Morning Prayer

Epiphany
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
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   Alleluia

Venite
The Antiphon:

ⓘ   A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 78

⁽¹⁾ Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ⁽²⁾ I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, ⁽³⁾ Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. ⁽⁴⁾ We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

⁽⁵⁾ For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; ⁽⁶⁾ That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, ⁽⁷⁾ That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; ⁽⁸⁾ And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁽⁹⁾ The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, ⁽¹¹⁾ And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. ⁽¹²⁾ Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

⁽¹³⁾ He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. ⁽¹⁴⁾ In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. ⁽¹⁵⁾ He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. ⁽¹⁶⁾ He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

⁽¹⁷⁾ But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. ⁽¹⁸⁾ And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. ⁽¹⁹⁾ Yes, they spoke against God: They said, 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? ⁽²⁰⁾ Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?'

⁽²¹⁾ Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, ⁽²²⁾ Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. ⁽²³⁾ Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, ⁽²⁴⁾ Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

⁽²⁵⁾ Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full. ⁽²⁶⁾ He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. ⁽²⁷⁾ He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; ⁽²⁸⁾ And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

⁽²⁹⁾ So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. ⁽³⁰⁾ They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, ⁽³¹⁾ The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. ⁽³²⁾ In spite of this they still sinned, AND did not believe in His wondrous works.

⁽³³⁾ Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. ⁽³⁴⁾ When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. ⁽³⁵⁾ Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. ⁽³⁶⁾ Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

⁽³⁷⁾ For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. ⁽³⁸⁾ But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; ⁽³⁹⁾ For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.

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.

Genesis Chapter 26

⁽¹⁾ There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. ⁽²⁾ Then the LORD appeared to him and said: 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. ⁽³⁾ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁽⁴⁾ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

⁽⁵⁾ because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.' ⁽⁶⁾ So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. ⁽⁷⁾ And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, 'She is my sister'; for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' because he thought, 'lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.' ⁽⁸⁾ Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.

⁽⁹⁾ Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, 'Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, 'She is my sister'?' And Isaac said to him, 'Because I said, 'Lest I die on account of her.' ' ⁽¹⁰⁾ And Abimelech said, 'What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.' ⁽¹¹⁾ So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, 'He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.' ⁽¹²⁾ Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

⁽¹³⁾ The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; ⁽¹⁴⁾ for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. ⁽¹⁵⁾ Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. ⁽¹⁶⁾ And Abimelech said to Isaac, 'Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.'

⁽¹⁷⁾ Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. ⁽¹⁸⁾ And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. ⁽¹⁹⁾ Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. ⁽²⁰⁾ But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, 'The water is ours.' So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.

⁽²¹⁾ Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. ⁽²²⁾ And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, 'For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.' ⁽²³⁾ Then he went up from there to Beersheba. ⁽²⁴⁾ And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.'

⁽²⁵⁾ So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well. ⁽²⁶⁾ Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. ⁽²⁷⁾ And Isaac said to them, 'Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?' ⁽²⁸⁾ But they said, 'We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,

⁽²⁹⁾ that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.' ' ⁽³⁰⁾ So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. ⁽³¹⁾ Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. ⁽³²⁾ It came to pass the same day that Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, 'We have found water.'

⁽³³⁾ So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Hebrews Chapter 13

⁽¹⁷⁾ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ⁽¹⁹⁾ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. ⁽²⁰⁾ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

⁽²¹⁾ make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ⁽²²⁾ And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ⁽²³⁾ Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. ⁽²⁴⁾ Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

⁽²⁵⁾ Grace be with you all. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 7

⁽⁵³⁾ And everyone went to his own house. ⁽¹⁾ But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ⁽²⁾ Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ⁽³⁾ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁽⁴⁾ they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

⁽⁵⁾ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' ⁽⁶⁾ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. ⁽⁷⁾ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' ⁽⁸⁾ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁽⁹⁾ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ⁽¹⁰⁾ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' ⁽¹¹⁾ She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

A Song to the Lamb       Revelation 4:11, 5:9 to 10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is,
and by your will they were created
  and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne,
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor,
forever and forevermore.

The Song of Zechariah Luke 1: 68 to 79

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.



The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  He descended to the dead.
  On the third day he rose again.
  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic Church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13