Tag: [Revised Common Lectionary Year C]

Lent | Friday 04 March 2022: Psalm 91; Exodus 6:1-13; Acts 7:35-42 ~ God has promised to deliver us.

Lent | Friday 04 March 2022

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

Opening:

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.

“Moses himself told the people of Israel,
‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me
from among your own people.’”
(Acts 7:37)

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Psalms – Psalm 91 – Renew Collective 
music meets heaven

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OT Reading: Exodus 6:1-13 (NLT)

Promises of Deliverance

6:1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.”

“But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!”

But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.

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We Look to You
Sovereign Grace Music

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NT Reading: Acts 7:35-42 (NLT)

7:35 “So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

“Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.’ Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written,

‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings
during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?

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God, Turn It Around – Jon Reddick 
Light of the World

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Prayer:  faith and worship | John Birch

A prayer of confession:

We want to serve you in this world,
be the ones through whom
many will be drawn to the light,
show your love where there
is a need for love to be shown,
be your touch where there
are broken lives to be made whole,
speak your word in faith
against those who deny your power,
and yet we confess
we hesitate to speak your name,
are daily tempted
to listen to this world’s voice.
So we come again
to your feet, and in faith proclaim
‘Thanks be to God, who forgives us
through Jesus Christ our Lord!’

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Closing: faith and worship | John Birch

This day is precious,
created as it is
for each one of us
to fulfil our purpose.
This day is precious,
treat it with care.

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

Lent | Thursday 03 March 2022: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Exodus 5:10-23; Acts 7:30-34 ~ God has come down to rescue us.

Lent | Thursday 03 March 2022

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

Opening:

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.

“Then the Lord said to [Moses],
‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.
I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them.
Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’”
(Acts 7:33-34)

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Psalms – Psalm 91 – New Creation Church
None Should Perish

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OT Reading: Exodus 5:10-23 (NLT)

5:10 So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: “This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you. Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!” So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard. “Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!” they demanded. Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. “Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded.

So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. “Please don’t treat your servants like this,” they begged. “We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, ‘Make bricks!’ We are being beaten, but it isn’t our fault! Your own people are to blame!”

But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks.”

The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.” As they left Pharaoh’s court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!”

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”

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Rescue – Lauren Daigle 

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NT Reading: Acts 7:30-34 (NLT)

7:30 “Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him, ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’

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Holy Ground by Hillsong UNITED

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Prayer: faith and worship | John Birch

Forgive those things we have done
which have caused you sadness,
and those things we should have done
that would have brought you joy.
In both we have failed
ourselves,
and you.
Bring us back to that place
where our journey began,
when we said that we would follow
the way that you first trod.
Lead us to the Cross
and meet
us there.

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Closing: faith and worship | John Birch

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.

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

Lent | Ash Wednesday 02 March 2022: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Ps 103; 2 Cor 5:20—6:10; Matt 6:1-6, 16-21 ~ Practice your piety secretly before God.

Lent | Ash Wednesday 02 March 2022

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

Opening:

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.

“Whenever you pray,
go into your room and shut the door
and pray to your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
(Mathew 6:6)

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This I Believe (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship
Thanks to our creative team in Hillsong Kiev for making this lyric video.

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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.

 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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Psalms: Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord (StateWide Youth Service)
SlavicCenter Tacoma

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NT Reading: 2 Cor 5:20—6:10 (NLT)

5:20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

 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

5:3 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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Back to God – Reba McEntire ft Lauren Daigle

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Gospel Reading: Matt 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.

6:16 “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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Ashes to Ashes – Dan Schutte
OCPmusic

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Confession of Sin

Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For all our unfaithfulness and disobedience; for the pride, vanity, and hypocrisy of our lives;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our self-pity and impatience, and our envy of those we think more fortunate than ourselves;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our unrighteous anger, bitterness, and resentment; for all lies, gossip, and slander against our neighbors;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our sexual impurity, our exploitation of other people, and our failure to give of ourselves in love;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our intemperate pursuit of worldly goods and comforts;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our dishonesty in daily life and work, our ingratitude for your gifts, and our failure to heed your call.
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our wastefulness and misuse of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For all false judgments, for prejudice and contempt of others, and for all uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our negligence in prayer and worship; for our presumption and abuse of your means of grace;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For seeking the praise of others rather than the approval of God;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

+ For our failure to commend the faith that is in us;
Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against you.

Show favor to your people, O Lord, who turn to you in weeping, fasting, and prayer. For you are a merciful God, full of compassion, long-suffering, and abounding in steadfast love. You spare when we deserve punishment, and in your wrath you remember mercy. Spare your people, good Lord, spare us; in the multitude of your mercies, look upon us and forgive us; through the merits and mediation of your blessed Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

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

Epiphany Season | Tuesday 01 March 2022: Psalm 35:11-28; Ezekiel 1:1; 2:1; Acts 10:23b-33 ~ Ready and waiting before God

Epiphany Season | Tuesday 01 March 2022

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

Opening:

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.

“I sent for you at once,
and it was good of you to come.
Now we are all here, waiting before God
to hear the message the Lord has given you.”
(Acts 10:33)

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Psalms – Song – My Soul Shall Rejoice
Jason Silver

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OT Reading: Ezekiel 1:1; 2:1 (NLT)

A Vision of Living Beings

1:1 On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

Ezekiel’s Call and Commission

2:1 “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.”

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Speak, O Lord – Stuart Townend

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NT Reading: Acts 10:23b-33 (NLT)

10:23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

 They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

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Word Of God Speak – MercyMe

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious God and most merciful Father, you have granted us the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word: Assist us with your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, to build us up and edify us into the perfect dwelling place of your Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

+ Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Closing: faith and worship | John Birch

Be the light we walk by
Be the peace we know
Be the truth we hold to
Be the love we show

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

Epiphany Season | Monday 28 February 2022: Psalm 35:11-28; Exodus 35:1-29; Acts 10:9-23a ~ Get up and go!

Epiphany Season | Monday 28 February 2022

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

Opening:

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.

Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision,
the Holy Spirit said to him,
“Three men have come looking for you.
Get up, go downstairs,
and go with them without hesitation.
Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”
(Acts 10:19-20)

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Psalms: Psalm 35 – Poor Bishop Hooper
Jesse and Leah Roberts

lord oh lord oppose those who oppose me
lord oh lord fight those who fight against me
lord put on your armor lord take up your shield
lord prepare for battle lord lift up your spear
against every pursuer oh lord let me hear
say it to my say soul lord say it loud and clear
wont you say

i will give you victory

lord bring shame on those who try to kill me
lord turn back the ones who bring me harm
blow them all away like chaff set in the wind
a wind sent by your angel fast pursuing them
would you say

i will give you victory

lord wrong witnesses rise up against me
asking me things i know nothing of
yes they trade me evil for my honest good
i’m empty in my soul god sickened with despair
oh how long will you lord look on and do nothing
save me from these lions and protect my life

won’t you come and rescue me

so all my say
the lord be magnified the one who takes delight
in full abundant life of his servants

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OT Reading: Exodus 35:1-29 (NLT)

Instructions for the Sabbath

35:1 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the Lord has commanded you to follow. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.”

Offerings for the Tabernacle

35:4 Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Take a sacred offering for the Lord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord:

gold, silver, and bronze;
blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

 “Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the Lord has commanded:

 the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;
the Ark and its carrying poles;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
the inner curtain to shield the Ark;
the table, its carrying poles, and all its utensils;
the Bread of the Presence;
for light, the lampstand, its accessories, the lamp cups, and the olive oil for lighting;
the incense altar and its carrying poles;
the anointing oil and fragrant incense;
the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle;
the altar of burnt offering;
the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
the curtains for the walls of the courtyard;
the posts and their bases;
the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;
the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their ropes;
the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests.”

 So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. All  those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the Lord. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.

 All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord.

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Sabbath Rest || Queeny of Hearts

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NT Reading: Acts 10:9-23a (NLT)

Peter Visits Cornelius

10:9 The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”

 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

 So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

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Go Out, Go Out – Curtis Stephan
St Mary of the Angels | Singapore

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people  everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

+ 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; 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.

+ Almighty God our Savior, 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

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Closing: faith and worship | John Birch

Be the light we walk by
Be the peace we know
Be the truth we hold to
Be the love we show

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