Morning Prayer

Lent
Jesus said, 'If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' Mark 8:34

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

Venite
The Antiphon:

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

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 121

⁽¹⁾ I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help? ⁽²⁾ My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. ⁽³⁾ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁽⁴⁾ Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁽⁵⁾ The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. ⁽⁶⁾ The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. ⁽⁷⁾ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. ⁽⁸⁾ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

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.

Psalm 122

⁽¹⁾ I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the LORD.' ⁽²⁾ Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! ⁽³⁾ Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, ⁽⁴⁾ Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

⁽⁵⁾ For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. ⁽⁶⁾ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you. ⁽⁷⁾ Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.' ⁽⁸⁾ For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you.'

⁽⁹⁾ Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.

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.

Psalm 123

⁽¹⁾ Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. ⁽²⁾ Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He has mercy on us. ⁽³⁾ Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. ⁽⁴⁾ Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorn of those who are at ease, With the contempt of the proud.

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.

Exodus Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.' ' ⁽²⁾ And Pharaoh said, 'Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.' ⁽³⁾ So they said, 'The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.' ⁽⁴⁾ Then the king of Egypt said to them, 'Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.'

⁽⁵⁾ And Pharaoh said, 'Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!' ⁽⁶⁾ So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, ⁽⁷⁾ You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁽⁸⁾ And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

⁽⁹⁾ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.' ⁽¹⁰⁾ And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, 'Thus says Pharaoh: 'I will not give you straw. ⁽¹¹⁾ Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.' ' ⁽¹²⁾ So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

⁽¹³⁾ And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, 'Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.' ⁽¹⁴⁾ Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, 'Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?' ⁽¹⁵⁾ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, 'Why are you dealing thus with your servants? ⁽¹⁶⁾ There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick!' And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.'

⁽¹⁷⁾ But he said, 'You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' ⁽¹⁸⁾ Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.' ⁽¹⁹⁾ And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, 'You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.' ⁽²⁰⁾ Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them.

⁽²¹⁾ And they said to them, 'Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.' ⁽²²⁾ So Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? ⁽¹⁾ Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians Chapter 14

⁽²⁰⁾ Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. ⁽²¹⁾ In the law it is written: 'With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,' says the Lord. ⁽²²⁾ Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. ⁽²³⁾ Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

⁽²⁴⁾ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. ⁽²⁵⁾ And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. ⁽²⁶⁾ How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ⁽²⁷⁾ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.

⁽²⁸⁾ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ⁽²⁹⁾ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. ⁽³⁰⁾ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. ⁽³¹⁾ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

⁽³²⁾ And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ⁽³³⁾ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. ⁽³⁹⁾ Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. ⁽⁴⁰⁾ Let all things be done decently and in order.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Mark Chapter 9

⁽⁴²⁾ But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. ⁽⁴³⁾ If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- ⁽⁴⁴⁾ where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' ⁽⁴⁵⁾ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched --

⁽⁴⁶⁾ where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' ⁽⁴⁷⁾ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- ⁽⁴⁸⁾ where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' ⁽⁴⁹⁾ For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

⁽⁵⁰⁾ Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.'

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

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
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.


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 in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and 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