Opening Sentence

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Confession

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Invitatory

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 36 Dixit injustus

1

There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; *
there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2

He flatters himself in his own eyes *
that his hateful sin will not be found out.

3

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; *
he has left off acting wisely and doing good.

4

He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way; *
he does not abhor that which is evil.

5

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.

6

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O LORD.

7

How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

8

They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9

For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.

10

Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.

11

Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.

12

See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *
they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 39 Dixi, Custodiam

1

I said, "I will keep watch upon my ways, *
so that I do not offend with my tongue.

2

I will put a muzzle on my mouth *
while the wicked are in my presence."

3

So I held my tongue and said nothing; *
I refrained from rash words;
but my pain became unbearable.

4

My heart was hot within me;
while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; *
I spoke out with my tongue:

5

LORD, let me know my end and the number of my days, *
so that I may know how short my life is.

6

You 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.

7

We walk about like a shadow,
and in vain we are in turmoil; *
we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.

8

And now, what is my hope? *
O Lord, my hope is in you.

9

Deliver me from all my transgressions *
and do not make me the taunt of the fool.

10

I fell silent and did not open my mouth, *
for surely it was you that did it.

11

Take your affliction from me; *
I am worn down by the blows of your hand.

12

With rebukes for sin you punish us;
like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us; *
truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.

13

Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry; *
hold not your peace at my tears.

14

For I am but a sojourner with you, *
a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.

15

Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again, *
before I go my way and am no more.

Gloria Patri

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Matthew 3:7-12 (NRSV)

⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."