With gratitude for God's wisdom and our capacity to learn and grow we offer praises to God and pray for teachers and people engaged in ensuring that all children have the resources to access an education that will empower them to live a wise and fulfilling future.
He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2
O God, let our mouths proclaim your praise.
Let our hearts rejoice in your goodness.
Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor, power and might be to our God for ever and ever. Amen! Alleluia!
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
Come let us adore him.
Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
serve with gladness and come before God's presence with a song.
For we know that you are God;*
you yourself have made us, and we are yours;
we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.
We shall enter your gates with thanksgiving, go into your courts with praise, *
give thanks to you and call upon your Name.
For you are good; your mercy is everlasting; *
and your faithfulness endures from age to age.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
Come let us adore him.
Give ear to my words, O God;*
consider my meditation.
Hearken to my cry for help, my Sovereign and my God,*
for I make my prayer to you.
In the morning you hear my voice;*
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,*
and evil cannot dwell with you.
Braggarts cannot stand in your sight;*
you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies;*
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O God, you abhor.
But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house;*
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
Lead me, O God, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me;*
make your way straight before me,
For there is no truth in their mouth;*
there is destruction in their heart;
Their throat is an open grave;*
they flatter with their tongue.
Declare them guilty, O God;*
let them fall, because of their schemes.
Because of their many transgressions cast them out,*
for they have rebelled against you.
But all who take refuge in you will be glad;*
they will sing out their joy for ever.
You will shelter them,*
so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
For you, O God, will bless the righteous;*
you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.
O God, do not rebuke me in your anger;*
do not punish me in your wrath.
Have pity on me, O God, for I am weak;*
heal me, for my bones are racked.
My spirit shakes with terror;*
how long, O God, how long?
Turn, O God, and deliver me;*
save me for your mercy's sake.
For in death no one remembers you,*
and who will give you thanks in the grave?
I grow weary because of my groaning;*
every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
My eyes are wasted with grief*
and worn away because of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all evildoers,*
for God has heard the sound of my weeping.
God has heard my supplication;*
God accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear;*
they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
All Glory to the Loving One, Source of our being, Eternal Word, and Life-Giving Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to go away, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. Moreover the Glory of Israel will not recant or change his mind; for he is not a mortal, that he should change his mind.” Then Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” So Samuel turned back after Saul; and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” And Agag came to him haltingly. Agag said, “Surely this is the bitterness of death.” But Samuel said,
“As your sword has made women childless,
so your mother shall be childless among women.”
And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.
A time of silence may be kept.
Officiant For the word of God in scripture,
for the Word of God among us,
for the Word of God within us.
People Thanks be to God.
Before I ventured forth, even while I was very young,*
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her,*
and I will seek her to the end.
From the first blossom to early fruit,*
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path,*
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her;*
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory,*
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her,*
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her,*
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.
All Glory to the Loving One, Source of our being, Eternal Word, and Life-Giving Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
As Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And immediately he got up. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
A time of silence may be kept.
Officiant For the word of God in scripture,
for the Word of God among us,
for the Word of God within us.
People Thanks be to God.
Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors
a holy people and a blameless race.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord,
withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.
To the saints she gave the reward of their labors;
and led them by a marvelous way,
She was their shelter by day
and a blaze of stars by night.
She brought them across the Red Sea,
she led them through mighty waters;
But their enemies she swallowed in the waves
and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.
And then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name,
and praised with one voice your protecting hand;
For wisdom opened the mouths of the mute,
and gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people.
All Glory to the Loving One, Source of our being, Eternal Word, and Life-Giving Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.
Suffrage A
V. Show us your mercy, O God;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O God, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. O God, 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 God, 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.
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you are the loving heart of the universe in whom we live and move and have our being. You are the source of all that was, and is and will be; you are the fount of all wisdom and knowledge. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to understand and hearts to behold your wisdom in Jesus Christ that transcends all human understanding. Amen.
We give thanks for all teachers who have dedicated themselves to educating both children and adults and who delight in seeing their students come alive with new insights and understandings, and we pray for their safety as they return to classrooms in the midst of the pandemic.
And we pray for our own needs and the needs of others.
God of all mercy, keep us from a mindless acceptance of things as they are, and a longing for peace without the courage to work for justice. Let us all know in the life-threatening pandemics of disease, poverty, racism, and violence there is an inner calm that comes from faith in you, and that from this central heart of peace, there may flow a creative and courageous compassion, a deep thirst for racial justice, and a relentless proclamation of your love, to heal and reconcile your world in you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Go in the Name of the Wise One who calls you by name.
Thanks be to God.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance from the One who has chosen you and sanctified you by the Spirit to be faithful to Jesus Christ who has shed his blood for you. Amen. 1 Peter 1:1-2
This Daily Office App was created in 2020 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, MO, as a partial response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. Because of the pandemic we and many congregations began offering online variations of the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer. George Floyd's murder brought into sharp relief the racism and many other injustices in our world. We believe it is pointless to pray for peace unless we are actively working for justice in all spheres of our daily lives.
Within our congregation we have many people such as, medical personnel and teachers, who are putting their lives at risk to help create a better world. We also have numerous parishioners employed or engaged in not-for-profit agencies, research, and outreach all of which are striving to right the wrongs of our society and in the words of the Lord's Prayer, "helping God's Kingdom come on earth". To focus our need to engage in social action we have created this Daily Office with a two week cycle of social justice themes to help us:
The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and its many companion books through out the Anglican Communion are wonderful treasure troves of prayers and resources for deepening our spiritual lives and inspiring action in the world. Such books are however are a frozen meal, they need thawing out, warming up, and seasoning with local spices. This is what this app seeks to do. It added the necessary flavors of St. Peter's, Ladue, so whether at home, in church, or travelling the world, we can continue to remember and pray for one another as we walk the way of love and make this a better world in which our children's children can love and grow into the image of God that God creates them to be.
If you would like to adapt this app for your own congregation or community setting and add your own spices and flavors please email us and we can create a specific parish option for you.
The service structure and the traditional psalms canticles and prayers are taken from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, 1979, available from The Church Hymnal Corporation, New York. Inclusive canticles and prayers have been adapted from a variety of sources including Enriching our Worship, 1998 also available from The Church Hymnal Corporation, New York.
Inclusive Psalms were taken from The Saint Helena Psalter, ©Copyright 2005 by The Order of St. Helena, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Specific prayers such as the Inclusive Lord’s Prayer has been taken from A New Zealand Prayerbook, ©Copyright 1989 the Church of the Province of New Zealand. This prayerbook has also provided inspiration for the inclusive Compline service and partial content to many of the collects.
In general, Biblical passages are taken from The New Revised Standard Version, ©Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
We are also indebted to The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer, BSG. the developer of the The Daily Office App who provided technical advice and resources as we developed this app.
We are also indebted to Sandie Willey and her gift of words and discerning eye as together we crafted many of the prayers as we worked to create this Daily Office for Our Times.
In the course of preparing this app we have visited many websites, read and prayed many prayers, and been inspired by many writers. To all the people who share their creativity with the world we say thank you for the beauty of your words and the times when a word becomes a sparkle of truth and a moment of transcendence.
With Gratitude
Rob Voyle,
Interim Rector, St. Peter's, 2020
Director of the Appreciative Way
©Copyright 2020-2025, Rob Voyle