Friday 25th November 2022

Meeting details

Morning prayer is hosted by Graham on weekday mornings at 07:30 when it is not a public holiday. If you want to recall a particular day's liturgy you can add the date to the end of the web address (YYYY-MM-DD). Here is a real-world example https://morningprayer.torrix.uk/2020-11-16.

Join via Zoom

Meeting ID: 886 6182 8034
Passcode: morning

You can join by telephone if you wish:

+44 203 901 7895 (United Kingdom)
Passcode: 5521199

Meeting expectations

This is a short service that you are welcome to invite anyone to. It will last no more than 20 minutes.

There will be opportunities for you to contribute by saying some of the prayers or reading scripture. There is no obligation to participate.

You are welcome to join with your camera off and to keep your microphone muted.

Opening

One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.

Call: Who is it that you seek?
Response: We seek the Lord our God.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your heart?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your soul?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your mind?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your strength?
Response: Amen. Christ, have mercy.

Declaration of faith

We believe in God who celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.

We will allow ourselves to be challenged and will not discriminate against people on grounds of

disability or economic power,
ethnicity or gender,
gender identity or mental health,
neurodiversity or sexuality.

We believe in a Church that:

welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ;
Listens to the scriptures and learns from them;
seeks to share the stories of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit;
And allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.

Scripture reading

Proverbs 22

22A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
   and favour is better than silver or gold.
² The rich and the poor have this in common:
   the Lord is the maker of them all.
³ The clever see danger and hide;
   but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
⁴ The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
   is riches and honour and life.
⁵ Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
   the cautious will keep far from them.
⁶ Train children in the right way,
   and when old, they will not stray.
⁷ The rich rules over the poor,
   and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸ Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
   and the rod of anger will fail.
⁹ Those who are generous are blessed,
   for they share their bread with the poor.
¹⁰ Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
   quarrelling and abuse will cease.
¹¹ Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
   will have the king as a friend.
¹² The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
   but he overthrows the words of the faithless.
¹³ The lazy person says, There is a lion outside!
   I shall be killed in the streets!
¹⁴ The mouth of a loose^* woman is a deep pit;
   he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy,
   but the rod of discipline drives it far away.
¹⁶ Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
   and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷ The words of the wise:

Incline your ear and hear my words,^*
   and apply your mind to my teaching;
¹⁸ for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
   if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹ So that your trust may be in the Lord,
   I have made them known to you todayyes, to you.
²⁰ Have I not written for you thirty sayings
   of admonition and knowledge,
²¹ to show you what is right and true,
   so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

²² Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
   or crush the afflicted at the gate;
²³ for the Lord pleads their cause
   and despoils of life those who despoil them.
²⁴ Make no friends with those given to anger,
   and do not associate with hotheads,
²⁵ or you may learn their ways
   and entangle yourself in a snare.
²⁶ Do not be one of those who give pledges,
   who become surety for debts.
²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay,
   why should your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸ Do not remove the ancient landmark
   that your ancestors set up.
²⁹ Do you see those who are skilful in their work?
   They will serve kings;
   they will not serve common people.

NRSV

Prayers for others

Canticle

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks to me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.

Acknowledgements

Structure, Opening, Canticle and Blessing:: Taken from Morning Prayer from Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer published by Collins.
Declaration of Faith: Adapted from http://inclusive-church.org/.
Scriptures: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.