After Epiphany | Thursday – 19 Jan 2023: Psalm 27:1-6; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Galatians 1:11-24 ~ The Good News of Jesus is also for Gentiles.

After Epiphany | Thursday – 19 Jan 2023

+ 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.

“It pleased [God]
to reveal his Son to me
so that I would proclaim the Good News
about Jesus to the Gentiles.”
(Galatians 1:16)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 27 – Acts Church

__________

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-20 (NLT)

Elkanah and His Family

1:1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.

“Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

“Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

“In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

“Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

1:19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

__________

Hannah’s Prayer – David Osei

__________

NT Reading: Galatians 1:11-24 (NLT)

Paul’s Message Comes from Christ

1:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” And they praised God because of me.

__________

Good News | Leah Paschall

__________

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.

+ Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, received us as your own children by adoption, made us members of your holy church, and raised us to the new life of grace. Sustain us, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit, that we may enjoy everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

For the Good News of the Gospel;
healing and wholeness
freedom and justice
we offer our hearts in service. Amen

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

After Epiphany | Wednesday – 18 Jan 2023: Psalm 40:6-17; Isaiah 48:12-21; Matthew 9:14-17 ~ Jesus makes everything new.

After Epiphany | Wednesday – 18 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins….
New wine is stored in new wineskins
so that both are preserved.”
(Matthew 9:17)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 40 – Lord Take Up Your Holy Throne by Paul Wilbur

ctina323

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 48:12-21 (NLT)

Freedom from Babylon

48:12 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
the First and the Last.
It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.”

Have any of your idols ever told you this?
Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
and to destroy the Babylonian armies.

“I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.
Come closer, and listen to this.
From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”

And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
have sent me with this message.
This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
or for cutting off your family name.”

Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.
Sing out this message!
Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants,
the people of Israel.
They were not thirsty
when he led them through the desert.
He divided the rock,
and water gushed out for them to drink.

__________

Beautiful Things – Gungor

Light of the World

__________

NT Reading: Matthew 9:14-17 (NLT)

A Discussion about Fasting

9:14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

__________

All Things New | Big Daddy Weave

Light of the World

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

For the Good News of the Gospel;
healing and wholeness
freedom and justice
we offer our hearts in service. Amen

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

After Epiphany | Tuesday – 17 Jan 2023: Psalm 40:6-17; Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 10:1-4 ~ Jesus took away all our sins.

After Epiphany | Tuesday – 17 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:6)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 40:6-17 – I Am Made (Psalm 40) – MJ Curtis

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 53:1-12 (NLT)

53:1 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

__________

Man Of Sorrows – Hillsong Worship

__________

NT Reading: Hebrews 10:1-4 (NLT)

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10:1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

__________

Forgiven – Sanctus Real

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

For the Good News of the Gospel;
healing and wholeness
freedom and justice
we offer our hearts in service. Amen

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

After Epiphany | Monday – 16 Jan 2023: Psalm 40:6-17; Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28; Acts 8:26-40 ~ Jesus is our Passover Lamb.

After Epiphany | Monday – 16 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

“So beginning with [Isaiah 53],
Philip told [the Ethiopian]
the Good News about Jesus.”
(Acts 8:35)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 40:6-17 – Here Am I, Lord (Guimont) | Jim K

__________

OT Reading: Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28 (NLT)

The First Passover

12:1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.

“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

12:21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

“Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. When you enter the land the Lord has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron.

__________

The Passover Song – Sean Carter and Caroline Cobb

Trinity Fellowship

__________

NT Reading: Acts 8:26-40 (NLT)

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

8:26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

__________

Never Be The Same (The Baptism Song) – Matt McChlery

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

For the Good News of the Gospel;
healing and wholeness
freedom and justice
we offer our hearts in service. Amen

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

After Epiphany | 2nd Sunday – 15 Jan 2023: Ex 12:21-28; Ps 40:1-11; 1 Cor 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 ~ Jesus is The Lamb of God!

After Epiphany | 2nd Sunday – 15 Jan 2023

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

Opening:

The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said, “Look!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
(John1:29)

__________

Behold Him – Mission House, REVERE

Light of the World

__________

OT Reading: Ex 12:21-28 (NLT)

So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron.

__________

From Psalms: Ps 40:1-11 – Lord, Come To My Aid! – Francesca LaRosa

__________

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

Greetings from Paul

1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

1:4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

__________

The Passover Song (feat. Sean Carter) – Caroline Cobb

__________

Gospel Reading: John 1:29-42 (NLT)

Jesus, the Lamb of God

1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

The First Disciples

1:35 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”.

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

__________

Jesus Lamb of God, Worthy Is Your Name! – Manhattan Cornerstone Presbyterian Church

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly pray for all sorts and conditions of men; that you would be pleased to make your ways known to them, your saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for your holy church, that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

+ 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.

__________

Closing: 1 Corinthians 1:3 (NLT)

“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”

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

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: