Epiphany Season | Monday 15 Jan 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ
is the light of the world: Grant that your people,
illumined by your Word and Sacraments,
may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory,
that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed
to the ends of the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
“Dear friends,
we need to cleanse ourselves from everything
that contaminates body and spirit
and live a holy life in the fear of God.”
(2 Corinthians 7:1)
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From Psalms: Psalm 86 – “Hear my prayer” | Gregory Wilbur & April Galtieri | Ove Heradstveit
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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 9:27-10:8 (GW)
9:27 As they were going toward the city limits, Samuel told Saul, “Have the servant go ahead of you.” (He went ahead.) “But you stay here, and I will tell you God’s word.”
Saul Anointed by Samuel
10:1 Samuel took a flask of olive oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and save them from all their enemies. This will be the sign that the Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people. When you leave me today, two men will be at Rachel’s grave on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They’ll tell you, ‘We’ve found the donkeys you went looking for. Your father no longer cares about them. Instead, he’s worried about you. He keeps asking, “What can I do ⌞to find⌟ my son?” ’ Keep going until you come to the oak tree at Tabor. There you will find three men on their way to worship God at Bethel: One will be carrying three young goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a ⌞full⌟ wineskin. They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you should accept from them. After that, you will come to the hill of God, where the Philistines have a military post. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets prophesying as they come from the worship site. They will be led by men playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre. Then the Lord’s Spirit will come over you. You will be a different person while you prophesy with them. When these signs happen to you, do what you must, because God is with you. Go ahead of me to Gilgal. Then I will come to sacrifice burnt offerings and make fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to tell you what to do.”
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Holiness – Sarah Hart [Official Lyric Video] / OCPmusic
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NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (GW)
Christians and Their Relationships with Unbelievers
6:14 Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness. Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? Can God’s temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said,
“I will live and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers.
Separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with anything unclean.
Then I will welcome you.”
The Lord Almighty says, “I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters.”
7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.
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Purify My Heart (Refiner’s Fire) [Chet Valley Churches]
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+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, especially in the Middle East; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Bring home the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically and especially, to those who will restore Israel spiritually through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 