Book of Common Prayer
Praise to the Loving God
113 Hallelujah!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 May the name of the Lord be blessed
from now to eternity.
3 From rising[a] to setting[b] sun,
may the name of the Lord be praised.
4 The Lord is exalted high above all the nations;
his glory beyond the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
enthroned on high,
6 yet stooping low to observe
the sky and the earth?
7 He lifts the poor person from the dust,
raising the needy from the trash pile
8 and giving him a seat among nobles—
with the nobles of his people.
9 He makes the barren woman among her household
a happy mother of joyful children.
Hallelujah!
The Impotence of Idols
115 Not to us, Lord, not to us,
but to your name be given glory
on account of your gracious love and faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations ask
“Where now is their God?”
3 when our God is in the heavens
and he does whatever he desires?
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
crafted by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak;
they have eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear;
they have noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot touch;
feet, but cannot walk;
they cannot even groan with their throats.
8 Those who craft them will become like them,
as will all those who trust in them.
9 Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their helper and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their helper and shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their helper and shield.
12 The Lord remembers and blesses us.
He will indeed bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the important and the insignificant together.
14 May the Lord add to your numbers—
to you and to your descendants.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made the heavens and the earth.
16 The highest heavens[a] belong to the Lord,
but he gave the earth to human beings.
17 Neither can the dead praise the Lord,
nor those who go down into the silence of death.[b]
18 But we will bless the Lord
from now to eternity.
Hallelujah!
Hannah’s Thanksgiving Psalm
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength[a] is increased by the Lord.
I will open my mouth to speak[b] against my enemies,
because I rejoice in your deliverance.
2 Indeed,[c] there is no one holy like the Lord,
indeed, there is no one besides you,
there is no rock like our God.
3 Don’t continue to talk proudly,
and don’t speak arrogantly,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of warriors are shattered,[d]
but those who stumble are equipped with[e] strength.
5 Those who had an abundance of bread
now hire themselves out,
and those who were hungry
hunger no more.[f]
While the barren woman gives birth to seven children,[g]
she who had many children languishes.
6 The Lord kills and gives life,
he brings people down to where the dead are[h]
and he raises them up.
7 The Lord makes people poor
and he makes people rich,
he brings them low,
and he also exalts them.
8 He raises the poor up from the dust,
he lifts up the needy from the trash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps[i] of his faithful ones,
while the wicked are made silent[j] in darkness.
He grants the request of the one who prays.[k]
He blesses the year of the righteous.[l]
Indeed it’s not by strength that a person prevails.
Jesus Changes Water into Wine
2 On the third day of that week[a] there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told him, “They don’t have any more wine.”
4 “How does that concern us, dear lady?”[b] Jesus asked her. “My time hasn’t come yet.”
5 His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now standing there were six stone water jars used for the Jewish rites of purification, each one holding from two to three measures.[c] 7 Jesus told the servants,[d] “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the banquet.” So they did.
9 When the man in charge of the banquet tasted the water that had become wine (without knowing where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he[e] called for the bridegroom 10 and told him, “Everyone serves the best wine first, and the cheap kind when people[f] are drunk. But you have kept the best wine until now!” 11 Jesus did this, the first[g] of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this, Jesus[h] went down to Capernaum—he, his mother, his brothers, and his disciples—and they remained there for a few days.
To the Director: An instruction[a] by the Sons of Korah. A love song to the tune of[b] “Lilies”.
A Royal Wedding Song
45 My heart is overflowing with good news;
I speak what I have composed to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of an articulate scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of Adam’s descendants;
grace has anointed your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Strap your sword to your side,
mighty warrior, along with your honor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness;
and your strong right hand will teach you awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharpened
to penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
People will fall under you.
6 Your throne, God, exists forever and ever,
and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter.
7 You love justice and hate wickedness.
That is why God, even your God, has anointed you
rather than your companions with the oil of gladness.
8 All your clothes are scented with[c] myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
9 The king’s daughters are among your honorable women;
the queen, dressed in gold from Ophir, has taken her place at your right hand.”
10 Listen, daughter! Consider and pay attention.
Forget your people and your father’s house,
11 and the king will greatly desire your beauty.
Because he is your lord, you should bow in respect before him.
12 The daughter[d] of Tyre will come with[e] a wedding gift;
wealthy people will entreat your favor.
13 In her chamber,[f] the king’s daughter is glorious;
her clothing is embroidered with gold thread.
14 In embroidered garments
she is presented to the king.
Her virgin companions who follow her train
will be presented to you.
15 Filled with joy and gladness, they are presented
when they enter the king’s palace.
16 Your sons will take the place of your ancestors,
and you will set them up as princes in all the earth.
17 From generation to generation,
I will cause your name to be remembered.
Therefore people will thank you forever and ever.
Thanksgiving to God
138 Lord,[a] I thank[b] you with all of my heart;
because you heard the words that I spoke,[c]
I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.[d]
2 I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple
and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth,
for you have done great things
to carry out your word
consistent with your name.
3 When[e] I called out, you answered me;
you strengthened me.
4 Lord, all the kings of the earth will give you thanks,
for they have heard what you have spoken.[f]
5 They will sing about the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord!
6 Though the Lord is highly exalted,
yet he pays attention to those who are lowly regarded,
but he is aware of the arrogant from afar.
7 Though I walk straight into trouble,
you preserve my life,
stretching out your hand
to fight the vehemence of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will complete what his purpose is for me.
Lord, your gracious love is eternal;
do not abandon your personal work in me.[g]
A Song About Rejoicing in God
149 Hallelujah!
Sing a new song to the Lord,
praising him where the godly gather together.
2 May Israel rejoice in its Maker,
and Zion’s descendants in their King!
3 May they praise his name with dancing,
chanting songs to him with tambourines and lyres.
4 For the Lord is pleased with his people;
he beautifies the afflicted with salvation.
5 May those he loves be exalted,
singing for joy on their couches.
6 Let high praises to God be heard[a] in their throats,
while they wield two-edged swords in their hands
7 as they bring retribution to nations
and punishment to peoples,
8 binding their kings with chains,
their officials with iron bands,
9 and executing the judgment written against them.
This is honor for all the ones he loves.
Hallelujah!
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier, and took his cloak[a] as well. The cloak was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. 24 So they told each other, “Let’s not tear it. Instead, let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture that says,
“They divided my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they threw dice.”[b]
So that is what the soldiers did.
25 Meanwhile, standing near Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.[c] 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he kept loving standing there, he told his mother, “Dear lady,[d] here is your son.” 27 Then he told the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
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