Services for Worship

Edited by Rev. Daryl Taylor-Hazel

From Services for Congregational Worship AUA 1877

In the preparation of this book, the selections from the Psalms and Prophets are taken from the Common Version, with verbal changes and modern adaptations.

First Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister.

The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

The Lord is near to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Seek the Lord while he may be found: call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts and let them return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon them; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

The hour comes and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Exhortation

To be said by the Minister

May this house be to us no other than the house of God and the gate of heaven. Here let us worship Him who is a spirit in spirit and in truth. Suffer not the cares of the world and the anxieties of life to interrupt our devotions. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Toil, trial, and suffering still await us; and the experience of every day teaches that we are not sufficient unto ourselves. Put your trust in Him whose grace is ready to help in time of need.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

God is love:

And he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him.

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

He that loves his brother abides in the light.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.

As many as are led by the spirit of God, they are sons of God.

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

This is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who

you have sent.

We have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Glory to God in the highest.

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

A Thanksgiving

To be said by the Minister.

Father of lights, Author of every good and perfect gift: we heartily thank you for your bountiful kindness to us and to all people; for life and all its blessings, for health and prosperity, for brotherly love and the means of doing good; above all, for your grace and truth, and for our hope of eternal life. Increase our knowledge, and multiply your grace upon us, that no ignorance may pervert your blessings; but give us such a sense of your goodness that we may ever devote ourselves to your service in word and deed; and, praising you both with our lips and our lives, may go on through your mercy to the joy of life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen

O Lord, open our eyes.

That we may behold wonderful things out of your law.

O Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth your praise.

Praise the Lord.

The Lords name be praised.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Second Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister.

My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord: in the morning I will direct my prayer to you, and will look up.

From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised.

Let our prayers be set forth in his sight as incense, and the lifting up of our hands as an evening sacrifice.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together: for with him is the fountain of life, and in his light shall we see light.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

When the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents him of evil.

Exhortation

The Scripture moves us to acknowledge and confess our sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father; but confess them with a lowly, penitent and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy.

And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. I ask those present to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice to the throne of the heavenly grace; saying with me: -

A Confession

To be said by the Minister and People.

Almighty and most merciful Father: we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But you, O Lord, have mercy on us. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of you holy name. Amen.

Then the Minister will say this Prayer

O Lord, we ask you mercifully to hear our prayers and spare all those who confess their sins to you: that they whose consciences by sin are accused, by your merciful pardon may be absolved. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

O Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth your praise..

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God;

Be honor and glory, forever and ever.

Praise the Lord.

The Lords name be praised.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Third Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? He has shown you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God?

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has nothing against you, leave your gift before the altar and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

Exhortation

Again we rest from the active duties of our earthly pilgrimage to sing our songs of gratitude and adoration and renew our souls at the fountains of life. We are not strangers or servants, but children of the household of God. With humble and fervent spirits let us offer up our prayers to Him who, though he dwells on high, yet never fails to listen to the lowly and contrite who call upon him. And when we leave this place, may we all with fresh zeal and love go on our way rejoicing to the blessed and everlasting home.

Sentences

To be said by Minister and People.

Hear, O Israel: the Lord and our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

This is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely, this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them.

For this is the law and the prophets.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.

And every one that loves is born of God and knows God.

Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Glory be to God in the highest:

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister.

You, O Lord most High, are our light and our life, our strength and our joy, our refuge in distress, our ever-present friend and helper. Inspire us, we ask you, with thoughts suited to your most holy presence. As disciples of Jesus Christ, and with great love to him we would come to you: may it be also in his spirit. We would be mindful how far off from you we should have been without him, and how near to you he will lead us, if we humbly and steadfastly yield ourselves up to his guidance. You, Lord, have made all things and are wonderful in all your doings: yet are you most wonderful and glorious in your works of love and mercy. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

To the only Holy, the First and the Last be thanksgiving and praise:

From all kindred and tongues on earth and the voices of saints in heaven. Amen.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Fourth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

Surely the Lord is in this place. This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord.

It shall come to pass, said God, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, even the spirit of truth, which shall guide you into all truth.

Thus said the Lord, who made heaven and earth, and all that in them is: I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there is no God.

Choose this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.

If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.

Exhortation

Let us draw near to the throne of grace in the spirit of Jesus Christ, that we may offer to our heavenly Father the spiritual worship which he seeks. May our hearts be open to all holy influences. May heaven open to the eye of our souls, and our prayers and God's blessings be like angels ascending and descending. Be this day blessed among our days on earth, a season of refreshing to our spirits, a day of the Lord, spent in his intimate presence, and preparing us for his everlasting service.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

Blessed, O Lord, is the people that know the joyful sound of your gospel.

They shall walk, O Lord in the light of your countenance.

Illuminate according to your good pleasure all nations with the brightness of your truth.

O Lord, give the word, and great shall be the company of preachers.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him;

But he has revealed them unto us by his Spirit.

Create in us a clean heart, O God.

And renew a right spirit within us.

Cast us not away from your presence.

And take not your Holy Spirit from us.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister.

Not as being worthy, but trusting in your loving kindness, O God Most High, we draw near to you. Not as we would, but as we are able, we bring to you our devout offerings. Purify us, we ask you, from all guile; unite us to one another in the bonds of love and peace; pour down upon us your spiritual gifts, and grant that this season of holy quiet may be profitable to us in heavenly things, and refresh and strengthen us to finish the work which you have given us to do. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up unto the Lord.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Fifth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister.

I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and he himself will be with them and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new; I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Exhortation

The preparations of the heart are with the Lord. Let us beseech him to help us in our infirmities by his Holy Spirit, that the praise and supplications, which we offer up with one voice and one heart, may be acceptable to him, and bring to us an answer of peace. May the spirit of truth come and abide evermore in our souls, the life of our lives, a fountain springing up within us to everlasting life, that we may never thirst again, and that these waste places, our hearts, may become like the garden of the Lord.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

O Lord, open to us the gates of righteousness:

And we will go in at them.

Blessed is the man you choose and cause to approach you;

That he may dwell in your courts.

We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house;

Even of your holy temple.

As rest is sweet to the weary and the cooling stream to him that is thirsty, so let your day and your house be sweet rest to us and your word a fountain of living water.

As the hart desires the water brooks, so may our souls thirst after you and our hearts and our flesh rejoice in the living God.

And the spirit and the Bride say Come.

And let him that hears say Come.

And let him that is thirsty come.

And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister.

O Lord our God, who has vouchsafed to us this season of holy rest: look down, we pray on your worshipping people now before you. May we have, in remembrance, your works of righteousness and of love. May we in our humble measure feel what that divine goodness must be which continues to take care of us from week to week and from year to year, and which was the same in the time of our fathers and the old time before them. But most of all, O heavenly Father, we thank you for your boundless grace and mercy as shown to us by Jesus Christ. In his spirit we come to you at this time with our glad homage and filial obedience. You, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse, we ask you, the thoughts of our hearts by the inspirations of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your hallowed name. Amen

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

O Lord, open our eyes.

That we may behold wonderful things out of your law.

O Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth your praise.

Praise the Lord.

The Lord's name be praised.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Sixth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name. For you have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat; and you will take away the veil that is spread over all nations; you will swallow up death in victory.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you. Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord our God is everlasting strength.

And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they will obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Exhortation

It is surely as sweet and needful, as it is fitting that we should spend a part of our day of rest in the house of prayer. Almighty God has revealed himself as one to whom we may give thanks for the blessings of life, whom we may seek for guidance in our difficulties, for strength in our weakness, for pardon of our sins, and for renewal of our spirits. Let our resolutions of obedience, our worship, and our submission have faith and love in them, as well as sincerity and earnestness; so will this be a true meeting time between the Father in heaven and his children on earth.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

Glory be to God, all glory to Him who has created the light, and commanded it to shine on the face of the deep! How much more glorious is that light which shines in upon our minds, by the example of patriarchs, the revelations of prophets, the sweet solace of holy psalms, the instruction of wise proverbs, the experience of faithful lives!

Blessed be His name for this light which no darkness over-spreads, this sun which never goes down.

God is the Lord who has shown us such light.

His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures from generation to generation.

You to whom belong mercies and forgiveness, receive our humble petitions. And though we be bound with the chain of our sins, yet in your great mercy, O Lord, help us, we beseech you, that we may be set free and be admitted to the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

If you were strict to mark iniquity, O Lord, who could stand?

May we so remember our sins as to forsake them; and then you remember them no more.

Hide not your ear at our breathing, at our cry.

You, O God, have pleaded the cause of our souls; you have redeemed our life.

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister.

You, O Lord, are our strength, our refuge, and only deliverer. Teach our tongues fit words to call upon you. Open within us the fountains of prayer and holy meditation; reveal to us your truth; quicken us by your spirit; love us with the love which you bear to your children. Give us, we beseech you, all other things that are needful for us. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

Now unto the God of grace: for the might of his Spirit;

Be glory in His church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Seventh Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister

O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.

You are the temple of the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God has sent for the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore we are no more servants, but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Thus said the high and lofty One that Inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Exhortation

Assembled in the house of God, let us each inwardly pray for the spirit of Jesus Christ; and so let us offer up to the Lord of heaven and earth our humble worship and obedience. Let our prayers rise like incense to the very throne of God. So, by true spiritual worship, we shall go from grace to grace and from strength to strength until we stand forever in his presence.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

The Lord is with you.

And with your spirit.

Come, let us return unto the Lord; and he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight.

Blessed be the Lord God, who turns neither our prayer away, nor his mercy from us.

The Most High dwells not in temples made with hands.

He is not far from any one of us.

O Lord God, we will enter your gates with thanksgiving;

And your courts with praise.

Lift up your hearts.

We will lift them up unto the Lord.

At all times and in all places, we will give thanks unto you. O Lord, holy Father, Almighty, and everlasting God.

With angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and saying,

(Minister and People together.)

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Amen.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister

O God most holy, who has abundantly assured us that, while you are strict to punish those who continue in their sins, you are a gracious and tender Father to the penitent. You will open your ear in compassion to the prayers of all who with heartfelt shame and sorrow confess their sins before you. Show us, we ask you, our transgressions as they truly are. Pardon us for the evil we have done. Judge us not for the good we have left undone. Work in us to will and to do your good pleasure; that, being sanctified by you spirit we may serve you in a religious and holy conversation, as true disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

Search us, O Lord and know our hearts.

Try us and know our thoughts and see if there is any wicked way in us.

And lead us in the way everlasting.

Now unto the God of grace, for the might of his spirit and the love of Christ,

Be glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

(A Hymn or Anthem may be sung here.)

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Eighth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister

Know that the Lord is God: it is he that has made us and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

We have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love and he that dwells in love dwells in God and God in him.

Thus said the Lord, The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that you built unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things has my hand made and all those things have been, said the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Exhortation

In the holy quiet of this hour, let us draw near to him who hears prayer; and let us remember that he listens more to our hearts than to our words. Let each of us bring an offering of penitence, if not of purity; of love, if not of holiness; of the ability to learn, if not of wisdom; of devout obedience for the time to come, if not the fruits of well-doing in the time that is past. And may we obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A Confession

To be said by the Minister and People.

If we say we have not sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I will arise and go to my Father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no more worthy to be called your child.

For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.

God be merciful to me, a sinner.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

Only speak the word and your servant shall be healed.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister

O God, who has consecrated unto us a new and living way into you holy presence: grant to us, we beseech you, the assurance of your mercy. Sanctify us by your heavenly grace; that we, approaching you with a pure heart and undefiled conscience, may offer unto you a sacrifice in righteousness and celebrate your blessed name in faith and spirit. O God, mercifully accept the prayers of your holy Church throughout the world which shall this day be offered at the footstool of your throne. Give us grace to prepare our hearts, that we may serve you with reverence and godly fear. Grant us a true apprehension of your divine majesty and a deep sense of our unworthiness; that so, approaching your sanctuary with lowliness and devotion, we may present an offering acceptable to you, and in the spirit of him who has taught us how to pray. Amen

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

O Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth your praise.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God;

Be honor and glory forever and ever.

Praise the Lord.

The Lord's name be praised.

(A Hymn may be sung here)

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Ninth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary: they shall walk and not faint.

Come unto me all that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.

Exhortation

The heavenly Father in whose presence we now stand is always more ready to hear than we to pray. Nor does anything hide him from us but the veil of our impure and earthly mind. And since the preparations of even the willing heart are not without him, let us inwardly pray for the grace of a humble and Holy Spirit, that for a little while we may be alone with him. And, as Jesus went up into the mountain to pray, so we may rise above the haste and press of life and commune with God in spirit and in truth.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

Seek the word of the Lord and read, for his thoughts are not as our thoughts.

Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees;

Say to them that are of fearful heart, Be strong; fear not;

Behold your God will bring deliverance; he will come and save you.

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame leap as the hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

In the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in a thirsty land;

The solitary place shall be glad and the desert shall blossom as the rose.

And a highway shall be there, the way of holiness.

To the meek, it shall be a path of light and the wayfaring man shall not err therein.

Come, walk in his word with songs of joy;

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister

O God, who are and was and are to come, before whose face the generations rise and pass away: age after age the living seek you, and find that there is no end of your faithfulness. Our fathers in their pilgrimage walked by your guidance and rested on your compassion. Still, to their children be the cloud by day, the fire by night. Where but in you have we a covert from the storm or shadow from the heat of life? In our manifold temptations, you alone know and are ever near. In sorrow, your pity revives the fainting soul; in our prosperity and ease, it is your Spirit only that can wean us from our pride and keep us low. O sole source of peace and righteousness, take now the veil from every heart, and join us in one communion with your prophets and saints who have trusted in you and were not ashamed. Not of our worthiness, but of your tender mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

Glory be to God most High, the ever-blessed Father;

Who is, and was, and shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Here may be sung a Hymn or Anthem.)

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Tenth Service

One or more sentences to be read by the Minister

The way of man is not in himself alone: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.

Thoughts of peace, says the Lord, do I think toward you: you shall go and pray to me and I will listen to you: you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.

Give glory to the Lord your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountain, and, while you are looking for light, he turns it into the shadow of death.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord: let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

The temple of God is holy. You are that temple.

In everything, by prayer and supplications, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Exhortation

God, in whom we live and move and have our being, never leaves us, day or night. But the very nearness and custom of his presence hide him from our infirm and sinful hearts, and, under cover of this darkness, our inner discernment becomes dim, temptations gain a shameful power, and the good that is in us droops and fades. To clear such blindness away, and recover the pure wisdom of a Christian mind, we are called to this day of remembrance and this house of prayer. Entering here, therefore, we cross the threshold of eternal things, and commune with the Father who sees in secret. Let us shake off the dust of transitory care, and every disguise that can come between us and God; and, remembering whose disciples we are, come to the simplicity, thought it should be also to the sorrows, of Christ.

Sentences

To be said by the Minister and People.

I was glad when my companions said unto me, Come, it is our holy day.

Let us go into the house of the Lord: let us take sweet counsel together.

Let our feet stand within his gates, and heart and voice give thanks unto him.

Blessed be the temple hallowed by his name: pray for peace within its walls.

Peace to young and old that enter there: peace to every soul abiding therein.

For friends and brethren's sake I will never cease to say: Peace be within thee.

O House of the Lord's praise: Peace be to them that love you.

If I forget you, may my right hand forget its cunning.

Prayer

To be said by the Minister.

O God, Unsearchable, why are we so blind to you, who besets us behind and before? In the daylight of your constant mercy, we scarcely lift our eye to the infinite heaven from where it flows. Now screen us with your hand, O Lord, that we may not wait for the night of sorrow, but here, under the shade of holy thought, may learn in what a world we live. Here let us rest from the weary shows of life, and converse with you, the Only True. And, though you receive higher praise than ours from natures that know you more and serve you better, yet tune our spirits and join our voices with theirs. And unite us with the faithful and saintly, there and here, in one light of faith, one beauty of holiness, one repose on you. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

To be said by the Minister and People.

Glory be to God most High, the ever-blessed Father;

Who is, and was, and shall be, world without end. Amen

(Here may be sung a Hymn or Anthem.)

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Psalms: First Selection

Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my

God: for unto you will I pray.

My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up.

For you are not a God that has pleasure in wickedness:

Neither shall evil dwell with you.

As for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy:

And in your fear will I worship toward your holy temple.

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness;

Make your way straight before my face.

Let all those that put their trust in you rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because you defend them:

Let them also that love your name be joyful in you.

For you, Lord, will bless the righteous;

With favor will you compass him as with a shield.

Psalm 16

Preserve me, O God: for in you do I put my trust.

O my soul, you have said unto the Lord, You are my Lord: I have no happiness but in you;

The holy that are in the earth, and the excellent, in them is all my delight.

The Lord is my portion and my cup: you maintain my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yes, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel: my heart also admonishes me in the night seasons.

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my spirit rejoices: my flesh also rests in safety.

For you will not leave my soul in the grave;

Neither will you suffer your beloved one to see corruption.

You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy;

At your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 17

Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer that goes not out of false lips.

Let my sentence come forth from your presence; let your eyes see what is right.

Prove my heart; visit me in the night; try me, my thoughts shall not vary from my speech.

Hold up my steps in your paths, that my feet slip not. I call upon you, for you will hear me, O God:

Incline your ear unto me, and hear my words.

Show your marvelous loving-kindness, O you that saves by your right hand those who put their trust in you.

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings.

As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness:

I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with your likeness.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Second Selection

Psalm 18

I will love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and my high tower.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.

The sorrows of the grave compassed me about; the snares of death overtook me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God:

He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He brought me forth into a large place: he delivered me, because he loved me.

To the merciful you show yourself merciful; to an upright man you show yourself upright;

To the pure you show yourself pure; and to the wrathful you slow yourself wrathful.

The ways of God are just and true, his word is pure, tried in the fire:]

He is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

For who is God except the Lord" or who is a rock except our God?

It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way plain.

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:

In the secret place of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.

Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;

I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When you said, Seek my face; my heart said unto you, Your face, Lord, will I seek.

Hide not your face far from me, put not your servant away in anger: you have been my help;

Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will rake me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Third Selection

Psalm 36

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;

And your faithfulness reaches unto the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the great mountains;

Your judgments are a great deep.

How excellent is your loving kindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the plenteousness of your house;

And you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasures.

For with you is the fountain of life:

In your light shall we see light.

Oh, continue your loving kindness unto them that know you;

And your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows his handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.

There is no speech or language, and their voice is not heard.

Yet their sound is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.

His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it:

And there is nothing hidden from the heat thereof.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;

And in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.

Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Fourth Selection

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

For you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

The poor man cries, and the Lord hears him, and saves him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.

O fear the Lord, you his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

Come, you children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The Lord redeems the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Fifth Selection

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

For he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?

He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not inclined his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek your face, O Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; even lift them up, you everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Psalm 25

Unto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in you: let me not be ashamed.

Let none that wait on you be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; in you do I trust all the day.

Remember, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindnesses: for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.

According to your mercy remember me, for your goodness sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For your names' sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.

What man is he that fears the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him: and he will show them his covenant.

My eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

Lighten the sorrows of my heart: O bring me out of my distresses.

Look upon my affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in you.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me: for I wait on you.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Sixth Selection

Psalms 30

I will extol you, O Lord; for you have lifted me up.

O Lord my God, I cried unto you, and you have healed me.

O Lord, you have brought up my soul from the grave: you have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the tomb.

Sing unto the Lord, O you saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

For his anger endures but a moment, but his favor for life;

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be my helper.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you forever.

Psalm 31

In you, O Lord, do I put my trust: deliver me in your righteousness.

Bow down your ear to me; deliver me speedily: be my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me.

For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore for your name's sake lead me, and guide me.

O, how great is your goodness which you have laid up for them that fear you; which you show to them that trust in you.

You hide them in the secret of your presence from the pride of man; you shelter them in your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Blessed is the Lord: for he has shown me his marvelous kindness in a strong city.

O love the Lord, all you his saints: for the Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully rewards the proud doer.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

I acknowledged my sin unto you, and my iniquity have I not hid.

I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Therefore shall every one that is godly pray unto you in a time when you may be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

You are my hiding-place; you shall preserve me from trouble: you shall compass me about with songs of deliverance.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, you righteous: and shout for joy, all you that are upright in heart.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Seventh Selection

Psalm 33

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

The word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.

He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap: he lays up the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught; he makes the devices of the kingdoms of no effect.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds all the sons of men.

From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

He fashions the hearts of all; he observes all their works.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits on the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

For our heart rejoices in him; we trust in his holy name.

Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in you.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God, Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Eighth Selection

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:

Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Blessed is that man that makes the Lord his trust, and resorts not to men of pride and falsehood.

Many, O Lord my God, are your wonderful works which you have done; many are your gracious thoughts toward us;

If we would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; so have you taught me.

Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

I delight to do your will, O my God; yes, your law is within my heart.

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:

Lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, you know.

I have not hid your righteousness within my heart; I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation:

I have not concealed your loving-kindness and your truth from the great congregation.

Withhold not your tender mercies from me, O Lord:

Let your loving-kindness and your truth continually preserve me.

For innumerable evils have compassed me about: my iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you:

Let such as love your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me:

You are my help and my deliverer: make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalm 42

As the hart pants after the water-brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:

For I have gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God:

For I shall yet praise him; him, my deliverer and my God.

Deep calls unto deep with the roar of your cataracts: all your waves and your billows have gone over me.

Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Ninth Selection

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law does he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; whatsoever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 15

Lord, who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in your holy hill?

He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

He that slanders not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, and utters no reproach against his neighbor.

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honors them that fear the Lord. He that swears to his own hurt, and changes not.

He that puts not out his money to usury, nor takes a bribe against the innocent.

He that does these things shall never fall.

Psalm 37

Fret not yourself because of evil doers, neither be envious of those who work iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall give you success.

And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday.

For the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.

Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you:

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them:

He shall deliver them, and save them, because they trust in him.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God, Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Tenth Selection

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her and that right early.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Be still, and know that I am God: I am exalted among the heathen, I am exalted in the earth.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Psalm 48

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

We remember your loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of your temple.

As your name, O God, so extends your praise unto the ends of the earth: your right hand is full of righteousness.

Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your judgments.

Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.

Mark you well her bulwarks, consider her palaces.

For this God is our God forever and ever:

He will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 50

The mighty God, even the Lord, speaks, and calls the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines.

Our God comes, and does not keep silence: a fire devours before him and a tempest rages around him.

He calls to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will admonish you: I am God, even your God.

I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he-goats out of your folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay your vows unto the Most High:

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God.

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

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Psalms: Eleventh Selection

Psalm 51

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness:

According unto the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight:

So that you are justified when you speak, and upright when you judge.

Behold, you desire truth in the inward heart: teach me, therefore, wisdom in my inmost soul.

Purge me as with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean 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.

Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors your ways; and sinners shall be converted unto you.

O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise.

For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt-offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 55

Give ear to my prayer, O God; hide not yourself from my supplication.

My heart is sore pained within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest.

But yet I will call upon God: and the Lord shall save me.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you:

He shall never suffer those who seek him to fall.

Psalm 57

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in you:

Yes, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities are over-past.

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performs all things for me.

He shall send from heaven, and save me: God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be above all the earth.

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Awake, my soul; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto you among the nations.

For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens: let your glory be above all the earth.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Twelfth Selection

Psalm 61

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth, I cry unto you, for my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you are my shelter, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in your tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of your wings.

For you, O God, will hear my vows, and give me the heritage of those that fear your name.

Psalm 62

Truly my soul waits upon God: from him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

My soul, wait only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my heart longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary.

Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.

Thus will I bless you while I live: I will lift up my hands in your name.

My soul shall be satisfied; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips:

When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches.

Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.

My soul follows after you: your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 66

Make a joyful noise unto God, all you lands:

Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious.

All the earth shall worship you, and shall sing unto you; it shall celebrate your name.

Come and see the works of God: he is wonderful in his doing toward the children of men.

He rules by his power forever; his eyes behold the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

O bless our God, you people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
Which holds our soul in life, and suffers not our feet to be moeved.

For you, O God, have proved us: you have tried us, as silver is tried.

Come and hear all you that fear God and I will declare what he has done for my soul.

I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

But verily God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God which has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Thirteenth Selection

Psalm 65

Praise waits for you, O God, in Zion:

And unto you shall the vow be performed.

O you that hear prayer, unto you shall all flesh come.

My iniquities are heavy upon me; but you will forgive our transgressions.

Blessed is the man whom you choose, and cause to approach unto you, that he may dwell in your courts.

O, satisfy us with the goodness of your house, even of your holy temple.

By wonderful things in righteousness will you answer us, O God of our salvation;

Who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

Who in your strength makes fast the mountains, being girded with power:

Who stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are awed by your wonders:

You make the regions of the morning and evening to rejoice.

You visit the earth, and water it: you greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water:

You prepare corn, when you have so provided for it.

You water the ridges thereof abundantly: you settle the furrows thereof:

You make it soft with showers: you bless the springing thereof.

You crown the year with your goodness; and your paths drop fatness.

They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; and the little hills rejoice on every side.

The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with corn:

They shout for joy; they also sing.

Psalm 67

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us;

That your way may be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.

Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy:

For you shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen

Psalms: Fourteenth Selection

Psalm 69

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

I will offer my prayer unto you, O Lord: O God, in the greatness of your mercy hear me, in the truth of your salvation.

Deliver me, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the grave shut her mouth upon me.

Hear me, O Lord; for your loving kindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

And hide not your face from your servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me from all my enemies.

For I am poor and sorrowful: let your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

Psalm 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward that desire my hurt.

But let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you: and let such as love your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, O God: you are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no delay.

Psalm 71

In you, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to shame.

Deliver me in your goodness, and cause me to escape: incline your ear to me, and save me.

Be my strong habitation, where I may continually resort: you have given commandment to save me; for you are my rock and my fortress.

For you are my hope, O Lord God: you are my trust from my youth.

By you have I been held up ever since I was born; my praise shall be continually of you.

Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your honor all the day.

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails.

O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

For I will hope continually, and will yet praise you more and more.

My mouth shall show forth your righteousness and your salvation all the day; for your mercies are more than I can number.

I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours only.

O God, you have taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared your wondrous works.

Also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed your strength unto this generation, and your power to those that are to come.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto you; and my soul, which you have redeemed.

My tongue also shall talk of your righteousness all the day long.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalms: Fifteenth Selection

Psalm 84

How lovely are your dwellings, O Lord of Hosts!

My soul longs, yes, even faints, for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cries out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, by your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in your house: they are still praising you.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in you: in whose heart are your ways.

Passing through the valley of sorrow they make it full of fountains, and the latter rain covers it with blessings.

They go from strength to strength, till all of them in Zion appear before God.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.

Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you.

Psalm 86

Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my soul; O my God, save your servant that trusts in you.

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto you daily.

Rejoice the soul of your servant: for unto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon you.

Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplication.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon you: for you will answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto you, O Lord;

Neither are there any works like unto your works.

All nations whom you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord; and shall glorify your name.

For you are great, and do wondrous things: you are God alone.

Teach me your way, O Lord: I will walk in your truth: unite my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart:

And I will glorify your name forevermore.

But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

O, turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give your strength unto your servant, and save the son of your handmaid.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

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Church and Home Use

A Traditional Thanksgiving Sunday School Service

From Sunday School Hymn, Tune and Service Book 1869

GRATITUDE FOR DIVINE GOODNESS.

Introductory Sentences.

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?

I will offer to him the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

For the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.

God hath remembered his promise, and hath not left himself without a witness, in that he hath done good, and given rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Hymn 5: "Father in heaven, they ceaseless love."

(sung to the melody of "Luther’s Chant")

1. Father in heaven! Thy ceaseless love

Has brought us to this holy day;

Blest with thy kindness from above,

Another week has passed away.

2. Grant us, this day, a willing mind

To learn what thou wouldst have us do,

And how we may thy favor find,

And love and serve each other too.

3. Thy happy children may we live,

Thy happy children may we die;

To all may God, our Father, give

A home of peace above the sky!

III. Scripture Reading.

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous!

Sing unto him a new song;

For the word of the Lord is right,

And all his works are done in truth.

He loveth righteousness and equity:

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Praise waiteth for thee, O God! And unto thee shall all flesh come.

Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to rejoice.

Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it.

Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly;

Thou settlest the furrows thereof.

Thou makest it soft with showers.

Thou blessest the springing thereof,

Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts,

And be ye thankful:

And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus;

Giving thanks to God, even the Father, by him.

III. Prayer.

Father of all souls, thy goodness covers and blesses all thy creatures. We thank thee for all thy benefits: for the changing seasons, the spring and its flowery beauty, the summer and its fullness of life, the autumn and its riches of the harvest We thank thee for our homes, and for all things that help to make them peaceful and happy. We thank thee for the love that thought of us and cared for us in our sins, and sent the Saviour to turn us from all evil ways to thy holy and happy service. May we show that we feel thy goodness, by striving to do good to others. Help us to use all thy mercies wisely, and according to thy will; that they may do us good both in our bodies and our souls, which are thine. Amen.

V. Hymn 42: "There’s not a tint that paints the rose."

(Sung to the tune of "Blossom".)

1. There’s not a tint that paints the rose,

Or decks the lily fair,

Or streaks the humblest flower that grows,

But God has placed it there.

2. There’s not of grass a simple blade,

Or leaf of lowliest mien,

Where heavenly skill is not displayed,

And heavenly wisdom seen.

3. There’s not a star, whose twinkling light

Illumes the spreading earth;

There’s not a cloud, or dark, or bright,

But mercy gave it birth.

4. Lord, how thy wonders are displayed,

Where’er we turn the eye,

If we survey the ground we tread,

Or gaze upon the sky.

After the general and class lessons, the exercises may close with a hymn; the Lord’s Prayer repeated by all; and the benediction.

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The Mission of Christ

Introductory Sentences
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king comes unto you: he is just and victorious.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publish peace; that says unto Zion, Your God reigns.

Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.
Hymn 30: "Almighty God, while earth and heaven."
Scripture Reading
The first paragraph may be read by one alone or by all in concert.

And when they came near to Jerusalem, unto Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent forth two of his disciples, and said unto them, Go your way into the village over against you; and as soon as you have entered into it, you shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat: loose him and bring him. And if any man says unto you, Why do you this, say that the Lord has need of him; and straightway he will send him here. And they went their way and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loosed him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What are you doing, loosing the colt. And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded; and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches, and strewed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying: -

Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord:

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!

And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,

And they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and

Power, and might,

Be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
O God, our Gather! We thank you for Jesus Christ. May we be saved from sin by the power of his teachings and his life. May we feel ready to join with those who cried out, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. May we have the same spirit with the great multitude in heaven who praise you and rejoice in the dear Savior. May the joy that he gives to his disciples be in our hearts now, and every day. As long as we live, may we go with him in spirit, obey his commands, follow his example, and trust in his love. And help us to do our whole duty every day, so that we shall be worthy of the name of Christian. When we are happy, help us to be grateful; and when we are in suffering, help us to say, Your will be done. So we pray as the disciples of Jesus. Amen.
Hymn 172: "Once was heard the song of children."
The Lord's Prayer may be repeated followed by the Benediction.

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Services for Worship

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