The liturgy below is for the Midday Prayer gathering (via Zoom) on July 23 at 12 pm (PDT). If you are unable to join us at that time, you can use the Soundcloud playlist linked on this page to sing the songs, which you will encounter as you pray through the liturgy. Past Midday Prayer liturgies will also be linked from this page.

If you would like to receive email reminders for further Midday Prayer gatherings this summer, along with Zoom login details, please click the 'Receive Chapel Updates' button on this page.

Prayers for Compassion for the Least

Adapted from Seeds of the Kingdom: Common Prayers for Ordinary Time

Gloria

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

Prayer of Affirmation

Glory be to you,
God of all comfort and compassion,
    who longs to gather us
    as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

Lyrics: Horatius Bonar | Tune (Kingsfold): unknown (English folk tune)

I heard the voice of Jesus say
"Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was
Weary, worn, and sad
I found in him a resting place
And he has made me glad

I heard the voice of Jesus say
"Behold, I freely give
The living water, thirsty one
Stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus and I drank
of that life-giving stream
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived
And now I live in him

I heard the voice of Jesus say
"I am this dark world's light.
Look unto me, thy morn shall rise
and all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In him my star, my sun
And in that light of life I'll walk
Till travelling days are done

Prayer of Orientation

Who is like the Lord,
    the One who sits enthroned on high,
Who stoops down
    to look on the heavens and the earth?
You see the misery of your people.
You hear them crying out.
You have concern for their suffering.
You come down to bring your people up
    to a good and spacious place.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who stands among the lowly?

You raise the poor from the dust
    and lift the needy from the ash heap.
You settle the barren woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who stands among the lowly?

You uphold the cause of the oppressed
    and give food to the hungry.
You set the prisoner free
    and give sight to the blind.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who stands among the lowly?

You watch over the foreigner
    and sustain the orphan and the widow.
You heal the broken-hearted
    and bind up their wounds.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who stands among the lowly?

Open our eyes to see the misery you see.
Open our ears to hear the cries you hear.
Open our hearts to weep where you are weeping.
Open our lives to love with the love of Christ:
    Who, being in the very nature God,
    made himself nothing,
    taking the very nature of a servant,
    and humbled himself to death on a cross.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who stands among the lowly?

Scripture | Luke 18:9–14 (NRSV)

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Reflection

Taken from Charles Ringma's Hear the Ancient Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, 2013)

Listening Silence

In silence, we make space to listen to God’s voice, breathe in God’s Spirit, and centre ourselves with God.

Prayer of Gratitude and Confession

You are the Maker and Minder of all beings.
Each one of us you fashioned.
You are mindful of each hair on our heads,
    each pain in our lives,
    each joy we find,
    each sorrow we bear.
You comfort and guide us in all we do.

Forgive us—
for the times we failed
    to look after our neighbor,
for the times we failed
    to stand with those in need,
    choosing instead to distance ourselves.

Overwhelm us with your boundless love
    and so collapse the distance we create
    between ourselves and our neighbour.
Teach us to love as you love,
    without hesitation and with selfless abandon.
Amen.

Kyrie

We come to God
    aware of our own sinfulness
    and our failure to have compassion on the least;
and so we pray for God’s mercy and forgiveness:

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on my community.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the world.

Absolution

May the God of love and power
    forgive us and free us from our sins,
    heal and strengthen us by the Holy Spirit,
    and raise us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayers of Intercession

Hear the cries of the broken and least
    in our midst…

Hear the cries of the broken and least
    in our city, our nation, our world…

Hear the groaning of your creation
    awaiting new creation…

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom
    and the power
    and the glory,
    forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer of Affirmation

Glory be to you,
God of all comfort and compassion,
    who longs to gather us
    as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

Canopy

2017 Tom Wuest (recorded with permission)

May we dwell in your tent, O Lord
May we dwell in your tent, O God

Harbored by brooding wings
Held in the wide mercy
Under your canopy of love

Blessing

God’s blessing be yours,
    and well may it befall you.
Christ’s blessing be yours,
    and well be you entreated.
The Spirit’s blessing be yours,
    and well spend you your lives,
Each day that you rise up,
    each night that you lie down.
Amen.

Go in peace
    to love and serve the Lord.