O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
Your faithful servants bless you.
AllThey make known the
glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
ruler and judge of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
In the darkness of this age that is passing away
may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy
surround our steps as we journey on.
May we reflect your glory this day
and so be made ready to see your face
in the heavenly city where night shall be no more.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God
1As the deer longs for
the water brooks, ♦
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2My soul is athirst for
God, even for the living God; ♦
when shall I come before the presence of God?
3My tears have been my
bread day and night, ♦
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
4Now when I think on
these things, I pour out my soul: ♦
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,
5With the voice of praise
and thanksgiving, ♦
among those who kept holy day.
6Why are you so full
of heaviness, O my soul, ♦
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7O put your trust in
God; ♦
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42.1-7
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: We will call on the name of the Lord our God.
1 May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, ♦
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from his sanctuary ♦
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings ♦
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your heart’s desire ♦
and fulfil all your mind.
5 May we rejoice in your salvation
and triumph in the name of our God; ♦
may the Lord perform all your petitions. R
6 Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; ♦
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, ♦
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen, ♦
but we are risen and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king ♦
and answer us when we call upon you.
Refrain: We will call on the name of the Lord our God.
Merciful God,
purify our hearts in the flame of your Spirit
and transform our toil into an offering of praise,
that we may reject the proud rule of might
and trust in Christ alone,
for he is our Lord for ever and ever.
Refrain: O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.
1 Lord, you have been our refuge ♦
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the earth and the world were formed, ♦
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us back to dust and say: ♦
‘Turn back, O children of earth.’
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday, ♦
which passes like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away like a dream; ♦
they fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; ♦
in the evening it is dried up and withered. R
7 For we consume away in your displeasure; ♦
we are afraid at your wrathful indignation.
8 You have set our misdeeds before you ♦
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; ♦
our years come to an end like a sigh.
10 The days of our life are three score years and ten,
or if our strength endures, even four score; ♦
yet the sum of them is but labour and sorrow,
for they soon pass away and we are gone.
11 Who regards the power of your wrath ♦
and your indignation like those who fear you?
12 So teach us to number our days ♦
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. R
13 Turn again, O Lord; how long will you delay? ♦
Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us with your loving-kindness in the morning; ♦
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Give us gladness for the days you have afflicted us, ♦
and for the years in which we have seen adversity.
16 Show your servants your works, ♦
and let your glory be over their children.
17 May the gracious favour of the Lord our God be upon us; ♦
prosper our handiwork; O prosper the work of our hands.
Refrain: O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.
Almighty God,
our eternal refuge,
teach us to live with the knowledge of our death
and to rejoice in the promise of your glory,
revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!
A Song of the New Creation, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 28 (page 579), number 46 (page 598) or number 47 (page 599), may be said
Refrain:
AllI will make a way in the
wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.
1‘I am the Lord, your
Holy One, ♦
the Creator of Israel, your King.’
2Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea, ♦
a path in the mighty waters,
3‘Remember not the former
things, ♦
nor consider the things of old.
4‘Behold, I am doing
a new thing; ♦
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
5‘I will make a way in
the wilderness
and rivers in the desert, ♦
to give drink to my chosen people,
6‘The people whom I formed
for myself, ♦
that they might declare my praise.’
Isaiah 43.15, 16, 18, 19, 20c, 21
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.
AllI will make a way in the
wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
Allmy lips shall proclaim
your faithfulness.
The heavens bear witness to your wonders;
AllI will sing for ever
of your love, O Lord.
The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth;
Allmy lips shall proclaim
your faithfulness.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
AllI will sing for ever
of your love, O Lord,
my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
from Psalm 89
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song
of the Church) (page 636) may be said
Refrain:
AllYou will guide us with your
counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.
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:
AllYou will guide us with your
counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.
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
¶ The saints on earth, that they may live as
citizens of heaven
¶ All people, that they may hear and believe
the word of God
¶ All who fear the winter months
¶ All sovereigns and political leaders, that
they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
¶ All who grieve or wait with the dying
A form of prayer found on page 384 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
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
Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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)
Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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 Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
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.