Daily Prayer, Friday, July 5, 2013

I will extol you, O lord, for you have drawn me up,

and did not let my foes rejoice over me.

Morning

Invitatory Psalm 118

Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,

because his faithful love lasts forever.

2 Let Israel say it:

“ God’s faithful love lasts forever! ”

….

5 In tight circumstances, I cried out to the LORD .

The LORD answered me with wide-open spaces.

6 The LORD is for me —I won’t be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?

….

19 Open the gates of righteousness for me

so I can come in and give thanks to the LORD!

20 This is the LORD’s gate;

those who are righteous enter through it.

21 I thank you because you answered me,

because you were my saving help.

22 The stone rejected by the builders

is now the main foundation stone!

23 This has happened because of the LORD;

it is astounding in our sight!

24 This is the day the LORD acted;

we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

….

28 You are my God—I will give thanks to you!

You are my God—I will lift you up high!

29 Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,

because his faithful love lasts forever.

[Common English Bible]

Psalms 131, 132, 133

Daily Lectionary Reading, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease.j2 Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife.

3 She said to her mistress, “ I wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease. ” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the young girl from the land of Israel had said.

5 Then Aram’s king said, “ Go ahead. I will send a letter to Israel’s king. ”

So Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to Israel’s king. It read, “ Along with this letter I’m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease. ”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes. He said, “ What? Am I God to hand out death and life? But this king writes me, asking me to cure someone of his skin disease! You must realize that he wants to start a fight with me. ”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that Israel’s king had ripped his clothes, he sent word to the king: “Why did you rip your clothes? Let the man come to me. Then he’ll know that there’s a prophet in Israel.”

9 Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who said, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.”

11 But Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t the rivers in Damascus, the Abanak and the Pharpar, better than all Israel’s waters? Couldn’t I wash in them and get clean?” So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger.

13 Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’” 14 So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean.
[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: O Lord, open us to hear wisdom that comes from people that we are used to listening to. Prompt us to share what we know that will help people that may not have been that helpful to us in the past. Help us to discern your will. Prompt us to carry out those actions that will come most closely to your plan for our lives. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:169-176

Evening

Psalm 137, 138, 139

Community Praise, a reflection on Psalm 66:1-9

Psalm 66 calls on all the earth to give God praise. I don't read Hebrew but I do read people who do, and they tell me that the command is in the plural. We Southerners might read "Y'all make a joyful noise to God, all y'all" (1) and "Y'all come see what awesome things God has done" (5) "Say it, say it loud. Say it where everybody can hear it" (9)

Off on an tangent: The psalm begins with the command for all the earth to make a joyful noise, to sing. All? joyful? I'm thinking even the portion of us in a sanctuary on Sunday morning aren't all singing, and that all of them don't sound particularly joyful.

How do we tell what God has done? Do we usually notice? Where and when is our praise heard? (9)

Daily Prayer, Thursday, July 4, 2013

Bless our God, O peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard.

Morning

Invitatory Psalm 150

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary!

Praise God in his fortress, the sky!

2 Praise God in his mighty acts!

Praise God as suits his incredible greatness!

3 Praise God with the blast of the ram’s horn!

Praise God with lute and lyre!

4 Praise God with drum and dance!

Praise God with strings and pipe!

5 Praise God with loud cymbals!

Praise God with clashing cymbals!

6 Let every living thing praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

[Common English Bible]

Psalm 125, 126, 127, 128, 129

Daily Lectionary Reading, Psalm 66:1-9

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! 2 Sing praises to the glory of God’s name! Make glorious his praise! 3 Say to God: “ How awesome are your works! Because of your great strength, your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth worships you, sings praises to you, sings praises to your name! ” Selah 5 Come and see God’s deeds; his works for human beings are awesome: 6 He turned the sea into dry land so they could cross the river on foot. Right there we rejoiced in him! 7 God rules with power forever; keeps a good eye on the nations. So don’t let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 All you nations, bless our God! Let the sound of his praise be heard! 9 God preserved us among the living; he didn’t let our feet slip a bit.

[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: O God, open our lips to today to give you praise for what you have done for us. Direct us to remember your gifts. Direct us to share with others what we have learned. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:161-168

Evening

Psalm 135, 136

Independence Day

The GBOD offers Independence Day Resources

Maternal Comfort, a Reflection on Isaiah 66:10-14

In the Women's Bible Commentary, Revised and Updated, Patricia K. Tull points out that "the prophetic voice in chapters 65-66 gives up on some segments of the population, marking a division between those who continue to rebel and the chosen ones who serve God."

The lectionary this week links Isaiah 66:10-14  to this week's gospel lesson in which the Lord lets them know that some people will respond positively to the missionaries and some very negatively, "Respond positively to the good things, but don't worry any rejections."

In Isaiah, we have seen the pattern between the devastation to the unfaithful Jerusalem and then the restoration, the prosperity and protection offered by God, "I'll be like a mother to you, and you will flourish."

We can appropriate the passage from Luke as encouraging us to do missionary work or as giving us some sort of satisfaction about what's going to happen to people who don't listen to the truth we're trying to instill in them. But, combining the reading from Isaiah, we can also receive comfort that we ourselves can seek consolation and forgiveness for those times that we did not respond in the right ways to those that the Lord sent to us, those times that our words and actions were not Christ-like.

Daily Prayer, Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Come and see what God has done.
You are awesome in your deeds among mortals.

Morning
Invitatory Psalm 100
Shout triumphantly to the LORD , all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with celebration!
Come before him with shouts of joy!
3 Know that the LORD is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
We are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
5 Because the LORD is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts generation after generation.
[Common English Bible]

Psalms 120, 121, 122, 123, 124

Daily Lectionary Reading, Isaiah 66:10-14
10 Celebrate with Jerusalem; be happy with her,
all you who love her!
Rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breasts,
that you may drink and be refreshed
from her full breasts.
12 The LORD says:
Look, I’m extending prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.
You will nurse and be carried on the hip
and bounced upon the knee.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
in Jerusalem you will be comforted.
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
your entire being will flourish like grass.
The LORD’s power will be known among his servants,
but his fury among his enemies.
[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: Lord, we confess that we have not always followed your way. Yet, you have comforted us in times of mourning. You have provided gifts for us when we were in need. We repent of our failings and rejoice in your care of us. Give us now the courage and the will to tell others what you have done for us. Amen.


Midday Psalm 119:153-160

Evening
Psalm 130

Achievement, a Reflection on Luke 10:16-20

Jesus told them if a town and its people didn't welcome them then they were to confront their resistance but not silently. "Let them know that the kingdom of God has come near."

The lectionary this week skips verses 12-15 which include more of what Jesus told them to say to the towns that rejected them. Woes will come that will remind them of past destructions. Note that although the missionaries are to tell about the judgment and punishment, it's not their function to enact it.

The mission of these seventy turns out well. They report with joy, "Even the demons submit to us!"

"Satan is dead," he tells them. "I saw him fall like a flash of lightning." Why do we still fear Satan if Jesus has already seen him die? Why are we afraid of anything?

Jesus tells them that they can expect continued accomplishments--and why. They have been given authority--and that authority has been given by him. He then adds that they shouldn't rejoice as much over their power but rather over the source of any power that they are able to see or use.

Daily Prayer, Tuesday, July 2, 2013

We sing the glory of your name;

We give to you glorious praise.

Morning

Invitatory Psalm 84

How lovely is your dwelling place,

LORD of heavenly forces!

2 My very being longs, even yearns,

for the LORD ’s courtyards.

My heart and my body

will rejoice out loud to the living God!

3 Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there;

the swallow has found herself a nest

where she can lay her young beside your altars,

LORD of heavenly forces, my king, my God!

4 Those who live in your house are truly happy;

they praise you constantly. Selah

….

9 Look at our shield, God;

pay close attention to the face of your anointed one!

10 Better is a single day in your courtyards

than a thousand days anywhere else!

I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God’s house

than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked!

11 The LORD is a sun and shield;

God is favor and glory.

The LORD gives—doesn’t withhold!—good things

to those who walk with integrity.

12 LORD of heavenly forces,

those who trust in you are truly happy!

[Common English Bible]

Psalm 97

Psalm 98

Psalm 99

Psalm 101

 

Daily Lectionary Reading, Luke 10:16-20

16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me. ”

17 The seventy-two returned joyously, saying, “ Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name. ” 18 Jesus replied, “ I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Look, I have given you authority to crush snakes and scorpions underfoot. I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. 20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the spirits submit to you. Rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven. ”

[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: Lord, we give you thanks for the gifts you have given us. Help us to continue to use those gifts for the building of your kingdom. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:137-152

Evening

Psalm 115

Psalm 116

Psalm 117

A Few Laborers, a Reflection on Luke 10:1-11

"After this," the chapter begins. I looked back to see what "this" had been.

The instructions to the seventy (or, in some sources, seventy-two) in 10:1-12 echo in several ways the instructions to the twelve in 9:1-6.

People need help. You can help them even without a lot of resources. Not everybody will appreciate your effort.

That was then, and that is now, too. The harvest is still plentiful, and the laborers are still few. We still do not have what seems a sufficient amount of money or experience or talent or knowledge to make a dent in the massive amount of need confronting us.

Also still true is that we are called to cure the sick--that could mean supporting hospitals that actually provide care for indigents (some Protestant denominations do not). And, also still true is that we are called to announce the good news (verse 9).

The first hearers of Luke's gospel would have already heard of another significant occasion of 70 disciples. When Moses needed help dealing with the needs of the people on that long wilderness trek, the Lord told him to appoint 70 elders to help. The Lord told Moses, "I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you so that you will not bear it all by yourself" (Numbers 11:1-25).

Daily Prayer, Monday, July 1, 2013

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth

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 94

Psalm 96

Daily Lectionary Reading, Luke 10:1-11

After these things, the Lord commissioned seventy-two others and sent them on ahead in pairs to every city and place he was about to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest. 3 Go! Be warned, though, that I’m sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no wallet, no bag, and no sandals. Don’t even greet anyone along the way. 5 Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house.’ 6 If anyone there shares God’s peace, then your peace will rest on that person. If not, your blessing will return to you. 7 Remain in this house, eating and drinking whatever they set before you, for workers deserve their pay. Don’t move from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a city and its people welcome you, eat what they set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘God’s kingdom has come upon you.’ 10 Whenever you enter a city and the people don’t welcome you, go out into the streets and say, 11 ‘As a complaint against you, we brush off the dust of your city that has collected on our feet. But know this: God’s kingdom has come to you.’

[Common English Bible]

Prayer for Today: Lord, when we hear your call, strengthen us to respond. Call our fears about our abilities. Keep our attention on what you consider important. Do not let us fall into despair over setbacks, but keep us mindful of your presence and your support. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:129-136

Evening

Psalm 110

Psalm 112

Psalm 113

Psalm 114