Mar 10, 2022

March 10, 2022
Lent

Today’s Readings: 

1. Psalm 27, The Lord shall keep me safe
2. Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18, Abram begins his pilgrimage
3. Philippians 3:2-12, Paul affirms the Abrahamic tradition

Intitatory

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

Opening Prayer

O God,

you who dwell on high,

and yet consider the humble 

in heaven and in earth 

in the sea and in all its depths, 

from the depths of our heart, 

we pray that you would strengthen 

our hearts for battle, 

our fingers for war, 

that in the morning 

we may be able to face

all trouble in our world,

and that we may not fail 

to be worthy to be your holy temple, O Christ;

you reign forever and ever.

Amen. [1]

The Hymn

Jubilate! Amen! 

By Samuel Longfellow

Lyrics:

Now on land and sea descending, 

Brings the night its peace profound; 

Let our vesper hymn be blending 

With holy calm around. 

      Jubilate! Jubilate! 

      Jubilate! Amen! 

Let our vesper hymn be blending 

With holy calm around. 

Soon as dies the sunset glory, 

Stars of heaven shine out above, 

Telling still the ancient story, 

Their Creator’s changeless love. 

      Jubilate! Jubilate! 

      Jubilate! Amen! 

Telling still the ancient story, 

Their Creator’s changeless love. 

Now, our wants and burdens leaving 

To God’s care who cares for all, 

Cease we fearing, cease we grieving; 

Touched by God our burdens fall. 

      Jubilate! Jubilate! 

      Jubilate! Amen! 

Cease we fearing, cease we grieving; 

Touched by God our burdens fall. 

As the darkness deepens o’er us, 

Lo! Eternal stars arise; 

Hope and faith and love rise glorious, 

Shining in the Spirit’s skies. 

      Jubilate! Jubilate! 

      Jubilate! Amen! 

Hope and faith and love rise glorious, 

Shining in the Spirit’s skies. [2]

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Morning Prayer

Almighty and most merciful Father,

we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. 

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, 

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;

and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.

O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Spare all those who confess their faults.

Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, 

to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.

Short Verse

Early in the morning I cry out to you,* for in your word is my trust. 

Psalm 119:147

Morning Reading

Psalm 27, The Lord shall keep me safe

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

to devour my flesh—

my adversaries and foes—

they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me,

yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,

be gracious to me and answer me!

“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”

Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,

you who have been my help.

Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,

O God of my salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,

and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,

for false witnesses have risen against me,

and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

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Midday Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that your people may recognize their weakness and put their whole trust in your strength, so that they may rejoice for ever in the protection of your loving providence; through Christ our Lord. Amen. [3]

Short Verse

Let your ways be known upon earth,* your saving health among all nations. 

Psalm 67:2

Midday Reading

Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18, Abram begins his pilgrimage

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. He journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, and there was strife between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

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Eventide Prayer

Lord Jesus, stay with me, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be my companion in the way, kindle my heart, and awaken hope, that I may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and in the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love toward me. Amen. † [4]

Short Verse

It is better to rely on the LORD* than to put any trust in flesh. It is better to rely on the LORD* than to put any trust in rulers. 

Psalm 118:8–9

Eventide Reading

Philippians 3:2-12, Paul affirms the Abrahamic tradition

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Concluding Prayer of the Church

*  This dwelling, O God, by Thee be blest; 

and each one who here this night does rest. 

*  May God be in my sleep; 

may Christ be in my dreams. 

May the Spirit be in my repose, 

in my thoughts, in my heart. 

In my soul always may the Sacred Three dwell. 

Amen. [5]

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Citations:

[1] Stratman, P. (2001). Morning Prayers. In Prayers from the Ancient Celtic Church (Kindle ed., p. 15). Rossway.

[2] Tickle, P. (2006). February. In The divine hours: Prayers for Springtime (Kindle ed., vol. 2, p. 117). New York, NY: Image Books.

[3] The Episcopal Church. (2018). Seasonal Blessings. In The Book of Occasional Services (PDF ed., p. 11). Then Episcopal Church. Retrieved November December 15, 2020, from https://episcopalchurch.org/files/lm_book_of_occasional_services_2018.pdf

[4] Tickle, P. (2006). February. In The divine hours: Prayers for Springtime (Kindle ed., vol. 2, p. 78). New York, NY: Image Books

[5] The Northumbria Community. (2015). Daily Prayer: Compline. In Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle ed., p. 92262). London: HarperCollins.