Preparation

Opening response

Favor us, Lord, and deliver us.
Lord, come quickly and help us.

Make your servant’s life happy again
because, my Lord, I offer my life to you.

Psalm 86:4

Praise

Blessed are you,
Lord God of our ancestors.
You are worthy of praise and raised high above all others forever.
Blessed is your glorious
and holy reputation,
worthy of praise and raised high above all others forever.
Blessed are you in your glorious,
holy temple,
worthy of hymns and honored
above all others forever.
Blessed are you,
sitting on the winged creatures,
looking down into the farthest depths,
worthy of praise and raised high above all others forever.
Blessed are you on your royal throne,
worthy of hymns and raised high
above all others forever.
Blessed are you in the dome of the sky,
worthy of hymns
and honored forever.

Hymn of the Three Young Men (Prayer of Azariah 29-33 CEB)

The Word of God

Psalm 98

Refrain:
The Lord has made his salvation widely known.

Sing to the Lord a new song
because he has done wonderful things!
His own strong hand and his own holy arm
have won the victory!
The Lord has made his salvation widely known;
he has revealed his righteousness
in the eyes of all the nations.
God has remembered his loyal love
and faithfulness to the house of Israel;
every corner of the earth has seen our God’s salvation.
Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
Be happy!
Rejoice out loud!
Sing your praises!
Sing your praises to the Lord with the lyre—
with the lyre and the sound of music.
With trumpets and a horn blast,
shout triumphantly before the Lord, the king!
Let the sea and everything in it roar;
the world and all its inhabitants too.
Let all the rivers clap their hands;
let the mountains rejoice out loud altogether before the Lord
because he is coming to establish justice on the earth!
He will establish justice in the world rightly;
he will establish justice among all people fairly.

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

Refrain:
The Lord has made his salvation widely known.

Psalm prayer

Lord God, just and true,
you make your salvation known in the sight of the nations;
tune the song of our hearts to the music of creation
as you come among us to judge the earth;
through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Scripture reading
2 Corinthians 3:17-18

The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Silence may be kept.

Response

Happy are people who grieve,
because they will be made glad.

Matthew 5:4

Prayers

Intercession and thanksgiving

Prayers may include these concerns:

God’s royal priesthood, that it may be empowered by the Spirit
Those who wait on God, that they may find renewal
All people, that they may acknowledge the kingdom
of the ascended Christ
The earth, for productivity and for fruitful harvests
All who are struggling with broken relationships

Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.

Prayer

O King enthroned on high,
Comforter and Spirit of truth,
you that are in all places and fill all things,
the treasury of blessings and the giver of life,
come and dwell with us,
cleanse us from every stain
and save our souls, O gracious one.
Amen.

An Orthodox prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.

Conclusion

May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds.
Alleluia. Amen.