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
O Come, O Come, thou cornerstone,
and hold the tensions of your own,
thou keystone of community,
the bearer of humanity.
Rejoice! Rejoice! With arms and face
the crucified shall all embrace.
OPENING
From Psalm 43, Judica Me, Domine
Give judgement for me, O God, and defend my cause
against an un-|godly people; *
deliver me from the deceitful |and the wicked.
For you are the God |of my strength; *
why have you put |me from you?
And why do I |go so heavily * while the enemy op-|presses me?
Send out your light and your truth, that |they may lead me, *
and bring me to your holy hill and |to your dwelling;
that I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my |joy and gladness;
and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O |God my God.
Why are you so full of heaviness, |O my soul, *
and why are you so disquiet-|ed within me?
Put your |trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to the Holy One,
who is the help of my countenance, |and my God.
Send out your light and your truth, that |they may lead me, *
and bring me to your holy hill and |to your dwelling.
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.
Closing
Reading – Zechariah 3.3-10
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ And to him he said, ‘See, I have taken your guilt away from you, and I will clothe you in festal apparel.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him in the apparel; and the angel of the Lord was standing by.
Then the angel of the Lord assured Joshua, saying ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each other to come under your vine and fig tree.’
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, we lift into the blessing of God’s compassionate gaze:
all who struggle with guilt or worthlessness day to day;
all who lack access to water for drinking, washing and basic cleansing,
all who are building new lives in hope. 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 wait in these silent days,
place in our hands the lamps of truth and love and courage,
that we may strive with those powers that rise in the darkness
until the desires of all our hearts are fulfilled in the Presence of Jesus. 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 