A Service of Prayer at Midday
October 19, 2023
Invocation
In the name of the Father, + Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dialogue
Jesus Christ is the light of the world
The light that shines perpetually.
Be with us Lord, in the tasks of this day.
Your light shines over all.
Let your light scatter any darkness
And illumine your church and its people.
Psalmody
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to the Lord with psalms.
For you, Lord, are a great God,
and a great ruler above all gods.
Come, let us sing to the Lord:
let us shout or joy to the rock of our salvation.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
the heights of the hills are also yours.
The sea is yours, for you made it;
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us sing to the Lord:
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
For the Lord is our God,
and we are the people of God’s pasture
and the sheep of God’s hand.
Come, let us sing to the Lord:
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
This is the day that the Lord has made
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Collect:
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, you are with us in this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purposes through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Commemoration
Teresa of Avila, teacher, renewer of the church, died 1582
A mystical writer and reformer of the monastic order (Carmelites) to which she belonged, Teresa may also be commemorated with John of the Cross on December 14. Latino Christians traditionally remember her on this date.
Psalm 96
1O sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10Say among the nations, "The LORD is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity."
11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13before the LORD; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
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.
Readings
Song of Solomon 2:16, 7:10-13
2:16My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
7:10I am my beloved's,
and his desire is for me.
11Come, my beloved,
let us go forth into the fields,
and lodge in the villages;
12let us go out early to the vineyards,
and see whether the vines have budded,
whether the grape blossoms have opened
and the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
13The mandrakes give forth fragrance,
and over our doors are all choice fruits,
new as well as old,
which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Isaiah 45:1-7
1Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him —
and the gates shall not be closed:
2I will go before you
and level the mountains,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you may know that it is I, the LORD,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I surname you, though you do not know me.
5I am the LORD, and there is no other;
besides me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know me,
6so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the LORD do all these things.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Reflection
Veni Creator
Come Lord, come down,
Come in, come among us.
Come as the wind to move us;
Come as the light to prove us;
Come as the night to rest us;
Come as the storm to test us;
Come as the sun to warm us;
Come as the stillness to calm us;
Come Lord, come down,
Come in, come among us.
To God the Father, who created the world;
To God the Son, who redeemed the world:
To God the Holy Spirit, who sustains the world
Be all praise and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Expression of Faith
Lord, you have always given
Bread for the coming day;
And though I am poor,
Today, I believe
Lord, you have always given
Strength for the coming day;
And though I am weak,
Today I believe.
Lord, you have always given
Peace for the coming day;
And though of anxious heart,
Today I believe.
Lord, you have always kept
Me safe in trials;
And now, tried as I am,
Today I believe.
Lord, you have always marked
The road for the coming day;
And though it may be hidden,
Today I believe.
Lord, you have always lightened
This darkness of mine;
And though shadows are here,
Today I believe.
Lord, you have always spoken
When the time was ripe;
And though I don’t hear your voice
Today I believe.
Prayers
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
or the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let u pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the health of the creation, for abundant harvests that all may share, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For public servants, the government, and those who protect us; for those who work to bring peace, justice, healing, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who travel, for those who are sick and suffering, and for those who are in captivity, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance in the time of affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all servants of the church, for this assembly, and for all people who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
A brief silence may follow.
Giving thanks for all who have gone before us and are at rest, rejoicing in the communion of all the saints, we commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to you, through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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.
Blessing
Go in peace
for you cannot go where God is not.
Go in love
for only love endures.
Go with conviction
and God will honor your dedication.
The blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit
be with us and remain with us forever.
Let us go then in peace
Amen
Liturgical Text from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, © 2006, 2020, 2022 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
"Veni Creator" and "Expression of Faith", The Northumbria Community, Celtic Daily Prayer, Book One, Andy Raine, compiler, HarperCollins, 2002.
