Cross of Jesus, cross of sorrow,
where the blood of Christ was shed,
perfect Man on thee did suffer,
perfect God on thee has bled!
—-
2 Here the King of all the ages,
throned in light ere worlds could be,
robed in mortal flesh is dying,
crucified by sin for me.
—-
3 O mysterious condescending!
O abandonment sublime!
Very God Himself is bearing
all the sufferings of time!
—-
4 Cross of Jesus, cross of sorrow,
where the blood of Christ was shed,
perfect Man on thee did suffer,
perfect God on thee has bled!
where the blood of Christ was shed,
perfect Man on thee did suffer,
perfect God on thee has bled!
—-
2 Here the King of all the ages,
throned in light ere worlds could be,
robed in mortal flesh is dying,
crucified by sin for me.
—-
3 O mysterious condescending!
O abandonment sublime!
Very God Himself is bearing
all the sufferings of time!
—-
4 Cross of Jesus, cross of sorrow,
where the blood of Christ was shed,
perfect Man on thee did suffer,
perfect God on thee has bled!
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Bridget of Sweden, Abbess of Vadstena, 1373 [Commemoration]
+++
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning
Jeremiah 13, 27, 2 readers
The Linen Loincloth
13 Thus said the Lord to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on your loins, but do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Euphrates,[a] and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates,[b] as the Lord commanded me. 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Go now to the Euphrates,[c] and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates[d] and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. But now the loincloth was ruined; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Thus says the Lord: Just so I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own will and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen.
Symbol of the Wine Jars
12 You shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wine jar should be filled with wine. And they will say to you, “Do you think we do not know that every wine jar should be filled with wine?” 13 Then you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, parents and children together, says the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion when I destroy them.
Second reader
Exile Threatened
15
Hear and give ear; do not be haughty,
for the Lord has spoken.
16
Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before your feet stumble
on the mountains at twilight;
while you look for light,
he turns it into gloom
and makes it deep darkness.
17
But if you will not listen,
my soul will weep in secret for your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears
because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18
Say to the king and the queen mother:
“Take a lowly seat,
for your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.”[e]
19
The towns of the Negeb are shut up,
with no one to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.
20
Lift up your eyes and see
those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
your beautiful flock?
21
What will you say when they set as head over you
those whom you have trained
to be your allies?
Will not pangs seize you
like those of a woman in labor?
22
And if you say in your heart,
“Why have these things come upon me?”
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that your skirts are lifted up
and you are violated.
23
Can Cushites change their skin
or leopards their spots?
Then also you can do good,
who are accustomed to do evil.
24
I will scatter you[f] like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.
25
This is your lot,
the portion I have measured out to you, says the Lord,
because you have forgotten me
and trusted in lies.
26
I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.
27
I have seen your abominations,
your adulteries and neighings, your shameless prostitutions
on the hills of the countryside.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be
before you are made clean?
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.
+++
John 11, 57, 3 readers
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,[a] “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus[b] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.”[c] 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin,[d] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[e] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
Second reader
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Third reader
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place[h] and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness, and he remained there with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus[i] was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
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.
+++
Psalm 110, 7
Assurance of Victory for God’s Priest-King
Of David. A Psalm.
1
The Lord says to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2
The Lord sends out from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your foes.
3
Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces
on the holy mountains.[a]
From the womb of the morning,
like dew, your youth[b] will come to you.
4
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”[c]
5
The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6
He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
over the wide earth.
7
He will drink from the stream by the path;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Psalm 111, 10
Praise for God’s Wonderful Works
1
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8
They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it[a] have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 112, 10
Blessings of the Righteous
1
Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
2
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6
For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered forever.
7
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
8
Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9
They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn is exalted in honor.
10
The wicked see it and are angry;
they gnash their teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
Psalm 113, 9
God the Helper of the Needy
1
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
2
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
3
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4
The Lord is high above all nations
and his glory above the heavens.
5
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the 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.
+++
Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
Leader prays a short prayer
+++
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The conclusion
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
+++
Evening
Jeremiah 14, 22
The Great Drought
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2
Judah mourns,
and her gates languish;
they lie in gloom on the ground,
and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3
Her[a] nobles send their servants for water;
they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
they return with their vessels empty.
They are ashamed and dismayed
and cover their heads,
4
because the ground is cracked.
Because there has been no rain on the land,
the farmers are dismayed;
they cover their heads.
5
Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6
The wild asses stand on the bare heights;[b]
they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
because there is no herbage.
7
Although our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
our rebellions indeed are many,
and we have sinned against you.
8
O hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler turning aside for the night?
9
Why should you be like someone confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and we are called by your name;
do not forsake us!
10
Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
Truly they have loved to wander;
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them;
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.
11 The Lord said to me: Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Although they fast, I do not hear their cry, and although they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I do not accept them, but by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence I consume them.
Denunciation of Lying Prophets
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God! Here are the prophets saying to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you true peace in this place.’ ” 14 And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name though I did not send them and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come on this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword. There shall be no one to bury them—themselves, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—for I will pour out their wickedness upon them.”
17
You shall say to them this word:
Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is struck down with a crushing blow,
with a very grievous wound.
18
If I go out into the field,
look—those killed by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
look—those sick with[c] famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land
and have no knowledge.
The People Plead for Mercy
19
Have you completely rejected Judah?
Does your heart loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
so that there is no healing for us?
We look for peace but find no good,
for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
20
We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
the iniquity of our ancestors,
for we have sinned against you.
21
Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22
Can any idols of the nations bring rain,
or can the heavens give showers?
Is it not you, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for it is you who do all this.
+++
2 Timothy 2, 26
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
2 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. 3 Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5 And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6 It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13
if we are faithless, he remains faithful--
he[a] cannot deny himself.
A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before the Lord[b] that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16 Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people[c] into more and more impiety, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying resurrection[d] has already occurred. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special[e] use, some for ordinary.[f] 21 All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned[g] will become special[h] utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. 22 Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, 25 correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth 26 and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.[i]
+++
Psalm 114, 8
God’s Wonders at the Exodus
1
[a]When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2
Judah became God’s[b] sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3
The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
4
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5
Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
6
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
7
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
Psalm 115, 18
The Impotence of Idols and the Greatness of God
1
[a]Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
2
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3
Our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he pleases.
4
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see.
6
They have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell.
7
They have hands, but they do not feel;
they have feet, but they do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
8
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.
9
O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
12
The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13
he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both small and great.
14
May the Lord give you increase,
both you and your children.
15
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
16
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to human beings.
17
The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.
18
But we will bless the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
Bridget of Sweden, Abbess of Vadstena, 1373 [Commemoration]
+++
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning
Jeremiah 13, 27, 2 readers
The Linen Loincloth
13 Thus said the Lord to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on your loins, but do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Euphrates,[a] and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates,[b] as the Lord commanded me. 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Go now to the Euphrates,[c] and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates[d] and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. But now the loincloth was ruined; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Thus says the Lord: Just so I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own will and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen.
Symbol of the Wine Jars
12 You shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wine jar should be filled with wine. And they will say to you, “Do you think we do not know that every wine jar should be filled with wine?” 13 Then you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, parents and children together, says the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion when I destroy them.
Second reader
Exile Threatened
15
Hear and give ear; do not be haughty,
for the Lord has spoken.
16
Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before your feet stumble
on the mountains at twilight;
while you look for light,
he turns it into gloom
and makes it deep darkness.
17
But if you will not listen,
my soul will weep in secret for your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears
because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18
Say to the king and the queen mother:
“Take a lowly seat,
for your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.”[e]
19
The towns of the Negeb are shut up,
with no one to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.
20
Lift up your eyes and see
those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
your beautiful flock?
21
What will you say when they set as head over you
those whom you have trained
to be your allies?
Will not pangs seize you
like those of a woman in labor?
22
And if you say in your heart,
“Why have these things come upon me?”
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that your skirts are lifted up
and you are violated.
23
Can Cushites change their skin
or leopards their spots?
Then also you can do good,
who are accustomed to do evil.
24
I will scatter you[f] like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.
25
This is your lot,
the portion I have measured out to you, says the Lord,
because you have forgotten me
and trusted in lies.
26
I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.
27
I have seen your abominations,
your adulteries and neighings, your shameless prostitutions
on the hills of the countryside.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be
before you are made clean?
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.
+++
John 11, 57, 3 readers
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,[a] “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus[b] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.”[c] 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin,[d] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[e] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
Second reader
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Third reader
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place[h] and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness, and he remained there with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus[i] was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
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.
+++
Psalm 110, 7
Assurance of Victory for God’s Priest-King
Of David. A Psalm.
1
The Lord says to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2
The Lord sends out from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your foes.
3
Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces
on the holy mountains.[a]
From the womb of the morning,
like dew, your youth[b] will come to you.
4
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”[c]
5
The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6
He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
over the wide earth.
7
He will drink from the stream by the path;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Psalm 111, 10
Praise for God’s Wonderful Works
1
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8
They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it[a] have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 112, 10
Blessings of the Righteous
1
Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
2
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6
For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered forever.
7
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
8
Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9
They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn is exalted in honor.
10
The wicked see it and are angry;
they gnash their teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
Psalm 113, 9
God the Helper of the Needy
1
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
2
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
3
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4
The Lord is high above all nations
and his glory above the heavens.
5
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the 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.
+++
Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
Leader prays a short prayer
+++
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The conclusion
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
+++
Evening
Jeremiah 14, 22
The Great Drought
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2
Judah mourns,
and her gates languish;
they lie in gloom on the ground,
and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3
Her[a] nobles send their servants for water;
they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
they return with their vessels empty.
They are ashamed and dismayed
and cover their heads,
4
because the ground is cracked.
Because there has been no rain on the land,
the farmers are dismayed;
they cover their heads.
5
Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6
The wild asses stand on the bare heights;[b]
they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
because there is no herbage.
7
Although our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
our rebellions indeed are many,
and we have sinned against you.
8
O hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler turning aside for the night?
9
Why should you be like someone confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and we are called by your name;
do not forsake us!
10
Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
Truly they have loved to wander;
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them;
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.
11 The Lord said to me: Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Although they fast, I do not hear their cry, and although they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I do not accept them, but by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence I consume them.
Denunciation of Lying Prophets
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God! Here are the prophets saying to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you true peace in this place.’ ” 14 And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name though I did not send them and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come on this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword. There shall be no one to bury them—themselves, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—for I will pour out their wickedness upon them.”
17
You shall say to them this word:
Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is struck down with a crushing blow,
with a very grievous wound.
18
If I go out into the field,
look—those killed by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
look—those sick with[c] famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land
and have no knowledge.
The People Plead for Mercy
19
Have you completely rejected Judah?
Does your heart loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
so that there is no healing for us?
We look for peace but find no good,
for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
20
We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
the iniquity of our ancestors,
for we have sinned against you.
21
Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22
Can any idols of the nations bring rain,
or can the heavens give showers?
Is it not you, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for it is you who do all this.
+++
2 Timothy 2, 26
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
2 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. 3 Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5 And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6 It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13
if we are faithless, he remains faithful--
he[a] cannot deny himself.
A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before the Lord[b] that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16 Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people[c] into more and more impiety, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying resurrection[d] has already occurred. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special[e] use, some for ordinary.[f] 21 All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned[g] will become special[h] utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. 22 Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, 25 correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth 26 and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.[i]
+++
Psalm 114, 8
God’s Wonders at the Exodus
1
[a]When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2
Judah became God’s[b] sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3
The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
4
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5
Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
6
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
7
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
Psalm 115, 18
The Impotence of Idols and the Greatness of God
1
[a]Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
2
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3
Our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he pleases.
4
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see.
6
They have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell.
7
They have hands, but they do not feel;
they have feet, but they do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
8
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.
9
O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
12
The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13
he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both small and great.
14
May the Lord give you increase,
both you and your children.
15
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
16
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to human beings.
17
The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.
18
But we will bless the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!