Holy Week | Tuesday 04 Apr 2023: Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 12:20-36 ~ Jesus predicts his death

Holy Week | Tuesday 04 Apr 2023

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

Opening:

O Lord our God,
whose blessed Son gave his back to be whipped
and did not hide his face from shame and spitting:
Give us grace to accept joyfully
the sufferings of the present time,
confident of the glory that shall be revealed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Now my soul is deeply troubled.
Should I pray,
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But this is the very reason I came!
Father, bring glory to your name.”
(John 12:27-28)

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7 (NLT)

The Lord’s Servant Commissioned

49:1 Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory.”

I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”

And now the Lord speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The Lord, the Redeemer
and Holy One of Israel,
says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,
to the one who is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.
Princes will also bow low
because of the Lord, the faithful one,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

From Psalms: Psalm 71 – “Be to me the Rock of my refuge” – Poor Bishop Hooper

be to me the
rock of my refuge
to which i may
always come

lord from my youth
upon you i’ve leaned
from my mother’s womb
you’re the one who took me
so let my praise be continually of you

do not cast me
off in my aging
do not forsake me
when my strength is spent

lord from my youth
upon you i’ve leaned
from my mother’s womb
you’re the one you’re the one who took me
so let my praise be continually of you

so even in old age
and hairs gray o god do not forsake me
so i may proclaim
your might again
to another generation
to all those coming
__________

NT Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (NLT)

The Wisdom of God

1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

__________

The Perfect Wisdom Of Our God – Hymns of Grace

Grace Community Church

__________

Gospel Reading: John 12:20-36 (NLT)

Jesus Predicts His Death

12:20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

__________

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video

__________

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.

Francis Xavier

+ O God, grant that we may desire you, and desiring you seek you, and seeking you find you, and finding you be satisfied in you for ever. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Be the Life I live
Be the Love I give

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

Holy Week | Monday 03 Apr 2023: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11 ~ Jesus anointed at Bethany

Holy Week | Monday 03 Apr 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God, whose most dear Son
went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus replied,
“Leave her alone.
She did this in preparation for my burial.”
(John 12:7)

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 (NLT)

The Lord’s Chosen Servant

42:1 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”

From Psalms: Psalm 36 – Exodus Road Band

__________

NT Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 (NLT)

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

9:11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

__________

What Wondrous Love is This – Claire Holley

__________

Gospel Reading: John 12:1-11 (NLT)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

12:1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

__________

Hosanna Song – Jon Guerra & Paul Zach

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Francis Xavier

+ O God, grant that we may desire you, and desiring you seek you, and seeking you find you, and finding you be satisfied in you for ever. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Be the Life I live
Be the Love I give

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

Holy Week | Palm Sunday – 02 Apr 2023: Matt 21:1-11; Ps 118:19-29; Philippians 2:5-11; Isa 52:13-15 ~ “Look, your King is coming to you.”

Holy Week | Palm Sunday – 02 Apr 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy
but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we,
walking in the way of the Cross,
may find it none other
than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.”
(Matthew 21:5)

__________

Hosanna, Son of David – Ed Jansen

__________

Gospel Reading: Matt 21:1-11 (NLT)

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

21:1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 118 – Boyce Worship Collective

Verse 1
Christ, my only trust and refuge
True and sure as day and night
Other helpers will betray me,
But the Lord is on my side
Kings enchant and princes promise
These will charm and still are weak
But the Lord of Jacob’s children
Will fulfill His word indeed.

Verse 2
Christ, my only trust and refuge
Mighty Sovereign of the spheres
He who holds the starry masses
Holds my life and stills my fears
Should the terrors of the darkness
Overwhelm my anxious soul
Christ will keep me by His power
He will never let me go

Verse 3
Christ, my only trust and refuge
At the gates of righteousness
On what grounds shall I, a sinner
Enter doors of holiness
Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter
By the blood of Christ I come
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

Tag
Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter
By the blood of Christ I come
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

Ending
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

__________

NT Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

2:5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

__________

At the Name of Jesus – ILP music

__________

O.T. Reading: Isa 52:13-15 (NLT)

The Lord’s Suffering Servant

52:13 See, my servant will prosper;
he will be highly exalted.
But many were amazed when they saw him.
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
And he will startle many nations.
Kings will stand speechless in his presence.
For they will see what they had not been told;
they will understand what they had not heard about.

__________

Suffering Servant – Dustin Kensrue
cbcjoy

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019 – Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from thee.
From the wicked foe defend me.
In the hour of my death call me,
and bid me come to thee,
that with thy saints I may praise thee
for ever and ever. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Be the Life I live
Be the Love I give

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

Season of Lent | Saturday 01 Apr 2023: Psalm 31:9-16; Lamentations 3:55-66; Mark 10:32-34 ~ we’re going up to Jerusalem

The Season of Lent | Saturday 01 Apr 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you alone can bring into order
the unruly wills and affections of sinners:
Grant your people grace
to love what you command and desire what you promise;
that, among the swift and varied changes of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Listen,” [Jesus] said,
“we’re going up to Jerusalem,
where the Son of Man will be betrayed”….
(Mark 10:33a)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 31:9-16 – Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church

__________

OT Reading: Lamentations 3:55-66 (NLT)

3:55 But I called on your name, Lord,
from deep within the pit.
You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
Hear my cry for help!”
Yes, you came when I called;
you told me, “Do not fear.”

Lord, you have come to my defense;
you have redeemed my life.
You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord.
Be my judge, and prove me right.
You have seen the vengeful plots
my enemies have laid against me.

Lord, you have heard the vile names they call me.
You know all about the plans they have made.
My enemies whisper and mutter
as they plot against me all day long.
Look at them! Whether they sit or stand,
I am the object of their mocking songs.

Pay them back, Lord,
for all the evil they have done.
Give them hard and stubborn hearts,
and then let your curse fall on them!
Chase them down in your anger,
destroying them beneath the Lord’s heavens.

__________

Begone Unbelief – Indelible Grace (– John Newton, 1803)

__________

NT Reading: Mark 10:32-34 (NLT)

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

10:32 They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”

__________

Son Of Suffering – Matt Redman

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: we hold up all our weaknesses to your strength, our failures to your faithfulness, our sinfulness to your perfection, our loneliness to your compassion, our little pains to your great agony on the Cross. We pray that you will cleanse us, strengthen us, guide us, so that in all ways our lives may be lived as you would have them lived, without cowardice and for you alone. Show us how to live in true humility, true contrition, and true love. Amen.

__________

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

For those of us whose hearts are troubled
at the start of this new day,
be the voice that we hear,
the warmth that we feel,
the wisdom we seek,
the strength we require,
and the one in whose arms we rest.

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

Season of Lent | Friday 31 Mar 2023: Psalm 31:16-17,19-21; Job 13:13-19; Philippians 1:21-30 ~ we are in this struggle together

The Season of Lent | Friday 31 Mar 2023

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

Opening:

For you have been given
not only the privilege of trusting in Christ
but also the privilege of suffering for him.
We are in this struggle together.
(Philippians 1:29-30)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 31:16-17,19-21 – “Make Your Face to Shine Upon Your Servant” (Esther Mui)

__________

OT Reading: Job 13:13-19 (NLT)

13:13 “Be silent now and leave me alone.
Let me speak, and I will face the consequences.
Why should I put myself in mortal danger
and take my life in my own hands?
God might kill me, but I have no other hope.
I am going to argue my case with him.
But this is what will save me—I am not godless.
If I were, I could not stand before him.

“Listen closely to what I am about to say.
Hear me out.
I have prepared my case;
I will be proved innocent.
Who can argue with me over this?
And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die.

__________

My Hope – Hillsong | Salvation Studios

__________

NT Reading: Philippians 1:21-30 (NLT)

1:21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Live as Citizens of Heaven

1:27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.