The Seventeenth Wednesday After Pentecost
Opening
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Come, let us worship God our King.
Come, let us worship Christ, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship Christ among us, our King and our God.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us. (3x)
Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
From Psalm 51
Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
A Psalm
Psalm 88
Domine, Deus
O Lord, my God, my Savior, by day and night I cry to you.
Let my prayer enter into your presence; incline your ear to my lamentation.
For I am full of trouble; my life is at the brink of the grave.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I have become like one who has no strength;
Lost among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
You have laid me in the depths of the Pit, in dark places, and in the abyss.
Your anger weighs upon me heavily, and all your great waves overwhelm me.
You have put my friends far from me; you have made me to be abhorred by them; I am in prison and cannot get free.
My sight has failed me because of trouble; Lord, I have called upon you daily; I have stretched out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead? will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?
Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave? your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
Will your wonders be known in the dark? or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?
But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why have you rejected me? why have you hidden your face from me?
Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death; I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind.
Your blazing anger has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me;
They surround me all day long like a flood; they encompass me on every side.
My friend and my neighbor you have put away from me, and darkness is my only companion.
Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The Readings
Ephesians 3:8–21
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks Be to God
Mark 11:23-26
New King James Version
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks Be to God
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 power of 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.
Examen
In God's presence, think through the day ahead:
the work you will do, the people you will encounter,
the dangers or uncertainties you face,
the possibilities for joy and acts of kindness,
any particular resolutions you need to renew,
consider what might draw you from the love of God and neighbor,
the opportunities you will have to know and serve God and to grow in virtue,
remember those closest to you and all for whom you have agreed to pray,
ask God's blessings, guidance, and strength in all that lies before you.
Gather up these thoughts and reflections in the words
Our Savior taught us to say:
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collects of the Day
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord, have mercy! (3x)
God, be gracious to us and bless us and shine Your countenance upon us and have mercy on us.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
The Father+ is my hope; the Son, my refuge; the Holy Spirit, my protection:
All-Holy Trinity, glory to You!
Amen!
Psalms from The Book of Common Prayer 1979
Scripture Readings:
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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