Morning Prayer
+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening sentences
Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.
Revelation 18:21-24 (ESV) – to be read aloud
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
Reflection
THE THIRD VISION (17:1-21:8)
The Judgement of Babylon (18:1-19:5)
Babylon Destroyed (18:21-24)
A mighty angel now takes a huge boulder and hurls it into the sea, declaring that so will Babylon be thrown down, never to be found again…. The huge millstone does not fall but is violently hurled into the sea. This stresses how suddenly and spectacularly the judgement of God will be executed not only on the ancient city but ultimately upon the entire antichristian world in its opposition to God. (Mounce, p. 338)
The completeness of Babylon’s destruction is vividly pictured in then cessation of the various activities characteristic of the city…. Babylon will become a dead city. (Ladd, p. 242-3)
The reasons for judgement (18:23-24)
- the arrogance of the merchants
- the deception of nations
- the blood of the martyrs
Prophecy by nature resists being forced into any particular time sequence. It guarantees the ultimate issues of God’s redemptive program, which will be fulfilled when the end comes. Living in a world dominated by the oppressive practices of Rome, John portrays the eschaton in figures taken from that specific cultural setting. It is incumbent on us, living at a much later period in history, to interpret those same figures in the eschatological setting toward which we are rapidly moving. (Mounce, p.339-40)
__________
Near the End | William G. Schell (1911)
Time moves on with solemn footsteps / As it nears the final shore;
Fast the sun of earth is sinking, Soon our world shall be no more.
The sixth trumpet now is sounding / To prepare the holy bride —
Many on the golden altar, “Purified, made white, and tried.”
Lo! the angel now is standing / On the sea and on the land;
How His voice the air is rending, As to God He lifts His hand!
What an awful, awful message! Help us, Lord, this truth to see;
When the seventh trumpet thunders, Then shall time no longer be.
One more trumpet yet to summon / Us before the judgment seat,
Then the time of our frail planet / Will be said to be complete.
How the wicked will be wailing, And the righteous overjoyed,
When with fire the heav’ns are burning, And the earth shall be destroyed.
While false prophets are confiding / In a foolish, erring dream
Of millennial enjoyments, They neglect the cleansing stream.
Oh, poor sinner, don’t believe them, There will be no age to come;
If in life you find not Jesus, / Death will seal your awful doom.
__________
Canticle
Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
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
_____________________________________
Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.
This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).
The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.
The Peanut Gallery 
“If in life you find not Jesus, / Death will seal your awful doom.”