With joy and gratitude that we are hid with Christ in God which is our true home and rest, we offer our worship to God and we pray for all people who in this temporal life are refugees, fleeing from political and economic oppression. We pray that they would be met with hospitality and not internment and wire cages.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:4-5
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!
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Rejoice in God, you righteous;*
it is good for the just to sing praises.
Praise God with the harp;*
play upon the psaltery and lyre.
Sing for God a new song;*
sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
For your word, O God, is right,*
and all your works are sure.
You love righteousness and justice;*
your loving-kindness fills the whole earth.
By your word, O God, were the heavens made,*
by the breath of your mouth all the heavenly hosts.
You gather up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin*
and store up the depths of the sea.
Let all the earth fear you;*
let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of you.
For you spoke, and it came to pass;*
you commanded, and it stood fast.
You bring the will of the nations to naught*
and thwart the designs of the peoples.
But your will stands fast for ever,*
and the designs of your heart from age to age.
Happy is the nation that worships you, O Most High;*
happy the people you have chosen to be your own!
You look down from heaven*
and behold all the people in the world.
From where you sit enthroned you turn your gaze*
on all who dwell on the earth.
You fashion all the hearts of them*
and understand all their works.
There is no ruler that can be saved by a mighty army;*
the strong are not delivered by their great strength.
The horse is a vain hope for deliverance;*
for all its strength it cannot save.
But your eye, O God, is upon those who fear you,*
on those who wait upon your love,
To pluck their lives from death,*
and to feed them in time of famine.
Our soul waits for you;*
you are our help and our shield.
Indeed, our heart rejoices in you,*
for in your holy Name we put our trust.
Let your loving-kindness, O God, be upon us,*
as we have put our trust in you.
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.
Jesus said, “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
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.
O Lord, make us instruments of your peace!*
Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.*
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.*
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.*
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;*
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;*
for it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;*
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
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 B Evening
V. That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
R. We entreat you, O God.
V. That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
R. We entreat you, O God.
V. That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
R. We entreat you, O God.
V. That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
R. We entreat you, O God.
V. That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
R. We entreat you, O God.
V. 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,
R. We entreat you, O God.
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty and merciful God, whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own; look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from oppression and are homeless and hungry. Bless those who work to bring them relief; and open our hearts with your generosity and compassion toward all who are dispossessed. Guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and peace; in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for our congregation's work with people who are homeless and dispossessed.
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 peace to rest and be restored to walk in love.
Thanks be to God.
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure, for God shields the beloved all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests in God’s heart. Amen. Deuteronomy 33:12
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 2020-2024, Rob Voyle