Lent | Ash Wednesday 18 Feb 2026: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 ~ Examine your heart in private.

Lent | Ash Wednesday 18 Feb 2026

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

Opening prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing you have made,
and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that we,
worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself,
shut the door behind you,
and pray to your Father in private.”
(Matthew 6:6)

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Be Thou My Vision – Catholic Music Initiative – Dave Moore, Lauren Moore

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OT Reading: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (NLT)

Locusts Invade like an Army

2:1 Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem!
Raise the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let everyone tremble in fear
because the day of the Lord is upon us.
+ It is a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of thick clouds and deep blackness.
Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains,
a great and mighty army appears.
Nothing like it has been seen before
or will ever be seen again.

A Call to Repentance

2:12 That is why the Lord says,
“Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
+ Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
+ Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,
sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
to the Lord your God as before.

2:15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!
Announce a time of fasting;
call the people together
for a solemn meeting.
+ Gather all the people—
the elders, the children, and even the babies.
Call the bridegroom from his quarters
and the bride from her private room.
+ Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,
stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.
Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!
Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.
Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,
‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”

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From Psalms: Psalm 51 – Have Mercy, O God (Choneni Elohim) | Messianic Choir by Caleb Aviel

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NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (NLT)

5:20b We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

6:1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

6:3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

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Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat | Hymns of Grace

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (NLT)

Teaching about Giving to the Needy

6:1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

6:5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

616 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Teaching about Money and Possessions

6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

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On Bended Knee | Federal Way Church of Christ

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

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.

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.

O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.

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

Transfiguration | Sunday 15 Feb 2026: Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 99; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9 ~ “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

Transfiguration | Sunday 15 Feb 2026

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

Opening prayer:

O God,
who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain:
Grant that we,
beholding by faith the light of his countenance,
may be strengthened to bear our cross,
and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“As the men watched,
Jesus’ appearance was transformed
so that his face shone like the sun,
and his clothes became as white as light.”
(Matthew 17:2)

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Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty | The Hymns Project / Parkway Worship Ministry

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OT Reading: Exodus 24:12-18 (NLT)

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From Psalms: Psalm 99 – Poor Bishop Hooper

the lord reigns
let the peoples tremble
he sits enthroned
upon the cherubim
let the earth quake
the lord is great in zion
over all the peoples
let them praise your name

holy is he

the king
in his might loves justice
exalt the lord
and worship at his feet
moses aaron
and samuel among them
called to the lord
you a forgiving and avenging god to them
in the pillar of the cloud

holy is he

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NT Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21 (NLT)

1:16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

+ Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

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Bright morning star | Resound Worship

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 (NLT)

The Transfiguration

17:1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

+ Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

+ But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

+ Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

+ As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

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Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies | St Michael’s Singers / Chet Valley Churches

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

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 to 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 those for whom our prayers are desired]; 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.

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 Epiphany | Wednesday 11 Feb 2026: Psalm 119:105-112; Proverbs 6:6-23; John 8:12-30 ~ A warning to unbelievers.

After Epiphany | Wednesday 11 Feb 2026

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

Opening prayer:

O Lord, our heavenly Father,
keep your household the Church continually
in true faith and practice,
that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace
may always be defended by your mighty power;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever. Amen.

“I am the light of the world.
If you follow me,
you won’t have to walk in darkness,
because you will have the light that leads to life.”
(John 8:12)

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From the Psalms: Psalm 119:105-112 (Nun) | Scripture Beats

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OT Reading: Proverbs 6:6-23 (NLT)

6:6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
+ Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
+ they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
+ But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
+ A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
+ then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

6:12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
+ signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
+ Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
+ But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

6:16 There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
+ haughty eyes,
+ a lying tongue,
+ hands that kill the innocent,
+ a heart that plots evil,
+ feet that race to do wrong,
+ a false witness who pours out lies,
+ a person who sows discord in a family.

6:20 My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
+ Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
+ When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
+ For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.

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Live This Day in Light of That Day | Songs of Wisdom

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NT Reading: John 8:12-30 (NLT)

Jesus, the Light of the World

8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

+ The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

+ Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

+ “Where is your father?” they asked.

+ Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

The Unbelieving People Warned

8:21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”

+ The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”

+ Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”

+ “Who are you?” they demanded.

+ Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father.

+ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” Then many who heard him say these things believed in him.

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Lift Up The Cross | West Coast Baptist College / Hymns for HIM

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

Almighty God our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you have taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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. | Thomas à Kempis

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Tuesday 10 Feb 2026: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 ~ The blindness of unbelievers.

After Epiphany | Tuesday 10 Feb 2026

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

Opening prayer:

“If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil,
it is hidden only
from people who are perishing.”
(2 Corinthians 4:3)

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From the Psalms: Psalm 119:105-112 – “Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet” (Esther Mui)

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OT Reading: 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25 (NLT)

Josiah’s Religious Reforms

23:1 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

+ Then the king instructed Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the Temple gatekeepers to remove from the Lord’s Temple all the articles that were used to worship Baal, Asherah, and all the powers of the heavens. The king had all these things burned outside Jerusalem on the terraces of the Kidron Valley, and he carried the ashes away to Bethel. He did away with the idolatrous priests, who had been appointed by the previous kings of Judah, for they had offered sacrifices at the pagan shrines throughout Judah and even in the vicinity of Jerusalem. They had also offered sacrifices to Baal, and to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and to all the powers of the heavens. The king removed the Asherah pole from the Lord’s Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust over the graves of the people. He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the Lord, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole.

+ Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests who were living in other towns of Judah. He also defiled the pagan shrines, where they had offered sacrifices—all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the shrines at the entrance to the gate of Joshua, the governor of Jerusalem. This gate was located to the left of the city gate as one enters the city.

Josiah Celebrates Passover

23:21 King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.” There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

+ Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple. Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.

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The Passover Song | Caroline Cobb / tranceseraph

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NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 (NLT)

Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

4:1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

+ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

+ You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

+ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

+ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

+ Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

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Light of the World (Sing Hallelujah) | We The Kingdom

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Monday 09 Feb 2026: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 22:3-20; Romans 11:2-10 ~ Israel’s faithful remnant.

After Epiphany | Monday 09 Feb 2026

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

Opening prayer:

“It is the same today,
for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful
because of God’s grace—
his undeserved kindness in choosing them.“
(Romans 11:5)

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From the Psalms: Psalm 119:105-112 – The Corner Room

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OT Reading: 2 Kings 22:3-20 (NLT)

22:3 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the Lord. He told him, “Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the Lord’s Temple. Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple. They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple. But don’t require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest and trustworthy men.”

Hilkiah Discovers God’s Law

22:8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it.

+ Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.

+ When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.”

+ So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.

+ She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’

+ “But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord. So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.’”

So they took her message back to the king.

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ZION – A Prophetic Song for Israel’s Return | Aaron Shust and Shilo Ben Hod

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NT Reading: Romans 11:2-10 (NLT)

11:2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

+ And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”

+ It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

+ So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say,

“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.”

+ Likewise, David said,

“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
+ Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever.”

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Ashuv Eleicha (Coming Back to You) | Praise to Our God 5 Concert / Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

O God, you desire that all people be saved and come to knowledge of the truth: Prosper all those who live, preach, and teach the Gospel at home and in distant lands [especially in Israel]; protect them in all perils, support them in their loneliness, sustain them in the hour of trial; give them your abundant grace to bear faithful witness; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

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