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.
PSALMODY
OPENING
O Come, O Come, thou appointed one,
to be God’s love for everyone,
to speak on God’s behalf and show
as much of God as need we know..
Rejoice! Rejoice! A fragrant oil
shall soon anoint for blessed toil.
From Psalm 131, In Te, Domine, Speravi
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be |put to shame; *
deliver me |in your righteousness.
Incline your |ear to me; * make haste to de-|liver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to |keep me safe, *
for you are my crag |and my stronghold;
for the sake |of your name, *
lead |me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they have secretly |set for me, *
for you are my tow-|er of strength.
Into your hands I com-|mend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O |God of truth.
I will rejoice and be glad because |of your mercy; *
for you have seen my affliction; you know |my distress.
You have not shut me up in the power |of the enemy; *
you have set my feet in an |open place.
Love the Lord, all you who |worship God; *
the Lord protects the faithful,
but repays to the full those |who act haughtily.
Be strong and let your |heart take courage, *
all you who wait |for the Lord.
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.
Closing
Reading – Haggai 1.7-15
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured, says the Lord. You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labours.
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.
SILENCE
Responsory
There is a longing, deep within us,
to be with you, O God.
We are expectant
of your coming to walk the earth.
BENEDICTUS
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,*
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,*
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old*
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our forebears,*
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:*
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,*
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,*
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation*
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God*
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,* and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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.
PRAYERS
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
On this day, lift into the blessing of God’s compassionate gaze:
those who feel entitled to the riches life has to offer,
all who are without the joy of rewarding work;
all who work to build homes for others. Amen.
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
Gracious God,
as we listen once more to your messengers the prophets
turning us around and preparing us to receive our liberation:
give us the humility, insight, and grace to listen to their warnings,
and to heed the still small voice that whispers in our hearts,
that we may look once more upon your face
and greet your every coming with joy. Amen.
Blessing
As we go from this place,
help us to remember that we are cradled in your loving hand,
developing alongside our brother, Jesus
and gifted with life by your Holy breath. Amen.
St Ternans Banchory 