1O come, let us sing to the Lord; ♦
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.

2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving ♦
and be glad in him with psalms.

3For the Lord is a great God ♦
and a great king above all gods.

4In his hand are the depths of the earth ♦
and the heights of the mountains are his also.

5The sea is his, for he made it, ♦
and his hands have moulded the dry land.

6Come, let us worship and bow down ♦
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7For he is our God; ♦
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

The canticle may end here.

8O that today you would listen to his voice: ♦
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
on that day at Massah in the wilderness,

9‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, ♦
though they had seen my works.

10‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, ♦
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”

11‘So I swore in my wrath, ♦
“They shall not enter into my rest.”’

Psalm 95

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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 142

Refrain: Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

1 I cry aloud to the Lord; ♦
to the Lord I make my supplication.

2 I pour out my complaint before him ♦
and tell him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my path; ♦
in the way wherein I walk have they laid a snare for me.

4 I look to my right hand, and find no one who knows me; ♦
I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for my soul. R

5 I cry out to you, O Lord, and say: ♦
‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

6 ‘Listen to my cry, for I am brought very low; ♦
save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

7 ‘Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name; ♦
when you have dealt bountifully with me,
then shall the righteous gather around me.’

Refrain: Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

God of compassion,
you regard the forsaken
and give hope to the crushed in spirit;
hear those who cry to you in distress
and bring your ransomed people to sing your glorious praise,
now and for ever.

Psalm 144

Refrain: Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God.

1 Blessed be the Lord my rock, ♦
who teaches my hands for war and my fingers for battle;

2 My steadfast help and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield in whom I trust, ♦
who subdues the peoples under me.

3 O Lord, what are mortals that you should consider them; ♦
mere human beings, that you should take thought for them?

4 They are like a breath of wind; ♦
their days pass away like a shadow. R

5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; ♦
touch the mountains and they shall smoke.

6 Cast down your lightnings and scatter them; ♦
shoot out your arrows and let thunder roar.

7 Reach down your hand from on high; ♦
deliver me and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of foreign enemies,

8 Whose mouth speaks wickedness ♦
and their right hand is the hand of falsehood. R

9 O God, I will sing to you a new song; ♦
I will play to you on a ten-stringed harp,

10 You that give salvation to kings ♦
and have delivered David your servant.

11 Save me from the peril of the sword ♦
and deliver me from the hand of foreign enemies,

12 Whose mouth speaks wickedness ♦
and whose right hand is the hand of falsehood; R

13 So that our sons in their youth
may be like well-nurtured plants, ♦
and our daughters like pillars
carved for the corners of the temple;

14 Our barns be filled with all manner of store; ♦
our flocks bearing thousands,
and ten thousands in our fields;

15 Our cattle be heavy with young: ♦
may there be no miscarriage or untimely birth,
no cry of distress in our streets.

16 Happy are the people whose blessing this is. ♦
Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God.

Refrain: Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God.

God our deliverer,
stir our weak wills,
revive our weary spirits,
and give us the courage
to strive for the freedom of all your children,
to the praise of your glorious name.

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.

Proverbs 30.1-9, 24-31

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.

Thus says the man: I am weary, O God,
   I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?
Surely I am too stupid to be human;
   I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
   nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
   Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
   Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person’s name?
   And what is the name of the person’s child?
   Surely you know!

Every word of God proves true;
   he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
   or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.

Two things I ask of you;
   do not deny them to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
   give me neither poverty nor riches;
   feed me with the food that I need,
or I shall be full, and deny you,
   and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I shall be poor, and steal,
   and profane the name of my God.

Four things on earth are small,
   yet they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people without strength,
   yet they provide their food in the summer;
the badgers are a people without power,
   yet they make their homes in the rocks;
the locusts have no king,
   yet all of them march in rank;
the lizard can be grasped in the hand,
   yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

Three things are stately in their stride;
   four are stately in their gait:
the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
   and does not turn back before any;
the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
   and a king striding before his people.

Canticle

A Song of Humility, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 33 (page 584), may be said

Refrain:

AllRaise us up, O God,
that we may live in your presence. Alleluia.

1Come, let us return to the Lord ♦
who has torn us and will heal us.

2God has stricken us ♦
and will bind up our wounds.

3After two days, he will revive us, ♦
and on the third day will raise us up,
that we may live in his presence.

4Let us strive to know the Lord; ♦
his appearing is as sure as the sunrise.

5He will come to us like the showers, ♦
like the spring rains that water the earth.

6‘O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you? ♦
How shall I deal with you, O Judah?

7‘Your love for me is like the morning mist, ♦
like the dew that goes early away.

8‘Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, ♦
and my judgement goes forth as the light.

9‘For loyalty is my desire and not sacrifice, ♦
and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. ’

Hosea 6.1-6

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.

AllRaise us up, O God,
that we may live in your presence. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Mark 9.14-29

When Jesus with Peter, James and John came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. He asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ Someone from the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.’ He answered them, ‘You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You spirit that keep this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!’ After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.’

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Forsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord of my salvation.
AllBe not far from me, O my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.

from Psalm 38

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or A Song of Praise (page 627) may be said

Refrain:

AllGive your people knowledge of salvation, O God,
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

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:

AllGive your people knowledge of salvation, O God,
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

Prayers

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 362–363

¶ The King, members of parliament and the armed forces
¶ Peace and justice in the world
¶ Those who work for reconciliation
¶ All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife
¶ Prisoners, refugees and homeless people

One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 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 God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

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)

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.

The Conclusion

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
AllAmen.

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