OPENING SENTENCES

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:3

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.

Silence for reflection

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

Lord, open our lips. *
And our mouths shall proclaim your praise!

The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.

MORNING PSALM
PSALM 119:1-24

Aleph

Happy are they whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the LORD!

Happy are they who observe his decrees *
and seek him with all their hearts!

Who never do any wrong, *
but always walk in his ways.

You laid down your commandments, *
that we should fully keep them.

Oh, that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep your statutes!

Then I should not be put to shame, *
when I regard all your commandments.

I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *
when I have learned your righteous judgments.

I will keep your statutes; *
do not utterly forsake me.

Beth

How shall a young man cleanse his way? *
By keeping to your words.

With my whole heart I seek you; *
let me not stray from your commandments.

I treasure your promise in my heart, *
that I may not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD; *
instruct me in your statutes.

With my lips will I recite *
all the judgments of your mouth.

I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees *
than in all manner of riches.

I will meditate on your commandments *
and give attention to your ways.

My delight is in your statutes; *
I will not forget your word.

Gimel

Deal bountifully with your servant, *
that I may live and keep your word.

Open my eyes, that I may see *
the wonders of your law.

I am a stranger here on earth; *
do not hide your commandments from me.

My soul is consumed at all times *
with longing for your judgments.

You have rebuked the insolent; *
cursed are they who stray from your commandments!

Turn from me shame and rebuke, *
for I have kept your decrees.

Even though rulers sit and plot against me, *
I will meditate on your statutes.

For your decrees are my delight, *
and they are my counselors.

Lord, you are just and your commandments are eternal. Teach us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus our Lord.

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

MORNING SONG

Morning Star - the innocence mission

MORNING LESSONS

For those not receiving Evening Prayer emails, the lectionary OT & NT Lessons for today are Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 2:11-18.

JOHN 1:29-42

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Silence for reflection

CONCLUDING PRAYER

In the morning, pray for:

the day and its tasks
the world and its needs
the Church and her life

Conclude with the Lord's Prayer and/or the following Collect for the First Week of Epiphany:

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. *
Thanks be to God!