After Epiphany | Thursday – 26 Jan 2023: Psalm 15; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 1 Peter 3:8-12 ~ How to enjoy a blessed life.

After Epiphany | Thursday – 26 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

Give us grace, O Lord,
to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ
and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation,
that we and the whole world may perceive
the glory of his marvelous works;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Finally, all of you should be of one mind.
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other as brothers and sisters.
Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
(1 Peter 3:8)

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From Psalms: Psalm 15 – Who May Abide With You – [The Psalms Project feat. Emily Heilman]

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OT Reading: Deuteronomy 16:18-20 (NLT)

Justice for the People

16:18 “Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly. You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly. Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly | Pat Barrett

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NT Reading: 1 Peter 3:8-12 (NLT)

All Christians

3:8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”

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“Oh Happy Day” Edwin Hawkins – Anthony Brown w/ FBCG Combined Choir

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, you sit on your throne giving righteous judgment: We humbly ask you to bless all courts of justice and all magistrates in this land; give them a spirit of wisdom and understanding, that fearing no power but yours alone, they may discern the truth and impartially administer the law; through him who shall come to be our Judge, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+ O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us into your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Transform us first, Lord,
that we might transform this world
through your love and your power.

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

After Epiphany | Wednesday – 25 Jan 2023: Psalm 27:7-14; Genesis 49:1-2, 8-13, 21-26; Luke 1:67-79 ~ Jesus is God’s light on the path to peace.

After Epiphany | Wednesday – 25 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who
sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”
(Luke 1:78-79)

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From Psalms: Psalm 27 – ADONAI Ori The L-RD is My Light | Christene Jackman

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OT Reading: Genesis 49:1-2, 8-13, 21-26 (NLT)

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

“Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

49:8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.
He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.

“Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.

49:21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
and blessings of the watery depths below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
May my fatherly blessings on you
surpass the blessings of my ancestors,
reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.

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Lion of Judah | Dream Label Group

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NT Reading: Luke 1:67-79 (NLT)

Zechariah’s Prophecy

1:67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people.
He has sent us a mighty Savior
from the royal line of his servant David,
just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
He has been merciful to our ancestors
by remembering his sacred covenant—
the covenant he swore with an oath
to our ancestor Abraham.
We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.

“And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”

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Peace – Bethel Music feat. We The Kingdom | Peace

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

+ O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray , into your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Transform us first, Lord,
that we might transform this world
through your love and your power.

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

After Epiphany | Tuesday – 24 Jan 2023: Psalm 27:7-14; Judges 7:12-22; Philippians 2:12-18 ~ Live as a shining bright light!

After Epiphany | Tuesday – 24 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,
shining like bright lights
in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
(Philippians 2:15)

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From Psalms: Psalm 27 – One Thing – Shane & Shane – Worship & Praise Songs

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OT Reading: Judges 7:12-22 (NLT)

7:12 The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”

His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.

Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

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Enemy’s Camp | Joe Hancock

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NT Reading: Philippians 2:12-18 (NLT)

Shine Brightly for Christ

2:12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

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May we be a shining light to the nations – Kwasizabantu Combined Choir

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God our Savior,: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

William Temple

+ Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Transform us first, Lord,
that we might transform this world
through your love and your power.

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

After Epiphany | Monday – 23 Jan 2023: Psalm 27:7-14; Judges 6:11-24; Ephesians 5:6-14 ~ You have light from the Lord.

After Epiphany | Monday – 23 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

Once you were full of darkness,
but now you have light from the Lord.
So live as people of light!
(Ephesians 5:8)

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From Psalms: Psalm 27:7-14 – Voicing The Word

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OT Reading: Judges 6:11-24 (NLT)

6:11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”

The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me. Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.”

He answered, “I will stay here until you return.”

Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree.

The angel of God said to him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it.” And Gideon did as he was told. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

“It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.

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be strong and take courage – raoelia

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NT Reading: Ephesians 5:6-14 (NLT)

5:6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

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Let The Light In | Kari Jobe

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

William Temple

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Transform us first, Lord,
that we might transform this world
through your love and your power.

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

After Epiphany | 3rd Sunday – 22 Jan 2023: Amos 3:1-11; Ps 139:1-18; 1 Cor 1:10-17; Matt 4:12-22 ~ Jesus: “Come follow me!”

After Epiphany | 3rd Sunday – 22 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me,
and I will show you how to fish for people!”
And they left their nets at once and followed him.
(Matthew 4:19-20)

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God of Grace and God of Glory – Edenton St. United Methodist Church, Raleigh, NC

Mark Manring

OT Reading: Amos 3:1-11 (NLT)

3:1 Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel—against the entire family I rescued from Egypt:

“From among all the families on the earth,
I have been intimate with you alone.
That is why I must punish you
for all your sins.”

Witnesses against Guilty Israel

Can two people walk together
without agreeing on the direction?
Does a lion ever roar in a thicket
without first finding a victim?
Does a young lion growl in its den
without first catching its prey?
Does a bird ever get caught in a trap
that has no bait?
Does a trap spring shut
when there’s nothing to catch?
When the ram’s horn blows a warning,
shouldn’t the people be alarmed?
Does disaster come to a city
unless the Lord has planned it?

Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything
until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.

The lion has roared—
so who isn’t frightened?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
so who can refuse to proclaim his message?
Announce this to the leaders of Philistia
and to the great ones of Egypt:
“Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria,
and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel.”

“My people have forgotten how to do right,”
says the Lord.
“Their fortresses are filled with wealth
taken by theft and violence.
Therefore,” says the Sovereign Lord,
“an enemy is coming!
He will surround them and shatter their defenses.
Then he will plunder all their fortresses.”

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From Psalms: Ps 139 – Wonderfully Made | Danielle Rose

Godly Message

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NT Reading: 1 Cor 1:10-17 (NLT)

Divisions in the Church

1:10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

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Lift High the Cross – The Master’s Seminary Chorus
Grace Community Church – Sun Valley, California

Martijn de Groot

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Gospel Reading: Matt 4:12-22 (NLT)

The Ministry of Jesus Begins

4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

The First Disciples

4:18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

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The Summons – DecemberSnow1231

Written by John Bell of the Iona Community, and sung by Robert Kochis.