A Service of Prayer at Midday
August 24, 2023

Call to Worship

     Lord of All Hopefulness

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands are skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors and give us we pray,
Your strength in our hearts Lord, at the noon of the day.

Dialogue

O God, come to my assistance.

Make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Midday Prayer    
Holy God, at midday you give us a time of rest; may we accept it gratefully and be strengthened by it, to serve you and our neighbor through Jesus, the Christ our Lord. 
Amen.

Commemoration     

Psalm 138

 ¹I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
 before the gods I sing your praise;
 ²I bow down toward your holy temple
 and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
 for you have exalted your name and your word
 above everything.
 ³On the day I called, you answered me,
 you increased my strength of soul.
 ⁴All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
 for they have heard the words of your mouth.
 ⁵They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
 for great is the glory of the LORD.
 ⁶For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
 but the haughty he perceives from far away.
 ⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
 you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
 you stretch out your hand,
 and your right hand delivers me.
 ⁸The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
 your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
 Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Gloria Patri

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.

Reading    Romans 12:1-2, 9-18

¹I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.
⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Homily

Prayers        

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,
have mercy on us.

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 forever. Amen.

Show us your mercy, O God,
and grant us your salvation.

Give us the joy of your saving help again,
and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit.

Give peace in all the world;
for only in you can we live in safety.

Keep the nations 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 be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and sustain me with your Holy Spirit.

Lord, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come before you.