Morning Prayer: 23 July – Psalm 131:2; Isaiah 35 : 1; Mark 6:30-31 ~ on a quiet place

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

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.

Pilgrimage

Psalm 131:2 NLT

But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

Isaiah 35:1

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Mark 6:30-31

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Reflection

ST CUTHBERT’S ISLAND

image
St Cuthbert's Island by Jean Barker (acrylic)

St Cuthbert’s Island adjoining the shore of Lindisfarne is a wonderful parable of quiet, for it is always in sight of the main island, and yet for hours and hours at a time it is completely cut off. It seems designed especially to experience a day of solitude, long enough to limit your freedom, but not as inaccessible as the life of a true hermit.

Here Cuthbert, and almost certainly Aidan before him, escaped from the pressures of community and of missions and turned their faces towards God.
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Thank you Lord, that You have set aside places,
special trysting places where we can meet with you.
(Alistair Eberst)
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How wonderful it is to talk with God
when cares sweep o’er my spirit like a flood;
how wonderful it is to hear His voice,
for when He speaks the desert lands rejoice.
(Theodore H. Kitching)
_____

We’ve all got little cells in our hearts, little hermitages that God wants to fill. For some there’s a physical place of silence. It’s hard to be silent. It’s hard to stop. To know God in the quiet is worth a lot – it’s there we’ll get our vision and our peace to come through whatever hits us.
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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

Morning Prayer for Wednesday, 2nd Week in Advent: Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10; Matthew 11:28-30 ~ everlasting compassion

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence

God, we await your advent here: When will these desert lands rejoice?

When in the love of Christ we grow, Streams in this desert shall abound. Then by your Spirit we will know: True wealth in Jesus Christ is found.

Morning readings

Isaiah 40:25-31 NLT:

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.

O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10 NLT:

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
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The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
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He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT:

jesushuggingcryinggirl

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Reflection/Prayer:

Come Lord Jesus… into the desert places where I live. Fill my life with beauty and light… streams of mercy flowing from Your Spirit. There is none like You – Creator of the universe… Lord of Angel Armies… Tireless Defender of the poor and weak among us. Fill me with Your strength… Your patience… Your compassion… Your mercy… Your unfailing love. Lift my burdens… and help me to find my rest in You during this season of advent. For Your name’s sake, I ask it. Amen.
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There is a day / That all creation’s waiting for, A day of freedom and liberation for the earth. And on that day / The Lord will come to meet His bride, And when we see Him In an instant we’ll be changed

The trumpet sounds / And the dead will then be raised / By His power, Never to perish again. Once only flesh, Now clothed with immortality, Death has now been / Swallowed up in victory

We will meet Him in the air /  And then we will be like Him / For we will see Him, as He is / Oh yeah! Then all hurt and pain will cease / And we’lll be with Him forever / And in His glory we will live / Oh yeah! Oh yeah!

So lift your eyes / To the things as yet unseen, That will remain now / For all eternity. Though trouble’s hard, / It’s only momentary / And it’s achieving / Our future glory.

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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Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the USCCB Daily Readings and the format from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com. The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 116:7; Isaiah 49:15-16; 2 John 12 ~ rest for your soul

Morning Prayer

+ 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

babyyawningPsalm 116:7 NLT:

Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.

Isaiah 49:15-16 NLT:

“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”

2 John 12 NLT:

I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.

Reflection/Prayer:

If my lips could sing as many songs
as there are waves in the sea:
if my tongue could sing as many hymns
as there are ocean billows:
if my mouth
filled the firmament with praise:
if my face
shone like the sun and moon together:
if my hands
were to hover in the sky like powerful eagles
and my feet
ran across mountains as swiftly asa the deer:
all that would not be enough
to pay you tribute,
O Lord my God.
(unknown author)

O, For A Thousand Tongues to Sing (with Lyrics) by the David Crowder Band


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

_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com. 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.