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.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Daily Prayer, Tuesday, February 21, 2012

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Morning
Invitatory Psalm  84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.



Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow for herself
where she may lay her you, at your altars, 
O Lord of hosts, my Ruler and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house, 
ever singing your praise.

....

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.



For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.


For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
who bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.



Psalm 97
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; 
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around you;
righteousness and justice 
are the foundation of your throne.
...
The heavens proclaim your righteousness; 
and all the peoples behold your glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame, 
those who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before you.

Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, 
because of your judgments, O God.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; 
you are exalted far above all gods.

You love those who hate evil; 
you guard  the lives of his faithful;
you rescue them from the hand of the wicked.


Light dawns for the righteous, 
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, 
and give thanks to the holy name!



Psalm 98
O sing to the Lord a new song...
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
   make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
   at the presence of the Lord,
who is coming to judge the earth with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 99
….
Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
….
Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; 
for the Lord our God is holy.



Psalm 101
I will sing of loyalty and of justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing.
I will study the way that is blameless.
When shall I attain it?
I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;
I will not set before my eyes anything that is base.
….
I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
so that they may live with me;
whoever walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.

No one who practices deceit shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies shall continue in my presence.
….

Daily Lectionary Reading, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
5:20b We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “ Be reconciled to God! ” 21 God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.

6:1 Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 He says, I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation. (b) Look, now is the right time! Look, now is the day of salvation!

3 We don’t give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized. 4 Instead, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. We did this with our great endurance through problems, disasters, and stressful situations. 5 We went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots. We experienced hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. 6 We displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, 7 telling the truth, and God’s power. We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand. 8 We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, 9 as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, 10 as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything. [Common English Bible]
_________________________________________________
b  Isa 49:8


Prayer for Today:  Almighty God, you  have created us out of the dust of the earth. Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, so that we may remember that only by your gracious gift are we given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. (UMBOW 323) 

Midday Psalm 119:137-152
You are righteous, O Lord,
  and your judgments are right.
You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
  and in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me
  because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried,
  and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
 yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
  and your law is the truth.
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
  but your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.

With my whole heart I cry;
answer me, O Lord.
I will keep your statutes.
I cry to you;
save me, that I may observe your decrees.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I put my hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,
  that I may meditate on your promise.

In your steadfast love hear my voice;
  O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw near;
  they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O Lord,
  and all your commandments are true.
Long ago I learned from your decrees
  that you have established them forever.



Evening
Psalm 115
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;

he will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great.
May the Lord give you increase, both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.
The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord from this time on and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest,
   for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
   my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
….
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!




Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

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