Morning Prayer: Psalm 119:96-106; Jeremiah 31:33-34; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:3 ~ wholesome teaching

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

Psalm 119:96-106 NLT:

Ultra Orthodox Jewish men holding a Torah scroll as they dance and celebrate Simhat Torah at the close of the Succot holiday in Mea Shearim in Jerusalem on 08 October 2012. Simchat Torah celebrates the ending of one cycle and the beginning of the new cycle of reading the Torah, the Jewish holdy scrolls used in every synagogue. — Ultra Orthodox Jewish men holding Torah scrolls as they dance and celebrate Simhat Torah at the close of the Succot holiday in Mea Shearim in Jerusalem on 08 October 2012. Simchat Torah celebrates the ending of one cycle and the beginning of the new cycle of reading the Torah, the Jewish holy scrolls used in every synagogue.

Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit.

Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT:

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

2 Timothy 3:14-4:3 NLT:

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

Reflection/Prayer:

Simchat Torah, the Rejoicing of the Law, is not a biblically prescribed feast, but occurs immediately after Succot.

The Scrolls of the Law are taken out of the Holy Ark and carried in men’s arms. Father’s dance with their children, and women throw sweets on them. According to tradition, the synagogue must be encircled seven times or more. The festival is celebrated on the day on which the reading of the Torah is completed and begun again from Genesis. The Torah is read in an annual cycle, so the Jewish community created a festival of joy on a day that could have been only a day of tedious re-rolling of the community’s scrolls from the end to the beginning. We might also ask, is it not a great cause for rejoicing to complete a reading of the Scriptures by the community and to have the opportunity to begin reading again!

Daniel Juster in his study Jewish Roots asks whether the early Messianic Jews would have had an ark:

I believe they did. We historically know that they read the Torah (ie Genesis to Deuteronomy). In the first century Torahs were kept in an ark! Did they keep the New Testament Scriptures in the Ark? We do not know. However, we do know that ancient eastern churches that stem back to the Syrian church have ark-like structures in which they keep the Scriptures.

This song ‘Maoz Tzur’ is a traditional one sung after the candles are lit:

Rock of Ages, let our song
praise Thy saving power:
Thou, amidst the raging foes
wast our shelt’ring tower.
Furious they assailed us
but Thine arm availed us,
and Thy word broke their sword
when our own streength failed us.

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.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 98:6-7; Micah 7:19; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 ~ gone, gone, gone, gone

Morning Prayer

In the 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

Psalm 98:6-7 NLT:

With trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in.

Micah 7:19 NLT:

Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

A Jewish man at the Western Wall sounds the shofar to mark the beginning of Rosh Hashanah

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 NLT:

What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory….”

Reflection/Prayer:

Rosh Hashanah is the name of the Jewish new year festival, and on the first day of the new year a ceremony called ‘Tashlich’ takes near a source of water. The ceremony originated in Germany in the fourteenth century in a non-Jewish custom – fish were fed with bread crumbs as a sign of cleansing from sins. Now the prayer used is one which is based on the prophet Micah’s words: ‘and cast all thy sins into the depths of the sea.’

Corrie ten Boom, whose family loved and protected the Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland, has said:

When God forgives our sins, He separates them as far from us as the east is from the west, buries them in the bottom of the deepest sea, and puts up a sign for the Devil, saying, NO FISHING!

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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

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

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.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 39:13; Deuteronomy 7:6; Acts 22:11-16 ~ why the Jews?

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

Psalm 39:13 NLT:

Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.

Deuteronomy 7:6 NLT:

For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

Acts 22:11-16 NLT:

“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him!

“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’”

Reflection/Prayer:

An unknown poet once wrote:

How odd
of God
to choose
the Jews!

This month we will be looking at the life and calling, tradition and history of God’s very own chosen people, and seeing what we can learn.

When Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof is warned by the constable of the coming pogrom that will be a new wave of trouble for the Jewish community he turns to heaven, and says: ‘Dear God, did You have to send me news like that? It’s true we are the Chosen People. But once in a while can’t You choose someone else?’

Dave Berg (of Mad magazine) asks:

Chosen for what? Chosen to lead in the Path of Righteousness? Maybe. Chosen to be a Light to the World? Maybe. Chosen to bear witness to my Friend, Whose name is God? Maybe. Or Chosen to take all the blame from all the blame throwers for everything that goes wrong in the world… the old story tells of a wise man talking to his bigoted acquaintance and he says, ‘You’re right, all the trouble in this world is caused by the Jews – and the bicycle riders!’

The bigot asked, ‘Why the bicycle riders? ‘
The wise man says, ‘Why the Jews?’

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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

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

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.

Morning Prayer: ; Psalm 119:169-176; Nehemiah 8:12; Philemon 4-7 ~ practice generosity

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

Psalm 119:169-176 NLT:

O Lord , listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised.

Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.

Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord , I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight.

Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Nehemiah 8:12 NLT:

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Philemon 4-7 NLT:

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

Reflection/Prayer:

This month we have read Psalm 119 and prayed: ‘Give me understanding according to Your word.’

‘Father, I know now, if I never knew it before, that only in You can my restless human heart find any peace. For I began life without knowledge, but full of needs. And the turmoil of my mind, the dissatisfaction of my life all stem from trying to meet those needs with the wrong things and in the wrong places.’
(Peter Marshall)

I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant. Lord, You have found me, loved me and fed me. Now I must send something to others for whom nothing has been prepared.

It is everyone’s duty to pray to God for their friends. And for all their friends, whether they are numerous or few. To make a habit of it may be to impose considerable demands upon time and memory, but it is not merely worthwhile, it is a matter of supreme importance. If you’ve only a handful of friends, it won’t take long, and if you’re one of the lucky ones, with more friends than you can remember all at once, card-index them. Pray for them in installments, but pray for them. Nobody knows what they may be doing if they pray for a friend tonight.
Hugh Redwood, God in the Shadows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCDe1StPXgw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

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

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.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 119:161-168; 1 Samuel 26:1-25; Titus 3:1-2 ~ avoid quarreling

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

Psalm 119:161-168 NLT:

Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.

I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.

I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do.

1 Samuel 26:1-25 NLT:

Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon.”

So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s elite troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul’s arrival.

David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. “Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother.

“I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied. So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him.

“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!”

“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”

So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.

David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance. Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, “Wake up, Abner!”

“Who is it?” Abner demanded.

“Well, Abner, you’re a great man, aren’t you?” David taunted. “Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven’t you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him? This isn’t good at all! I swear by the Lord that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the Lord’s anointed! Look around! Where are the king’s spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?”

Saul recognized David’s voice and called out, “Is that you, my son David?”

And David replied, “Yes, my lord the king. Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime? But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the Lord. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’ Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the Lord? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?”

Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”

“Here is your spear, O king,” David replied. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one. Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.”

And Saul said to David, “Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed.” Then David went away, and Saul returned home.

Titus 3:1-2 NLT:

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

Reflection/Prayer:

Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing offends them. Lord, do I love Your way? Is it great peace that I experience? or just medium-sized peace?

Am I easily offended? easily tripped up? easily stumbled? Give me the peace that never returns evil for evil.

Peace and comfort can be found nowhere
Except in simple obedience.
François Fenelon

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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

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

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.

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