Morning Prayer
Feria (Green); Eve of Trinity XV (Green)
Psalms: Psalm 63, 67
King James Version
1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
First Lesson: Jeremiah 25:1-14
King James Version
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; 2 The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. 4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. 5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: 6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. 7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. 8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
Second Lesson: Ephesians 5:22-end
King James Version
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Reflection
“My soul thirsteth for thee,” says the Psalmist, “in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” It is a vivid picture of the human soul. We may try to satisfy that thirst with many things: comfort, success, admiration, possessions, or simply the noise and business which prevent us from noticing it. Yet beneath all these desires there is one deeper desire—the desire for God himself.
The Psalmist has learnt that God’s loving-kindness is “better than life”. He does not merely want God’s gifts; he wants God. He remembers the Lord upon his bed, follows hard after him, and rejoices in the shadow of his wings. This is not a religion of occasional interest, but a life ordered towards the living God.
That helps us to hear the stern word given through Jeremiah. For three-and-twenty years the word of the Lord had come to Judah, and the people had not listened. The prophets had risen early and spoken faithfully: “Turn ye again now every one from his evil way.” But the people would not incline their ear. They had made idols with the works of their hands, and then had gone after those idols as though they could give what only God can give.
The judgment that follows is terrible: desolation, silence, the loss of the voice of mirth and gladness, the stillness of the millstones, and the extinguishing of the candle. Yet this is not arbitrary wrath. It is the dreadful consequence of refusing the source of life. When a people will not hear God, they become disordered; when they worship what they have made, they are eventually mastered by what they have made. The Lord’s judgment is righteous because it answers to their deeds. Indeed, even Babylon, used as an instrument of judgment, will itself be judged for its iniquity.
Against this background, Saint Paul speaks of love, order, and belonging. He takes the relation of husband and wife and says that it reveals “a great mystery”: Christ and the Church. The Church is not a club of religious consumers, nor a gathering held together merely by custom. She is the Bride of Christ, and Christ has given himself for her. He nourishes and cherishes her, sanctifying her by the washing of water by the word, that she may be holy and without blemish.
Here is the answer to the soul’s thirst. The Church belongs to Christ, and in the Church we are brought into the household where Christ gives himself to his people. His authority is not the authority of a tyrant, but the authority of the Bridegroom who loves his bride unto self-sacrifice. Therefore the Church’s obedience is not servile anxiety. It is the obedient response of those who have been loved, cleansed, fed, and claimed.
This also gives seriousness to our life together. The commands concerning husband and wife cannot be reduced either to a worldly contest for power or to a sentimental celebration of feeling. The husband is commanded to love as Christ loved: to give himself, to nourish, to cherish, and to seek the holiness of the other. The wife is called to reverence. Both are summoned out of self-will and into a faithful order of love. Marriage is to reflect, however imperfectly, the steadfast covenant of Christ and his Church.
And the same is true of the Church herself. We must not merely call ourselves Christian while refusing the Lord’s word. We are to hear, repent, and remain within the gracious order Christ has established. The Church of England, in her sober worship and ordered common prayer, gives us a disciplined way to seek God—not inventing a new faith, but receiving the faith once delivered and continually directing our thirsty souls to Christ.
Psalm 67 widens the horizon: God blesses his people so that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all nations. The Church is cherished not for her own vanity, but that the nations may praise God. Let us therefore seek the Lord early, listen when he speaks, and rest beneath the wings of Christ. For his loving-kindness is better than life, and his faithful love makes his people holy.
Evening Prayer
Feria (Green); Eve of Trinity XV (Green)
Psalms: Psalm 62, 64
King James Version
1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. 5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. 9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. 10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. 11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. 12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. 1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: 3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: 4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. 5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? 6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. 7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. 8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. 9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. 10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
First Lesson: Jeremiah 27:2-end
King James Version
2 Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, 3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; 4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; 5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. 6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. 7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. 8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 9 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: 10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. 11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. 12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 15 For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. 16 Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 17 Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste? 18 But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon. 19 For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, 20 Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; 21 Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; 22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Second Lesson: John 8:1-30
King James Version
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. 20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. 21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. 22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. 23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. 28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Reflection
The readings today bring us face to face with a difficult but wholesome truth: the word of God is not given merely to reassure us. It is given to save us—and sometimes salvation begins by being told that we are wrong.
Jeremiah is commanded to put a yoke upon his neck and to proclaim an unwelcome message. Judah is not to escape the consequences of her rebellion by listening to pleasant predictions. The prophets who say, “Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon,” are speaking lies in the name of God. Their message sounds patriotic, comforting, and hopeful; but it is false. The Lord’s word, by contrast, calls the people to submit to the yoke appointed for them, that they may live.
This is a searching lesson. We are always tempted to prefer voices which tell us that nothing really needs to change: that our habits are harmless, that our sins are unimportant, that judgement is exaggerated, and that God’s chief purpose is to confirm our existing opinions. But a false comfort can be more dangerous than an open rebuke. The word which wounds our pride may be the very word by which God preserves our life.
The psalmist has learned where true security lies: “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” Not from human reputation, not from wealth, not from political strength, and not from flattering words. “Power belongeth unto God: also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy.” The same God who has power to judge also has mercy to save. His authority is not opposed to his compassion. Indeed, his mercy is trustworthy precisely because it is the mercy of the Judge who sees the truth.
That truth is displayed in the temple, where the scribes and Pharisees bring before Jesus a woman caught in adultery. They do not bring her because they are zealous for holiness. They bring her as a trap, hoping to force Jesus into an answer which may be used against him. They make another person’s sin an instrument of their own self-righteousness.
Jesus does not deny the seriousness of adultery. He does not declare that sin is no sin, or that the law of God is an embarrassment to be set aside. Rather, he turns the light of God upon the accusers themselves: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” One by one, convicted by their own conscience, they depart.
Then comes the tender and demanding word of Christ: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Here is neither cruelty nor indulgence. There is mercy, but not moral confusion; pardon, but also a summons to a new life. Christ does not condemn the repentant sinner, yet neither does he bless the sin from which he commands her to depart.
And immediately Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.” His light does not merely make us feel better about ourselves. It reveals what is hidden. It exposes false prophets, secret motives, inward corruption, and the flattering lies by which we excuse ourselves. Yet the light is not sent to destroy those who come into it. It is the light of life.
This is why we must beware of judging “after the flesh”. We see outward acts and partial stories; Christ sees the heart. We are not therefore released from all discernment. Jeremiah plainly commands the people not to heed lying prophets, and Jesus plainly warns that those who refuse him will “die in their sins”. Christian charity is not the abandonment of truth. But we must exercise judgement humbly, remembering that the same light which reveals another’s fault also searches us.
The proper response is therefore not despair, nor self-congratulation, but faith. We are to wait upon God, pour out our hearts before him, and come honestly into the light. We confess our sins—not because Christ is eager to condemn, but because he is merciful and true. Then, having received his pardon, we hear his command: go, and sin no more.
The Church of England has wisely kept this pattern at the heart of her daily worship: the Scriptures read, sins confessed, and absolution received. We are not nourished by agreeable inventions, but by the living word of God. Under that word, the false yokes are broken, the true yoke is accepted, and the soul finds refuge in Christ, the Light of the world.
Electric See Chapel