Morning Prayer on Friday — Friday, 25 September 2026 — Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, Spiritual Writer, 1626 [Lesser Festival] — Sergei of Radonezh, Russian Monastic Reformer, Teacher of the Faith, 1392 [Commemoration] — Ember Day

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

The Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day (page 108) may replace the Preparation as the start of Morning Prayer on any occasion.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

One of these prayers of thanksgiving (page 109),

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all, to you be glory and praise for ever. You founded the earth in the beginning and the heavens are the work of your hands. In the fullness of time you made us in your image, and in these last days you have spoken to us in your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us let the light of your love always shine in our hearts, your Spirit ever renew our lives and your praises ever be on our lips. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.

(or)

Blessed are you, creator of all, to you be praise and glory for ever. As your dawn renews the face of the earth bringing light and life to all creation, may we rejoice in this day you have made; as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep, 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. Blessed be God for ever.

after Lancelot Andrewes (1626)

or a suitable hymn,

or the Venite – A Song of Triumph

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving and be glad in him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands have moulded the dry land.

6 Come, let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 For he is our God; we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

The canticle may end here.

8 O that today you would listen to his voice: ‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, on that day at Massah in the wilderness,

9 ‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my works.

10 ‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, “This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways.”

11 ‘So I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter into my rest.”’

Psalm 95

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.

This opening prayer may be said

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 51

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness; according to the abundance of your compassion blot out my offences.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,

5 So that you are justified in your sentence and righteous in your judgement.

6 I have been wicked even from my birth, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

7 Behold, you desire truth deep within me and shall make me understand wisdom in the depths of my heart.

8 Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice.

10 Turn your face from my sins and blot out all my misdeeds.

11 Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

12 Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me.

13 Give me again the joy of your salvation and sustain me with your gracious spirit;

14 Then shall I teach your ways to the wicked and sinners shall return to you.

15 Deliver me from my guilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness.

16 O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

17 For you desire no sacrifice, else I would give it; you take no delight in burnt offerings.

18 The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

19 O be favourable and gracious to Zion; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

20 Then you will accept sacrifices offered in righteousness, the burnt offerings and oblations; then shall they offer up bulls on your altar.

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit.

Take away, good Lord, the sin that corrupts us; give us the sorrow that heals and the joy that praises and restore by grace your own image within us, that we may take our place among your people; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 54

Behold, God is my helper.

1 Save me, O God, by your name and vindicate me by your power.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; give heed to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers have risen up against me, and the ruthless seek after my life; they have not set God before them.

4 Behold, God is my helper; it is the Lord who upholds my life.

5 May evil rebound on those who lie in wait for me; destroy them in your faithfulness.

6 An offering of a free heart will I give you and praise your name, O Lord, for it is gracious.

7 For he has delivered me out of all my trouble, and my eye has seen the downfall of my enemies.

Behold, God is my helper.

O living God, reach through the violence of the proud and the despair of the weak to create in Jesus Christ a people free to praise your holy name, now and for ever.

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.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

1 Kings 18.21-end

Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ The people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred and fifty. Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.’ All the people answered, ‘Well spoken!’ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.’ So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.

Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come closer to me’; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name’; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt-offering and on the wood.’ Then he said, ‘Do it a second time’; and they did it a second time. Again he said, ‘Do it a third time’; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all round the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.’ Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.’ Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.

Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.’ So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look towards the sea.’ He went up and looked, and said, ‘There is nothing.’ Then he said, ‘Go again seven times.’ At the seventh time he said, ‘Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.’ Then he said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” ’ In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel. But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Canticle

A Song of Humility, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 33 (page 584), may be said

Raise us up, O God, that we may live in your presence. Alleluia.

1 Come, let us return to the Lord who has torn us and will heal us.

2 God has stricken us and will bind up our wounds.

3 After two days, he will revive us, and on the third day will raise us up, that we may live in his presence.

4 Let us strive to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the sunrise.

5 He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.

6 ‘O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you? How shall I deal with you, O Judah?

7 ‘Your love for me is like the morning mist, like the dew that goes early away.

8 ‘Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, and my judgement goes forth as the light.

9 ‘For loyalty is my desire and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. ’

Hosea 6.1-6

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.

Raise us up, O God, that we may live in your presence. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Acts 21.1-16

When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them for one day. The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, “This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” ’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’

After these days we got ready and started to go up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Forsake me not, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God. Forsake me not, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God. Make haste to help me, O Lord of my salvation. Be not far from me, O my God. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Forsake me not, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God.

from Psalm 38

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or A Song of Praise (page 627) may be said

I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Alleluia.

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.

I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Alleluia.

Prayers

Intercessions are offered for the day and its tasks for the world and its needs for the Church and her life

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 362–363

The King, members of parliament and the armed forces Peace and justice in the world Those who work for reconciliation All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife Prisoners, refugees and homeless people

One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

Lord God, who gave to Lancelot Andrewes many gifts of your Holy Spirit, making him a man of prayer and a pastor of your people: perfect in us that which is lacking in your gifts, of faith, to increase it, of hope, to establish it, of love, to kindle it, that we may live in the light of your grace and glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(or)

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Conclusion

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005 Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from Church House Publishing.

The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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