Todays Readings

Today's Readings

Psalm 137:1-9
Psalm 144:1-15
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Romans 11:25-36
John 11:28-44
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Lent
Jesus said, 'If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' Mark 8:34

Confession of Sin

Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I 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

The Lessons

Select one or more of the readings



Psalm 137

(1) By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. (2) We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. (3) For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' (4) How shall we sing the LORD's song In a foreign land?

(5) If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! (6) If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth -- If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. (7) Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, 'Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!' (8) O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!

(9) Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

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



Psalm 144

(1) Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle -- (2) My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. (3) LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? (4) Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow.

(5) Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. (6) Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. (7) Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, (8) Whose mouth speaks vain words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

(9) I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, (10) The One who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant From the deadly sword. (11) Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood -- (12) That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style;

(13) That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; (14) That our oxen may be well-laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. (15) Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

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



Jeremiah 31

(27) Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. (28) And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. (29) In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.' (30) But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

(31) Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- (32) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. (33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (34) No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.



Romans 11

(25) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (26) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; (27) For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.' (28) Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

(29) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (30) For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, (31) even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. (32) For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

(33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (34) For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?' (35) Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?' (36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.



John 11

(28) And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, 'The Teacher has come and is calling for you.' (29) As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. (30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. (31) Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, 'She is going to the tomb to weep there.'

(32) Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' (33) Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. (34) And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' (35) Jesus wept.

(36) Then the Jews said, 'See how He loved him!' (37) And some of them said, 'Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?' (38) Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. (39) Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.'

(40) Jesus said to her, 'Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?' (41) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. (42) And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.' (43) Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!'

(44) And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'



Seasonal Collect:  Fifth Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer   

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

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.



Closing Prayers   

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 ourselves 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.

Conclude with following
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.



This concludes the Daily Prayer
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord