After Pentecost| Saturday – 16 July 2022: Psalm 15; Genesis 14:1-16; Luke 8:4-10 ~ Understanding God’s Kingdom.

After Pentecost| Saturday – 16 July 2022

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

Opening:

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and, that we may receive what we ask,
teach us by your Holy Spirit to ask
only those things that are pleasing to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the same Spirit lives and reigns
for ever and ever. Amen.

“You are permitted to understand the secrets
of the Kingdom of God.
But I use parables to teach the others so that
the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’
(Luke 8:10)

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 15 // Who Can Dwell // Nathan Keys Original

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OT Reading: Genesis 14:1-16 (NLT)

Abram Rescues Lot

14:1 About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).

This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea). For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.

Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea. They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five. As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. They also captured Lot—Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned.

But one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies.

When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

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Fight For Us // Brittani Scott

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NT Reading: Luke 8:4-10 (NLT)

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

8:4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’

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The Kindom of God – Taize

The kingdom of God is justice and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Come, Lord, and open in us
the gates of your kingdom.

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Heavenly Father, you sent your Son among us to proclaim the kingdom of God in cities, towns, villages, and lonely places. Behold and visit us in the communities where we live. Renew the bonds of charity that uphold our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Deliver us from poverty, prejudice, and oppression, that peace may prevail with righteousness, and justice with mercy. And at the last, bring us to your Holy City, the new Jerusalem, where we shall know perfect unity and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May my life be… centered
less on self and more on You,
and through You to the world
in which I live and move.

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

After Pentecost| Friday – 15 July 2022: Psalm 15; Genesis 13:1-18; Ephesians 3:14-21 ~ Growing in God’s love.

After Pentecost| Friday – 15 July 2022

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

Opening:

“Christ will make his home in your hearts
as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love
and keep you strong.”
(Ephesians 3:17)

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 15 – The Corner Room

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OT Reading: Genesis 13:1-18 (NLT)

Abram and Lot Separate

13:1 So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)

Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”

So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.

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I AM THE LAND CHANALE #israel

Have you ever felt a calling
A stir inside your soul
Until it gets so loud you can’t ignore
Do you know the taste of freedom
When you live a life of truth
And you finally close the miles
From you to her

I am the land
I am her oceans
These are my mountains
I stand on my ground
I am the people
For we are the nation
Chosen by G-d
My home I have found
Her oxygen fills me
I breath in her air
And no one can take it from me
The land that I love
The land that I need
The land of the land of Yisrael

Have you ever made a journey
Like so many have before
Their footsteps aligning with yours
Do you know how she awaits us
To return to her once more
When finally her kingdom’s restored

NT Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

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O the deep, deep love of Jesus – Selah

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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.

+ Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May my life be… centered
less on self and more on You,
and through You to the world
in which I live and move.

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

After Pentecost| Thursday – 14 July 2022: Psalm 15; Genesis 12:10-20; Hebrews 5:1-6 ~ Trusting in God’s Son.

After Pentecost| Thursday – 14 July 2022

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

Opening:

Christ did not honor himself
by assuming he could become High Priest.
No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”
(Hebrews 5:1)

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 15 (NLT) – (Who May Abide With You) [feat. Emily Heilman]
The Psalms Project

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OT Reading: Genesis 12:10-20 (NLT)

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

12:10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

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“Trust In You”– Lauren Daigle
Light of the World

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NT Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6 (NLT)

5:1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

And in another passage God said to him,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

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Great High Priest – Cameron Keith

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

The Westminster Confession of Faith—Of Christ the Mediator

It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom he did from all eternity give a people, to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. — Westminster Confession of Faith 8.1

+ Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in your great mercy you have promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to you, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In your time, Lord, in your time
Take the imperfect that is me
and create
the person that I could be
In your time, Lord, in your time

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

After Pentecost| Wednesday – 13 July 2022: ~ Psalm 25:11-20; Ecclesiastes 9:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46 ~ Help the least around you.

After Pentecost| Wednesday – 13 July 2022

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

Opening:

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth,
when you did it to one of the least of these
my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
(Matthew 25:40)

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 25 – (Show Me Your Ways) (feat. Raelyn) – The Psalms Project

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OT Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 (NLT)

Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly

9:13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person
than the shouts of a foolish king.
Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

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Seeking Wisdom – Colton Kelley | seeking wisdom ministries

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NT Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT)

The Final Judgment

25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

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Matthew 25 – SeventhDaySlumber

I call myself a man of God
While laughing at my brother
I crossed the heart of a hungry man
Instead of giving him some bread
And what I say
And what I do
Are not the same anymore
And who I slay, who I betray
Lord have mercy on my soul

And you were hungry
And you were thirsty
You were lonely you were cold
And you were hurting, you were dying
I just left you all alone

I watched a mother who had her children
They all three crying out for help
But no one heard them
And I just passed them and
I screamed “Lady get a job!”
She took her own life
Under the bridge that day
While her children sat and cried
I could have told her about my loving father
Instead I spit in Jesus face, when I heard her voice

What you do unto the least of them
You do unto me
And when you see one of my hurting children
I want you to see
Cause I was hungry
And I was thirsty
I was lonely I was cold
And that was me hurting, that was me dying
And you just left me all alone
I call myself a man of God
While laughing at my brother

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May my life be… centered
less on self and more on You,
and through You to the world
in which I live and move.

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

After Pentecost| Tuesday – 12 July 2022: Psalm 25:11-20; Proverbs 19:1-17; 1 John 3:11-17 ~ Show compassion to the needy.

After Pentecost| Tuesday – 12 July 2022

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

Opening:

If someone has enough money to live well
and sees a brother or sister in need
but shows no compassion—
how can God’s love be in that person?
(1 John 3:17)

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 25 – To You I Lift Up My Soul
Karl Kohlhase

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OT Reading: Proverbs 19:1-17 (NLT)

19:1 Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and a fool.

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
haste makes mistakes.

3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the Lord.

4 Wealth makes many “friends”;
poverty drives them all away.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
nor will a liar escape.

6 Many seek favors from a ruler;
everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

7 The relatives of the poor despise them;
how much more will their friends avoid them!
Though the poor plead with them,
their friends are gone.

8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;
people who cherish understanding will prosper.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and a liar will be destroyed.

10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule over princes!

11 Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father;
a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,
but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

15 Lazy people sleep soundly,
but idleness leaves them hungry.

16 Keep the commandments and keep your life;
despising them leads to death.

17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you!

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Ancient Words (Robin Mark)
Angie Jermyn

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NT Reading: 1 John 3:11-17 (NLT)

Love One Another

3:11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

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Less Like Me – Zach Williams
Light of the World