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   Morning Prayer
    Advent
     
   
Preparation
 
     
    O Lord, open our lips
All
  and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
     
    Reveal among us the light of your presence
All
  that we may behold your power and glory.
     
    Blessed are you, Sovereign God of all,
    to you be praise and glory for ever.
    In your tender compassion
    the dawn from on high is breaking upon us
    to dispel the lingering shadows of night.
    As we look for your coming among us this day,
    open our eyes to behold your presence
    and strengthen our hands to do your will,
    that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
    Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
All
  Blessed be God for ever.
     
      A Song of the King's Glory, or a suitable hymn, may be said or sung
 
   
1
  The earth is the Lord's and all that fills it,  •  
      the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
 
   
2
  For he has founded it upon the seas  •
      and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
                   
   
3
  'Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord,  •   
      or who can rise up in his holy place?'
 
   
4
  'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,  • 
      who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
            nor sworn an oath to a lie;
                   
   
5
  'They shall receive a blessing from the Lord,  •  
      a just reward from the God of their salvation.'
                 
   
6
  Such is the company of those who seek him,  • 
      of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
                   
   
7
  Lift up your heads, O gates;    
      be lifted up, you everlasting doors;  •
            and the King of glory shall come in.
       
   
8
  'Who is the King of glory?'  •  
      'The Lord, strong and mighty,
            the Lord who is mighty in battle.'
       
   
9
  Lift up your heads, O gates;  
      be lifted up, you everlasting doors;  • 
            and the King of glory shall come in.
       
   
10
  'Who is this King of glory?'  •
      'The Lord of hosts,
            he is the King of glory.'  
     
 Psalm 24
 
     
The Word of God
 
 
     
Psalmody
 
 
    The appointed psalmody is said or sung.
 
 
      Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
 
      Glory to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit;
      as it was in the beginning is now
      and shall be for ever.  Amen.
 
     
Old Testament Canticle
 
 
      If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here,
      or both may be read after the Old Testament canticle.
 
      A Song of the Wilderness, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 28 (page 520) or number 46 (page 538), may be said or sung
 
      Refrain:
   
All
  Lift up your voice with strength,
      O herald of good tidings.
       
   
1
  The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice,  •
      the desert shall blossom and burst into song.
       
   
2
  They shall see the glory of the Lord,  •  
      the majesty of our God.  
       
   
3
  Strengthen the weary hands,  • 
      and make firm the feeble knees.
       
   
4
  Say to the anxious, 'Be strong, fear not,
            your God is coming with judgement,  •
      coming with judgement to save you.'
       
   
5
  Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened,  •   
      and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
       
   
6
  Then shall the lame leap like a hart,  • 
      and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
       
   
7
  For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,  •    
      and streams in the desert;
       
   
8
  The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing,  • 
      with everlasting joy upon their heads.
       
   
9
  Joy and gladness shall be theirs,  •
      and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
     
Isaiah 35.1,2b-4a,4c-6,10
      Glory to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit;
      as it was in the beginning is now
      and shall be for ever. Amen.
         
   
All
  Lift up your voice with strength,
      O herald of good tidings.
 
     
Scripture Reading
 
 
    One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
      The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence. 
 
      A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
 
      Now it is time to awake out of sleep,
   
All
  for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
      Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed,
   
All
  for the night is far spent.
      Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness
      and put on the armour of light,
   
All
  for the day is at hand.
      Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
      and make no provision for the flesh,
   
All
  for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
 
     
Gospel Canticle
 
     
    The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is said or sung
 
    From Advent Sunday until 16 December:
     
  Refrain:
All
  Look towards the east, O Jerusalem,
    and see the glory that is coming from God.
     
    From 17 December until Christmas Eve:
     
  Refrain:
All
  Like the sun in the morning sky,
    the Saviour of the world will dawn;
    like rain upon the meadows,
    the Christ will come down upon us.
 
1
  Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,  •     
    who has come to his people and set them free.  
 
2
  He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,  • 
    born of the house of his servant David.
     
3
  Through his holy prophets God promised of old  •   
    to save us from our enemies,
          from the hands of all that hate us,
 
4
  To show mercy to our ancestors,  •  
    and to remember his holy covenant.
 
5
  This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:  • 
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
 
6
  Free to worship him without fear,  •   
    holy and righteous in his sight
          all the days of our life.
 
7
  And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,  •  
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
 
8
  To give his people knowledge of salvation  • 
    by the forgiveness of all their sins. 
     
9
  In the tender compassion of our God  •  
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
     
10
  To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,  •
    and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
     
Luke 1.68-79
    Glory to the Father and to the Son
    and to the Holy Spirit;
    as it was in the beginning is now
    and shall be for ever. Amen.
   
    From Advent Sunday until 16 December:
     
All
  Look towards the east, O Jerusalem,
    and see the glory that is coming from God.
     
    From 17 December until Christmas Eve:
     
All
  Like the sun in the morning sky,
    the Saviour of the world will dawn;
    like rain upon the meadows,
    the Christ will come down upon us.
 
   
Prayers
 
 
    Intercessions are offered
    for the day and its tasks
    for the world and its needs
    for the Church and her life
 
      These responses may be used
 
      Lord, in your mercy        (or)    Lord, hear us.
      hear our prayer.                     Lord, graciously hear us.
 
      The cycle on page 329 and the prayers on pages 334-335 may be used.
 
      Silence may be kept.
 
    The Collect of the day or the following Collect is said
 
    Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
      to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All
  Amen.
 
    The Lord's Prayer is said
 
    Awaiting his coming in glory,
    as our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven …
       
    (or)
 
    Awaiting his coming in glory,
    let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven …
     
     
   
The Conclusion
 
     
    May the Lord, when he comes,
    find us watching and waiting
All
  Amen.
 
      Let us bless the Lord.
   
All
  Thanks be to God.
 
© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
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