23rd June, Tuesday after Pentecost 3, Morning Prayer

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 Romans 4:1–12

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:
‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.’

Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, ‘Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.’ How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

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 Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers: and as you give us the desire to pray, grant us your help and protection; 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:

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 .