Category: Life in Christ

Saturday Morning Prayer: 04 Jul 2020 – Psalm 121:1-3, Habakkuk 3:16-19, John 10:14-26 ~ America: repent and return to God

Saturday Morning Prayer, 04 Jul 2020

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

Opening:

Lord God, by your providence our founders won their liberties of old: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to exercise these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 121:1-3

I look to the hills!
Where will I find help?
It will come from the Lord,
who created the heavens
and the earth.

The Lord is your protector,
and he won’t go to sleep
or let you stumble.

Habakkuk 3:16-19

 

When I heard [the Lord’s] message, I felt weak from fear, and my lips quivered. My bones seemed to melt, and I stumbled around. But I will patiently wait. Someday those vicious enemies will be struck by disaster.

Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant—but I will still celebrate because the Lord God saves me.

The Lord gives me strength. He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me stand on the mountains.

John 10:14-26

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them together too, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd.

The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.

The people took sides because of what Jesus had told them. Many of them said, “He has a demon in him! He is crazy! Why listen to him?”

But others said, “How could anyone with a demon in him say these things? No one like that could give sight to a blind person!”

That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. One day he was walking in that part of the temple known as Solomon’s Porch, and the people gathered all around him. They said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!”

Jesus answered:

I have told you, and you refused to believe me. The things I do by my Father’s authority show who I am. But since you are not my sheep, you don’t believe me.

Reflection:

On America –

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”

Alexis de Tocqueville, “Democracy in America”(1835)

 

Prayer: (Originally delivered January 23, 1996 by Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka.)

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance. We know your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.

We confess that…

  • We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.
  • We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
  • We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
  • We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
  • We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
  • We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
  • We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
  • We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
  • We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
  • We have abused power and called it political savvy.
  • We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition.
  • We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
  • We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless the men and women we have sent to [Washington D.C.] by the people of America –  those ordained by you, to govern this great country. Grant them your wisdom to rule, and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

If My People – Scripture Memory Songs

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Friday Morning Prayer: 03 Jul 2020 – Psalm 120 5-7, Zechariah 8:3-5, Luke 15:13-20 ~ return to a childhood place

Friday Morning Prayer, 03 Jul 2020

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

Opening:

All-powerful God, your incarnate Word commands our obedience and offers us true life. Make our ears attentive to the voice of your Son and our hearts generous in answering his call,that we may take up the cross with trust in his promises. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 120 5-7

But I must live as a foreigner
among the people of Meshech
and in the tents of Kedar.
I have spent too much time
living among people
who hate peace.
I am in favor of peace,
but when I speak of it,
all they want is war.

Zechariah 8:3-5

I will return to Jerusalem and live there on Mount Zion. Then Jerusalem will be known as my faithful city, and Zion will be known as my holy mountain.
Very old people with walking sticks will once again sit around in Jerusalem, while boys and girls play in the streets.

Luke 15:13-20

Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.
He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing.
Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’”
The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.

Saint’s Day: 03 Jul – St Thomas (first century)

Persistent tradition links Thomas with missionary work in India, and the Syriac Christians of Malabar claim that they were evangelized by Thomas, who was killed by a spear and buried at Mylapore, near Madras.

Reflection:

One sort of pilgrimage is to go back to a place full of memories, of joy, of childhood.
Many things will have changed, not least ourselves, and it is a bitter-sweet experience.

Have you returned to your place of childhood?
What has changed?

T.S. Eliot writes:

You are not here to verify,
instruct yourself, or inform curiosity
or carry report.
You are here to kneel
where prayer has been valid.
And prayer is more than an order of words, the conscious occupation of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.

Roxbury, Massachusetts (circa 1950)

 Father I Have Sinned | The Prodigal Son Song –
Catholic Christian Church Hymn Song | By Fr. O’Reilly

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 11969-11970). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Thursday Morning Prayer: 02 Jul 2020 – Psalm 120:2-4, Job 1:6-8, Luke 4:1-13 ~ a place of testing

Thursday Morning Prayer, 02 Jul 2020

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

Opening:

All-powerful God, your incarnate Word commands our obedience and offers us true life. Make our ears attentive to the voice of your Son and our hearts generous in answering his call,that we may take up the cross with trust in his promises. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Prepare to Pray:

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 120:2-4

“Come and save me, Lord,
from deceitful liars!”

What punishment is fitting
for you deceitful liars?

Your reward should be
sharp and flaming arrows!

Job 1:6-8

One day, when the angels had gathered around the Lord, and Satan was there with them, the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”

Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”

Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil.”

Luke 4:1-13

When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him into the desert. For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry.

The devil said to Jesus, “If you are God’s Son, tell this stone to turn into bread.”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say, ‘No one can live only on food.’”

Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. The devil said, “I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Just worship me, and you can have it all.”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say:

‘Worship the Lord your God
and serve only him!’”

Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off. The Scriptures say:

‘God will tell his angels
to take care of you.
They will catch you
in their arms,
and you will not hurt
your feet on the stones.’”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’”

After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

An Example*:

Inner Farne

Then I saw that there was a way to hell even from the gate of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction. So I awoke, and behold it was a dream.
(John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress)

In general we pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation’, but at the same time the Spirit of God may draw us into a deserted place to be tested.

The island of Inner Farne which was Cuthbert’s ‘lonely battlefield’ had the reputation of being just such a place.

Inner Farne circular walk and cruise from Seahouses, Northumberland ©

A Prayer of Silence

O Lord, I offer you this moment of silence.

This moment is for You.
I consent to Your action
In my mind and in my heart
In my will and in my soul.
I welcome Your action!

And to prepare myself, to make room for You,
I will sit here, quietly, with my eyes closed,
In an attitude of peaceful rest and loving devotion,
My intent is to welcome You.
I will slow down my thoughts and my imagination,
I will calm down my fears and my emotions,
I will try to exercise patience and humility
And I offer you these feeble efforts…

I lift up my soul to You,
Whispering in my heart and in my mind,
“Here I am! Quiet but attentive to You”

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 11883-11889). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Wednesday Morning Prayer: 01 Jul 2020 – Psalm 120:1, Micah 4:1-2, Luke 2:40-47 ~ a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Wednesday Morning Prayer, 01 Jul 2020

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

Opening:

All-powerful God, your incarnate Word commands our obedience and offers us true life. Make our ears attentive to the voice of your Son and our hearts generous in answering his call,that we may take up the cross with trust in his promises. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Prepare to Pray:

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 120:1

When I am in trouble, I pray

Micah 4:1-2

In the future, the mountain
with the Lord’s temple
will be the highest of all.
It will reach above the hills,
and every nation
will rush to it.

People of many nations
will come and say,
“Let’s go up to the mountain
of the Lord God of Jacob
and worship in his temple.”

The Lord will teach us his Law
from Jerusalem,
and we will obey him.

Luke 2:40-47

The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

. Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him. When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.

Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.

An Example*:

(The psalms we are using this month are the Psalms of Ascent used by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem.)

All kinds of people go on pilgrimage of one sort or another, not all of them believers; it is a chance for things to move, to change, perhaps even for God to break into their lives.

Canterbury

…and they were pilgrims all that towards Canterbury meant to ride…
I soon was one of them in fellowship and promised to rise early and take the way to Canterbury. (Geoffrey Chaucer)

Prayer for Christ’s Presence with Us

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.

Good Morning Jerusalem – Joshua Aaron

A walk down Jaffa Street to the Old City of Jerusalem!

Take an early morning 30 min walk through Jerusalem – the City of God – the pilgrimage destination of the nations.

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

*Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 11817-11819). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Tuesday Morning Prayer: 30 Jun 2020 – Psalm 150, Jeremiah 15:15-21, Matthew 24:4-14 ~ “keep on being faithful.”

Tuesday Morning Prayer, 30 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

All-powerful God, your incarnate Word commands our obedience and offers us true life. Make our ears attentive to the voice of your Son and our hearts generous in answering his call,that we may take up the cross with trust in his promises. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Prepare to Pray:

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 150 – The Lord Is Good to His People

Shout praises to the Lord! Praise God in his temple.
Praise him in heaven, his mighty fortress.

Praise our God! His deeds are wonderful, too marvelous to describe.

Praise God with trumpets and all kinds of harps.
Praise him with tambourines and dancing, with stringed instruments and woodwinds.
Praise God with cymbals, with clashing cymbals.

Let every living creature praise the Lord.
Shout praises to the Lord!

Jeremiah 15:15-21

Jeremiah Complains Again

You can see how I suffer insult after insult, all because of you, Lord. Don’t be so patient with my enemies; take revenge on them before they kill me.

When you spoke to me, I was glad to obey, because I belong to you, the Lord All-Powerful. I don’t go to parties and have a good time. Instead, I keep to myself, because you have filled me with your anger.

I am badly injured and in constant pain. Are you going to disappoint me, like a stream that goes dry in the heat of summer?

The Lord Replies

Then the Lord told me: Stop talking like a fool! If you turn back to me and speak my message, I will let you be my prophet once again.

I hope the people of Judah will accept what you say. But you can ignore their threats, because I am making you strong, like a bronze wall. They are evil and violent, but when they attack, I will be there to rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Matthew 24:4-14

Jesus answered:

Don’t let anyone fool you. Many will come and claim to be me. They will say that they are the Messiah, and they will fool many people.

You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don’t be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn’t the end. Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. But this is just the beginning of troubles.

You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.

An Example*:

The Holy Fathers came together and spoke of what would happen in the last generation. One of them called Squirion said: ‘We now desire to fulfill the commandments of God.’

Then the Fathers asked him: ‘What about those who will come after us?’

He replied: ‘Perhaps half will desire to keep God’s commandments, and will seek the Eternal God.’

And the Fathers asked: ‘Those who come after these, what shall they do?’

He replied and said: ‘The men of that generation will not have the desire of God’s commandments. At that time wickedness will overflow and the charity of many will grow cold. And there shall come upon them a terrible testing. Those who shall be found worthy in this testing will be better than we are and better than our fathers.’

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 11749-11751). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Prayer for Faithfulness:

Lord God: Refine us in the fire of trouble and persecution. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ Jesus, that we may have the courage and strength to face our present circumstances, and look to the future with eager expectation and hope. Deliver us from discouragement or failure that would dishonor God. Protect us from the enemy’s temptations, and from every evil feeling and thought. And enable us to speak boldly the Good News of Christ’s love, mercy and grace. It’s in his name and for your glory that we pray. Amen.

You Make Me Brave – Bethel Music

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.