Morning Prayer

STAND

Invitatory

Leader: And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Leader: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Leader: Come, let us sing to the Lord 
All: and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving 
  and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: The Lord is God, the mighty God, 
  the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth 
  and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, 
  the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Come, then, let us bow down and worship, 
  bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, 
  the flock he shepherds.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: 
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
  in the wilderness, 
when at Meriba and Massah
  they challenged me and provoked me, 
Although they had seen all of my works.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Forty years I endured that generation. 
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
  and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, 
  “They shall not enter into my rest.”

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: 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.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Hymn

The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Deliver’d from the lions’ might;
And John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became
The herald of Messiah’s name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to do
Such things as bring great praise to you;
Our spirits strengthen with your grace
And give us joy to see your face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
To you be every prayer addressed
And by all mankind be adored,
From age to age, the only Lord.

Tune: Erhalt’ uns, Herr L.M.
Music: J. Klug’s Geistliche Lieder, 1547
Text: Latin, sixth century
Translation: Maurice F. Bell, 1906, alt.

SIT

Psalmody

Leader: Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Psalm 84
Longing for God’s Temple

Here we do not have a lasting city; we seek a home that is yet to come (Hebrews 13:14).

Leader: How lovely is your dwelling place, 
Side 1: Lord, God of hosts.

Side 2: My soul is longing and yearning, 
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy 
to God, the living God.

Side 1:The sparrow herself finds a home 
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars, 
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

Side 2: They are happy, who dwell in your house, 
for ever singing your praise.
They are happy, whose strength is in you, 
in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.

Side 1: As they go through the Bitter Valley 
they make it a place of springs, 
the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They walk with ever growing strength, 
they will see the God of gods in Zion.

Side 2: O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, 
give ear, O God of Jacob.
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield, 
look on the face of your anointed.

Side 1: One day within your courts 
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God 
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.

Side 2: For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield; 
he will give us his favor and glory.
The Lord will not refuse any good 
to those who walk without blame.

Side 1: Lord, God of hosts, 
happy the man who trusts in you!

Side 2: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, 
and to the Holy Spirit:
All: as it was in the beginning, is now, 
and will be for ever. Amen.

Leader: Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Leader: Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord.

Canticle: Isaiah 2:2-5
The mountain of the Lord’s dwelling towers above every mountain

All peoples shall come and worship in your presence (Revelation 15:4).

Leader: In days to come, 
Side 1: the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.

Side 2: All nations shall stream toward it; 
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, 
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways, 
and we may walk in his paths.”

Side 1: For from Zion shall go forth instruction, 
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Side 2: He shall judge between the nations, 
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares 
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another, 
nor shall they train for war again.

Side 1: O house of Jacob, come, 
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Side 2: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, 
and to the Holy Spirit:
All: as it was in the beginning, is now, 
and will be for ever. Amen.

Leader: Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord.

Leader: Sing to the Lord and bless his name.

Psalm 96
The Lord, king and judge of the world

A new theme now inspires their praise of God; they belong to the Lamb (see Revelation 14:3).

Leader: O sing a new song to the Lord,
Side 1: sing to the Lord, all the earth. 
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

Side 2: Proclaim his help day by day, 
tell among the nations his glory 
and his wonders among all the peoples.

Side 1: The Lord is great and worthy of praise, 
to be feared above all gods; 
the gods of the heathens are naught.

Side 2: It was the Lord who made the heavens, 
his are majesty and state and power 
and splendor in his holy place.

Side 1: Give the Lord, you families of peoples, 
give the Lord glory and power, 
give the Lord the glory of his name.

Side 2: Bring an offering and enter his courts, 
worship the Lord in his temple. 
O earth, tremble before him.

Side 1: Proclaim to the nations: “God is king.” 
The world he made firm in its place; 
he will judge the peoples in fairness.

Side 2: Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, 
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice, 
all the trees of the wood shout for joy

Side 1: at the presence of the Lord for he comes, 
he comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world, 
he will judge the peoples with his truth.

Side 2: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, 
and to the Holy Spirit:
All: as it was in the beginning, is now, 
and will be for ever. Amen.

Leader: Sing to the Lord and bless his name.

Reading

Exodus 19:4-6

Lector: You have seen for yourselves how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

Responsory

Lector: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.
All: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

Lector: From those who would trap me with lying words
All: and from the hunter’s snare.

Lector: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

Gospel Canticle

Leader:I tell you assuredly, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Leader: Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; 
All: he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, 
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old 
  that he would save us from our enemies, 
  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers 
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 
to set us free from the hands of our enemies, 
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight 
   all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; 
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his 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 forever. Amen.

Leader: I tell you All: assuredly, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Intercessions

Leader: Praise to Jesus, our Savior; by his death he has opened for us the way of salvation. Let us ask him:
All: Lord, guide your people to walk in your ways.

Leader: God of mercy, you gave us new life through baptism,
All: make us grow day by day in your likeness.

Leader: May our generosity today bring joy to those in need,
All: in helping them may we find you.

Leader: Help us to do what is good, right and true in your sight,
All: and to seek you always with undivided hearts.

Leader: Forgive our sins against the unity of your family,
All: make us one in heart and spirit.

The Lord's Prayer

Leader: Remember us, Lord, when you come to your kingdom and teach us to pray:

Leader: Our Father, All: 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.

Concluding Prayer

Leader: God of mercy
free your Church from sin
and protect it from evil.
Guide us, for we cannot be saved without you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Dismissal

If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:

Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.

Leader: May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

Leader: Go in peace.
All: Thanks be to God.

In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Morning Prayer concludes:

Leader: May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.