Lord God, you love innocence and you restore it in those who have sinned. Turn back our wayward hearts to you and inflame them with your Holy Spirit, that we may be steadfast in faith and effective in the works of love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent!

    O Lord, be not far from me!

23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,

    for my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,

    according to your righteousness,

    and let them not rejoice over me!

25 Let them not say in their hearts,

    “Aha, our heart's desire!”

    Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether

    who rejoice at my calamity!

   Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor

    who magnify themselves against me!

27 Let those who delight in my righteousness

    shout for joy and be glad and say evermore,

   “Great is the Lord,

    who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness

    and of your praise all the day long.

                         

Psalm 35 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Jeremiah 4:9-10,19-28 – Romans 2:12-24 - John 5:19-29

George Herbert

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.

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

    follow the advice of the wicked,

    or stand around with sinners,

    or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,

    meditating on it day and night.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

    bearing fruit each season.

    Their leaves never wither,

    and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!

    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

    Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,

    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

                         

Psalm 1 – New Living Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Jeremiah 3:6-18 – Romans 1:28-2:11 - John 5:1-18

Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg

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.

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,

    for he has done marvelous things!

   His right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salvation for him.

2 The Lord has made known his salvation;

    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

    to the house of Israel.

   All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;

    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,

    with the lyre and the sound of melody!

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn

    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

                         

Psalm 98 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 2:1-13 – Romans 1:16-25 - John 4:43-54

Matthias the Apostle

O Almighty God, who in the place of Judas chose your faithful servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve: Grant that your Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; 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

1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

    and speaks truth in his heart;

3 who does not slander with his tongue

    and does no evil to his neighbor,

    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

    but who honors those who fear the Lord;

   who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 who does not put out his money at interest

    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

   He who does these things shall never be moved.

                         

Psalm 15 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Jeremiah 1:11-19 – Romans 1:1-15 - John 4:27-42

Lord, prepare your people fittingly for the celebration of Easter, that the bodily penance we have solemnly begun may work to the good of our souls. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever. Amen

6 But I am a worm and not a man,

    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;

    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth,

    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near,

    and there is none to help.

                         

Psalm 22 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 10:12-22  – Hebrews 4:11-16 - John 3:22-36

Lord, in your boundless mercy grant us always the desire to know what is right and the readiness to do it, so that we who cannot exist without you may direct our lives according to your will. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;

    fight against those who fight against me!

2 Take hold of shield and buckler

    and rise for my help!

3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers!

   Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”

4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor

    who seek after my life!

Let them be turned back and disappointed

    who devise evil against me!

5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,

    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!

6 Let their way be dark and slippery,

    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

                         

Psalm 35 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 9:23-10:5  – Hebrews 4:1-10 - John 3:16-21

Rasmus Jensen

Most gracious God, we thank you for your servants Rasmus Jensen And all other ministers who have accompanied Christians travelling to distant, desolate, or perilous places, seeking to minister to those they accompanied and to those they met, sharing their hardships in the name of him who humbled himself to share ours, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

   He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

   He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley

   of the shadow of death,

   I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

   your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

   in the presence of my enemies;

   you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

   all the days of my life,
   and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

                         

Psalm 23 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 9:13-21 – Hebrews 3:12-19 - John 2:23-3:15

Look mercifully, Lord, upon your family, that, as we discipline our desire for earthly things, a longing for you may grow in our hearts. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

    let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me

    and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant,

    and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him

    and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps

    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

                         

Psalm 34 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 9:4-12 – Hebrews 3:1-11 - John 2:13-22

Martin Luther

O God, our refuge and our strength, who raised up your servant Martin Luther to reform and renew your Church in the light of your word: Defend and purify the Church in our own day and grant that, through faith, we may boldly proclaim the riches of your grace, which you have made known in Jesus Christ our Savior, who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

    he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

    how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

                         

Psalm 46 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 8:11-20 – Hebrews 2:11-18 - John 2:1-12

Stay with us, kind and gracious Lord, on the penitential journey which we have begun, that the outward discipline we practice may be matched by sincerity of heart. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me,

    from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

    and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,

    enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In you our fathers trusted;

    they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried and were rescued;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

                         

Psalm 22 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Deuteronomy 7:12-16 – Titus 2:1-15 - John 1:35-42

Cyril and Methodius

Almighty and everlasting God, who by the power of the Holy Spirit moved your servant Cyril and his brother Methodius to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people: Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ, and make us one united family under the banner of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

    sing to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

                         

Psalm 96 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 7:6-11 – Titus 1:1-16 - John 1:29-34

Ash Wednesday

Grant us, Lord, the grace to begin this time of Christian service with a holy fast, that, as we struggle against the spirit of evil, we may be strengthened by the practice of self-discipline. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;

    consider my groaning.

2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,

    my King and my God, for to you do I pray.

3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;

    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you[a] and watch.

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

    evil may not dwell with you.

5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;

    you hate all evildoers.

6 You destroy those who speak lies;

    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

    will enter your house.

   I will bow down toward your holy temple

    in the fear of you.

Psalm 5 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jonah 3:1-4:11 – Hebrews 1:1-14 - Luke 18:9-14

Fanny Crosby      

O God, the blessed assurance of all who trust in you: We give you thanks for your servant Fanny Crosby, who, though blind from infancy, beheld your glory with great clarity of vision and spent her life giving voice to your people’s heartfelt praise; and we pray that we, inspired by her words and example, may rejoice to sing of your love, praising our Savior all the day long; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in perfect harmony, now and for ever. Amen.

1 My heart is steadfast, O God!

    I will sing and make melody with all my being!

2 Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 That your beloved ones may be delivered,

    give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

Psalm 108 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Deuteronomy 6:10-15  – Hebrews 1:1-14 - John 1:1-18

God of heaven and earth, your almighty power is shown above all in your willingness to forgive and show mercy; let your grace descend upon us without ceasing, that we may strive for the things you have promised and come to share the treasures of heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

1 In Judah God is known;

    his name is great in Israel.

2 His abode has been established in Salem,

    his dwelling place in Zion.

3 There he broke the flashing arrows,

    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.

4 Glorious are you, more majestic

    than the mountains full of prey.

5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;

    they sank into sleep;

   all the men of war were unable to use their hands.

6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,

    both rider and horse lay stunned.

7 But you, you are to be feared!

   Who can stand before you

   when once your anger is roused?

Psalm 76 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 56:1-8 – Galatians 5:16-24 - Mark 9:2-13

O God, you inspire the hearts of the faithful with a single longing. Grant that your people may love what you command and desire what you promise, so that, amid the uncertain things of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

    your hands deal out violence on earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;

    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

    or of the cunning enchanter.

7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;

    when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

Psalm 58 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 56:6-8 – Acts 11:1-18 - Luke 13:22-29

Philip Jacob Spener, Renewer of the Church

O God, you show the light of your truth to those who stray, that they may return to the right path. Grant that all who profess the Christian faith may reject whatever is contrary to the gospel and follow the way that leads to you. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

1 God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

    God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

    he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 54:1-17 – Galatians 4:21-31 - Mark 8:11-26

O God, you show the light of your truth to those who stray, that they may return to the right path. Grant that all who profess the Christian faith may reject whatever is contrary to the gospel and follow the way that leads to you. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;

    for the faithful have vanished

    from among the children of man.

2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;

    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

    the tongue that makes great boasts,

4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,

    our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

5 “Because the poor are plundered,

    because the needy groan,

    I will now arise,” says the Lord;

    “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words,

    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

    purified seven times.

Psalm 12 –English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 52:1-12 – Galatians 4:12-20 - Mark 8:1-10

Cornelius the Centurion

O God, who by your Spirit called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to your Church such a ready will to go where you send and to do what you command, that under your guidance it may welcome all who turn to you in love and faith, and proclaim the Gospel to all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

2 that your way may be known on earth,

    your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

    let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

    for you judge the peoples with equity

    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

    let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;

    God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us;

    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 67 – New English Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 51:17-23 – Galatians 4:1-11 - Mark 7:24-37

Bridget of Kildare

Ever living God, we rejoice today in the fellowship of your blessed servant Brigid, and we give you thanks for her life of devoted service. Inspire us with life and light, and give us perseverance to serve you all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, world without end. Amen.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

    and your justice as the noonday.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous

    and seeks to put him to death.

33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power

    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

Psalm 37 – New English Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

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Isaiah 50:1-11 – Galatians 3:15-22 - Mark 6:47-56