OPENING SENTENCES

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." Psalm 122:1

CONFESSION OF SIN

Most 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.

Silence for reflection

As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. Amen.

Lord, open our lips. *
And our mouths shall proclaim your praise!

MORNING PSALM

Psalm 97

The LORD is King;
let the earth rejoice; *
let the multitude of the isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are round about him, *
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

A fire goes before him *
and burns up his enemies on every side.

His lightnings light up the world; *
the earth sees it and is afraid.

The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, *
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

The heavens declare his righteousness, *
and all the peoples see his glory.

Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods! *
Bow down before him, all you gods.

Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments, O LORD.

For you are the LORD,
most high over all the earth; *
you are exalted far above all gods.

The LORD loves those who hate evil; *
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light has sprung up for the righteous, *
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, *
and give thanks to his holy Name.

God our king, you clothe the sky with light and the depths of the ocean with darkness. Among the peoples you work wonders, and rain terror upon your enemies. Do not try your servants by fire, but bring us rejoicing to the shelter of your home, where with your Son and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning
is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

MORNING SONG

Morning Star - the innocence mission

MORNING LESSONS

For those not receiving Evening Prayer emails, the lectionary OT & NT Lessons for today are 2 Samuel 14:1-20; Acts 21:1-14.

Mark 10:1-16

He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Silence for reflection

CONCLUDING PRAYER

In the morning, pray for:

the day and its tasks
the world and its needs
the Church and her life

Conclude with the Lord's Prayer and/or the following Collect:

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. *
Thanks be to God!