Friends, we hope you have found this service of Morning Prayer an encouraging and helpful practice during this past season. At the end of August, we will be concluding the weekly updates. If you'd like to continue this practice, please send Sandy a note at info@14thstreetcrc.org and she'll get back to you with information about how to do so using another online resource. Grace and peace.
Family Prayer
These services of morning, midday, early evening, and close of day prayer are adapted from the services outlined in the Book of Common Prayer (ACNA 2019). They are intentionally designed to facilitate family worship, with young children in mind, and should take roughly 5-10 minutes.
Morning
Opening Scripture
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise.
—Psalm 51:15
Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
O give me the comfort of your help again,
and sustain me with your willing Spirit.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Scripture Reading
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
—Colossians 3:1-4
Silence and song
Take time to be silent in God’s presence, asking God to quiet your hearts.
Then sing a favorite worship song or hymn together.
The Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come 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 with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Think together as a family about people that you want to pray for right now: people in your own family circle, in our church and community, in our world. Lift them before God together as a family, and then finish your time of worship with the following prayer.
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.