Tuesday Morning Prayer: 28 Jul 2020 – Psalm 133, Isaiah 30:15, Mark 9:1-8 ~ turn back to me, and calm down

Tuesday Morning Prayer, 28 Jul 2020

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

Opening:*

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.
From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary,
Bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Believer, hold Him high that all may see the light of Jesus in a son of man.  “Aidan”

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 133

Precious Oil (Psalm 133) – James Block

Isaiah 30:15

Trust the Lord

The holy Lord God of Israel
had told all of you,
“I will keep you safe
if you turn back to me
and calm down.
I will make you strong
if you quietly trust me.”

Then you stubbornly said: “No!”

Mark 9:1-8

I can assure you that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom come with power.

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.

The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!” At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.

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Reflection**

The things that come out of a man are they that defile him,
and to get out of them a man must go into himself,
be a convict, and scrub the floor of his cell.
(George MacDonald)

I undervalue my silence too much.
Too often I move from action into silence
instead of the other way about.
(R. Morrison)

Collect for Purity

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.

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He Will Hold Me Fast by Praise And Harmony from Worthy God

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Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 38-45). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.
** Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 13511-13514). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Monday Morning Prayer: 27 Jul 2020 – Psalm 132:10-18, Numbers 6:24-26, 2 Corinthians 4:6 ~ God is shining in our hearts.

Monday Morning Prayer, 27 Jul 2020

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

Opening:*

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.
From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary,
Bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Believer, hold Him high that all may see the light of Jesus in a son of man.  “Aidan”

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 132:10-18

David is your chosen one,
so don’t reject him.

You made a solemn promise
to David, when you said,
“I, the Lord, promise
that someone in your family
will always be king.
If they keep our agreement
and follow my teachings,
then someone in your family
will rule forever.”

You have gladly chosen Zion
as your home, our Lord.
You said, “This is my home!
I will live here forever.
I will bless Zion with food,
and even the poor will eat
until they are full.
Victory will be like robes
for the priests,
and its faithful people
will celebrate and shout.

I will give mighty power
to the kingdom of David.
Each one of my chosen kings
will shine like a lamp
and wear a sparkling crown.
But I will disgrace
their enemies.”

Numbers 6:24-26

I pray that the Lord
will bless and protect you,
and that he will show you mercy
and kindness.
May the Lord be good to you
and give you peace.”

 The Blessing | Living Room Session | Elevation Worship

2 Corinthians 4:6

The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.
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Oh the Glory of Your Presence” sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

__________

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 38-45). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 26 Jul 2020 – 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, Matthew 13:44-52, Psalm 119:33-40, Romans 8:28-30 ~ give me wisdom to make right decisions

The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 26 Jul 2020

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

Opening:

God of eternal wisdom, you alone impart the gift of right judgement. Grant us an understanding heart, that we may value wisely the treasure of your kingdom and gladly forgo all lesser gifts to possess that kingdom’s incomparable joy. We pray through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

“Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven
is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”

__________

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah – Mennonite Hour Men’s Quartet

__________

A Reading from the Old Testament: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 (CEV)

One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”
_____

Lord God, I’m your servant, and you’ve made me king in my father’s place. But I’m very young and know so little about being a leader. And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.

Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.

God said:

Solomon, I’m pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. So I’ll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.

__________

Collect for Purity

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.

__________

A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 13:44-52 (CEV)

A Hidden Treasure

The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds a treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. A person like that is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field.

A Valuable Pearl

The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a shop owner is looking for fine pearls. After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.

A Fish Net

The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. When the net is full, it is dragged to the shore, and the fishermen sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, but throw the bad ones away. That’s how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

New and Old Treasures

Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, “Yes, we do.”

So he told them, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”

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Psalm 119:33-40 (ESV) – The Corner Room

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.

Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.

Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!
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A Prayer for Wisdom and Peace: by Scotty Smith

Dear heavenly Father, you number our hairs and determine our days; you hang the stars and feed the sparrows; you open doors no one can shut and shut doors no one can open. Surely, we can trust you when the time comes for making decisions. Father, we will trust you for generous wisdom, straight paths and peaceful hearts, all for your glory.

  • How we praise you for being the decision-making-God. It’s not our decisions, but yours that make all the difference.
  • We will plan, but we trust you to order our steps.
  • We will pray, but ask you to fix our prayers en route to heaven.
  • We will seek counsel, but count on you to overrule faulty or incomplete input from our most trusted friends and mentors.
  • We will search the Scriptures, but not looking for proof texts but for you, Father. All we want and need is you.

Free us from the paralysis of analysis—wanting make the right decision, more than we want to be righteous people; wanting to be known as wise people, more than we want to know you.

  • Free us from the idolatry of assuming there’s only one “perfect” choice in any given situation.
  • Free us from making decisions primary for our comfort and other’s approval, or fear their disapproval.
  • Free us to know that good choices don’t always lead to the easiest outcomes, especially at first.
  • Free us from second and twenty-second guessing our decisions.

Father, we know that in ALL things, your will is our sanctification—our becoming more and more like Jesus. Give us this passion; make it our delight, even as we trust you for the opening and closing of doors that are in front of us. All for your glory – in the name of our reigning King, Jesus we pray. Amen
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Nothing But Goodness – North Central University Worship Live

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Closing – Romans 8:28-30 (CEV)

We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children. God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and he has shared his glory with them.

__________

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

Saturday Morning Prayer: 25 Jul 2020 – Psalm 132:1, Ruth 1:16, John 15:11-12 ~ I will go where you go

Saturday Morning Prayer, 2 Jul 2020

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

Opening:*

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.
From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary,
Bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Believer, hold Him high that all may see the light of Jesus in a son of man.  “Aidan”

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 132:1

The Lord Is Always with His People

Our Lord, don’t forget David
and how he suffered.

Ruth 1:16

“Please don’t tell me
to leave you
and return home!
I will go where you go,
I will live where you live;
your people will be my people,
your God will be my God.”

John 15:11-12

“I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am.
Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you.”

__________

Refection:**

Weston Priory:

We are a community of Benedictine monks, founded in 1953 by our brother, the late Abbot Leo Rudloff, of Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem. Inspired by a monastic tradition reaching back to the earliest centuries of the church, and shaped by the Rule of Saint Benedict, our life together centers on prayer, manual work, and hospitality.

Above all, we hope to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ together. Seeking to be, in Brother Leo’s words, “an embassy of the Reign of God,” we hope that we will, in some measure, foster the healing and reconciliation of the whole human family.

Wherever You Go – Weston Priory · Gregory Norbet

Taizé:

“Since my youth, I think that I have never lost the intuition that community life could be a sign that God is love, and love alone. Gradually the conviction took shape in me that it was essential to create a community with men determined to give their whole life and who would always try to understand one another and be reconciled, a community where kindness of heart and simplicity would be at the centre of everything.”

(Brother Roger): “God is love alone”

 

This morning during the common prayer I suddenly became aware of the quality of my brothers and I am moved to the depths of my heart. They give their life – all their life. They pay dearly the price of their commitment. I know that better than any. Then I can no longer say if my admiration is for my brothers or for Christ who has to set his mark on them.   (Brother Roger of Taizé)

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Nothing between usTaizé

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Prayer to Love One Another:Daily Prayer Guide

Loving God, fill my heart with the love that you freely give. Make love my first and last thoughts. May I love others and freely give to them. Make my spirit a spirit of joy, happiness, and love for both my friends and my enemies. Help me love as abundantly as you have loved me. Amen.

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Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 38-45). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.
** Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 13332-13335). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Friday Morning Prayer: 24 Jul 2020 – Psalm 131:3, Revelation 4:6-11, Isaiah 6:1-9 ~ “Send me!”

Friday Morning Prayer, 24 Jul 2020

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

Opening:*

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.
From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary,
Bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Believer, hold Him high that all may see the light of Jesus in a son of man.  “Aidan”

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 131:3

People of Israel,
you must trust the Lord
now and forever.

Revelation 4:6-11

Also in front of the throne was something that looked like a glass sea, clear as crystal.

Around the throne in the center were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes. The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,
the all-powerful God,
who was and is
and is coming!”

The living creatures kept praising, honoring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever. At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshiped the one who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said,

“Our Lord and God,
you are worthy
to receive glory,
honor, and power.
You created all things,
and by your decision they are
and were created.

__________

“Holy, Holy, Holy” – the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

__________

Isaiah 6:1-9

A Vision of the Lord in the Temple

In the year that King Uzziah died, I had a vision of the Lord. He was on his throne high above, and his robe filled the temple. Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, as they shouted,

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord All-Powerful!
The earth is filled
with your glory.”

As they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I cried out, “I’m doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.”

One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.”

After this, I heard the Lord ask, “Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go for us?”

“I’ll go,” I answered. “Send me!”

Then the Lord told me to go and speak this message to the people:

“You will listen and listen,
but never understand.
You will look and look,
but never see.”
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Here I Am, Lord – John Michael Talbot

Closing

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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 38-45). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.