Season of Lent | Monday 20 Mar 2023: Psalm 146; Isaiah 59:9-19; Acts 9:1-20 ~ Ananias: sent so Saul might see.

The Season of Lent | Monday 20 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

Gracious Father,
whose blessed Son Jesus Christ
came down from heaven to be the true bread
which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread,
that he may live in us, and we in him;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

So Ananias went and found Saul.
He laid his hands on him and said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,
who appeared to you on the road,
has sent me so that you might regain your sight
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 9:17)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 146 – What Joy – Sarah Emerson

crossingctr

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 59:9-19 (NLT)

59:9 So there is no justice among us,
and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
We grope like the blind along a wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
Even at brightest noontime,
we stumble as though it were dark.
Among the living,
we are like the dead.
We growl like hungry bears;
we moan like mournful doves.
We look for justice, but it never comes.
We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
For our sins are piled up before God
and testify against us.
Yes, we know what sinners we are.
We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord.
We have turned our backs on our God.
We know how unfair and oppressive we have been,
carefully planning our deceitful lies.
Our courts oppose the righteous,
and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth stumbles in the streets,
and honesty has been outlawed.
Yes, truth is gone,
and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

The Lord looked and was displeased
to find there was no justice.
He was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.
So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm,
and his justice sustained him.
He put on righteousness as his body armor
and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.
He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance
and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.
He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds.
His fury will fall on his foes.
He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.
In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord;
in the east, they will glorify him.
For he will come like a raging flood tide
driven by the breath of the Lord.

__________

The Justice Song: Global Edition [This record features over 90 vocalists from 33 countries. Their voices and hearts stand in solidarity against modern-day slavery and trafficking.] IJM Ghana

__________

NT Reading: Acts 9:1-20 (NLT)

Saul’s Conversion

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

__________

And Can It Be That I Should Gain – Sovereign Grace Music

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ Merciful God, you desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn to you and live; and through your only Son you have revealed yourself as the God who pardons iniquity. Have mercy on the unrepentant and those who do not believe. Awaken in them, by your Word and Holy Spirit, a deep sense of their sinfulness and peril. Take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word. Grant them to know and feel that there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved, but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so bring them home and number them among your children, that they may be yours for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

+ 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.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

God’s love surround us, God’s Spirit guide us,
God’s whisper cheer us, God’s peace calm us,
God’s shield protect us, God’s wisdom arm us,
wherever God may lead us.

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

Season of Lent | Saturday 18 Mar 2023: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:32-34; John 1:1-9 ~ Jesus brought light to everyone.

The Season of Lent | Saturday 18 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

Heavenly Father,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you:
Look with compassion
upon the heartfelt desires of your servants,
and purify our disordered affections,
that we may behold your eternal glory
in the face of Christ Jesus;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
(John 1:4)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness & Mercy) – Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Shalom Music

__________

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 15:32-34 (NLT)

Samuel Executes King Agag

15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!” But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

__________

Give It All | Fox And Foal

music meets heaven

__________

NT Reading: John 1:1-9 (NLT)

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

__________

Lord, you are the light of life to me | Jubilate

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, 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.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Be the Life I live
Be the Love I give

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

Season of Lent | Friday 17 Mar 2023: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:22-31; Ephesians 5:1-9 ~ Live as people of light.

The Season of Lent | Friday 17 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

Live as people of light!
For this light within you produces
only what is good and right and true.
(Ephesians 5:8b-9)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 23 – The Lord’s My Shepherd – Joanne Hogg
The Flute Fellow

__________

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 15:22-31 (NLT)

15:22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

Saul Pleads for Forgiveness

15:24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”

As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”

Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

__________

Be thou my vision – Noel Richards

__________

NT Reading: Ephesians 5:1-9 (NLT)

Living in the Light

5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

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.

__________

The Breastplate Of Saint Patrick – Sarah Hart

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

William Temple

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May the blessings of light be upon you,
Light without and light within,
And in all your comings and goings,
May you ever have a kindly greeting
From them you meet along the road.

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

Season of Lent | Thursday 16 Mar 2023: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:10-21; Ephesians 4:25-32 ~ Forgive one another.

The Season of Lent | Thursday 16 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

Be kind to each other,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
(Ephesians 4:32)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 23 – The Lord’s my Shepherd – Stoneleigh Worship Band
Worship Videos

__________

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 15:10-21 (NLT)

The Lord Rejects Saul

15:10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!”

“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.

And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

__________

Trust and Obey | The Celebration Choir Worship Videos

__________

NT Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32 (NLT)

4:25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

__________

Forgiveness Matthew West
MattStone712

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

+ Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you have promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to you, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Be the Life I live
Be the Love I give

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

Season of Lent | Wednesday 15 Mar 2023: Psalm 81; Jeremiah 2:4-13; John 7:14-31, 37-39 ~ Jesus: God’s messenger with us.

The Season of Lent | Wednesday 15 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

Jesus told them,
“My message is not my own;
it comes from God who sent me.”
(John 7:14-16)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 81 – Poor Bishop Hooper

sing aloud to god our strength
shout for joy to the god of jacob
raise a song sound the tambourine
with the lyre harp

blow the horn on the day of feasts
to the moon for it is a statute
this is israel’s decree
from the land of egypt

i hear a language that i had not known

i delivered your shoulder from the burden you were carrying
i answered your distress from the secret place of thundering
listen listen oh my people to my warning
listen listen oh my people to this warning

there will be no strange foreign gods among you
for i am the lord god

i would feed you with the finest of wheat
with honey from the rock so satisfying

__________

OT Reading: Jeremiah 2:4-13 (NLT)

2:4 Listen to the word of the Lord, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel! This is what the Lord says:

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me
that led them to stray so far from me?
They worshiped worthless idols,
only to become worthless themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord
who brought us safely out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness—
a land of deserts and pits,
a land of drought and death,
where no one lives or even travels?’

“And when I brought you into a fruitful land
to enjoy its bounty and goodness,
you defiled my land and
corrupted the possession I had promised you.
The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my word ignored me,
the rulers turned against me,
and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
wasting their time on worthless idols.
Therefore, I will bring my case against you,”
says the Lord.
“I will even bring charges against your children’s children
in the years to come.

“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus;
go east and search through the land of Kedar.
Has anyone ever heard of anything
as strange as this?
Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

__________

Living Waters – Keith & Kristyn Getty

LANDON’S LYRIC VIDEOS

__________

NT Reading: John 7:14-31, 37-39 (NLT)

7:14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”

Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Is Jesus the Messiah?

7:25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

__________

God Of Miracles – Chris McClarney