Morning Prayer for Monday, 21 December 2020

Prayer

Eternal God,

we say good morning to you. Hallowed be your name.

Early in the morning, before we begin our work, we praise your glory.

Renew our bodies as fresh as the morning flowers.

Open our inner eyes,

as the sun casts new light upon the darkness which prevailed over the night.

Deliver us from all captivity.

Give us wings of freedom like the birds in the sky, to begin a new journey.

Restore justice and freedom, as a mighty stream running continuously as day follows day.

We thank you for the gift of this morning, and a new day to work with you. Amen

(Pilgrim Prayer, 230)

♪ SONG

Responsive Psalm 89: 1 – 4, 19 – 26

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;

with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.

I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;

your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:

‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’”

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:

“I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.

I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him;

my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.

The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.

I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;

and in my name his horn shall be exalted.

I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!’

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 – Luke 1: 46 – 55 (Read in Mandarin Chinese by Abu Takisvilainan, a seminary student from Taiwan)

⁴⁶And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

⁴⁷    and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

⁴⁸for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

    and lifted up the lowly;

⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”