Through Christ let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Hebrews 13.15
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
A poem: Song of the Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall make me lie down in green pastures:
and lead me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul:
and guide me in right pathways for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me:
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
Surely your goodness and loving-kindness
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
The opening prayer
By night and by day we worship the Lord; let us pray with one heart and mind.
We remember God’s presence and pause in silence.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.
The readings
Exodus 16.1-5, 9-15
The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’
Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’
Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.”’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”’
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
Psalm 78.17-31
Yet for all this they sinned more against him
and defied the Most High in the wilderness.
They tested God in their hearts
and demanded food for their craving.
They spoke against God and said,
‘Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
He struck the rock indeed, so that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed,
but can he give bread or provide meat for his people?’
When the Lord heard this, he was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob and his anger went out against Israel,
For they had no faith in God
and put no trust in his saving help.
So he commanded the clouds above
and opened the doors of heaven.
He rained down upon them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
So mortals ate the bread of angels;
he sent them food in plenty.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
and led out the south wind by his might.
He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust
and winged fowl like the sand of the sea.
He let it fall in the midst of their camp
and round about their tents.
So they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they desired.
But they did not stop their craving;
their food was still in their mouths,
When the anger of God rose against them,
and slew their strongest men and felled the flower of Israel.
Matthew 13.1-9
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’
The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.
Amen.
This week’s prayer:
O God,
you alone can order our unruly wills and affections:
teach us to love what you command,
and to desire what you promise,
that, among the changes and chances of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We thank God for what we have and pray for what we need.
Today we pray for ourselves, that God would teach us how to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In our local church, we ask God to guide the future of our parish, helping us to work for the mission of the Kingdom of God. In our world, we pray for the leader of the government in our nation and all who serve to make laws for our country. We remember before God those who have asked for our prayers, or who are in need of them.
A prayer for the day
We consecrate this day to your service, O Lord; may all our thoughts, words, and actions be well-pleasing to you and serve the good of our brothers and sisters; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Lord be with us
now and forever.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Peace be to us all, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ephesians 6.23