+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.
Reading: Psalm 31:14-16 (NLT)
But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.
Reading: Exodus 3:14-15 (NLT)
“God Blessing the Earth” Garofalo Nationalmuseum Stockholm.
God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.
Reading: Revelation 22:13 (NLT)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Prayer
Michael and All Angels, September 29
Holy Michael, archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to Hell Satan and all wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of our souls. Amen.
“The great I AM”
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Jesus 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!
Come let us worship our God of kindness – who calls us to repentance and, like a patient gardener, always gives his people a second chance.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer:
God of salvation, we stand before you on holy ground, for your name is glorified and your mercy revealed wherever your mighty deeds are remembered. Since you are holy and forbearing, turn us from every rash and shallow judgement to seek the way of repentance. We ask this through Christ, our deliverance and hope, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
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Hymn: “Great I Am” – New Life Worship
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (NLT)
[God reveals his name to Moses, who removes his sandals, a sign of his deep respect for God’s presence and power.]
One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied.
“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.
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But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I am who i am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.
__________
A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 103 (Hillsong)
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 (NLT)
[Paul draws lessons from Jewish history, warning people to be careful.]
I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did….
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And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 13:1-9 (NLT)
[The Gospel combines a call to repentance with a reminder of God’s willingness to give us a second chance.]
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
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Hymn: “Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie)” – Lindell Cooley
Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Lord we have placed all our hope in Thee.
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Intercessions:
Gracious God, full of compassion and mercy, hear your people as we present our concerns to you today:
+ For your Church throughout the world to bear witness to your love, compassion and mercy…. Lord, hear us.
+ For an end to wars and trouble, especially in Syria and the Middle East…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christian charities who look after the dispossessed…. Lord, hear us.
+ For refugees seeking safety and support as they wait to return home…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who have asked for our prayers, especially our neighbors, families and friends…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who have died in Christ before us, especially family, friends and neighbors, they may enjoy the heavenly rest that we all seek…. Lord, hear us.
God of mercy and compassion, hear our prayers. Forgive us our sins and give us the grace to love one another as you have loved us, and to forgive one another as you have forgiven us. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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Hymn: “Let Your Kingdom Come” – Sovereign Grace
Benediction:
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening sentence
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.
You will find the Lord your God, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Morning readings
Psalm 111:9; 109:13 NLT:
He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.
Exodus 3:13-15 NLT:
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.
Luke 1:47-64 NLT:
“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.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
Reflection/Prayer:
The Jews would not willingly tread upon the smallest piece of paper in their way, but took it up, for possibly, said they, the name of God may be upon it. Though there was a little superstition in this, yet truly there is nothing but good religion in it, if we apply it to man. Trample not on any; there may be some work of grace there, that thou knowest not of. The name of God may be written upon that soul thou treadest on: it may be a soul that Christ thought so much of as to give His precious blood for it; therefore, despise it not. (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
The letters JHWH are a jumble of Hebrew consonants, and a better translation than Jehovah is ‘The Lord’. The name of God is so aweful, so unpronounceable, that is has never been used by any of his creatures. Indeed, it is said that if, inadvertently, the great and terrible name of God should be spoken, the universe would explode. (Madeleine L’Engle)
The Scriptures recognize how important a name is; it denotes someone in particular, and affirms that they have significance.
The God who created and formed you says this, Do not be afraid for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
Isaiah 43:1
One of the strongest curses, ever framed is that someone’s name be cut off, remembered no more. Madeleine L’Engle writes:
… we live in a world which would reduce us to our social security numbers, Area codes, zip codes, credit card codes, all take precedence over our names. Our signatures already mean so little that it wouldn’t be a surprise if, by the year 2000, we, like prisoners, are known only by our numbers. But that is not how it was meant to be.
Survivors of the concentration camps still have numbers branded on their bodies; they bear the mark of a system that needed to dehumanize them.
Canticle
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.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.
Blessing
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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.
The Peanut Gallery 