We hear God’s CALL TO WORSHIP in Psalm 117:1–2
Praise the Lord, all you nations:
laud him, all you peoples.
For his mighty love is over us:
the Lord is faithful forever.
Hallelujah.
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 Anselm of Canterbury
Lord, I am bowed down and can only look downward; raise me up that I may look upward. My iniquities have gone over my head; they overwhelm me; and, like a heavy load, they weigh me down. Free me from them; unburden me, that the pit of iniquities may not close over me.
Be it mine to look up to your light, even from afar, even from the depths. Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me, when I seek you, for I cannot seek you, except you teach me, nor find you, except you reveal yourself. Let me seek you in longing, let me long for you in seeking; let me find you in love, and love you in finding
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 39:1–10 · Dixi, Custodiam
1I said, “I will keep watch upon my ways, *
so that I do not offend with my tongue.
2I will put a muzzle on my mouth *
while the wicked are in my presence.”
3So I held my tongue and said nothing; *
I refrained from rash words; *
but my pain became unbearable.
4My heart was hot within me; while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; *
I spoke out with my tongue:
5Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days, *
so that I may know how short my life is.
6You have given me a mere handful of days, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight; *
truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
7We walk about like a shadow, and in vain we are in turmoil; *
we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
8And now, what is my hope? *
O Lord, my hope is in you.
9Deliver me from all my transgressions *
and do not make me the taunt of the fool.
10I fell silent and did not open my mouth, *
for surely it was you that did it.
We hear God speaking to us in THE READING for the dayGenesis 3:1–6
Wednesday, 13 January 2027 · Ordinary Time
1Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”
2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die, 5for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
World English Bible. Or read it at Bible Gateway in the NRSV: Genesis 3:1–6 · the full passage, Genesis 3:1–24.
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.