Morning Prayer: Psalm 48:1-3; Haggai 1:13-14; Hebrews 11:4-5 ~ pleasing God

Morning Prayer:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Edmonton's River Valley Edmonton, ALBERTA — Edmonton’s River Valley
Edmonton, ALBERTA

Psalm 48:1-3 ESV Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.

Haggai 1:13-14 ESV Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God….

Hebrews 11:4-5 ESV By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

Prayer/Reflection (excerpts from Isaiah 30)

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.”

“Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly — like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.”

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

Hymn: “There’s a Quiet Understanding” –Tedd Smith (1973)

There’s a quiet understanding when we’re gathered in the Spirit; it’s a promise that he gives us, when we gather in his name. There’s a love we feel in Jesus, there’s a manna that he feeds us; it’s a promise that he gives us, when we gather in his name.

And we know when we’re together, sharing love and understanding, that our brothers and our sisters feel the oneness that he brings. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus, for the way you love and feed us, for the many ways you lead us, thank you, thank you, Lord.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 141:2-4, 8; Amos 3:3; 1 Corinthians 13:12 ~ mirror dimly

Morning Prayer:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Psalm 141:2-4, 8 ESV Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!

Amos 3:3 ESV “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?”

1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Prayer

We hold before You, O Lord:

those for whom life is very difficult; those who have decisions to make, and who honestly do not know what is the right thing to do.

We hold before You, O Lord:

those who have difficult tasks to do and to face, and who fear they may fail in them; those who have difficult temptations to face, and who know only too well that they may fail to them, if they try to meet them alone.

We hold before You, O Lord:

those who know they can be their own worst enemies.

We hold before You, O Lord:

those who have difficult people to work with; those who have to suffer unjust treatment, unfair criticism, unappreciated work.

We hold before You, O Lord:

those who are sad because someone they loved has died; and any who are disappointed in something for which they have hoped very much. (William Barclay)

Hymn: “O Lord Hear My Prayer” – Taize

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Clare Daly’s “drone strike” on Obamas in Irish Parliment (YouTube)

We were showcased as a ‘nation of pimps’ during Obama visit – Daly

Peanut Gallery: Clare Daly scores a direct hit on the Obamas on their G-8 Summit visit to Ireland. And the Irish Head of State (Taoiseach) is required to sit there and take it. Then he has his say.

But Daly is not finished… addressing Syria, American Foreign Policy and the US / Irish relationship. Then the Taoiseach has his say.

Now that’s free speech in action… if only it were so in the USA.

Watch and be amazed!

Morning Readings: Psalm 116:15; 2 Kings 13:14, 20-21; Acts 6:15 ESV ~ facing death

Morning Prayer ~ Celtic Daily Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Psalm 116:15 ESV Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

2 Kings 13:14, 20-21 ESV Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”

So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Acts 6:15 ESV And gazing at [Stephen], all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Prayer ~ Lord, so strange to us this doorway labelled death! – a door of darkness still closed to protect us from the brilliance of eternal life; a final obstacle to the fullness of Your presence. Give courage, Lord, for this uncharted journey, peacefulness at parting from all that must be left behind, and an inner vision of invitation for all that is better that awaits. Soon enough, we must place our footsteps in those of Christ Himself. Amen.

Hymn: “Now the Day Is Over” – Sabine Baring-Gould (1865)

Now the day is over, Night is drawing nigh, Shadows of the evening / Steal across the sky.

Jesus, give the weary / Calm and sweet repose; With Thy tenderest blessing / May our eyelids close.

Comfort every sufferer / Watching late in pain; Those who plan some evil / From their sins restrain.

Through the long night-watches, May Thine angels spread / Their white wings above me, Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens, Then may I arise / Pure, and fresh, and sinless / In Thy holy eyes.

Glory to the Father, Glory to the Son, And to Thee, blest Spirit, Whilst all ages run.

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: Selected readings from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I am limiting my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 147:10-11; Esther 6:7-9; Mathew 25:34-40 ~ least of these

Morning Prayer ~ Celtic Daily Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Morning readings

Psalm 147:10-11 ESV His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Esther 6:7-9 ESV And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

Matthew 25:34-40 ESV Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Syrian refugees Ali Shteiwi kisses his wife Walaa as she holds their newborn daughter, Taymaa, at the Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan last month. Canada is accepting 200 'urgent' refugees from the region but they won't start arriving until later this year. (Raad Adayleh/Associated Press) — Syrian refugees Ali Shteiwi kisses his wife Walaa as she holds their newborn daughter, Taymaa, at the Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan last month. Canada is accepting 200 ‘urgent’ refugees from the region but they won’t start arriving until later this year. (Raad Adayleh/Associated Press)

Prayer ~ (adapted from Isaiah 58:6-12)

Lord God: You have made clear through your Son and the prophets what you want from me;

To free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for me.
To let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
To share my food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.
To give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need my help.
To remove the heavy yoke of oppression and help those in trouble.

Help me to do my part… that I might receive your blessing… now and forever:

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”

Hymn: “When It’s All Been Said and Done” – Robin Mark

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I am limiting my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

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