Ordinary Time
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phillipians 1:2
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
The Lessons
Psalm 38
(1) O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. (2) For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me. (3) Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. (4) My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
(5) My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. (6) I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. (7) My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. (8) I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
(9) All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. (10) My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. (11) My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. (12) Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.
(13) I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; (14) I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. (15) I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. (16) For I said, 'Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.'
(17) For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. (18) I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. (19) Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. (20) Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.
(21) O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. (22) Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.
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.
(5) My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. (6) I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. (7) My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. (8) I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
(9) All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. (10) My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. (11) My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. (12) Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.
(13) I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; (14) I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. (15) I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. (16) For I said, 'Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.'
(17) For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. (18) I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. (19) Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. (20) Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.
(21) O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. (22) Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.
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.
Deuteronomy 4
(25) After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time-- if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, (26) I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. (27) The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. (28) There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
(29) But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (30) When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. (31) For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(29) But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (30) When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. (31) For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
2 Corinthians 1
(23) I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. (24) Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. (1) So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. (2) For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? (3) I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. (4) For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
(5) If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-- not to put it too severely. (6) The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. (7) Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (8) I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
(9) The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. (10) If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven-- if there was anything to forgive-- I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, (11) in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (12) Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
(13) I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. (14) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (15) For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (16) To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
(17) Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(5) If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-- not to put it too severely. (6) The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. (7) Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (8) I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
(9) The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. (10) If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven-- if there was anything to forgive-- I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, (11) in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (12) Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
(13) I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. (14) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (15) For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (16) To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
(17) Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Luke 15
(1) Now the tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering around to hear him. (2) But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' (11) Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons. (12) The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. (13) Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. (14) After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
(15) So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. (16) He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (17) When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
(19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' (20) So he got up and went to his father. 'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (21) The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' (22) But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
(23) Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. (24) For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. (25) Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. (26) So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
(27) Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' (28) The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. (29) But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. (30) But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
(31) 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. (32) But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.''
(15) So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. (16) He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (17) When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
(19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' (20) So he got up and went to his father. 'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (21) The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' (22) But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
(23) Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. (24) For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. (25) Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. (26) So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
(27) Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' (28) The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. (29) But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. (30) But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
(31) 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. (32) But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.''
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.
Seasonal Collect: Proper 3 The Sunday closest to May 25
Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be peaceably governed by your providence; and that your Church may joyfully serve you in confidence and serenity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Personal Prayers and Reflection
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.
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