Epiphany
Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:3
Confession of Sin Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen
The Lessons
The Lessons
Psalm 119
(1) Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! (2) Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! (3) They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. (4) You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
(5) Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! (6) Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. (7) I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. (8) I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
(9) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (12) Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
(13) With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. (14) I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (15) I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. (16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. (18) Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (20) My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
(21) You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. (23) Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. (24) Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(5) Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! (6) Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. (7) I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. (8) I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
(9) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (12) Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
(13) With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. (14) I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (15) I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. (16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. (18) Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (20) My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
(21) You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. (23) Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. (24) Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
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.
Genesis 4
(1) Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, 'I have acquired a man from the LORD.' (2) Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (3) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. (4) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
(5) but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (6) So the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.' (8) Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
(9) Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?' (10) And He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. (11) So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. (12) When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.'
(13) And Cain said to the LORD, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear! (14) Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.' (15) And the LORD said to him, 'Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. (16) Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(5) but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (6) So the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.' (8) Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
(9) Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?' (10) And He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. (11) So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. (12) When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.'
(13) And Cain said to the LORD, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear! (14) Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.' (15) And the LORD said to him, 'Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. (16) Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hebrews 2
(11) For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, (12) saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' (13) And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.' (14) Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
(15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (16) For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. (17) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (16) For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. (17) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
John 1
(29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' (31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.' (32) And John bore witness, saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
(33) I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.' (35) Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. (36) And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'
(37) The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. (38) Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' (39) He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). (40) One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
(41) He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). (42) And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone).
(33) I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.' (35) Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. (36) And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'
(37) The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. (38) Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' (39) He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). (40) One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
(41) He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). (42) And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone).
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Seasonal Collect: First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him
with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his
Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly
confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Personal Prayers and Reflection
Closing Prayers
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Conclude with following
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.This concludes the Daily Prayer
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord