+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening Sentence:
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O, that today you would pay attention to his voice!
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Reading from the Old Testament – Jeremiah 20:10-11(NLT)
I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”
But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.
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Reading from the New Testament – John 10:31-42(NLT)
Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”
They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.
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“Overcome” (Psalm 18) – James Block
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Closing Prayer:
Almighty God: Your beloved Son suffered rejection, pain and crucifixion before he entered into the joy of glory. Grant that we too, walking in the way of the cross, may discover it to be the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Morning Reading: Psalm 18 (NLT)
I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered. I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet. You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer. I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt. You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me. They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.
The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.
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Morning Prayer
Lord our God: We love you – you are our strength, our fortress, our savior, our deliverer; in you we trust –
+ For you have delivered us from our enemies
+ For you have calmed us in the storm
+ For you have rescued us from danger
+ For you have heard our dries for help
+ For you have saved us from ruin
Lord our God: We love you for who you are –
+ For you are our Father – your loving-kindness is everlasting
+ For you are our Deliverer – you help us when we are helpless
+ For you are Good – you work things out for our best
Lord our God: Thank you for being with us and for us –
+ Light shines in darkness
+ Strength is evolved out of weakness
+ Progress is made in spite of opposition
+ Peace is enjoyed in the midst of trouble
+ Hope is cherished in the face of difficulties and sorrows
+ Victory is assured over every foe
We love you, Lord our God, and offer you our worship and praise. And, one day, all the nations of the earth will acknowledge you as Lord – every knee shall bow and tongue confess your Son as Messiah to your eternal glory. Amen.
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“Impassioned (Psalm 18)” – The Shiyr Poets
I am impassioned of you | I am aflame for you
I am impassioned | I love you Lord
I am impassioned of you | I am aflame for you
I am impassioned | I love you Lord
My strength, my fortress, my deliverer
The rock where I take shelter
My shield, my power, refuge from the storm
I called and I was rescued
Death cords laid a trap
The torrents dismayed me
In my deep distress I called to the Lord
He heard my cry | He heard my voice
And I was saved
I am impassioned of you | I am aflame for you
I am impassioned | I love you Lord
He came, the Earth heaved as the mountains shook
In the roaring thunder
Like aspen leaves | They trembled in the wind
As fire blazed around him
Reaching from on high | He took hold of me
Delivered me from foes | Stronger than I
He heard my cry | He heard my voice
And I was saved
From the sky down; He parts the heavens
Thick darkness under His feet
He mounted cherubim
He soared on the wings of the wind
I kept the righteous way
You showed me your delight
You brought me safely out
Into this wide open space
To the faithful you are faithful
To the blameless without blame
To the pure; pure but to the crooked you twist and turn
Through my God I leap over a wall
My Lord lights up the darkness
His word is true, his promises are kept
My God his way is perfect
He makes my feet like a deer
Surefooted and confident
Standing on the heights
He keeps me secure
He heard my cry | He heard my voice
And I was saved
You heard my cry | You heard my voice
And I was saved
I am impassioned of you | I am aflame for you
I am impassioned | I love you Lord
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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.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
The Peanut Gallery 