Easter 3 Morning Prayer, Wednesday 29th April 2020

Holy One, open our lips: and we shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to God, Source of all being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.  Amen.

OPENING

Wednesdays: From Psalm 18, Diligam te, Domine 

I love you, O Lord my strength, O Lord my stronghold,
my crag and my haven.
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.
I called upon the Lord in my distress and cried out to my God for help.
You heard my voice from your heavenly dwelling;
to your ears came my cry of anguish.

You reached down from on high and grasped me;
you drew me out of great waters.
You brought me out into an open place;
you rescued me because you delighted in me. 

READING: Colossians 1:15–23

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

Silence 

BENEDICTUS

PRAYERS
The power of the risen Christ sets us free from evil’s grip!
Lord, have mercy upon us.
The touch of the risen Christ heals our deepest wounds and sorrow!
Christ, have mercy upon us.
The life of the risen Christ swallows up our fear of death!
Lord, have mercy upon us.

WEDNESDAYS:
O Risen Christ, your heart exults and your soul rejoices:
comfort all who are living in sorrow.
Risen Lord, you come to transfigure our being:
kindle in us the fire of your love.
Risen Lord, in you our resurrection has already begun on this earth:
kindle in us the fire of your love.
Risen Lord, you come to fill our hearts with peace:
kindle in us the fire of your love.
Risen Lord, your Spirit burns away sadness in us:
kindle in us the fire of your love.
Risen Lord, you come to gather us in your Body, the Church:
kindle in us the fire of your love.

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

COLLECTS

WEDNESDAYS: Risen Christ, when we have the simple desire to welcome your love, little by little a flame is kindled in the depths of our being. Fuelled by the Holy Spirit, this flame of love may be quite faint at first. The amazing thing is that it keeps on burning. And when we realise that you love us, the trust of faith becomes our own song. Amen 

O God, who alone can bring harmony to the minds of your faithful people: give us grace to love the things you command, and to desire the things you promise; that, amid the uncertain changes of this world, our hearts may be firmly fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil; and bring us to life eternal. Amen.

Compiled with Materials from:  SEC Daily Prayer; Jim Cotter, Lectionary Resources; Taizé A prayer for each day; GS2016 Pointed Liturgical Psalter 2016 04 08; Chris Thorpe, Touching the Sacred.

A priest and poet in the Scottish Episcopal Church, exploring the workings of the Holy Spirit in Banchory .