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Pray
Pray

Morning Prayer

Thursday after the First Sunday of Advent

Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210

Opening Sentence

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Amen.Isaiah 40:3

Confession of Sin

BCP p. 79/116

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

ost merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought,
word, and deed,
by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we 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.

Invitatory and Psalter

BCP p. 80

V:Lord, open our lips.
R: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 for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

Venite

BCP p. 82

Psalm 95:1-7

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

ome, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

Psalm 18: Part I Diligam te, Domine.

BCP p. 602

1

love you, O Lord my strength, *
O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.

2

My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *
my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.

3

I will call upon the Lord, *
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.

4

The breakers of death rolled over me, *
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.

5

The cords of hell entangled me, *
and the snares of death were set for me.

6

I called upon the Lord in my distress *
and cried out to my God for help.

7

He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; *
my cry of anguish came to his ears.

8

The earth reeled and rocked; *
the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of his anger.

9

Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth; *

hot burning coals blazed forth from him.

10

He parted the heavens and came down *
with a storm cloud under his feet.

11

He mounted on cherubim and flew; *
he swooped on the wings of the wind.

12

He wrapped darkness about him; *
he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.

13

From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, *
burst hailstones and coals of fire.

14

The Lord thundered out of heaven; *
the Most High uttered his voice.

15

He loosed his arrows and scattered them; *
he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.

16

The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare, *

at your battle cry, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

17

He reached down from on high and grasped me; *
he drew me out of great waters.

18

He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; *

for they were too mighty for me.

19

They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *
but the Lord was my support.

20

He brought me out into an open place; *
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

The First Lesson Isa. 2:12-22

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

or the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills; against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. The haughtiness of people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. The idols shall utterly pass away. Enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. On that day people will throw away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts in the crags, from the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. Turn away from mortals, who have only breath in their nostrils, for of what account are they?

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

8. The Song of Moses Cantemus Domino

BCP p. 85

Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18

will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.

This is my God and I will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.

The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.

The chariots of Pharoah and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
the finest of those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.

The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.

Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?

You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.

With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
with your might you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.

You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,

The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.

The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.


Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Second Lesson Luke 20:27-40

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke.

ome Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.

Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him another question.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Apostles’ Creed

BCP p. 96/120

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.

The Prayers

OfficiantThe Lord be with you.
PeopleAnd also with you.
OfficiantLet us pray.
The Lord’s Prayer

ur 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.

Suffrages
V.Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R.And grant us your salvation.
V.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R.Let your people sing with joy.
V.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R.For only in you can we live in safety.
V.Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R.And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V.Let your way be known upon earth;
R.Your saving health among all nations.
V.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R.Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V.Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R.And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
A Collect for Social Justice

lmighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

The Collect of the Day

lmighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Grace

ord 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.

A Prayer for Mission

ord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Prayers and Thanksgivings
  • Prayers
  • Thanksgivings
The General Thanksgiving

BCP p. 101/125

lmighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-
kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.

We bless you for our creation,
preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;

but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;

for the means of grace,
and for the hope of glory.

And,
we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,

not only with our lips,
but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,

and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

to whom,
with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages.
Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

BCP p. 102/126

lmighty 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.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.2 Corinthians 13:14

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