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.
Sing to the Lord a new song;* sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing to the Lord and bless his name;*
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations* and his wonders among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;*
he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;*
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!*
Oh, the power and the splendour of his sanctuary!
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;*
ascribe to the Lord honour and power.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due his name;*
bring offerings and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;*
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: ‘The Lord is king!*
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.’
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;*
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes,*
when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness*
and the peoples with his truth.
READING Galatians 1:8 – 2:10
But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us— we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
PRAYERS
For those times when our faith has seized up through fear,
and we have neglected the gifts of the Spirit: Lord, have mercy upon us.
For those times when our hope has slumped towards despair,
and we have neglected the gifts of the Spirit: Christ, have mercy upon us.
For those times when our love has been drained by apathy,
and we have neglected the gifts of the Spirit. Lord, have mercy upon us.
TUESDAYS:
O Christ, born of the Father before all ages, you took upon yourself our humanity and you rose for us: we worship you.
Son of God, Source of life, we invoke your goodness upon us and upon the entire human family. Hear us, Lord of glory.
Allow us to live by your life and walk as children of light in the joy of Easter.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Increase the faith of your Church;
may it faithfully bear witness to your resurrection.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Comfort all who are burdened,
and engrave in their hearts your words of eternal life.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Strengthen those who are weak in faith,
and reveal yourself to doubting hearts.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Give strength to the sick,
support the elderly and reassure the dying
by your saving presence.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Spend time gathering your own prayers before God.
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.
Collect of the Day: O God, who on the day of Pentecost enlightened the hearts of your people by the fire of the Holy Spirit: give us wisdom and understanding, and lead us into all truth, that your Church may be kept in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the same 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:
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;
St Ternans Banchory 