Morning Prayer 5.15.08
May 15, 2008 by josh
A statue of the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, whose collection of folk songs set to hymns made him a favorite of Anglicans worldwide.
Holy Spirit, let me be aware of your presence and that of countless others, as together we pray your Divine Office in love.
Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15
INVITATORY & PSALTER
Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
The earth is the Lord’s, for he made it: Come let us adore him.
“Venite” (Psalm 95:1-7)
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God;
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
Psalm 131
O LORD, I am not proud; *
I have no haughty looks.
I do not occupy myself with great matters, *
or with things that are too hard for me.
But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother’s breast; *
my soul is quieted within me.
O Israel, wait upon the LORD, *
from this time forth for evermore.
Psalm 132
LORD, remember David, *
and all the hardships he endured;
How he swore an oath to the LORD *
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“I will not come under the roof of my house, *
nor climb up into my bed;
I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *
nor let my eyelids slumber;
Until I find a place for the LORD, *
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
“The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *
we found it in the fields of Jearim.
Let us go to God’s dwelling place; *
let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.”
Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, *
you and the ark of your strength.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *
let your faithful people sing with joy.
For your servant David’s sake, *
do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
The LORD has sworn an oath to David; *
in truth, he will not break it:
“A son, the fruit of your body *
will I set upon your throne.
If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”
For the LORD has chosen Zion; *
he has desired her for his habitation:
“This shall be my resting-place for ever; *
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
I will surely bless her provisions, *
and satisfy her poor with bread.
I will clothe her priests with salvation, *
and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
There will I make the horn of David flourish; *
I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.
As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *
but as for him, his crown will shine.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE LESSONS
Ezekiel 37:21b-28 (NRSV)
Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. They shall never again defile themselves with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the apostasies into which they have fallen, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. They shall live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your ancestors lived; they and their children and their children’s children shall live there forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore.
Canticle: The Song of Moses
Cantemus Domino
Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18
I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of Pharoah and his army has he hurled into the sea
the finest of those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
with your might you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
1 John 2:18-29 (NRSV)
Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.
I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.
Canticle: Glory to God
Gloria in excelsis
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
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.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Collect: The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
For the Diocese of Springfield
Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in the Diocese of Springfield for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach them in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide them to perceive what is right, and grant them both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Unity of the Church
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
(Please offer your own prayers and supplications here.)
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14++
This may strike some people as odd. But the greatest of all Christian hymns, the Gloria in excelsis, has no direct basis in Scripture. I suppose this causes some problems for the “sola scriptura” (scripture alone) crowd, but what it really does is to show the crazy fanaticism of their position—as if, once the books of the Bible were agreed upon, God simply shut up, nevermore to make a poet’s heart sing.
This great hymn, used as a canticle in Morning Prayer, is in fact a variation on the song of the angels announcing Christ’s birth to the shepherds in Luke 2:14. Then it expands from there and, in some versions, includes passages from the Psalms.
What makes it so outstanding, so beloved, is that the first verses open up to a great doxology, a hymn of praise and worship: “We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.” These words are thrilling to people of faith.
The Gloria is suppressed (not used) during Advent and Lent, and then used daily in the seven weeks of Easter Season, the time of our greatest joy.
People in the pews often experience the Gloria’s suppression, in the seasons of waiting and penitence, as a kind of deprivation; how long before the Gloria comes back again? But we all know that’s good for us, it’s the point of the seasons that we don’t get to burst out in joy; still, it’s hard to do without it.
And then when it comes back people shout from the rafters: “Glory be to God on high!”
Now as we move from Pentecost Sunday, the climax of Easter Season, to Trinity Sunday May 18 and the start of ordinary time, we’ll start pulling back on using the Gloria. This isn’t because we worship God any less, but because it makes a certain sense to confine the Gloria (and its equally non-scriptural counterpart, the Te Deum) to Sundays alone, as principal feast days. In the Northern Hemisphere we’ve entered into summer; church attendance is down, people go on vacation, this is ordinary time. It’s right to set apart Sundays as the proper days for the great worshiping hymns (since Christ rose on a Sunday, the new sabbath) and to limit their use in the rest of the week.
Of course, all this assumes the daily practice of worship, so that we all can attune ourselves to the seasons of the year, meteorological and liturgical. Most Christians don’t do this anymore, but it’s a wonderful practice to those who devote themselves to it.
Episcopalians still think it’s kind of important, and I think they’re right; it works for me.
So this is the last week, between Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, that we’ll see the Gloria in midweek. I’m sorry to see it go; but I’ve long since learned to live by the calendar. It just makes so much sense.
The bright spot is that we get to say or sing this hymn every Sunday from now till December. It will become a Sunday-only thing, for reasons already mentioned. And we’ll sing out every one of those days.
The rest of the time we have wonderful canticles to sing, so no one ought to feel deprived.
Still, there’s no substitute for the Gloria and the Te Deum, and we’re about to lose them on a daily basis, as spring turns into summer and ordinary time. It can be a hard discipline to follow, which is why the Protestants gave it up and totally forgot everything.
For the rest of us, the ebbing and flowing of canticles, hymns, confessions and celebrations mark the Days of Our Lives, in tune with the seasons of the year. Those of us who live close to the land still appreciate this; while those confined in cities wonder who the hell the Good Shepherd was, and why Christians are still talking about him in the age of iTunes and FaceBook.
They have a right to their modern, post-modern questions; but in the age of $4-a-gallon gasoline, how long do they think they’re going to get 29¢ kiwi fruits from 8000 miles away in New Zealand?
We’re all tied to the land, we’re all sheep needing shepherds—and that’s why the liturgical calendar is the best thing ever invented. Sing the Gloria while you can; it’s going fast.