The Order of Early Service, or Matins

The Order of Early Service, or Matins

¶A Hymn of Invocation of the Holy Ghost or another Hymn may be sung.

¶Then shall be chanted or said the Versicles here following, all standing to the end of the Venite.

Minister. O Lord, open Thou my lips.

Congregation. And my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.

Minister. Make haste, O God, to deliver me.

Congregation. Make haste to help me, O Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Hallelujah!

¶During the Passion season the Hallelujah shall be omitted.

¶Then shall follow the Invitatory with the Venite. On Festival Days a special Invitatory may be used.

Minister.. O come, let us worship the Lord.

Congregation. For He is our Maker.

Venite Exultemus

Psalm 95, 1-7

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving: and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God: and a great King above all gods.

In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also.

The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For He is our God: and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Hymn

¶Then Hymn shall then be sung.

The Psalm

¶Then, all standing to the end of the Psalm, shall be chanted or said one or more Psalms. At the end of the Psalm the Gloria Patri shall be chanted. An Antiphon may be used with each Psalm.

The Lesson

¶The Scripture Lessons shall then be read. After each Lesson may be chanted or said:

Minister. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Congregation. Thanks be to God.

¶After the Lessons a Responsory may be chanted.

¶A brief Exhortation or Sermon may then follow.

The Canticle

The Congregation shall stand and chant the Te Deum Laudamus or the Benedictus. An Antiphon may be chanted with the Benedictus.

Te Deum Laudamus

We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee: the Father everlasting.

To Thee all Angels cry aloud: the heavens, and all the powers therein.

To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of Thy Glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles: praise Thee.

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise Thee.

The noble army of Martyrs: praise Thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge Thee;

The Father: of an infinite Majesty;

Thine adorable, true: and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father.

When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man: Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a Virgin.

When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.

We believe that Thou shalt come: to be our Judge.

We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants: whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy

precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with Thy saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save Thy people: and bless Thine heritage.

Govern them: and lift them up for ever.

Day by day: we magnify Thee;

And we worship Thy Name: ever, world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us: as our trust is in Thee.

O Lord, in Thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Or the

Benedictus

Luke 1, 68-79

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for He hath visited and redeemed His people;

And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us: in the house of His servant David;

As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets: which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies: and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers: and to remember His holy covenant;

The oath which He sware to our father Abraham: that He would grant unto us;

That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies: might serve Him without fear.

In holiness and righteousness before Him: all the days of our life.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto His people: by the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Prayer

¶Then shall be said the Prayers here following, or the Suffrages, the Litany, or other prayers.

Minister. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Congregation. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Minister. Christ, have mercy upon us.

Congregation. Christ, have mercy upon us.

Minister. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Congregation. Lord, have mercy upon us.

¶Then shall all say:

Our Father, who art in heaven; Hallowed by 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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

¶One or more Collects may be uses, with the Salutation which may be preceded by a Versicle. ¶After each Collect the Congregation shall chant or say:

Amen.

¶Then may be chanted or said the Benedicamus with the Salutation.

Minister. The Lord be with you.

Congregation. And with thy spirit.

Benedicamus.

Minister. Bless we the Lord.

Congregation. Thanks be to God!

¶The service may end with the Benedicamus or a closing hymn may be sung; after which may be said:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

Amen.

¶At the close of the service silent prayer should be offered.

The Order of Early Service, or Matins is from Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book.

MATINS

The Alleluia shall be omitted in Lent.

STAND

MO Lord, open my lips.

CAnd my mouth shall declare your praise.

MHasten to save me, O God.

CO Lord, come quickly to help me.

M Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Cas it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

(Alleluia.)

The Invitatory

A special, seasonal invitatory may be used.

MO come, let us worship the Lord.

CFor he is our Maker.

Venite Exultemus (Psalm 95)

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!For the Lord is a great God,and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the depths of the earth;the heights of the mountains are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

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.

Hymn

Psalm

One or more psalms may be sung or said. At the end of each psalm the congregation shall sing or say the Gloria Patri.

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.

BE SEATED

Lesson

One or more scripture lessons shall then be read. After each lesson shall be sung or said the response.

M O Lord, have mercy on us.

CThanks be to God.

After the Lesson a RESPONSORY or a HYMN may be sung.

A SERMON may then follow.

STAND

The Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus

We praise you, O God; we acknowledge you to be the Lord.

All the earth worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein.

To you cherubim and seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory.

The glorious company of the apostles praise you.

The excellent fellowship of the prophets praise you.

The noble army of martyrs praise you.

The holy church throughout all the world acknowledges you:

the Father of an infinite majesty,

your adorable, true and only Son,

also the Holy Spirit the Comforter.

You are the King of Glory, O Christ;

You are the everlasting Son of the Father.

When you took upon yourself to deliver man,

you humbled yourself to be born of a virgin.

When you overcame the sharpness of death,

you opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

We therefore pray, help your servants,

whom you have redeemed with your precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with your saints

in glory everlasting.

The following verses may also be sung or said:

O Lord, save your people, and bless your heritage.

Govern them and lift them up forever.

Day by day we magnify you,

and we worship your name, now and forever.

Preserve us, O Lord, this day, and keep us without sin.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

O Lord, let your mercy be upon us, as our trust is in you.

O Lord, in you have I trusted, let me never be put to shame.

OR

Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on highto give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

The Prayers

M Lord, have mercy on us.

C Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

LORD’S PRAYER

c

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 forever. Amen.

or

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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

MThe Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

M Let us pray.

Then shall be said the PRAYER OF THE DAY. The prayer ends:

…through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

Other Prayers may then be said, and after them this PRAYER FOR GRACE.

MMy mouth is filled with your praise,C and with your glory all the day. (Psalm 71:8)

MLord God, almighty Father, eternal God, you have brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us today with your saving power so that we neither fall into sin nor run into any danger, but in everything we do, subject our words and direct our thoughts to what is right in your sight; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

MLet us praise the Lord.

CThanks be to God.

MThe grace of the Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.(2 Corinthians 13:14)

CAmen.

+

This version of Matins is modified from Matins in Common Service Book (1917, 1918) with some elements from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941)

This modification © Paul C. Stratman and www.acollectionofprayers.wordpress.com.

This modification of Matins from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Scriptures are from the English Standard Version.