Morning Prayer 1.25.26, Third Sunday after the Epiphany

They gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

A hippie goat at Two Goats Brewery, Hector, New York.

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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

Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Psalm 63:1-8

1 O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
2 Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall give you praise.
4 So will I bless you as long as I live *
and lift up my hands in your Name.
5 My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6 When I remember you upon my bed, *
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7 For you have been my helper, *
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.

Psalm 98

1 Sing unto the LORD a new song, *
for the LORD has done marvelous things.
2 The right hand and the holy arm of the LORD *
have secured the victory.
3 The LORD has made known this victory; *
and has openly shown righteousness in the sight of the nations.
4 The LORD remembers mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
5 Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
6 Sing to the LORD with the harp, *
with the harp and the voice of song.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
shout with joy before the Sovereign, the LORD.
8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who dwell therein.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands, *
and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD,
who is coming to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall the LORD judge the world *
and the peoples with equity.

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

Abram and his nephew Lot decide to go their separate ways, because the land “isn’t big enough” to hold both their households, livestock and possessions. (Bible for Slackers)

THE LESSONS
Genesis 13:2-18 (NRSV)

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. He journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, and there was strife between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.

Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Lot looked about him, and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward; thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Canticle: A Song of Hannah
1 Samuel 2:1-8

My heart exults in you, O God; *
my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, *
for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *
Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, *
those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *
while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *
gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; *
and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers *
and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s *
on which the whole earth is founded.

The Council of Jerusalem was called to resolve the circumcision controversy; Paul describes a private meeting with the “acknowledged pillars.” (iconographer unknown)

Galatians 2:1-10 (NRSV)

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us—we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.

Canticle: A Song of God’s Love
1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, *
for love is of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, *
for God is Love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us, *
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through Jesus Christ.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *
and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.
Beloved, since God loved us so much, *
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us, *
and God’s love will be perfected in us.

Ritchie Way: Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

Mark 7:31-37 (NRSV)

Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Altar at St. Mary, Redcliffe, Bristol, England. (Source: parish photo)

Collect of the Day: Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For Protection

Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of your servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

You’re invited to add your own prayers here.

Prayer for Mission

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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 our selves 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.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14++

VIDEO: Christ whose glory fills the skies (#7, Ratisbon, German, 1524, adapt. Havergal; Charles Wesley, 1740) – St. John’s, Boulder, Colorado, 2020

Evening Prayer 01.24.26, Florence Li Tim-Oi, Priest, 1992

The woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?”

Today is the United Nations’ International Day of Education. Around the world, 250 million children and adolescents are out of school and 763 million adults are illiterate. Education is a human right, a public good, and a shared responsibility. (UN)

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,” darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike. (Psalm 139:10, 11)

INVITATORY & PSALTER

O God, be not far from us.
Come quickly to help us, O God.

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

Hymn: O Radiant Light (Phos Hilaron)

O radiant light, O sun divine,
Of God the Father’s deathless face,
O image of the light sublime
That fills the heavenly dwelling place.

O Son of God, the source of life,
Praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteemed and splendid name.

Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
As shine the lights of eventide,
We praise the Father with the Son,
The Spirit blest and with them one.

(Source: William George Storey)

Psalm 42 Quemadmodum

1 As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *
so longs my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night, *
while all day long they say to me,
“Where now is your God?”

4 I pour out my soul when I think on these things; *
how I went with the multitude and led them into the
house of God,

5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *
among those who keep holy-day.

6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?

7 Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

8 My soul is heavy within me; *
therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,
and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon.

9 One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; *
all your rapids and floods have gone over me.

10 The Lord grants his loving-kindness in the daytime; *
in the night season his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

11 I will say to the God of my strength,
“Why have you forgotten me? *
and why do I go so heavily while the enemy
oppresses me?”

12 While my bones are being broken, *
my enemies mock me to my face;

13 All day long they mock me *
and say to me, “Where now is your God?”

14 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?

15 Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 43 Judica me, Deus

1 Give judgment for me, O God,
and defend my cause against an ungodly people; *
deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.

2 For you are the God of my strength;
why have you put me from you? *
and why do I go so heavily while the enemy
oppresses me?

3 Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, *
and bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling;

4 That I may go to the altar of God,
to the God of my joy and gladness; *
and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.

5 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?

6 Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

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

Christ and the Samaritan Woman, Vincenzo Catana, c. 1520-1530. (Source: Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina, USA)

THE LESSON

John 4:27-42 Jesus and the woman of Samaria

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that Jesus was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Canticle: The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm, *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones, *
and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
the promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

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

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

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,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi, the first woman ordained as a priest in the Anglican Communion.

Collect of the Day: Florence Li Tim-Oi, Priest, 1992

Almighty God, you pour out your Spirit upon your sons and daughters: Grant that we, following the example of your servant Florence Li Tim-Oi, chosen priest in your church, may with faithfulness, patience, and tenacity proclaim your holy gospel to all the nations: through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Collect for Saturdays

O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you, our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Weekend of Prayer for the Church

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Sunyani, Church of the Province of West Africa

Daily Office Network Mission Partners:

  • Cuttington University School of Nursing, Liberia
  • Rosebud Episcopal Mission, South Dakota
  • Matthew Shepard Foundation

Ministers of the Gospel, remembering especially:

  • Bishops, priests, and deacons
  • Vestry members and church wardens
  • Lay religious orders and their members

The Episcopal Church and all church bodies, remembering especially:

  • Anglican Observer at the United Nations
  • Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music
  • Cursillo

Please offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

VIDEO: The Oceans (Davis John Patton)

Morning Prayer 1.24.26, Florence Li Tim-Oi, Priest, 1992

For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

As clouds of CS gas fill the air Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. Now is the time to pray for our nation. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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

Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
because you have lifted me up *
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you, *
and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; *
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing to the LORD, you faithful servants; *
give thanks for the remembrance of God’s holiness.
5 For God’s wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
God’s favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night, *
but joy comes in the morning.
7 While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed. *
You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
8 Then you hid your face, *
and I was filled with fear.
9 I cried to you, O LORD; *
I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; *
O LORD, be my helper.”
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Psalm 32

1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
6 I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.”
11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

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

Sarai Taken to Pharaoh’s Palace, c. 1898, James Tissot [Source: Jewish Museum, New York City]

THE LESSONS
Genesis 12:9—13:1 (NRSV)

And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.” When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. When the officials of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram, and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her, and be gone.” And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him; and they set him on the way, with his wife and all that he had.

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Canticle: A Song of Creation
Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

I The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Tui on a Harekeke branch; they are endemic to New Zealand. European immigrants called them parson’s bird or mockingbird; the Maori word is tui, singular and plural. (artindustry.co.nz)

II The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

III The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

Christ the High Priest (ubdavid)

Hebrews 7:18-28 (NRSV)

There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual (for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God. This was confirmed with an oath; for others who became priests took their office without an oath, but this one became a priest with an oath, because of the one who said to him,

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever'”

—accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Canticle: A Song of the Heavenly City
Revelation 21:22-26, 22:1-4

I saw no temple in the city, *
for its temple is the God of surpassing strength and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, *
for the glory of God shines on it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
By its light the nations shall walk, *
and the rulers of the world lay their honor and glory there.
Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; *
into it they will bring the honor and glory of nations.
I saw the clean river of the water of life, bright as crystal, *
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The tree of life spanned the river, giving fruit every month, *
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
All curses cease where the throne of God and the Lamb stands,
and all servants give worship there; *
there they will see God’s face, whose Name shall be on their foreheads.

Woman at the Well, detail, Carl Bloch. Jesus doesn’t judge her; she’s quite faithful, even though she’s female, belongs to the wrong tribe, has been married five times and now is living with a sixth man. Jesus reveals himself to her despite their differences in status; he likes her honesty. [Source: Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, Denmark]

John 4:27-42 (NRSV)

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that Jesus was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

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.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you;
R. We praise your Name for ever.
V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. For we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope;
R. And we shall never hope in vain.

Mother Florence suffered a lot in her life, including being locked up in a “re-education” camp in China and controversy about her vocation from outraged men. But Canadians rejoiced to receive her as a priest in 1981, and she is beloved today in the most of the Anglican Communion. (source unknown)

Florence Li Tim-Oi, ordained a priest on an emergency basis in World War II, went through a lot of suffering in her life, including widespread controversy about her vocation after the war, and later being confined in a “re-education” camp in China. But once she was allowed to emigrate, Canadians rejoiced to receive her as a priest in 1981.

Collect of the Day: Florence Li Tim-Oi, Priest, 1992

Almighty God, who pours out your Spirit upon your sons and daughters: grant that we, following the example of your servant Florence Li Tim-Oi, chosen priest in your church, may with faithfulness, patience and tenacity proclaim your holy gospel to all the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

A Collect for Saturdays

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please add your own prayers here.

For Mission

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.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14++

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VIDEO: Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Ada R. Habershon, Charles H. Gabriel, A.P. Carter) – The Carter Family, 1935

Evening Prayer 01.23.26, Phillips Brooks, Bishop, 1893

The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet.”

The Gallery at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, New York, is pleased to announce an open call to artists and writers for Am I Allowed In?, a juried exhibition inviting contemporary responses to questions of belonging, belief, and identity. Submissions are due February 11, 2026. Click the image to learn more. (ENS)

Seek the one who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name. (Amos 5:8)

INVITATORY & PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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

Hymn: O Light, Whose Splendor (Phos Hilaron)

O Light, whose splendor thrills and gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God’s unending glory,
O Jesus, blest Anointed One:

As twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.

In all life’s brilliant, timeless moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.

(Source: Carl P. Daw, Common Praise)

Psalm 35 Judica, Domine

1 Fight those who fight me, O God; *
attack those who are attacking me.

2 Take up shield and armor, *
and rise up to help me.

3 Draw the sword and bar the way against those who pursue me; *
say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

4 Let those who seek after my life be shamed and humbled; *
let those who plot my ruin fall back and be dismayed.

5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, *
and let the angel of God drive them away.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, *
and let the angel of God pursue them.

7 For they have secretly spread a net for me without a cause; *
without a cause they have dug a pit to take me alive.

8 Let ruin come upon them unawares; *
let them be caught in the net they hid;
let them fall into the pit they dug.

9 Then I will be joyful in you, O Most High; *
I will glory in your victory.

10 My very bones will say, “O God, who is like you? *
You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

11 Malicious witnesses rise up against me; *
they charge me with matters I know nothing about.

12 They pay me evil in exchange for good; *
my soul is full of despair.

13 But when they were sick I dressed in sack-cloth *
and humbled myself by fasting;

14 I prayed with my whole heart,
as one would for a friend or a neighbor; *
I behaved like those who mourn for their mothers,
bowed down and grieving.

15 But when I stumbled, they were glad and gathered together;
they gathered against me; *
strangers whom I did not know
tore me to pieces and would not stop.

16 They put me to the test and mocked me; *
they gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 O God, how long will you look on? *
Rescue me from the roaring beasts,
and my life from the young lions.

18 I will give you thanks in the great congregation; *
I will praise you in the mighty throng.

19 Do not let my treacherous foes rejoice over me, *
nor let those who hate me without a cause wink at each other.

20 For they do not plan for peace, *
but invent deceitful schemes against the quiet in the land.

21 They opened their mouths at me and said, *
“Aha! we saw it with our own eyes.”

22 You saw it, O God; do not be silent; *
O God, be not far from me.

23 Awake, arise, to my cause; *
to my defense, my God and my Savior!

24 Give me justice, O my God,
according to your righteousness; *
do not let them triumph over me.

25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! just what we want!” *
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”

26 Let all who rejoice at my ruin be ashamed and disgraced; *
let those who boast against me
be clothed with dismay and shame.

27 Let those who favor my cause sing out with joy and be glad; *
let them say always, “Great are you, O God,
you desire the prosperity of your servant.”

28 And my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness *
and of your praise all the day long.

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

Christ and the Samaritan Woman, Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1310-1311. (Source: Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid, Spain)

THE LESSON

John 4:16-26 Jesus and the Samaritan woman

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Go, call your husband, and come back.”

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!”

The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.”

Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Canticle: The Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

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

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

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,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.

Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.

Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.

Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.

Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks, longtime rector of Trinity Church Boston; Bishop of Massachusetts; and author of the beloved hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” (Photo: Kentucky Digital Library, USA)

Collect of the Day: Phillips Brooks, Bishop, 1893

O everlasting God, you revealed truth to your servant Phillips Brooks, and so formed and molded his mind and heart that he was able to mediate that truth with grace and power: Grant, we pray, that all whom you call to preach the Gospel may steep themselves in your Word, and conform their lives to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Weekend of Prayer for the Church

Peace and unity in the church and the world:

  • Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Sul Occidental (Episcopal/Anglican Church of Brazil)
  • World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
  • Peace among Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all people throughout the Middle East

Leaders in our church, remembering especially:

  • Sarah Mullally, appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
  • Shane Parker, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

Ecumenical partners, remembering especially:

  • Pope Leo XIV, Bishop of Rome, leader of the Catholic Church
  • Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church
  • The Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Primates of the Anglican Communion, remembering especially:

  • Henry Ndukuba, Nigeria
  • Bijay Kumar Nayak, North India
  • Azad Marshall, Pakistan

Seminaries of the Episcopal Church, remembering especially:

  • Seminary of the Southwest
  • School of Theology, University of the South (Sewanee)
  • Virginia Theological Seminary

Please offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21)

VIDEO: God Who Listens (Chris Tomlin feat. Thomas Rhett)

Morning Prayer 1.23.26, Phillips Brooks, Bishop, 1893

Our Annual Board Meeting is this next Wednesday evening. All are welcome 5 pm eastern or 4 pm central.
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Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

A new film released in theaters last Friday, (January 16, 2026) “Sheepdog” turns Veteran trauma into a mission of hope. Sheepdog follows a decorated combat veteran 10 years after his last deployment as he confronts loss, survivor’s guilt and the search for post-traumatic growth. The film premiered in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center, and is backed by the National Guard Association of the United States and the Code of Support Foundation. The film did not promise answers in two hours; rather, it aimed to start dialogue that lasts longer than a closing scene. The story does not center on combat. It centers on what comes after. (Story Link) Photo Above: Filmmakers, veterans advocates and panelists discuss the film Sheepdog during its Washington, D.C., premiere at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center on Jan. 16, ahead of the film’s theatrical release. Sheepdog explores post-traumatic growth and the challenges veterans face after returning home. (Credit: Jedburgh Media Channel)

From the rising of the sun to its setting my Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my Name, and a pure offering; for my Name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:11

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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

Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.

For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.

In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.

The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.

Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 31

1 In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.

3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.

5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O LORD, O God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, *
and I put my trust in the LORD.

7 I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; *
for you have seen my affliction;
you know my distress.

8 You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; *
you have set my feet in an open place.

9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.

10 For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.

11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.

12 I am forgotten, out of mind, as if I were dead; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.

13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.

14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD. *
I have said, “You are my God.

15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.

16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me.”

17 LORD, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; *
rather, let the wicked be put to shame;
let them be silent in the grave.

18 Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against the righteous, *
haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt.

19 How great is your goodness, O LORD!
which you have laid up for those who fear you; *
which you have done in the sight of all
for those who put their trust in you.

20 You hide them in the covert of your presence from those who slander them; *
you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD! *
for you have shown me the wonders of your love in a besieged city.

22 Yet I said in my alarm,
“I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.” *
Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty
when I cried out to you.

23 Love the LORD, all you who are faithful; *
the LORD protects the pious,
but repays to the full those who act haughtily.

24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, *
all you who wait for 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 for ever. Amen.

Abraham’s Journey from Ur to Canaan, 1850, József Molnár:  (Source: Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest)

THE LESSONS
Genesis 11:27—12:8 (NRSV)

Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred five years; and Terah died in Haran.

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and invoked the name of the LORD.

Canticle: A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7, 9

I called to you, O God, out of my distress, and you answered me; *
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, *
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and billows passed over me.

Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; *
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?”

The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; *
weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land beneath the earth, *
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.

As my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O God, *
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; *
what I have vowed I will pay, for deliverance belongs to the Lord!

The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek, (a detail) c. 1626, Peter Paul Rubens  (Source: National Gallery of Art, Washington)


Hebrews 7:1-17 (NRSV)

This “King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him”; and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.” Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

See how great he is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils. And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their kindred, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man, who does not belong to their ancestry, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one according to the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. Now the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

It is even more obvious when another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek, one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of him,

“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,

For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;

And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,

From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,

Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore.

He Qi: Christ and the Samaritan Woman at the Well


John 4:16-26 (NRSV)

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us 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.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Suffrages:

V. Help us, O God our Savior;
R. Deliver us and forgive us our sins.

V. Look upon your congregation;
R. Give to your people the blessing of peace.

V. Declare your glory among the nations;
R. And your wonders among all peoples.

V. Do not let the oppressed be shamed and turned away;
R. Never forget the lives of your poor.

V. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you;
R. And your favor to those who are true of heart.

V. Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
R. So shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Bishop Phillips Brooks, remembered as the author of the text: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, was a revered preacher and community leader at Trinity Church, Boston, during the zenith of The Episcopal Church in the 19th century. He captured the religious zeitgeist of his time with his reasoned learning and eloquence. He was conservative theologically, but his generous heart made him the leader of the liberal Church.  He was elected and served as the Bishop of Massachusetts in 1891.                                              

Collect of the Day: Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts, 1893

O everlasting God, you revealed truth to your servant Phillips Brooks, and so formed and molded his mind and heart that he was able to mediate that truth with grace and power: Grant, we pray, that all whom you call to preach the Gospel may steep themselves in your Word, and conform their lives to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for our fractured nation and world

“God of peace, breathe on this fractured nation and the world. Heal the divisions that grow ever wider. Breathe on all leaders, that they might respect the right of all human beings to live in peace. Breathe on those who hate, opening the hand clenched in a fist, that it might embrace. Breathe on the influential, that their power might be used for the common good of all. Breathe on all individuals, who are protesting that they might be safe. Breathe on those who would use violence that they would find another way to voice their ideas.  God of peace, breath on this fractured nation.  Amen”

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Collect for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time and now and for ever. Amen. Jude 24-25++

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VIDEO: Tell out, my soul (#438, Woodlands, Walter Greatorex; Timothy Dudley-Smith, based on The Song of Mary) – BBC’s “Songs of Praise” at Belfast Cathedral, 2010

Evening Prayer 01.22.26, Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon & Martyr, 304

The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?”

American civil rights activist Claudette Colvin died earlier this month at age 86. Months before Rosa Parks became a household name for her refusal to give up a seat on a segregated bus, Colvin did the same: “History had me glued to the seat.” (NYT)

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall. (Psalm 16:7, 8)

INVITATORY & PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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

Hymn: O Laughing Light (Phos Hilaron)

O Laughing Light, O firstborn of creation,
radiance of glory, light from light begotten,
God self-revealing, holy, bright and blessed,
you shine upon us.

Day’s light is fragile; your light is eternal.
We look to you, our light within the shadow.
We sing to you, Creator, Christ, and Spirit;
you shine before us.

Light of the world, O Jesus, you are worthy!
Giver of Life and Child of God, we praise you.
Hear as the universe now proclaims your glory:
you shine among us.

(Source: Sylvia G. Dunstan, Common Praise)

Psalm 37:19-42 Novit Dominus

19 God cares for the lives of the faithful, *
and their inheritance shall last for ever.

20 They shall not be ashamed in bad times, *
and in days of famine they shall have enough.

21 As for the wicked, they shall perish, *
and the enemies of God, like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish;
they shall vanish like smoke.

22 The wicked borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are generous in giving.

23 Those who are blest by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed shall be destroyed.

24 Our steps are directed by God, *
who strengthens those whose ways are upright.

25 If they stumble, they shall not fall headlong, *
for God holds them by the hand.

26 I have been young and now I am old, *
but never have I seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

27 The righteous are always generous in their lending, *
and their children shall be a blessing.

28 Turn from evil and do good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.

29 For God loves justice *
and does not forsake the faithful ones.

30 They shall be kept safe for ever, *
but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.

31 The righteous shall possess the land *
and dwell in it for ever.

32 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and their tongue speaks what is right.

33 The law of their God is in their heart, *
and their footsteps shall not falter.

34 The wicked spy on the righteous *
and seek occasion to kill them.

35 But God will not abandon them to their hand, *
nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.

36 Wait upon God and keep God’s way; *
you will be raised up to possess the land,
and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

37 I have seen the wicked in their arrogance, *
flourishing like a tree in full leaf.

38 I went by, and behold, they were not there; *
I searched for them, but they could not be found.

39 Mark those who are honest; observe the upright, *
for there is a future for the peaceable.

40 Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all; *
the future of the wicked is cut off.

41 But the deliverance of the righteous comes from God, *
who is their stronghold in time of trouble.

42 God will help them and rescue them; *
the Holy One will rescue them from the wicked
and deliver them, because they seek refuge in God.

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

Christ and the Samaritan Woman, Annibale Carracci, 1593-1594. (Source: Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy)

Learn more about Photini, the Samaritan woman.

THE LESSON

John 4:1-15 (NRSV)

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, “Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John”—although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized—he left Judea and started back to Galilee. But he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?”

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Canticle: The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm, *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones, *
and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
the promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

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

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

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,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

St. Vincent, Deacon & Martyr, With a Donor, Tomás Giner, 1462–1466. (Source: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain)

Collect of the Day: Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon & Martyr, 304

Almighty God, whose deacon Vincent, upheld by you, was not terrified by threats nor overcome by torments: Strengthen us to endure all adversity with invincible and steadfast faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Presence of Christ

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer

Diocese of Port Sudan, Episcopal Church of Sudan

Thursday Evening Prayer List

To add someone to a prayer list, please email Fr. Tom with the subject line “Intercessions.”

Sobriety and recovery:

  • Brian
  • Robin
  • Angie
  • Beth
  • Anonymous friend
  • The men of Reconciliation House
  • All people living with addictions and their loved ones

Mental health and family harmony:

  • Ian
  • Roxy
  • Scotty
  • Beth
  • Jim

Please offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

VIDEO: Do Lord (Johnny Cash)