After Pentecost | Monday 03 Jun 2024: Psalm 99; 1 Samuel 2:11-17; Romans 9:19-29 – God calls both Jews and Gentiles.

After Pentecost | Monday 03 Jun 2024

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

Opening:

O God, the protector of all those who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
Increase and multiply upon us your mercy,
that, with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not the things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Can’t God also reveal the riches of his glory
to people who are objects of his mercy
and who he had already prepared for glory?
This is what God did for us whom he called—
whether we are Jews or not.”
(Romans 9:23-24)

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From Psalms: 99 –  Psalm 99 – performed by Sons of KorahRoger Allen Burns

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 2:11-17 (GW)

2:11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy ⌞Samuel⌟ served the Lord under the priest Eli.

The Sins of Eli’s Sons

2:12 Eli’s sons, ⌞Hophni and Phinehas,⌟ were good-for-nothing priests; they had no faith in the Lord. Now, this was how the priests dealt with the people who were offering sacrifices: While the meat was boiling, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. Then he would stick it into the pot, kettle, cauldron, or pan. Whatever the fork brought up ⌞from the pot⌟ belonged to the priest. This is what the priests did in Shiloh to all the people of Israel who came there ⌞to sacrifice⌟. But ⌞in the case of Eli’s sons,⌟ even before the people burned the fat, their servants would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the meat to the priest to roast. He doesn’t want boiled meat from you. He wants it raw.”

If the man said to the servant, “First let the fat be burned, then take as much as you want,” the servant would say to him, “Give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” The sin of Eli’s sons was a serious matter to the Lord, because these men were treating the offerings made to the Lord with contempt.

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Forgive Us (Official Live Video) | CITIZENS

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NT Reading: Romans 9:19-29 (GW)

9:19 You may ask me, “Why does God still find fault with anyone? Who can resist whatever God wants to do?”

Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, “Why did you make me like this?” A potter has the right to do whatever he wants with his clay. He can make something for a special occasion or something for everyday use from the same lump of clay.

If God wants to demonstrate his anger and reveal his power, he can do it. But can’t he be extremely patient with people who are objects of his anger because they are headed for destruction? Can’t God also reveal the riches of his glory to people who are objects of his mercy and who he had already prepared for glory? This is what God did for us whom he called—whether we are Jews or not.

God Chose People Who Are Not Jewish

9:25 As God says in Hosea:

“Those who are not my people
I will call my people.
Those who are not loved
I will call my loved ones.
Wherever they were told,
‘You are not my people,’
they will be called children of the living God.”

Isaiah also says about Israel:

“Although the descendants of Israel are
as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore,
only a few will be saved.
The Lord will carry out his sentence on the land,
completely and decisively.”

This is what Isaiah predicted:

“If the Lord of Armies hadn’t left us some descendants,
we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.”

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God Full of Mercy / El Maleh Rachamim by Sarah Liberman (Official Lyric Video)

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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.

+ Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those, who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
    • Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
    • Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities;
    • Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, healing, and hope;
    • Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name.

+ Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in the Name of your Son: Mercifully incline your ear to us as we make our prayers and supplications to you; and grant that what we ask faithfully, according to your will, we  may obtain effectually, for the relief of our necessities and the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

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

After Pentecost | Sunday 02 Jun 2024: Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Psalm 81:1-10; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12; Mark 2:23-3:6 ~ A Holy Day for help, healing and hope.

After Pentecost | Sunday 02 Jun 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O God, the protector of all those who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
Increase and multiply upon us your mercy,
that, with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not the things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then [Jesus] added,
“The day of rest—a holy day,
was made for people, not people
for the day of rest.”
(Mark 2:2)

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The Sabbath Song – Derrol Sawyer / Mabe line

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OT Reading: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (GW)

5:12 “Observe the day of rest as a holy day. This is what the Lord your God has commanded you. You have six days to do all your work. The seventh day is the day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your oxen, your donkeys—all of your animals—even the foreigners living in your city must never do any work ⌞on that day⌟. In this way your male and female slaves can rest as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring you out of there. This is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the day of rest as a holy day.

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From the Psalms: Psalm 81Hymn “Sing for joy to God our Saviour” / Psalm Musicals – Christian Music Channel

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NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 (GW)

4:5 Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face.

Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up. We’re persecuted, but we’re not abandoned. We’re captured, but we’re not killed. We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies. While we are alive, we are constantly handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our mortal nature. Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

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All about JesusTaya / GoodnsMusic

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Gospel Reading: Mark 2:23-3:6 (GW)

Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day

2:23 Once on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus was going through the grainfields. As the disciples walked along, they began to pick the heads of grain.

The Pharisees asked him, “Look! Why are your disciples doing something that is not permitted on the day of rest—a holy day?”

Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry? Haven’t you ever read how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was chief priest and ate the bread of the presence? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. Haven’t you ever read how he also gave some of it to his men?”

Then he added, “The day of rest—a holy day, was made for people, not people for the day of rest. For this reason the Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest—a Holy Day

3:1 Jesus went into a synagogue again. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there. The people were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to see whether he would heal the man on the day of rest—a holy day, so that they could accuse him of doing something wrong.

So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand in the center ⌞of the synagogue⌟.” Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of rest—a holy day, to give a person back his health or to let him die?”

But they were silent. Jesus was angry as he looked around at them. He was deeply hurt because their minds were closed. Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held it out, and his hand became normal again.

The Pharisees left, and with Herod’s followers they immediately plotted to kill Jesus.

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In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) | FBA Worship

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly plead for all sorts and conditions of men; that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto them, your saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal, 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, [especially in the Holy Land]; 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 pray for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically; and
    • Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones; and
    • Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities; and
    • Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, healing, and hope; and
    • Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions,  we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son  Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

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

After Pentecost | Saturday 01 Jun 2024: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; John 7:19-24 ~ Stop judging by outward appearance!

After Pentecost | Saturday 01 Jun 2024

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

Opening:

O Lord,
we entreat you mercifully to hear us,
and grant that we,
to whom you have given the desire to pray,
may by your mighty aid
be defended and comforted in all our adversities;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Stop judging by outward appearance!
Instead, judge correctly.”

(John 7:24)

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From Psalms: 139 – Poor Bishop Hooper 

lord you have searched me
lord you have known me
you know when i sit
you know when i rise
you discern my thoughts even from afar

you see my going out and
you see my lying down and
lord you are acquainted with all my ways
before a word is on my tongue
you know it altogether

you hem me in behind and before
you lay your hand upon me
this knowledge is to wonderful for me
this knowledge is to wonderful for me

oh where can i go from you spirit
or where can i flee from your presence
if i ascend to heaven still you are there

if i make my bed in the depths
or take the wings of the morning
if i settle on the far side on the side of the sea
even there your hand will lay hold of me

even the darkness is not dark to you
the night is bright as the day
for darkness is as light to you
the darkness is as light to you

delicate you formed me
you knit my inner parts
you wove me in the womb
i will give thanks to you
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made

my frame it wasn’t hidden
when i was made in the secret
your eyes beheld my substance
and in your book all was written
every moment was ordained
before there passed a single day

how precious are your thoughts to me
how vast the sum of them
if i should try and count them
they would outnumber the sand
and i am still with you
and you are still with me whenever i awake

search me oh god and know my heart
try me and know my anxious thoughts
see the grievous ways in me
and lead into ways everlasting
lead me into the way that’s everlasting

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10(GW)

Hannah’s Prayer

2:1 Hannah prayed out loud,

“My heart finds joy in the Lord.
My head is lifted to the Lord.
My mouth mocks my enemies.
I rejoice because you saved ⌞me⌟.
There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one but you, O Lord.
There is no Rock like our God.

“Do not boast
⌞or⌟ let arrogance come out of your mouth
because the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and he weighs ⌞our⌟ actions.

“The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumble are armed with strength.
Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children,
but the mother of many children grieves all alone.

“The Lord kills, and he gives life.
He makes ⌞people⌟ go down to the grave, and he raises them up ⌞again⌟.
The Lord causes poverty and grants wealth.
He humbles ⌞people⌟; he also promotes them.
He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to make them sit with nobles
and even to make them inherit a glorious throne.

“The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s.
He has set the world on them.
He safeguards the steps of his faithful ones,
but wicked people are silenced in darkness
because humans cannot succeed by their own strength.

“Those who oppose the Lord are broken into pieces.
He thunders at them from the heavens.
The Lord judges the ends of the earth.
He gives strength to his King
and lifts the head of his Messiah.”

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Blessed Be Your Name / pastorloran

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NT Reading: John 7:19-24 (GW)

7:19 Didn’t Moses give you his teachings? Yet, none of you does what Moses taught you. So why do you want to kill me?”

The crowd answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! Who wants to kill you?”

Jesus answered them, “I performed one miracle, and all of you are surprised by it. Moses gave you the teaching about circumcision (although it didn’t come from Moses but from our ancestors). So you circumcise a male on a day of rest—a holy day. If you circumcise a male on the day of rest—a holy day, to follow Moses’ Teachings, why are you angry with me because I made a man entirely well on the day of rest—a holy day? Stop judging by outward appearance! Instead, judge correctly.”

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Here’s my heart – Lauren Daigle / City of Joy Fellowship

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts  of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy  Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts, which no unworthy thought can drag down; unconquered hearts, which no  tribulation can wear out; upright hearts, which no unworthy purpose can tempt aside. Bestow upon us understanding  to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and faithfulness that finally may embrace you. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically; give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones, and rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities; deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Send your heavenly hosts to destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
    • And use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions,  we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son  Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

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

After Pentecost | Friday 31 May 2024: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Samuel 1:19-27; Romans 8:31-39 ~ Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

After Pentecost | Friday 31 May 2024

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

Opening:

O Lord,
we entreat you mercifully to hear us,
and grant that we,
to whom you have given the desire to pray,
may by your mighty aid
be defended and comforted in all our adversities;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“I am convinced that
nothing can ever separate us from God’s love
which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us.”
(Romans 8:38)

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From Psalms: 139:1-6, 13-18“Where Can I Go – Psalm 139” | Ellie Holcomb

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1:19-27 (GW)

1:19 Early in the morning Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped in front of the Lord. Then they returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

Samuel’s Childhood

1:21 To keep his vow, Elkanah and his entire household again went to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord. But Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “I’ll wait until the boy is weaned. Then I’ll bring him and present him to the Lord, and he’ll stay there permanently.”

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Wait until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord keep his word.” The woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

As soon as she had weaned Samuel, she took him with her. She also brought a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a full wineskin. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh while the boy was ⌞still⌟ a child.

Then the parents butchered the bull and brought the child to Eli. “Sir,” Hannah said, “as sure as you live, I’m the woman who stood here next to you and prayed to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request.

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Draw Me Close To You / Michael W. Smith / Spirit-Led Insights

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NT Reading: Romans 8:31-39 (GW)

8:31 What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us? God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over ⌞to death⌟ for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him. Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? God has approved of them. Who will condemn them? Christ has died, and more importantly, he was brought back to life. Christ is in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. Christ also intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love? As Scripture says:

“We are being killed all day long because of you.
We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.”

The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.

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I Am Sure (Romans 8:38-39) / Kenny Clark

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your  fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made. Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless,  elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend  innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and  downcast, and by your heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be  troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair. Grant  this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically; give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones, and rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities; deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Send your heavenly hosts to destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
    • And use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name.

Thomas à Kempis
+ Our God, in whom we trust: Strengthen us not to regard overmuch who is for us or who is against us, but to see to it  that we be with you in everything we do. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

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

After Pentecost | Thursday 30 May 2024: Psalm 139:1-6 / 13-18; 1 Samuel 1:1-18; Acts 25:1-12 ~ May the God of Israel grant your request.

After Pentecost | Thursday 30 May 2024

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

Opening:

O Lord,
we entreat you mercifully to hear us,
and grant that we,
to whom you have given the desire to pray,
may by your mighty aid
be defended and comforted in all our adversities;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Eli replied, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel
grant your request.”
(1 Samuel 1:17)

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From Psalms: 139Sons of Korah

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-18 (GW)

Samuel’s Birth

1:1 There was a man named Elkanah from Ramathaim Zophim in the mountains of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, grandson of Elihu, great-grandson of Tohu, whose father was Zuph from the tribe of Ephraim. Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Every year this man would go from his own city to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served there as priests of the Lord.

Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to his wife Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. He would also give one portion to Hannah because he loved her, even though the Lord had kept her from having children. Because the Lord had made her unable to have children, her rival ⌞Peninnah⌟ tormented her endlessly in order to make her miserable. This happened year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would make her miserable, and Hannah would cry and not eat. Her husband Elkanah would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why haven’t you eaten? Why are you so downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

One day, after Hannah had something to eat and drink in Shiloh, she got up. (The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the door of the Lord’s temple.) Though she was resentful, she prayed to the Lord while she cried. She made this vow, “Lord of Armies, if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to you for as long as he lives. A razor will never be used on his head.” While Hannah was praying a long time in front of the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. She was praying silently. Her voice couldn’t be heard; only her lips were moving. Eli thought she was drunk.

“How long are you going to stay drunk?” Eli asked her. “Get rid of your wine.”

Hannah responded, “No sir. I’m not drunk. I’m depressed. I’m pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t take me to be a good-for-nothing woman. I was praying like this because I’ve been troubled and tormented.”

Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request.”

“May you continue to be kind to me,” she said. Then the woman went her way and ate. She was no longer sad.

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Listen To Our Hearts | Casting Crowns | zimneswieta

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NT Reading: Acts 25:1-12 (GW)

Paul Makes an Appeal

25:1 Three days after Festus took over his duties in the province of Judea, he went from the city of Caesarea to Jerusalem. The chief priests and the other important Jewish leaders informed Festus about their charges against Paul. They were urging Festus to do them the favor of having Paul brought to Jerusalem. The Jews had a plan to ambush and kill Paul as he traveled to Jerusalem.

Festus replied that he would be returning to Caesarea soon and would keep Paul there. He told them, “Have your authorities come to Caesarea with me and accuse him there if the man has done something wrong.”

Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten days at the most and then returned to Caesarea. The next day Festus took his place in court and summoned Paul.

When Paul entered the room, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem surrounded him. They made a lot of serious accusations that they couldn’t prove. Paul defended himself by saying, “I haven’t broken any Jewish law or done anything against the temple or the emperor.”

But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor. So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on these charges with me as your judge?”

Paul said, “I am standing in the emperor’s court where I must be tried. I haven’t done anything wrong to the Jews, as you know very well. If I am guilty and have done something wrong for which I deserve the death penalty, I don’t reject the idea of dying. But if their accusations are untrue, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal my case to the emperor!”

Festus discussed the appeal with his advisers and then replied to Paul, “You have appealed your case to the emperor, so you’ll go to the emperor!”

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Hear My Prayer O Lord – Maranatha Vocal Band / His Gathering Place

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious and holy Father, please give us intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you,  wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, hearts to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, tongues to  proclaim you, ways of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant us a  perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically; give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones, and rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities; deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Send your heavenly hosts to destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, healing, and hope;
    • And use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions,  we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son  Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

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