who laid down his life for us all, Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For the Nation

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governors of the states and commonwealths, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

In Times of Conflict

O God, you have bound us together in a common life: Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Future of the Human Race

O God our heavenly Father, you have blessed us and given us dominion over all the earth: Increase our reverence before the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in making provision for its future in accordance with your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Fridays

Friday Morning Prayer List

For Those Facing Danger & Oppression
Journalists and truth-tellers
Refugees
Indigenous and Aboriginal peoples
People with disabilities
Citizens of Gambia
Christians persecuted in China, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Turkey India and Pakistan
Muslims persecuted in India, Myanmar, Europe & the USA
Hindus persecuted in Bangladesh
Jews in the USA and all over the world
Racism in all its forms
All women and girls of the world
LGBTs, especially youth, worldwide
Victims of human trafficking
Dissenters, nonconformists and misfits

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Collect for Mission

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Webcast Dismissal
by Josh Thomas

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

VIDEO: Creator of the Earth and skies (#148, unknown tune; Donald W. Hughes, alt.) – Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1996

Daily Office Asia-Pacific

Be Joyful in the Lord, All Ye Lands

Category Archives: Human Trafficking

Evening Prayer 26.3.17, Fourth Sunday in Lent

Evening Prayer 22.3.17, James DeKoven, Priest, 1879

Morning Prayer 20.3.17, St. Joseph, Guardian of Christ

Morning Prayer 20.2.17, Frederick Douglass, Prophetic Witness, 1895 [USA & Canada: Civic Holidays]

Morning Prayer 19.2.17, Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

Morning Prayer 17.2.17, Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda & Martyr, 1977

Evening Prayer 15.2.17, Thomas Bray, Priest & Missionary, 1730

Evening Prayer 13.2.17, Absalom Jones, 1st Black Episcopal Priest, 1818

Morning Prayer 10.2.17, Friday of Epiphany 5

Morning Prayer 20.1.17, Fabian, Bishop of Rome & Martyr, 250