Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.

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.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Revelation 3:1-6 (ESV) – to be read aloud

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

“‘Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Reflection

THE FIRST VISION – THE SEVEN LETTERS

To the Church in Sardis

Summary: The church in Sardis was considered to be alive and well, but actually it was on the point of death. Christ admonishes the congregation to wake up to their perilous condition and take steps to restore their former vitality. Otherwise he will visit them unexpectedly in judgement. Those who overcome will have their names in the book of life and stand approved before God. (Mounce, p. 92)

Sardis: The glory of Sardis lay in the past… in New Testament times she had sunk to relative obscurity…. The people of the city were widely known for their luxurious, loose way of life….. The main problem for the church is that of spiritual apathy, which may have resulted from the softness and love of luxury which characterized the secular society. (Ladd, p.55)

Christ: The problem of the church was spiritual death; Christ is the possessor of the Holy Spirit who alone can give life…. Although the church had fallen into sad spiritual complacency, she was still the object of Christ’s care. (Ladd, p.55)

Reputation: The spiritual decay of the church was not obvious to outward observation… it was known for its “good works”… for its life and vitality. But in the sight of God it was dead. Here is a picture of nominal Christianity, outwardly prosperous, busy with the externals of religious activity, but devoid of spiritual life and power. (Ladd, p.56)

Wake up call: The church was not yet entirely beyond hope…. There still remained a residuum of life which could be revived…. While their religious life was characterized by good works and charitable activities… these were a failure because they… were not infused with the Holy Spirit. (Ladd, p.56)

Unexpected judgement: Christ will come like a thief… unexpectedly…. Christ comes in many ways and this is clearly a limited coming in judgement on unrepentant sinners. Their fate is none the less fearsome because left undefined. (Morris, p.76)

The overcomers: Three promises – (1) they will be dressed in white – promise of victory and purity; (2) their names will remain in the book of life – promise of assurance of salvation;  and (3) Christ will acknowledge them before God – promise of reward beyond measure in the life to come. (Mounce, p.96; Ladd, p. 57-58)

Prayer

Risen Christ – You hold Your church and Your people in Your hand. Send us Your Spirit:

+ that the church would be alive, not only in outward appearance and reputation, but in reality through Your power at work within us….
Lord, hear us.
+ that our congregations would become stronger, walking by faith not by sight, trusting in the Spirit to lead us into all Truth…
Lord, hear us.
+ that the people in our congregations would continue their good works and charitable activities….
Lord, hear us.
+ that the church would repent of its sin, seeing herself from Your perspective, and hunger for godliness from the inside out….
Lord, hear us.
+ that the people in the church would be characterized by purity, assurance, and faithfulness….

Lord Jesus – shine Your light on our blind spots; forgive us, heal us, and set us free to love and serve You today.
We ask this for Your Name’s sake. Amen.
__________

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Canticle

Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.