Morning Prayer: Thu, 15 Dec – Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Isaiah 54:1-10; Luke 7:24-30 ~ a lifetime of favor

Thursday in the Third Week of Advent

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

Opening Sentence – (In the preparation days of Celtic Advent)

+ We have waited long for You. Deep has been our darkness.
+ We long for You to shine right here among us where we are.
+ We will not fear the shadows that surround us if only You will come among us!
+ We wait for the sound of a cry in the night, the joy that follows pain, the coming of hope.
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Reading: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 (NLT)

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.
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Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”
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You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
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Reading: Isaiah 54:1-10 (NLT)

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.

“Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.

“Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. For the Lord has called you back from your grief—as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.

“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.

“Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
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Reading: Luke 7:24-30 (NLT)

After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”

When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.
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Prayer:

Open the heavens, Mighty God, and rain down your Spirit – that the earth may joyfully receive your Son, Jesus Christ, the embodiment of your grace and truth.

+ Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us into your kingdom: may we enter in, and live according to your call.
+ Lord Jesus Christ, the world does not know you: show yourself, in our midst, to all our brothers and sisters around the world.
+ Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for all that we have: move us to give of our plenty to those who have little.
+ Lord Jesus Christ, we look for your coming: when you knock, may we be found watching in prayer and rejoicing in praise.

Gracious God, heal us and bring us joy by the coming of your only Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Christmas Joy” – Wellington Citadel (NZ) Salvation Army Band

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Blessing

Make your heart ready for the King of Glory to come in. Pray: come dwell among us and be our peace today.

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

10th Ordinary Sunday, 05 June: 1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30; Galatians 1:11-19; Luke 7:11-17 ~ an overflow of compassion

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

God’s power is absolute: God is not defeated by death. Jesus shows divine power in today’s Gospel, raising the widow’s son from the dead. We celebrate this compassion and pray for the grace to imitate it.

Opening Prayer:

O God, our very breath, our only hope, in every age you take pity on us and bring forth life from death. Visit your people and raise your Church to new life, that we may join with all generations in voicing our wonder and praise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Mighty to Save” – Michael W. Smith live concert in Budapest, Hungary, June 2009.

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A Reading from the Old Testament: 1 Kings 17:17-24 (NLT)
[Elijah raises a boy from death, much as Jesus did at Nain. His ministry as a prophet is vindicated by this action.]

Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

Elijah Raising the Widow's Son Benjamin West (1774) Philadelphia Museum of Art | Philadelphia — Elijah Raising the Widow’s Son
Benjamin West (1774)
Philadelphia Museum of Art | Philadelphia

But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13 (NLT)

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.
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Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”
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You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
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“Psalm 30 Garments of Joy” – Sons of Korah

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A Reading from the Letters: Galatians 1:11-17, 19 (NLT)
[The second reading is from Galatians for all of June this year. Paul wrote this letter to a community who had been led astray. In this reading he establishes his credentials as a true apostle.]

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
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The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 7:11-17 (NLT)
[The only son of a widow is being brought out to be buried. In raising the boy to life, Jesus gives the widow back her hope.]

"Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain" Johann Zick, 1752 Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum Harvard University Art Museums — “Jesus raises the widow’s son at Nain”
Johann Zick, 1752
Harvard University Art Museums

Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.
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Hymn: “Healer” – Kari Jobe

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Intercessory Prayer:

Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth: you are compassionate and all-powerful. Hear our payers and show us your mercy.

+ That Christians may believe that you have power to free souls from death in this life and the life to come…. Lord, hear us.
+ That all who grieve may be consoled, especially those who have lost loved ones throughout the Middle East…. Lord, hear us.
+ That parents who mourn the loss of a child may be comforted and always have support…. Lord, hear us.
+ That poor and lonely people may find friendship in Christ through your church…. Lord, hear us.
+ That people who are sick may be healed by your power at work in us and through us…. Lord, hear us.
+ That you may raise up all who have died in Christ and turn mourners’ hearts from sadness to joy…. Lord, hear us.

Lord our God, you graciously change mourning into dancing, so great is your love for us. Listen to our prayers, and come to our help, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Mourning Into Dancing” – Ron Kenoly

Benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

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

3rd Sunday of Easter, 10 April: Acts 5:27-41; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 ~ love, feed, and follow

Third Sunday of Easter

Joyfully we worship God who raised our Savior from the dead.

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

Opening Sentence:

God of life, in your risen Son you reveal your abiding presence among us and summon those reborn in him to lives of worship and service. Fill us with joy as we come before you today. And, grant us courage and zeal in witnessing before the world to your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and always in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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“Happy Day” – Tim Hughes

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A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles: Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 (NLT)
[Peter and the apostles are reprimanded for teaching about Jesus.]

Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
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They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.
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Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.
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For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”
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Psalm 30 – Kol Simcha

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A Reading from the Revelations of John: Revelation 5:11-14 NLT (NLT)
[John shares his vision of heaven.]

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered — to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 20:19-31 (NLT)
[Jesus appears for a third time to the disciples.]

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
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Spiritual Song: “Feed Me Jesus” – Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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Intercessory Prayer:

Heavenly Father: rescue us from all our distress, and hear the prayers of your people.

+ That Christians who suffer for their faith may have courage…. Lord, hear us.
+ That missionaries may have the conviction and zeal of the early disciples…. Lord, hear us.
+ That fishermen and those who work on the sea may have divine protection…. Lord, hear us.
+ That small farmers may receive a just reward for their precious labor…. Lord, hear us.
+ That those who cook and serve food may themselves be sustained by your Spirit…. Lord, hear us.
+ That the vision of heaven given in the Scriptures may comfort the sick and dying…. Lord, hear us.
+ That all who have died may join those gathered around the throne of the Lamb…. Lord, hear us.

Gracious God, you listen and have compassion on your people: help us and guide us all the days of our life, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Hymn: “Revelation Song” – Jennie Lee Riddle

Benediction:

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 7:12)

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

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