It took a year to read the Bible, then almost 9 months to read the Apocrypha. Now, I'm going to try to offer reflections on the Narrative Lectionary. But, I won't be posting daily--at least, for a while.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Daily Prayer, Monday, Septermber 10, 2012

Let the words of my mouth
   and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Morning
Invitatory Psalm 95
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,
  and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
  and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
  and we are the people of his pasture,
  and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
….

Psalm 1
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
   or take the path that sinners tread,
   or sit in the seat of scoffers;
       but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
       and on it,  they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
   which yield their fruit in its season,
   and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so,
   but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
….

Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord and his anointed,  saying,
       “Let us burst their bonds asunder,
         and cast their cords from us.”

The One who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
       “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
   He said to me, “You are my son;
   today I have begotten you.
….
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
….

Psalm 3
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying to me,
   “There is no help for you in God.”
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,
   my glory,
   and the one who lifts up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord,
   and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
I am not afraid of ten thousands of people
   who have set themselves against me all around.

Rise up, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God! ...
Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people!

Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
   my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
   in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
   evil will not sojourn with you.
….
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
   because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
   For there is no truth in their mouths;
   their hearts are destruction;
   their throats are open graves;
   they flatter with their tongues.
….
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
   so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Daily Lectionary Reading, Mark 8:27-38

27 Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “ Who do people say that I am? ”

28 They told him, “ Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets. ”

29 He asked them, “ And what about you? Who do you say that I am? ”

Peter answered, “ You are the Christ. ” 30 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “ The Human One (l) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead. ” 32 He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. 33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “ Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts. ”

34 After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “ All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 35 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. 36 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? 37 What will people give in exchange for their lives? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One (m) will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels. ”
_________________________________________________
l  Or Son of Man
m  Or Son of Man
[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: Christ our Lord, we have been told of your sufferings and your rejections. Sustain us through those times that following your way may cause us suffering or may cause the people around us to reject us. Help us to be able to make the distinction between what feels good at the moment and what is closer to your way. Shield us from wanting the temporary. Shield us from judging others. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:1-8
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
   who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
   who seek him with their whole heart,
   who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
   having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
   when I learn your righteous ordinances.
I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.

Evening
Psalm 6
O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
   or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
   for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me,
   for my bones are shaking with terror.
My soul also is struck with terror,
   while you, O Lord—how long?
Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
….
The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

Psalm 7
O Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
or like a lion they will tear me apart;
they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.
....
O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
   but establish the righteous,
   you who test the minds and hearts,
        O righteous God.
God is my shield, who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
   and a God who has indignation every day.
….
I will give you the thanks due to your righteousness,
   and sing praise to your name, O Lord, the Most High.

Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
   you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
       to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion
   over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
   all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
   the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

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