O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
Alland clothe us with power
from on high. Alleluia..
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, creator God,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters
bringing light and life to your creation,
pour out your Spirit on us today
that we may walk as children of light
and by your grace reveal your presence.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
a suitable hymn, or A Song of God’s Righteousness
1Bless the Lord, O my
soul, ♦
and all that is within me bless his holy name.
2Bless the Lord, O my
soul, ♦
and forget not all his benefits;
3Who forgives all your
sins ♦
and heals all your infirmities;
4Who redeems your life
from the Pit ♦
and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;
5Who satisfies you with
good things, ♦
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6The Lord executes righteousness
♦
and judgement for all who are oppressed.
7He made his ways known
to Moses ♦
and his works to the children of Israel.
8The Lord has established
his throne in heaven, ♦
and his kingdom has dominion over all.
9Bless the Lord, you
angels of his, ♦
you mighty ones who do his bidding
and hearken to the voice of his word.
10Bless the Lord, all
you his hosts, ♦
you ministers of his who do his will.
11Bless the Lord, all
you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; ♦
bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 103.1-7, 19-22
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
1 The Lord is king and has put on glorious apparel; ♦
the Lord has put on his glory
and girded himself with strength.
2 He has made the whole world so sure ♦
that it cannot be moved.
3 Your throne has been established from of old; ♦
you are from everlasting. R
4 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice; ♦
the floods lift up their pounding waves.
5 Mightier than the thunder of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, ♦
the Lord on high is mightier.
6 Your testimonies are very sure; ♦
holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever.
Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
Christ our King,
you put on the apparel of our nature
and raised us to your glory;
reign from your royal throne
above the chaos of this world,
that all may see the victory you have won
and trust in your salvation;
for your glory’s sake.
Refrain: O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; ♦
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name; ♦
tell out his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations ♦
and his wonders among all peoples. R
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; ♦
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are but idols; ♦
it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him; ♦
power and splendour are in his sanctuary. R
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; ♦
ascribe to the Lord honour and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; ♦
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; ♦
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is king. ♦
He has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity. R
11 Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; ♦
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
12 Let the fields be joyful and all that is in them; ♦
let all the trees of the wood shout for joy before the Lord.
13 For he comes, he comes to judge the earth; ♦
with righteousness he will judge the world
and the peoples with his truth.
Refrain: O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Lord God, you draw us by your beauty
and transform us by your holiness;
let our worship echo all creation’s praise
and declare your glory to the nations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: You, Lord, are most high over all the earth.
1 The Lord is king: let the earth rejoice; ♦
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him; ♦
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him ♦
and burns up his enemies on every side. R
4 His lightnings lit up the world; ♦
the earth saw it and trembled.
5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, ♦
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declared his righteousness ♦
and all the peoples have seen his glory. R
7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in mere idols. ♦
Bow down before him, all you gods.
8 Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced, ♦
because of your judgements, O Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are most high over all the earth; ♦
you are exalted far above all gods. R
10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; ♦
he preserves the lives of his faithful
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light has sprung up for the righteous ♦
and joy for the true of heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, ♦
and give thanks to his holy name.
Refrain: You, Lord, are most high over all the earth.
Most high and holy God,
enthroned in fire and light,
burn away the dross of our lives
and kindle in us the fire of your love,
that our lives may reveal the light and life
we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
The Israelites set out, and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were so numerous; Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.’ Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates, in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, ‘A people has come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have settled next to me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are stronger than I; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land; for I know that whomsoever you bless is blessed, and whomsoever you curse is cursed.’
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him Balak’s message. He said to them, ‘Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me’; so the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam. God came to Balaam and said, ‘Who are these men with you?’ Balaam said to God, ‘King Balak son of Zippor of Moab has sent me this message: “A people has come out of Egypt and has spread over the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.” ’ God said to Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.’ So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the officials of Balak, ‘Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.’ So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, ‘Balaam refuses to come with us.’
Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these. They came to Balaam and said to him, ‘Thus says Balak son of Zippor: “Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me; for I will surely do you great honour, and whatever you say to me I will do; come, curse this people for me.” ’ But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, ‘Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more. You remain here, as the others did, so that I may learn what more the Lord may say to me.’ That night God came to Balaam and said to him, ‘If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you to do.’ So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.
God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back on to the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck it again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’ Balaam said to the donkey, ‘Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!’ But the donkey said to Balaam, ‘Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you in this way?’ And he said, ‘No.’
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face. The angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely I would by now have killed you and let it live.’ Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, ‘I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home.’ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, ‘Go with the men; but speak only what I tell you to speak.’ So Balaam went on with the officials of Balak.
A Song of Ezekiel, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 45 (page 597), may be said
Refrain:
AllThe Spirit of God fills the whole world. Alleluia.
1I will take you from
the nations, ♦
and gather you from all the countries.
2I will sprinkle clean
water upon you, ♦
and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.
3A new heart I will give
you, ♦
and put a new spirit within you,
4And I will remove from
your body the heart of stone ♦
and give you a heart of flesh.
5You shall be my people,
♦
and I will be your God.
Ezekiel 36.24-26, 28b
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllThe Spirit of God fills the whole world. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people
Alland kindle in us the
fire of your love.
All who are led by the Spirit of God
are children of God and fellow-heirs with Christ.
AllCome, Holy Spirit, fill
the hearts of your people.
Renew the face of your creation, Lord,
pouring on us the gifts of your Spirit,
Alland kindle in us the
fire of your love.
For the creation waits with eager longing
for the glorious liberty of the children of God.
AllCome, Holy Spirit, fill
the hearts of your people
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
cf Romans 8
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or The Song of Christ’s Glory
(page 619) may be said
Refrain:
AllThey were faithful unto death
and God has given them the crown of life. Alleluia.
1Blessed be the Lord
the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for
us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets
God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our
ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God
swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him
without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall
be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge
of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion
of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who
dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1.68-79
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
AllThey were faithful unto death
and God has given them the crown of life. Alleluia.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365
¶ God’s royal priesthood, for empowerment
by the Spirit
¶ Those who wait on God, that they may find
renewal
¶ All people, that they may acknowledge the
kingdom of the ascended Christ
¶ The earth, for productivity and for fruitful
harvests
¶ All who are struggling with broken relationships
A form of prayer found on page 383 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
God of compassion and love,
by whose grace your servant Josephine Butler
followed in the way of your Son
in caring for those in need:
help us like her to work with strength
for the restoration of all to the dignity
and freedom of those created in your image;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
Church House Publishing.
The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002-2021.