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Invitation to Worship
Come, let us sing to Adonai, let us praise the God of all Creation!
We make the Sign of the Cross over our lips as we begin.
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Let the earth and all living things praise the greatness of God!
Let all people extol the glory of Adonai!
MORNING HYMN
All may sing or alternate the verses of any Morning Hymn .
O God of splendor, Source of Light,
Your gentle rays dispel the night
Whose reign of darkness yields to dawn,
Then dies in blaze of risen sun.
O Jesus, Day Star from on high,
Your rising heralds in the dawn;
True Morning Star which never sets,
Come shed your light on all Earthkind.
More radiant than ten thousand suns,
True Light enlight’ning everyone,
Shine in the darkness of our hearts;
Come with your healing grace and truth.
The Abba spoke: Let light shine forth;
And light was born, God’s purest gift.
Unless your light burn in our heart,
Chaos returns, and formless void.
Yours is the realm of truth and life,
Of justice, peace and holiness;
Then yours be glory, Christ, our Love,
With Abba and the Spirit Blest.
PSALMODY
Antiphon
The sacrifice you accept O God
is a humble spirit.
Psalm 50/51
Have mercy on me, O God, in your loving kindness;
in your compassion blot out my offenses.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
I know full well my misdeeds,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, against you have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight. (Antiphon)
Yet you look for truth in my in most being,
and teach me wisdom in my heart.
Purify me that I may be clean,
wash me, make me brighter than snow.
Create in me a pure heart O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your holy Spirit from me. (Antiphon)
Deliver me from death, O God my Savior,
and my tongue may sing of your justice.
O Love, open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
You have no delight in sacrifices;
burnt offerings from me would not please you.
The sacrifice you accept is a humble spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not reject. (Antiphon)
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and will be forever. Amen (Antiphon)
Setting: David Clark Isele, Praise God In Song (GIA, 1979).
READING Philippians 3:18-20
Many conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Silent Prayer
Responsory
R. To revere Adonai is the first stage of wisdom; * all who do so prove themselves wise. V. Hearken my child to the precepts of your teacher, and incline the ear of your heart; *all who do so prove themselves wise. V. Glory to the Abba and the Word, and the Breath of Love.
Canticle of Zachary– Luke 1:68-79
Antiphon
Blessed be Adonai, who visits us like the dawn from on high .
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To Guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
Blessed be Adonai, who visits us like the dawn from on high.
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Versicles
Arise, O God, and set your people free;
~ lead us on the path to life.
Show us the light of your face;
~ that we may see better times for all creation.
Guide us in your justice
~ and make your ways known to us.
Open our eyes to see you in the stranger,
~ and our ears to hear you in the cry of the poor.
Send forth your Spirit, O God,
~ And renew the face of the Earth.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
~ And fill us with your Holy Spirit.
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Holy One and God of endless Compassion,
in naked vulnerability together with all who cannot clothe themselves in the privilege of wealth, gender, race or power, Jesus stretched out his arms in all-inclusive, unconditional love and breathed his indomitable Spirit into a world gasping for life. Give us the courage and strength to take up our cross and follow him in newness of life and hope, for he lives and loves with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.
May God lead us safely through all things; and when we cannot endure,
may God surround us with Loving Arms of Compassion. ~Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.