Morning Prayer 4.1.17, Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872

So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

Francine Hughes Wilson has died, a Michigan woman who endured years of abuse from her husband until, one day in 1977, she set fire to his bedroom while he slept, grabbed her children and ran to the police. She was charged with first-degree murder but was found not guilty by reason of (temporary) insanity; she claimed a voice had urged her to do it. Faith McNulty wrote a book about the case called The Burning Bed, which was turned into an acclaimed TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett, watched by a reported 75 million Americans. All are credited with spurring police and prosecutors to take domestic violence more seriously, and women around the country to organize shelters for women and children escaping the abuse. (United Press International)

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

CONFESSION OF SIN

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

INVITATORY AND 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 for ever. Amen.

Psalm 95
Venite

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Harden not your hearts,
as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
when they tempted me.
They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.
Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Psalm 107:33-43

33  The LORD changed rivers into deserts, *
and water-springs into thirsty ground,
34  A fruitful land into salt flats, *
because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
35  God changed deserts into pools of water *
and dry land into water-springs.
36  God settled the hungry there, *
and they founded a city to dwell in.
37  They sowed fields, and planted vineyards, *
and brought in a fruitful harvest.
38  God blessed them, so that they increased greatly; *
God did not let their herds decrease.
39  Yet when they were diminished and brought low, *
through stress of adversity and sorrow,
40  (God pours contempt on nobles *
and makes them wander in trackless wastes)
41  God lifted up the poor out of misery *
and multiplied their families like flocks of sheep.
42  The upright will see this and rejoice, *
but all wickedness will shut its mouth.
43  Whoever is wise will ponder these things, *
and consider well the mercies of the LORD.

Psalm 108:1-6

1  My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *
I will sing and make melody.
2  Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp; *
I myself will waken the dawn.
3  I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD; *
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4  For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5  Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *
and your glory over all the earth.
6  So that those who are dear to you may be delivered, *
save with your right hand and answer me.

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
Jeremiah 23:9-15 (NRSV)

Concerning the prophets:
My heart is crushed within me,
all my bones shake;
I have become like a drunkard,
like one overcome by wine,
because of the LORD
and because of his holy words.
For the land is full of adulterers;
because of the curse the land mourns,
and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
Their course has been evil,
and their might is not right.
Both prophet and priest are ungodly;
even in my house I have found their wickedness,
says the LORD.
Therefore their way shall be to them
like slippery paths in the darkness,
into which they shall be driven and fall;
for I will bring disaster upon them
in the year of their punishment,
says the LORD.
In the prophets of Samaria
I saw a disgusting thing:
they prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
But in the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen a more shocking thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies;
they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from wickedness;
all of them have become like Sodom to me,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets:
“I am going to make them eat wormwood,
and give them poisoned water to drink;
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”

Canticle: A Song of Creation
Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

I The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Yearling ewes on a family farm in Indiana. Mid-March began the normal delivery time for lambs, and those who raise them are working long hours. (Royer Farm Fresh)

II The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

III The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Romans 9:1-18 (NRSV)

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel, and not all of Abraham’s children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac. Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” As it is written,

“I have loved Jacob,
but I have hated Esau.”

What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.

Canticle: Song of the Redeemed
Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *
O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord
and sing the praises of your Name? *
for you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you *
because your just and holy works have been revealed.

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.

John 6:60-71 (NRSV)

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.

Frederick Maurice, a latecomer to Anglicanism, was not impressed by its Sunday isolation from the rest of life, particularly the injustices visited upon the poor. He wrote, “We have been dosing our people with religion when what they want is not this but the living God.” He went on to be a founder of the Christian Socialist Movement while having to refute numerous attacks on his orthodoxy as well as his politics; being Professor of Moral Theology at Cambridge wasn’t enough for some people.

Collect of the Day: Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872

Almighty God, who restored our human nature to heavenly glory through the perfect obedience of our Savior Jesus Christ: Keep alive in your Church, we pray, a passion for justice and truth; that, like your servant Frederick Denison Maurice, we may work and pray for the triumph of the kingdom of your Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Saturday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and spare all those who confess their sins to you; that those whose consciences are accused by sin may by your merciful pardon be absolved; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Saturdays

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday Morning Prayer List

For Those Seeking God’s Will
David, Tom, Brad & Danny, vocation
Dinah, religious life
Shirley & Maureen, discernment
Diocesan Commissions on Ministry

The Society of the Precious Blood writes, “Rooted within the monastic tradition, we live a life of prayer, silence, fellowship and solitude. The Eucharist is the center of our life, where we are most deeply united with Christ, one another and all for whom we pray. This is continued throughout the day in the Divine Office, the watch before the Blessed Sacrament and all the ordinariness of work, reading, creating and learning to live together.”

For Religious Orders & Communities
Society of St. Francis (men), Australia; Brazil; Korea; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands; California, New York; UK
Society of St. Francis, Third Order – Africa, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and the Americas
Society of St. John the Evangelist, Massachusetts & UK
Society of the Holy Cross, Korea
Society of the Precious Blood, UK, Lesotho & South Africa

Please add your own prayers here.

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.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfil now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

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++

VIDEO: I Repent (Steve Green, Phil Naish; Dave Noel) – Steve Green, 2010

Morning Prayer 1.5.17, Thursday of Christmas 1

Ready for Streaming Now

At 7 a.m. we had good chanting, great reading, and an accidental case of God smiting someone that turned into God smiling, which we rather enjoyed; click here.

Just a minimum of smiting, and more smiling, at 9 o’clock; go here.

—

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Here’s a beautiful thing: the Wayside Inn and Shelter in tiny North Vernon, Indiana. Domestic violence and homelessness are as bad or worse in the countryside as in the cities, but almost all the programs to help people affected are in the cities. But not in this little town; a very dedicated band of volunteers and board members has built their own, with great help from townspeople, businesses, schools and community groups. They took on a deteriorating building (and are still rehabbing it) and got it ready to open in November 2014, with a worship space down and a shelter up. They now have 10 beds, have served over 400 people and provided more than 5000 nights of accommodation in a place that is safe, caring and increasingly equipped. Best of all, at least to us, it’s run by one of our newest webcasters, who got us this photo and whose name appears now. (Jo Riley)

Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

INVITATORY AND 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 for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 2

1  Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2  Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the rulers plot together, *
against the LORD and against the LORD’s Anointed?
3  “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”
4  The One enthroned in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.
5  Then in wrath the LORD speaks to them, *
and divine rage fills them with terror.
6  “I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”
7  Let me announce the decree of the LORD: *
the LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.
8  Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9  You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
10  And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11  Submit to the LORD with fear, *
and with trembling bow down in worship;
12  Lest the LORD be angry and you perish; *
for divine wrath is quickly kindled.
13  Happy are they all *
who take refuge in the LORD!

Psalm 110:1-5

1  The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2  The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.
3  Nobility has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”
4  The LORD has sworn and will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
5  The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite rulers in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.

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
Joshua 1:1-9 (NRSV)

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Canticle: The Song of Moses
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 Pharaoh 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 to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Hebrews 11:32—12:2 (NRSV)

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Canticle: Song of the Redeemed
Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *
O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord
and sing the praises of your Name? *
for you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you *
because your just and holy works have been revealed.

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 True Vine (Children’s Ministry magazine)

John 15:1-16 (NRSV)

Jesus said, ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

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.

V.  Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R.  Govern and uphold them, now and always.
V.  Day by day we bless you;
R.  We praise your Name for ever.
V.  Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R.  Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V.  Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R.  For we put our trust in you.
V.  In you, Lord, is our hope;
R.  And we shall never hope in vain.

The bunk beds at Wayside Inn were built by industrial arts students – shop classes – at Jennings County High School. We congratulate them on their workmanship – and their teacher for knowing this was a lot more satisfying project than the usual ping pong paddle. When a kid makes something for others, that kid feels good. (Wayside Inn photo)

Collect of the Day: First Sunday after Christmas

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Guidance

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer List

In Places of War, Political Unrest & Violence
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, México, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, Yemen

For peace in these nations
For peacemakers and military personnel
For civilians in danger zones
For first responders and emergency workers

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfil now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

God’s blessing be with us,
Christ’s peace be with us,
the Spirit’s outpouring be with us,
now and always. Amen.++

VIDEO: Love Came Down at Christmas (R.O. Morris; Christina Rossetti) – King’s College, Cambridge, 2008

Video Evensong 12.9.16, Friday in the 2nd Week of Advent

Ready now for streaming – with Mthr. Gwen & Fr. Jim as our cantors and Alison & Jo as lectors.

Click here.

—

Jesus said, “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

VIDEO: People, Look East (Besançon Carol, French; Eleanor Farjeon) – Houston Chamber Choir, 2013

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5

GENERAL CONFESSION

God of all mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives.
We have denied your goodness in each other,
in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the evil that enslaves us,
the evil we have done,
and the evil done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through our Savior Jesus Christ,
that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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. Alleluia.

If possible, light a candle here.

VIDEO: O gracious light (Russell Schulz-Widmar) – St. John Vianney Vesper Choir, Houston, Texas, 2011

Hymn: O Gracious Light
Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

VIDEO: Psalm 35 (Henry Stonex) – Choir of St. Stephen’s, Canterbury, at Portsmouth Cathedral, 2012

Psalm 35

1  Fight those who fight me, O LORD; *
attack those who are attacking me.
2  Take up a shield and armor *
and rise up to help me.
3  Draw the sword and bar the way against those who pursue me: *
say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4  Let those who seek after my life be shamed and humbled; *
let those who plot my ruin fall back and be dismayed.
5  Let them be like chaff before the wind, *
and let the angel of the LORD drive them away.
6  Let their way be dark and slippery, *
and let the angel of the LORD pursue them.
7  For they have secretly spread a net for me without a cause; *
without a cause they have dug a pit to take me alive.
8  Let ruin come upon them unawares; *
let them be caught in the net they hid;
let them fall into the pit they dug.
9  Then I will be joyful in you, O LORD; *
I will glory in your victory.
10  My very bones will say, “LORD, who is like you? *
You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11  Malicious witnesses rise up against me; *
they charge me with matters I know nothing about.
12  They pay me evil in exchange for good; *
my soul is full of despair.
13  But when they were sick I dressed in sack-cloth *
and humbled myself by fasting;
14  I prayed with my whole heart,
as one would for a friend or a brother; *
I behaved like one who mourns for a mother,
bowed down and grieving.
15  But when I stumbled, they were glad and gathered together;
they gathered against me; *
strangers whom I did not know tore me to pieces and would not stop.
16  They put me to the test and mocked me; *
they gnashed at me with their teeth.
17  O Lord, how long will you look on? *
rescue me from the roaring beasts,
and my life from the young lions.
18  I will give you thanks in the great congregation; *
I will praise you in the mighty throng.
19  Do not let my treacherous foes rejoice over me, *
or let those who hate me without a cause wink at each other.
20  For they do not plan for peace, *
but invent deceitful schemes against the quiet in the land.
21  They opened their mouths at me and said, *
“Aha! we saw it with our own eyes.”
22  You saw it, O LORD; do not be silent; *
O Lord, be not far from me.
23  Awake, arise, to my cause! *
to my defense, my God and my Lord!
24  Give me justice, O LORD my God,
according to your righteousness; *
do not let them triumph over me.
25  Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! just what we want!” *
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”
26  Let all who rejoice at my ruin be ashamed and disgraced; *
let those who boast against me be clothed with dismay and shame.
27  Let those who favor my cause sing out with joy and be glad; *
let them say always, “Great are you, O LORD,
you desire the prosperity of your servant.”
28  And my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness *
and of your praise all the day long.

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.

Joey Velasco: Table of Hope. The artist met these hungry children in Manila and Quezon City, the Philippines, fed them and took their photographs, then painted them into his Last Supper. These kids, he said, were all so hungry that a day’s bowl of rice wasn’t enough.

THE LESSON
Luke 22:14-30 (NRSV)

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this.

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

“You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

VIDEO: E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come (Paul Manz; Ruth Manz, adapt. Revelation 22) – Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, 2006

For the Canticle: E’en so, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come

Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.

Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.

Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming, Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.

E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

VIDEO: Apostles’ Creed – Central Baptist Church, Honolulu, 2015

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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

VIDEO: Eternal Spirit: The New Zealand Lord’s Prayer (Ana Hernández) – Omega Dance Company, Middle Collegiate Church, New York City, 2013

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.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

No “Peace on Earth.” (Huffington Post Religion)

Collect of the Day: Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Fridays

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

A Prayer on Gender Violence
Christ Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Lord, my Creator, my Liberator, my Strength, hear my voice. I am your daughter. I used to think that did not mean much, that I was not important in this world. Now I know that I am precious to you. Now I would stand straight up boldly in prayer to you, but I make myself small to survive in the darkness. Even in my silence, I believe that you are hearing me. When night falls and the hard hands and loud voices of hate come, keep me safe. Let me wake to another morning. You keep giving me hope, and that is not dead yet. Give me a voice that others hear. And if they cannot hear me, place your voice inside their hearts. Please send help. May there be someone who walks like Jesus, someone who is not afraid to touch me and offer healing and rescue. Make the next morning the one that brings the light of peace to me. Lord, hear my voice. Amen.

Friday Evening Prayer List: For the Church

For Our Candidates for Ordination to the Diaconate
Maria L. Evans, Diocese of Missouri
Leslie Scoopmire, Diocese of Missouri
Teresa Wakeen, Diocese of Michigan

For Our Postulants for Ordination to the Diaconate
Hilary Greene, Diocese of Massachusetts

For our Seminarians
Shanna, Church Divinity School of the Pacific

For Christians in the Middle East
Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine

For the Anglican Communion
For Ecumenical Partners
For Church Unity

Primates of the Anglican Communion
Renato Abibiko, The Philippines
Onesphore Rwaje, Rwanda
David Chillingworth, Scotland
Datuk Bolly anak Lapok, South East Asia
Govada Dyvasirvadam, South India

Please add your own prayers and supplications here.

Prayer for Mission

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13++

VIDEO: A Prayer for Peace (Let There Be Peace on Earth, Sy Miller, Jill Jackson; A Balm in Gilead, #676, African-American spiritual) – Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, dir. Reuben M. Reynolds III, at the New England Conservatory of Music, 2014

Evening Prayer 12.7.16, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

New nurses graduated last month from FSIL, the Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti. As our websites prepare for the new budget year, we are gathering information about this program as a possible mission partner. It seems to be very similar to the Martha Kelley Scholarship we sponsor at Cuttington University School of Nursing in Liberia; one way we can help improve public health in poor nations is by educating nurses, each one of whom may touch the lives of thousands in his or her career. (university photo)

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn: O Gracious Light
Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 119:25-48

25  My soul cleaves to the dust; *
give me life according to your word.
26  I have confessed my ways, and you answered me; *
instruct me in your statutes.
27  Make me understand the way of your commandments, *
that I may meditate on your marvelous works.
28  My soul melts away for sorrow; *
strengthen me according to your word.
29  Take from me the way of lying; *
let me find grace through your law.
30  I have chosen the way of faithfulness; *
I have set your judgments before me.
31  I hold fast to your decrees; *
O LORD, let me not be put to shame.
32  I will run the way of your commandments, *
for you have set my heart at liberty.

33  Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes, *
and I shall keep it to the end.
34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; *
I shall keep it with all my heart.
35  Make me go in the path of your commandments, *
for that is my desire.
36  Incline my heart to your decrees *
and not to unjust gain.
37  Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; *
give me life in your ways.
38  Fulfill your promise to your servant, *
which you make to those who fear you.
39  Turn away the reproach which I dread, *
because your judgments are good.
40  Behold, I long for your commandments; *
in your righteousness preserve my life.

41  Let your loving-kindness come to me, O LORD, *
and your salvation, according to your promise.
42  Then shall I have a word for those who taunt me, *
because I trust in your words.
43  Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth, *
for my hope is in your judgments.
44  I shall continue to keep your law; *
I shall keep it for ever and ever.
45  I will walk at liberty, *
because I study your commandments.
46  I will tell of your decrees before rulers *
and will not be ashamed.
47  I delight in your commandments, *
which I have always loved.
48  I will lift up my hands to your commandments, *
and I will meditate on your statutes.

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 LESSON
John 7:53—8:11 (NRSV)

Then each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

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 APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

Guercino, 1621: Christ with the Woman Taken in Adultery (Dulwich Picture Gallery)

Collect of the Day: Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397

O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

On Gender Violence
By Anne O. Weatherhouse
from Breaking the Silence

Gracious God, like a mother hen you shelter us under your wings: Bring your truth and love into homes where domestic violence has shattered the peace. Provide sustenance for the victims and accountability for the abusers. Send wise and courageous friends who can offer alternatives, and bring your healing power into broken relationships. May your church provide a haven of safety and peace for the abused and reach out to support all who serve the needs of the abused in our communities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Protection

O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

For the beauty of the Earth: sunset on Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts.

For the Beauty of the Earth

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Wednesday Evening Prayer List

For Disaster Victims
Earthquake in Indonesia
Pakistani plane crash, 48 on board
Wildfire in Tennessee
Fierce battle in Aleppo, Syria; thousands face annihilation
Drought in Southern Africa, India and Papua New Guinea
Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and Europe
Famine in Ethiopia and South Sudan
Civil war in Syria
Battle for Mosul, Iraq

For Prisoners
Matthew

Prisoners of ISIS & Boko Haram: #BringBackOurGirls
Victims of human trafficking, including U.S. & Australian detainees
Guantanamo; political prisoners

The innocent, the guilty, the victims of crime
Children and families of prisoners
Prison chaplains and ministries, especially Sally & Francesca
John P. Craine House, diversion and prevention programs
Sr. Helen Prejean and all prison reformers
All who are condemned to die

For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience

O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.

Prayer for Mission

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.++

VIDEO: What is the Crying at Jordan (#69, St. Mark’s, Berkeley, Irish; Carol Christopher Drake, alt.) – St. Peter’s, Essex Falls, New Jersey, 2013

Morning Prayer 12.7.16, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397

Both Services Now Available For Streaming

Our 7 a.m. webcast: click here.

For our 9 a.m. webcast, go here.

—

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.

The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe was consecrated Bishop of Central New York last Saturday by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and delegations of bishops from the rest of New York State, Virginia and elsewhere. She is the 11th bishop of the diocese and the first woman. (diocesan photo)

Watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. Mark 13:35-36

INVITATORY AND 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 for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Psalm 95:1-7
Venite

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 38

1  O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; *
do not punish me in your wrath.
2  For your arrows have already pierced me, *
and your hand presses hard upon me.
3  There is no health in my flesh,
because of your indignation; *
there is no soundness in my body, because of my sin.
4  For my iniquities overwhelm me; *
like a heavy burden they are too much for me to bear.
5  My wounds stink and fester *
by reason of my foolishness.
6  I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; *
I go about in mourning all the day long.
7  Searing pain fills my innards; *
there is no health in my body.
8  I am utterly numb and crushed; *
I wail, because of the groaning of my heart.
9  O Lord, you know all my desires, *
and my sighing is not hidden from you.
10  My heart is pounding, my strength has failed me, *
and the brightness of my eyes is gone from me.
11  My friends and companions draw back from my affliction; *
my neighbors stand afar off.
12  Those who seek after my life lay snares for me; *
those who strive to hurt me speak of my ruin
and plot treachery all the day long.
13  But I am like the deaf who do not hear, *
like those who are mute and do not open their mouth.
14  I have become like one who does not hear *
and from whose mouth comes no defense.
15  For in you, O LORD, have I fixed my hope; *
you will answer me, O Lord my God.
16  For I said, “Do not let them rejoice at my expense, *
those who gloat over me when my foot slips.”
17  Truly, I am on the verge of falling, *
and my pain is always with me.
18  I will confess my iniquity *
and be sorry for my sin.
19  Those who are my enemies without cause are mighty, *
and many in number are those who wrongfully hate me.
20  Those who repay evil for good slander me, *
because I follow the course that is right.
21  O LORD, do not forsake me; *
be not far from me, O my God.
22  Make haste to help me, *
O Lord of my salvation.

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.

Giovanni Batista Tiepolo: The Prophet Isaiah, the Seraph and the Live Coal

THE LESSONS
Isaiah 6:1-13 (NRSV)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” And he said, “Go and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.’
Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.”
Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
until the LORD sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
Even if a tenth part remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.

Canticle: Third Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 60:1-3, 11a, 14c, 18-19

Arise, shine, for your light has come, *
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land; *
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise, *
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light, *
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open; *
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord, *
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land, *
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation, *
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day; *
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light, *
and your God will be your glory.

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.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 (NRSV)

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Canticle: Song of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel; *
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of your servant David.
Through your holy prophets you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
To show mercy to our forebears, *
and to remember your holy covenant.
This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship you without fear, *
holy and righteous before you
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
To give God’s people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Lorenzo Lotto, 1527-29: Christ and the Women Taken in Adultery (Louvre Museum, Paris)

John 7:53—8:11 (NRSV)

Then each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

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.

V.  Help us, O God our Savior;
R.  Deliver us and forgive us our sins.
V.  Look upon your congregation;
R.  Give to your people the blessing of peace.
V.  Declare your glory among the nations;
R.  And your wonders among all peoples.
V.  Do not let the oppressed be shamed and turned away;
R.  Never forget the lives of your poor.
V.  Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you;
R.  And your favor to those who are true of heart.
V.  Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
R.  So shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Ambrose wasn’t even baptized when he was elected Bishop of Milan; he was there to mediate between riotous Christian factions, and he did it so well they picked him. He was a defender of orthodoxy and introduced antiphonal chant to the liturgy. (artist unknown)

Collect of the Day: Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397

O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power; that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

A Prayer Concerning Gender Violence
By Amanda Akes

Holy One, we turn to you in this season of Advent, a time of preparation. As you prepare our hearts for the coming of your Incarnate One, open our minds to the pains of the oppressed in our midst, particularly women and girls. Remembering and sharing their plight, help us to be active participants in your mission of justice, compassion, and reconciliation. In the name of the One who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.

Junior tree-huggers: for joy in God’s creation, start ’em young. (Tim Hawks-Malczynski)

For Joy in God’s Creation

O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Morning Prayer List

Healing of Body, Mind & Soul
Jack, intensive care
Cameron Lacy, acute leukemia
Jena, hand surgery last week
Clint’s daughter Julia Butcher
Rayell Segerstrom, melanoma
Ron, late stage brain cancer
Sarah Tamilio, child hit by car
Elizabeth’s father-in-law Herb, liver failure
Baylin, child with cancer, now going through chemo
Joseph Short
Patrick Dayton
Martha’s brother Lewis
Wanda Bell, COPD
Treese, cancer surgery recovery
Debbie Brooner, adenocarcinoma
Gail Hart, health
Joan, chemo
Brother Barnabas, Parkinson’s
Lyle, multiple myeloma
Fr. Robert Hughes, Parkinson’s
Debbie, lupus
Honorary Deacon Clint, stage IV metastatic adenocarcinoma

For Caregivers & Families
Paul
Teresa

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfil now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May the blessing of the God of Abraham and Sarah, and of Jesus Christ born of our sister Mary, and of the Holy Spirit, who broods over the world as a mother over her children, be upon us and remain with us always. Amen.++

VIDEO: Rejoice, rejoice, believers (#68, Llangloffan, Welsh, 1865; Laurentius Laurenti) – Holy Trinity, Covina, California, 2011

Evening Prayer 12.5.16, Clement of Alexandria, Theologian & Priest, c. 210

Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced yesterday that it will not issue permits to complete the Dakota Access Pipeline adjacent to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The decision came less than a day before state and local police and the company’s heavily armed security force were set to try to evict protesters from the holy site, while hundreds of U.S. military veterans pledged to shield the Native people with their bodies. Coming near the end of President Obama’s term, this is not a final victory for the indigenous people, whose cause has spread worldwide, but it is a major victory nonetheless, and people celebrated with prayer, song and drumming around the sacred fire. (David Goldman/Associated Press)

Watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. Mark 13:35-36

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn: O Gracious Light

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 9

1  I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with my whole heart; *
I will tell of all your marvelous works.
2  I will be glad and rejoice in you; *
I will sing to your Name, O Most High.
3  When my enemies are driven back, *
they will stumble and perish at your presence.
4  For you have maintained my right and my cause; *
you sit upon your throne judging right.
5  You have rebuked the ungodly and destroyed the wicked; *
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6  As for the enemy, they are finished, in perpetual ruin, *
their cities ploughed under, the memory of them perished;
7  But you, O LORD, are enthroned for ever; *
you have set up your throne for judgment.
8  It is you who rule the world with righteousness; *
you judge the peoples with equity.
9  The LORD will be a refuge for the oppressed, *
a refuge in time of trouble.
10  Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
for you never forsake those who seek you, O LORD.
11  Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion; *
proclaim to the peoples the things the LORD has done.
12  The Avenger of blood will remember them; *
and will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13  Have pity on me, O LORD; *
see the misery I suffer from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gate of death;
14  So that I may tell of all your praises
and rejoice in your salvation *
in the gates of the city of Zion.
15  The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, *
and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.
16  The LORD is known by divine acts of justice; *
the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
17  The wicked shall be given over to the grave, *
and also all the peoples that forget God.
18  For the needy shall not always be forgotten, *
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19  Rise up, O LORD, let not the ungodly have the upper hand; *
let them be judged before you.
20  Put fear upon them, O LORD; *
let the ungodly know they are but mortal.

Psalm 15

1  LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?
2  Those who lead a blameless life and do what is right, *
who speak the truth from their heart.
3  There is no guile upon their tongue;
they do no evil to their friend; *
they do not heap contempt upon their neighbor.
4  In their sight the wicked are rejected, *
but they honor those who fear the LORD.
5  They have sworn to do no wrong *
and do not take back their word.
6  They do not give their money in hope of gain, *
nor do they take a bribe against the innocent.
7  Those who do these things *
shall never be overthrown.

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.

Judgment Day by Michelangelo, in the Sistine Chapel; lo, he comes with clouds descending.

THE LESSON
Luke 21:20-28 (NRSV)

Jesus said, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

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 APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

St. Clement, an eminent Christian philosopher and mentor of Origen, was a strong opponent of Gnosticism. He insisted that knowing God is not a matter of esoteric knowledge attained only by a few initiates with the right friends, incantations and crystals, but is available to all who seek God in relationship; that we are the ones who limit an intimate connection out of fear, selfishness and shame, while God stands ready to receive us and embrace us.

Collect of the Day: Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210

O God of unsearchable wisdom, you gave your servant Clement grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, the source of all truth: Grant to your Church the same grace to discern your Word wherever truth is found; through Jesus Christ our unfailing light, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

On Gender Violence
Christ Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

O God, you love all your children. Look with special care upon those daughters who suffer physically and emotionally simply because they are women. Surround them with your protecting angels this day, that they might know safety. Give them that measure of your Spirit that they might not lose heart, but entrust their lives wholly to you. Give us the courage to stand steadfast at their side, never wavering to speak the truth of their plight and to put our own lives to the test on behalf of our beloved sisters. Grant these petitions, we pray, in the love of the One, Triune God. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Monday Evening Prayer List: Thanksgivings

Daily Office Network’s 12th Anniversary
Alcina home from hospital
Birth of Henry
New subscribers to Oficio Diario
Our mission partners in Haiti, Liberia, Brazil and on the Rosebud Reservation
Those who give to food banks and pantries, and all who receive
Community Health Centers and Free Clinics

A Collect for Mission

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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++

VIDEO: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (G.F. Handel, from Messiah) – Anne Sofie von Otter, 2015