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Community Universalist Church

Daily Office

Evening · Sunday, 24 May 2026 · the Day of Pentecost

We hear God’s CALL TO WORSHIP in Luke 11:13

If you, then, naturally wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

We listen in silence for God’s still small voice, CENTERING ourselves, becoming aware of God’s presence within us and around us

We respond with CONFESSION using the words of W E Orchard

How often we have prayed for the coming of your Kingdom, yet when it has sought to come through us we have sometimes barred the way. We have wanted it without in others, but not in our own hearts. We feel it is we who stand between people's need and you; between ourselves and what we might be; and we have no trust in our own strength, or loyalty, or courage. Give us to love your will, and seek your Kingdom first of all.

We PRAISE God in the EVENING PSALMPsalm 141:1–3 · Domine, clamavi

1Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me, *
and consider my voice when I cry to you.

2Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as the incense; *
and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.

3Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, *
and keep the door of my lips.

Gloria Patri

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.

We PRAISE God in THE PSALM OF THE DAYPsalm 104:25–33 · Benedic, anima mea

25O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all; *
the earth is full of your creatures.

26Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.

27There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.

28All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.

29You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath, *
and they die and return to their dust.

31You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.

32May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

33He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.

We hear God speaking to us in THE READING for the dayActs 2:14–18

Sunday, 24 May 2026 · the Day of Pentecost

14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:

17‘It will be in the last days, says God,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
    Your young men will see visions.
    Your old men will dream dreams.
18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days,
    I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.

World English Bible. Or read it at Bible Gateway in the NRSV: Acts 2:14–18 · the full passage, Acts 2:1–21.

We REFLECT in silence

We sing to God in THE CANTATE DOMINOPsalm 98 · Cantate Domino

1O sing to the Lord a new song, *
for he has done marvelous things.

2With his own right hand and with his holy arm *
he has won himself the victory.

3The Lord declared his salvation; *
his righteousness he has openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4He has remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.

5Show yourselves joyful to the Lord, all you lands; *
sing, rejoice, and give thanks.

6Praise the Lord upon the harp; *
sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.

7With trumpets also and the sound of the horn, *
O show yourselves joyful before the Lord the King.

8Let the sea make a noise, and all that is in it, *
the round world, and those who dwell therein.

9Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, *
for he has come to judge the earth.

10With righteousness shall he judge the world, *
and the peoples with equity.

Gloria Patri

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.

We pray the LORD’S PRAYER as Jesus taught his disciples, in those words which are most meaningful to us

Our [ Father / Mother / Creator ] in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our [ trespasses / sins ]
as we forgive those who [ trespass / sin ] against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

We pray a PRAYER OF INTERCESSION in the words of Saint Patrick

I bind myself today:
To the power of God to guide me.
To the might of God to uphold me.
To the wisdom of God to teach me.
The eye of God to watch over me.
The ear of God to hear me.
The word of God to speak to me.
The way of God to lie before me.
The host of God to defend me.
Amen.

We silently pray PERSONAL PRAYER

Followed by

Amen.

We pray a PRAYER OF GENERAL THANKSGIVING

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A concluding BENEDICTION or blessing

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.

Amen.