Category: Life in Our Family

3rd Day Before Christmas: Wednesday 22 Dec 2021: Luke 1:46b-55; Micah 4:1-5; Ephesians 2:11-22 ~ “He has brought us peace.”

3rd Day Before Christmas: Wednesday 22 Dec 2021:
[Revised Common Lectionary Year C]

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among
us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the
race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now
and for ever. Amen.

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us.
He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when,
in his own body on the cross,
he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”
(Ephesians 2:14)

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Psalms: Luke 1:46b-55 

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
[Kapambwe Chikontwe]

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OT Reading: Micah 4:1-5 (NLT)

The Lord’s Future Reign

4:1 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
2 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.
3 The Lord will mediate between peoples
and will settle disputes between strong nations far away.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity,
enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees,
for there will be nothing to fear.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies
has made this promise!
5 Though the nations around us follow their idols,
we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

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Prince of Peace – Children’s Christmas song #LighttheWorld
[Monica Scott Music]

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NT Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 (NLT)

Oneness and Peace in Christ

2:11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

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He Is Our Peace – Maranatha Music

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Prayer: 

Book of Common Prayer (2019)
Anglican Church in North America

For the Unity of All Christian People

+ O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace to take to heart the grave dangers we are in through our many divisions. Deliver your Church from all enmity and prejudice, and everything that hinders us from godly union. As there is one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so make us all to be of one heart and of one mind, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and love, that with one voice we may give you praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in everlasting glory. Amen.

For the Peace of the World

+ 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; 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.

For Quiet Confidence

+ 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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Benediction: 

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself,
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your soul,
May the blessing of God almighty the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
be with you and remain with you and those you love this day and evermore. Amen

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

4th Day Before Christmas: Tuesday 21 Dec 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 30:1-24; Romans 8:18-30 ~ “He is the firstborn among many.”

4th Day Before Christmas: Tuesday 21 Dec 2021:
[Revised Common Lectionary Year C]

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among
us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the
race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now
and for ever. Amen.

God knew his people in advance,
and he chose them to become like his Son,
so that his Son would be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
(Romans 8:29)

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Psalms: Psalm 113 – Royalty –Mike Janzen
Live from the Abbey, near Guelph Ontario.

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OT Reading: Genesis 30:1-24 (NLT)

30:1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”

3 Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” 4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. 6 Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” 7 Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

9 Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. 11 Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” 12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. 17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” 19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 24 And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

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O Come O Come Immanuel – TRIO
[George Koller (bass), Mark Kelso (drums) and Mike Janzen (piano)]

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NT Reading: Romans 8:18-30 (NLT)

The Future Glory

8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

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Wait For The Lord (Taize)
[Analyn Solano]

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Prayer: 

thisischurch.com

Father, make us more like Jesus.

Help us to bear difficulty, pain, disappointment and sorrows,

knowing that in your perfect working and design you can use such bitter experiences

to shape our characters and make us more like our Lord.

We look with hope for that day when we shall be wholly like Christ,

because we shall see him as he is. Amen.

St Ignatius, before his martyrdom in 107

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Benediction: –

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself,
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your soul,
May the blessing of God almighty the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
be with you and remain with you and those you love this day and evermore. Amen

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

5th Day Before Christmas: Monday 20 Dec 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 25:19-28; Colossians 1:15-20 ~ “He is supreme over all creation.”

5th Day Before Christmas: Monday 20 Dec 2021:
[Revised Common Lectionary Year C]

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among
us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the
race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now
and for ever. Amen.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created
and is supreme over all creation,
1for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.”
(Colossians 1:15-16)

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Psalms: Psalm 113 – From the Rising of the Sun – Sandra McCracken
[Love 4 Yah]

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OT Reading: Genesis 25:19-28 (NLT)

The Births of Esau and Jacob

25:19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.

23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

Esau Sells His Birthright

27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

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Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Live) |The Worship Initiative
Recorded live at the Worship Initiative in Dallas, TX.

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NT Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 (NLT)

Christ Is Supreme

1:15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

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 Image Of God – We Are Messengers

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Prayer: 

+ It is time for us to wake from our sleep: the day of our salvation is near.
– Lord, may your kingdom come!

+ Help us to show our repentance
by a new way of living.
– Lord, may your kingdom come!

+ Prepare us for the coming of your Word
by opening our hearts to receive him.
– Lord, may your kingdom come!

+ Help us to overcome our pride,
and raise us from the depths of our weakness.
– Lord, may your kingdom come!

+ Throw down the walls of hatred between nations,
clear the way for those who work for peace.
– Lord, may your kingdom come!

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

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Benediction: 

The Lord bless us,
and keep us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life.

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

4th Sunday in Advent: 19 Dec 2021 – Micah 5:2-5; Psalm 80:1-7; Luke 1:39-56 ~ Rejoice in God your Savior!

4th Sunday in Advent: 19 Dec 2021
Anglican Church in North America
[Lectionary Year C]

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among
us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the
race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now
and for ever. Amen.

Mary responded (to Elizabeth),
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
   How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
   For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
  For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.”

(Luke 1:46-49)

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O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Nat King Cole

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OT Reading: Micah 5:2-5 (NLT)

A Ruler from Bethlehem

5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.

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Psalm: Psalm 80 – Hear, O Shepherd of Israel  | Kirk Dearman
[Simple Believer]

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Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-56 (NLT)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

1:39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

1:46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

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Magnificat Primi Toni – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
VOCES8 sings the ‘Magnificat Primi Toni’ by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in the VOCES8 Centre in London.

TEXT and TRANSLATION:

1. Magnificat, anima mea, Dominum
My soul doth magnify the Lord

2. et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo, salutari meo.
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.

4. Quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius,
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name,

5. et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
and his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.

6. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
He hath showed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

7. Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles;
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek;

8. esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
he hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.

9. Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiæ suæ,
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel,

10. sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in sæcula.
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

11. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

12. sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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Prayer:

Intercessions for The Fourth Sunday in Advent – thisischurch.com

As we share in Mary and Elizabeth’s joy at the coming of our Saviour, let us be quiet and still in the presence of God.

+ Heavenly Father, we can only wonder at the way you work with us. We want you to know that we are ready to be used by you. We understand that we must work actively to answer our own prayers and to respond to the challenges of our world and our place within that world.

Let it be to us: according to your will.

+ We call to mind before you those people we would love to know you and we ask you to prepare their hearts to recognize you. We ask you to reassure and encourage us all in our assemblies, giving us insights into the real needs of our communities.

Let it be to us: according to your will.

+ As we look at the world around us, we are often filled with disillusion, hopelessness and despair. We ask you to give us courage to continue working with you even during the dark and difficult times. We ask you to come into the daily relationships which we so often take for granted. Help us to value one another and respond to one another with love.

Let it be to us: according to your will.

+ We call to mind those people all over the world who are struggling with poverty, illness, grief or despair. We ask you to look after them, give them the sense of your caring presence to uphold and sustain them and show us the way to help support them.

Let it be to us: according to your will.

+ We remember those who have died and thank you for the good you have worked in their lives. Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones with the certain hope of resurrection through our Savior Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, and King of glory.

Let it be to me: according to your will.

Lord of hope, as we approach the festival of Christmas, we praise and thank you for the way you surprise us with joy, and show us the extraordinary and the wonderful in the ordinary things of life.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

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Benediction: 

Heavenly Father, who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of the promised savior: fill us your servants with your grace, that in all things we may embrace your holy will and with her rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

7th Day Before Christmas: Saturday 18 Dec 2021: Psalm 80:1-7; Isaiah 66:7-11; Luke 13:31-35 ~ Rejoice with Jerusalem!

7th Day Before Christmas: Saturday 18 Dec 2021
[Revised Common Lectionary Year C]

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

Opening:

Gracious God, your people look forward in hope
to the festival of our Savior’s birth.
Give us the strength to reach that happy day of salvation
and to celebrate it with hearts full of joy.
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.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad with her, all you who love her
and all you who mourn for her.”
(Isaiah 66:10)

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Psalms: Psalm 80: Lord Make Us Turn To You – by Bill Monaghan

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OT Reading: Isaiah 66:7-11 (NLT)

66:7 “Before the birth pains even begin,
Jerusalem gives birth to a son.
8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?
Who ever heard of such a thing?
Has a nation ever been born in a single day?
Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?
But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin,
her children will be born.
9 Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth
and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord.
“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”
says your God.

10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad with her, all you who love her
and all you who mourn for her.
11 Drink deeply of her glory
even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.”

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The First Song of Isaiah – SCC Children’s Choir along with the Sanctuary Choir.
[Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas]

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NT Reading: Luke 13:31-35 (NLT)

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

13:31 At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

32 Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. 33 Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 35 And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

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Blessed Is He Who Comes – FOREVER GOOD – Paul Wilbur

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Prayer: 

An Encouraging Prayer for Christians in the Here and Not Yet

Father,

We live stuck in between two realms . . . the world we live in and the eternity we look forward to in heaven. In the middle chaos abounds, and less makes sense or aligns with the truth of Your Word or Your intention for creation. But through it all, You reign. Jesus sits on Your right-hand side, and death has already been defeated.

In Your great mercy, You are waiting for every ear to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, leaving opportunity for all to come to You and live in the presence of Your love. We pray today that you bless our lives to honor You in everything we do. Every conversation, idle moment, and seemingly everyday task—let all we do be for Your glory.

In this life between here and the not yet, give us courage and bravery to operate in Your Truth even when we are afraid. As they strip Your name from everything and everywhere, let us proclaim it louder and longer . . . and everywhere we go. Jesus Christ has defeated death. In Him, we are victorious, and He will come again. Be our strength when it’s hard to be Christians in this world. Embrace us with Your encouragement and fortify us with Your perfect love.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

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Benediction: -Romans 15:5-6

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of the mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

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