Ascribe greatness to our God.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
out of the great love with which he loved us,
Even when we were dead through our trespasses:
made us alive together with Christ,
And raised us up with him:
and made us sit with him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
That he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace:
in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
let us pray with one heart and mind.
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever. Amen.
how glorious is your name in all the world!
2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.
3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes,
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,
5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him;
the son of man, that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him little lower than the angels
and crown him with glory and honour.
7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands
and put all things under his feet,
8 All sheep and oxen,
even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our governor,
how glorious is your name in all the world!
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your hearts desire
and fulfil all your mind.
5 May we rejoice in your salvation
and triumph in the name of our God;
may the Lord perform all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen,
but we are risen and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king
and answer us when we call upon you.
how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
2 You have given him his hearts desire
and have not denied the request of his lips.
3 For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness
and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked of you life and you gave it him,
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 His honour is great because of your salvation;
glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
6 You have granted him everlasting felicity
and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
7 For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
8 Your hand shall mark down all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them like a fiery oven
in the time of your wrath;
the Lord will swallow them up in his anger
and the fire will consume them.
10 Their fruit you will root out of the land
and their seed from among its inhabitants.
11 Because they intend evil against you
and devise wicked schemes
which they cannot perform,
12 You will put them to flight
when you aim your bow at their faces.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might;
we will make music and sing of your power.
Deuteronomy 1:19–40 (Listen)
Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land
19 “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21 See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ 22 Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’ 23 The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. 24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. 25 And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.’
26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God, 33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.
The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion
34 “And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!’ 37 Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39 And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. 40 But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’
(ESV)
John 20:11–18 (Listen)
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,1 “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Footnotes
[1] 20:16
(ESV)
and bear much fruit to your glory.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful:
for mercy shall be shown to them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
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 for ever. Amen.
in whose hands are the destinies of this and every nation,
we give you thanks for the freedoms we enjoy in this land
and for those who laid down their lives to defend them:
We pray that we and all the people of Australia,
gratefully remembering their courage and their sacrifice,
may have grace to live in a spirit of justice,
of generosity, and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
by the inspired witness of Mark the evangelist
you have given to your Church the gospel
of Jesus Christ your Son:
strengthen us by this saving message
that we may not be carried away
with every changing wind of doctrine
but be firmly grounded in the truth of your word;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you have brought us safely to this new day:
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
sing to the Lord all the earth.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is your holy and glorious name:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you, glorious in your holy temple:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you who behold the depths:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the heights of heaven:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
2 You are clothed with majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as in a garment.
3 You spread out the heavens like a curtain
and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.
4 You make the clouds your chariot
and ride on the wings of the wind.
5 You make the winds your messengers
and flames of fire your servants.
6 You laid the foundations of the earth,
that it never should move at any time.
7 You covered it with the deep like a garment;
the waters stood high above the hills.
8 At your rebuke they fled;
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
9 They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath,
to the place which you had appointed for them.
10 You have set them their bounds that they should not pass,
nor turn again to cover the earth.
11 You send the springs into the brooks,
which run among the hills.
12 They give drink to every beast of the field,
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
13 Beside them the birds of the air make their nests
and sing among the branches.
14 You water the hills from your dwelling on high;
the earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
15 You make grass to grow for the cattle
and plants to meet our needs,
16 Bringing forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden our hearts,
17 Oil to give us a cheerful countenance
and bread to strengthen our hearts.
18 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
19 In which the birds build their nests,
while the fir trees are a dwelling for the stork.
20 The mountains are a refuge for the wild goats
and the stony cliffs for the conies.
21 You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows the time for its setting.
22 You make darkness that it may be night,
in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
23 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
24 The sun rises and they are gone
to lay themselves down in their dens.
25 People go forth to their work
and to their labour until the evening.
26 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
27 There is the sea, spread far and wide,
and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.
28 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan
which you have made to play in the deep.
29 All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
30 When you give it them, they gather it;
you open your hand and they are filled with good.
31 When you hide your face they are troubled;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return again to the dust.
32 When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
33 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works;
34 He looks on the earth and it trembles;
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
35 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will make music to my God while I have my being.
36 So shall my song please him
while I rejoice in the Lord.
37 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Alleluia.
Exodus 15:22–16:10 (Listen)
Bitter Water Made Sweet
22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.1 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log,2 and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the LORD3 made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Bread from Heaven
16:1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of 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. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
(ESV)
Colossians 1:15–29 (Listen)
The Preeminence of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by1 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation2 under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Paul’s Ministry to the Church
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
(ESV)
and bear much fruit to your glory.
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations:
and the glory of your people Israel.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
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 for ever. Amen.
in whose hands are the destinies of this and every nation,
we give you thanks for the freedoms we enjoy in this land
and for those who laid down their lives to defend them:
We pray that we and all the people of Australia,
gratefully remembering their courage and their sacrifice,
may have grace to live in a spirit of justice,
of generosity, and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
by the inspired witness of Mark the evangelist
you have given to your Church the gospel
of Jesus Christ your Son:
strengthen us by this saving message
that we may not be carried away
with every changing wind of doctrine
but be firmly grounded in the truth of your word;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.