Lent – Week #3
March 31, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
Prayer
Now to that God, who has suffered so much for us, who at one giving has conferred on us so many good things, and will yet confer so many more, to this God let every creature who is in heaven or upon the earth, in the sea or in the depth of the abyss, render praise, glory, honor and blessing. He is himself our virtue and our strength. He alone is good, lofty, almighty, admirable, and glorious; the only holy, worthy of praise and blessed through ages of ages. Amen.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Scripture
Exodus 15:1-6, 11
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
“The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, LORD,
was majestic in power.
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
Hebrews 3:12-18
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
Prayers
from St. Francis of Assisi
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior. Amen.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praying with Jesus
Matthew 11:25-26
I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord and Master, we praise You
for we have been witness to Your glorious love.
And yet guard us from the dangers
of being inattentive and disobedient.
As we praise Your glory with abandon,
allow us to obey with abandon as well.
May we abandon ourselves to You,
our loving Lord.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week #3
March 30, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Romans 5:6-11
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Prayer
God of power and might, we praise you through your Son, Jesus Christ, who comes in your name. He is the Word that brings salvation. He is the hand you stretch out to sinners. He is the way that leads to your peace.
God our Father, we had wandered far from you, but through your Son you have brought us back. You gave him up to death so that we might turn again to you and find our way to one another. Therefore we celebrate the reconciliation Christ has gained for us.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Scripture
Exodus 15:1-6, 11
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
“The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, LORD,
was majestic in power.
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
Hebrews 3:12-18
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
Prayers
from St. Francis of Assisi
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior. Amen.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praying with Jesus
Matthew 11:25-26
I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord and Master, we praise You
for we have been witness to Your glorious love.
And yet guard us from the dangers
of being inattentive and disobedient.
As we praise Your glory with abandon,
allow us to obey with abandon as well.
May we abandon ourselves to You,
our loving Lord.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Is God Among Us or Not?
March 29, 2011
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In a look at Psalm 95, we see a common question in times of doubt whose but the answer is often missed because of the ways we try to take control.
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Psalm 121
March 29, 2011
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This week we go over Psalm 121
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Lent – Week #3
March 29, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Prayer
Help me to make every effort to add to my faith goodness; and to goodness,
knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness, love. May I possess these qualities in increasing
measure, so that I will be effective and productive in my knowledge of You.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Scripture
Exodus 15:1-6, 11
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
“The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, LORD,
was majestic in power.
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
Hebrews 3:12-18
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
Prayers
from St. Francis of Assisi
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior. Amen.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praying with Jesus
Matthew 11:25-26
I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord and Master, we praise You
for we have been witness to Your glorious love.
And yet guard us from the dangers
of being inattentive and disobedient.
As we praise Your glory with abandon,
allow us to obey with abandon as well.
May we abandon ourselves to You,
our loving Lord.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week #3
March 28, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Exodus 17:1-7
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
Prayer
For this new morning and its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For every gift His goodness sends
We thank you, gracious Lord, for You are among us. Amen.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Scripture
Exodus 15:1-6, 11
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
“The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, LORD,
was majestic in power.
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
Hebrews 3:12-18
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
Prayers
from St. Francis of Assisi
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior. Amen.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praying with Jesus
Matthew 11:25-26
I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord and Master, we praise You
for we have been witness to Your glorious love.
And yet guard us from the dangers
of being inattentive and disobedient.
As we praise Your glory with abandon,
allow us to obey with abandon as well.
May we abandon ourselves to You,
our loving Lord.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week #2
March 25, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
John 3:1-8
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Prayer
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass.
God does not change.
Patience achieves everything.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 61
Hear, God, my song,
listen close to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call You.
When my heart faints, You lead me to a rock high above me.
For You have been a shelter to me,
a tower of strength in the face of the foe.
Let me dwell in Your tent for all time,
let me shelter in Your wings’ hiding-place.
For You, God, have heard my vows,
You have granted the plea of those who fear Your name.
Days may You add to the days of the king,
his years be like those of generations untold.
May he ever abide in the presence of God.
Steadfast kindness ordain to preserve him!
So let me hymn Your name forever
as I pay my vows day after day.
A Poem
excerpt from “The Word Answer” by Mark Jarman
That’s all it wants: a prayer just wants an answer,
And twists time in a knot until it gets it.
There’s the door. Will anybody get it?
That’s what he’s wondering; the bath’s still warm;
And by the time he towels off and puts on
His pajamas, robe, and slippers and goes down,
They’ll be gone, won’t they? There’s the door again;
And nobody’s here to answer it but him.
Perhaps they’ll go away. But it’s not easy,
Relaxing in the tub, reading the paper,
With someone at the front door, ringing and pounding,
And — that sounds like glass — breaking in.
At least the bathroom door’s securely bolted.
Or is that any assurance in this case?
He might as well go find out what’s the matter.
Whoever it is must really want … something.
We ask for bread, he makes his body bread.
We ask for daily life, and every day,
We get a life…
Praying with Jesus
from Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Closing Prayer
Like children, we ask many things of You.
We come to You, hands open with requests.
We often come distressed and at our end,
acknowledging that You are the beginning.
As each prayer crosses our mind
let it be tinged with thanks
for the answer it will receive of You.
We praise you for hearing and helping,
answering us daily.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week #2
March 24, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Prayer
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 61
Hear, God, my song,
listen close to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call You.
When my heart faints, You lead me to a rock high above me.
For You have been a shelter to me,
a tower of strength in the face of the foe.
Let me dwell in Your tent for all time,
let me shelter in Your wings’ hiding-place.
For You, God, have heard my vows,
You have granted the plea of those who fear Your name.
Days may You add to the days of the king,
his years be like those of generations untold.
May he ever abide in the presence of God.
Steadfast kindness ordain to preserve him!
So let me hymn Your name forever
as I pay my vows day after day.
A Poem
excerpt from “The Word Answer” by Mark Jarman
That’s all it wants: a prayer just wants an answer,
And twists time in a knot until it gets it.
There’s the door. Will anybody get it?
That’s what he’s wondering; the bath’s still warm;
And by the time he towels off and puts on
His pajamas, robe, and slippers and goes down,
They’ll be gone, won’t they? There’s the door again;
And nobody’s here to answer it but him.
Perhaps they’ll go away. But it’s not easy,
Relaxing in the tub, reading the paper,
With someone at the front door, ringing and pounding,
And — that sounds like glass — breaking in.
At least the bathroom door’s securely bolted.
Or is that any assurance in this case?
He might as well go find out what’s the matter.
Whoever it is must really want … something.
We ask for bread, he makes his body bread.
We ask for daily life, and every day,
We get a life…
Praying with Jesus
from Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Closing Prayer
Like children, we ask many things of You.
We come to You, hands open with requests.
We often come distressed and at our end,
acknowledging that You are the beginning.
As each prayer crosses our mind
let it be tinged with thanks
for the answer it will receive of You.
We praise you for hearing and helping,
answering us daily.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week 2
March 23, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Romans 4:13-17
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Prayer
Lord God, may we trust in the You with all our heart
and lean not on our own understanding;
in all your ways may we acknowledge You,
for You will direct our paths.
Amen.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 61
Hear, God, my song,
listen close to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call You.
When my heart faints, You lead me to a rock high above me.
For You have been a shelter to me,
a tower of strength in the face of the foe.
Let me dwell in Your tent for all time,
let me shelter in Your wings’ hiding-place.
For You, God, have heard my vows,
You have granted the plea of those who fear Your name.
Days may You add to the days of the king,
his years be like those of generations untold.
May he ever abide in the presence of God.
Steadfast kindness ordain to preserve him!
So let me hymn Your name forever
as I pay my vows day after day.
A Poem
excerpt from “The Word Answer” by Mark Jarman
That’s all it wants: a prayer just wants an answer,
And twists time in a knot until it gets it.
There’s the door. Will anybody get it?
That’s what he’s wondering; the bath’s still warm;
And by the time he towels off and puts on
His pajamas, robe, and slippers and goes down,
They’ll be gone, won’t they? There’s the door again;
And nobody’s here to answer it but him.
Perhaps they’ll go away. But it’s not easy,
Relaxing in the tub, reading the paper,
With someone at the front door, ringing and pounding,
And — that sounds like glass — breaking in.
At least the bathroom door’s securely bolted.
Or is that any assurance in this case?
He might as well go find out what’s the matter.
Whoever it is must really want … something.
We ask for bread, he makes his body bread.
We ask for daily life, and every day,
We get a life…
Praying with Jesus
from Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Closing Prayer
Like children, we ask many things of You.
We come to You, hands open with requests.
We often come distressed and at our end,
acknowledging that You are the beginning.
As each prayer crosses our mind
let it be tinged with thanks
for the answer it will receive of You.
We praise you for hearing and helping,
answering us daily.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Lent – Week #2
March 22, 2011
READING FOR TODAY:
Romans 4:1-5
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
Prayer
There are so many ways that You influence our lives through Your teaching, Your healing, Your companionship, Your provision, Your guidance, and Your everlasting hope. I pray today that You would revive our hearts as we ponder Your mighty works, Your miraculous ways and follow Your leading. Just as the angel told your servant Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God” who are we to limit Your power or wisdom through our vain thinking or lack of faith? We want to fully trust You to guide us according to Your will. Amen.
READING FOR EVERY DAY:
Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus, and deliver us from fear.
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 61
Hear, God, my song,
listen close to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call You.
When my heart faints, You lead me to a rock high above me.
For You have been a shelter to me,
a tower of strength in the face of the foe.
Let me dwell in Your tent for all time,
let me shelter in Your wings’ hiding-place.
For You, God, have heard my vows,
You have granted the plea of those who fear Your name.
Days may You add to the days of the king,
his years be like those of generations untold.
May he ever abide in the presence of God.
Steadfast kindness ordain to preserve him!
So let me hymn Your name forever
as I pay my vows day after day.
A Poem
excerpt from “The Word Answer” by Mark Jarman
That’s all it wants: a prayer just wants an answer,
And twists time in a knot until it gets it.
There’s the door. Will anybody get it?
That’s what he’s wondering; the bath’s still warm;
And by the time he towels off and puts on
His pajamas, robe, and slippers and goes down,
They’ll be gone, won’t they? There’s the door again;
And nobody’s here to answer it but him.
Perhaps they’ll go away. But it’s not easy,
Relaxing in the tub, reading the paper,
With someone at the front door, ringing and pounding,
And — that sounds like glass — breaking in.
At least the bathroom door’s securely bolted.
Or is that any assurance in this case?
He might as well go find out what’s the matter.
Whoever it is must really want … something.
We ask for bread, he makes his body bread.
We ask for daily life, and every day,
We get a life…
Praying with Jesus
from Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Closing Prayer
Like children, we ask many things of You.
We come to You, hands open with requests.
We often come distressed and at our end,
acknowledging that You are the beginning.
As each prayer crosses our mind
let it be tinged with thanks
for the answer it will receive of You.
We praise you for hearing and helping,
answering us daily.
In the strong name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
