“Could my tears forever flow, could my zeal no languor know, these for sin could not atone…”
—-Augustus M. Toplady, 1762 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Luke 18:1, 8 Pray always, and do not lose heart. God will grant justice to the faithful. Prayer The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd ed., 2013 God of beauty and of justice, we pray for the earth-- for restoration of soil, air, and water. We pray for all people you have created-- for restoration of dignity and hope. We pray for our nation and community-- for restoration of our sense of responsibility in service. We pray even for ourselves-- for restoration of our resolve to love you and the world you made. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Hymn of the Day From This Valley, by the Civil Wars. Listen and pray. Reading of the Day Ruth 1: 1-14 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for the thousands who are still being diagnosed positive in the U.S. each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for residents of southwest Louisiana, recovering from Hurricane Delta as well as Laura. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Alleluia!
0 Comments
“Let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure…”
—-Augustus M. Toplady, 1762 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Psalm 91:14-15 Those who love the Lord, God will deliver; when they call, God will answer them. Prayer Daily Office, Orthodox Glory to thee, O Lord, Glory to thee! Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, treasury of all good and giver of life, come and dwell within us; cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and of thy goodness, save our souls. Amen. Hymn of the Day Gloria in Excelsis Deo, by Antonio Vivaldi, sung by Voces Para Paz, Madrid. Listen and pray. Reading of the Day Judges 2: 1-10 1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to the Lord. 6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9 So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for the thousands who are still being diagnosed positive in the U.S. each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for election workers in Harris County and beyond, as they begin the time of early voting; pray that their work is safe and without anxiety, and full of good cheer. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Alleluia! Monday, October 12, 2020 - Daily Prayer
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…” —-Augustus M. Toplady, 1762 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences 1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3 Give thanks to God for the faith we share; be steadfast in hope through Jesus Christ. Prayer Book of Common Worship, PC(USA), 2018 High God, holy God: you rule the ways of peoples, and govern every earthly government. Work with those who work for peace. Make every person in authority an agent of your reconciliation, and every diplomat an ambassador of hope. Bring peace and goodwill among all people, fulfilling among us the promise made in Jesus Christ, who who was born to save the world. Amen. Hymn of the Day Be Thou My Vision, by Audrey Assad. Listen and pray. https://youtu.be/Optrm7lF16s Reading of the Day Joshua 1: 1-9 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. 5 No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. 9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA, and for the thousands who are still being diagnosed positive in the U.S. each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for the families of the over 240,000 who have died of the disease. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Alleluia! “Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son! And praise the Spirit, Three in One! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Romans 6:3, 11 Through our baptism, we are dead to sin. Now we are alive to God in Christ Jesus. Prayer Michael Quoist, 1965 Here, Lord, before you tonight are the bodies of sleeping men: The pure body of the tiny child, The soiled body of the prostitute, The vigorous body of the athlete, The exhausted body of the factory worker, The soft body of the playboy, The surfeited body of the rich man, The starved body of the poor man, The paralyzed body of the cripple, All bodies, Lord, of all ages. I offer them all to you, Lord, and ask you to bless them, While they lie in silence, wrapped in your night… May these bodies be developed, purified, transfigured, By those who dwell in them. Amen. Hymn of the Day Farther Along, by Willie Nelson. Listen and pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 20: 1-21 1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.” 21 Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA, President Trump and all his associates, and the hundreds more in Houston who are diagnosed positive each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for hope in our world, that we would be able to see beyond our immediate circumstances and toward the kingdom of heaven. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. “All creatures, your Creator bless, and worship God in humbleness. O sing ye! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Galatians 5:1, 25 For freedom Christ has set us free. Now we live by the Spirit of God. Prayer Berakoth (Blessings), from the Talmud Close mine eyes from evil, And my ears from hearing idle words, And my heart from reflecting on unchaste thoughts, And my veins from thinking of transgression. Guide my feet to walk in thy commandments And thy righteous ways, And may thy mercies be turned on me. Hymn of the Day When Peace Like A River (It Is Well), performed by Anthony Ferreira and Josiah Hamill. Listen and pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 16: 1-8 1 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA, President Trump and all his associates, and the hundreds more in Houston who are diagnosed positive each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for artists, singers, and actors, who are not able to use their gifts during these months. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. “The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, let them God’s glory also show! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences 2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. This is the good news we proclaim. Prayer Book of Common Worship, PC(USA), 2018 Merciful God, in Jesus Christ you do not call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Draw us away from the easy road that leads to destruction, and guide us into paths that lead to life abundant, that in seeking your truth, and obeying you will, we may know the joy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Hymn of the Day The Blessing- South Korea. This song has been sung by faithful Christians in virtual choirs all over the world during the pandemic. The South Korean version is especially beautiful. Listen and Pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 15:1-21 1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power-- your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 “In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14 The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. 16 Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O Lord, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. 17 You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O Lord, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.” 19 When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.” Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA, President Trump and all his associates, and the hundreds more in Houston who are diagnosed positive each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for patience to adhere to precautions, even though it’s been so much longer than any of us expected. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. “Thou fertile earth that day by day unfoldest blessings on your way, O sing ye! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Mark 10:17, 27 How can a mortal receive eternal life? For God all things are possible. Prayer William Bright (1824-1901) Loving God, you want us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing except losing you, and to lay all our cares on you, knowing that you care for us. Protect us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds in this mortal life may hide from us the light of your immortal love shown to us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hymn of the Day Hard Times Come Again No More, by Bob Dylan. Listen and Pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 14:26-31 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA, President Trump and all his associates, and the hundreds more in Houston who are diagnosed positive each day. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for researchers who work with faithfulness and integrity to develop a vaccine for the virus. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. “Thou fire so masterful and bright, that gives us both warmth and light, Alleluia! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Isaiah 25:6-7 The Lord will make a feast for all people and destroy the power of death forever. Prayer Mechtild of Magdeburg (c. 1210-1297) I, God, am your playmate! I will lead the child in you in wonderful ways for I have chosen you. Beloved child, come swiftly to Me for I am truly in you. Hymn of the Day O Lord, I Want You to Help Me, by the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, Cleveland, Ohio. Listen and Pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 13: 17-22 17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. 19 And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” 20 They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for the President and all his colleagues who have been diagnosed with the virus, that they would receive full healing. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. “Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for the Lord to hear, Alleluia! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Lamentations 3:22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; the mercies of God never come to an end. Prayer Book of Common Worship, PC(USA), 2018 O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, strength of the thoughts that seek you: Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Hymn of the Day Trouble Don’t Last Always, by Rev. Timothy Wright. Listen and rejoice! Reading of the Day Exodus 3:13-22 13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. 16 Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 18 They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go. 21 I will bring this people into such favor with the Egyptians that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed; 22 each woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman living in the neighbor’s house for jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; and so you shall plunder the Egyptians.” Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for that you would be able to share the Light of the world, which inhabits your soul, with someone who needs it. Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Amen. “Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening, find a voice! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
—-Francis of Assisi, 1225 Preparation for worship Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit. Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship… Opening Sentences Matthew 10:40 Welcome one another in Jesus’ name, for Christ is truly present among us. Prayer St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226), (but may be of earlier origin) May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet as honey, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven. Grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our love. Amen Hymn of the Day Nearer My God to Thee, by André Rieu with the Johann Strauss Orchestra in Amsterdam. Listen and pray. Reading of the Day Exodus 3: 1-12 1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” Prayers for self and others Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA. As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray today for the city of Houston, that our virus metrics would continue to improve! Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God. Benediction May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Amen. |
AuthorBecky Downs, pastor of John Knox, started writing daily prayers for the congregation at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, to encourage the congregation in their faith during their time of separation from each other. The daily prayers were posted throughout the year. You might want to choose one a day to read, and modify the specific prayers for self and others to fit your life today. Archives
April 2021
Categories |