My soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God
My soul magnifies the Lord, my Savior (2x)

For he has done great things
For he has done great things for me
For he has done great things for me

Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead. (Psalm 86:11-13)

Come, thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
Mount of God's redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope, by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above

1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The gospel of Jesus Christ assures us that God is faithful to pursue us and draw near to us, even when we have turned from him and turned on those we are called to love.

The psalmist leads us into prayer,

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

We serve a God of limitless power and might. Yet, in all of his power he looks on us with mercy, and draws us into his family, because of what Jesus Christ has done.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:14-16)

Know that you are forgiven, and be at peace. 
 Thanks be to God.

God’s grace abounds for us even in our weakness. Let us remember the promise of the gospel: In Christ, we are forgiven.

Lord, make us servants of your peace:
Where there is hate, may we sow love;
Where there is hurt, may we forgive;
Where there is strife, may we make one.

Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
Where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
Where all is night, may we sow light;
Where all is tears, may we sow joy.

Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
To be consoled, but to console,
Nor look to understanding hearts,
But look for hearts to understand.

Dying, we live, and are reborn
Through death's dark night to endless day
Lord, make us servants of your peace
In heaven's light, Lord, make us one

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen. (Romans 15:13)

Let us go forth and serve our world as those who love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God!