Daily Prayer, April 3, 2002, Tuesday of Holy Week

O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!

Morning
Invitatory 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.
….
Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
  for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
….

Psalm 36
....

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
   your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
   and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
   and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
   or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Daily Lectionary, First Reading, Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, coastlands;
pay attention, peoples far away.
The LORD called me before my birth,
called my name when
I was in my mother’s womb.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow
of God’s own hand.
He made me a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in God’s quiver,
3 saying to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I show my glory.”
4 But I said,
I have wearied myself in vain.
I have used up my strength
for nothing.”
Nevertheless, the LORD
will grant me justice;
my reward is with my God.
5 And now the LORD has decided—
the one who formed me
from the womb as his servant—
to restore Jacob to God,
so that Israel might return to him.
Moreover, I’m honored
in the LORD ’s eyes;
my God has become my strength.
6 He said: It is not enough,
since you are my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back
the survivors of Israel.
Hence, I will also appoint you
as light to the nations
so that my salvation may reach
to the end of the earth.
7 The LORD , redeemer of Israel
and its holy one,
says to one despised,
rejected by nations,
to the slave of rulers:
Kings will see and stand up;
commanders will bow down
on account of the LORD ,
who is faithful,
the holy one of Israel,
who has chosen you. [Common English Bible]

Daily Lectionary Reading, Psalm 71:1-14

I’ve taken refuge in you, LORD .
Don’t let me ever be put to shame!
2 Deliver me and rescue me
by your righteousness!
Bend your ear toward me
and save me!
3 Be my rock of refuge
where I can always escape.
You commanded that my life be saved
because you are my rock
and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me
from the power of the wicked;
rescue me from the grip of the wrongdoer and the oppressor
5 because you are my hope, Lord.
You, LORD , are the one I’ve trusted since childhood.
6 I’ve depended on you from birth—
you cut the cord when I came
from my mother’s womb.
My praise is always about you.
7 I’ve become an example to many people
because you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
glorifying you all day long.
9 Don’t cast me off in old age.
Don’t abandon me when my strength
is used up!
10 Yes, my enemies have been
talking about me;
those who stalk me plot together:
11 “God has abandoned him!
Pursue him!
Grab him
because no one will deliver him!”
12 Don’t be far from me, God!
My God, hurry to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame,
completely finished off!
Let those who seek my downfall
be dressed in insults and disgrace!
14 But me? I will hope. Always.
I will add to all your praise. [Common English Bible]

Morning Prayer for Today: O Lord, we give you thanks for your presence and your protection. Help us now to share our gifts and strengths with others. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:49-56
Remember your word to your servant,
  in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my distress,
   that your promise gives me life.
The arrogant utterly deride me,
   but I do not turn away from your law.
When I think of your ordinances from of old,
   I take comfort, O Lord.
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
   those who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs
   wherever I make my home.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
   and keep your law.
This blessing has fallen to me,
   for I have kept your precepts.



Evening
Psalm 55
Give ear to my prayer, O God;
do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am troubled in my complaint.
I am distraught by the noise of the enemy,
   because of the clamor of the wicked.
....Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
   and he will hear my voice.
He will redeem me unharmed from the battle that I wage,
   for many are arrayed against me.
….
Cast your burden on the Lord,
   and he will sustain you;
he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
….

Daily Lectionary, Second Reading, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. 19 It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent. (a) 20 Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today’s debaters? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 In God’s wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn’t come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. 22 Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

_________________________________________________
a  Isa 29:14
[Common English Bible]

Psalm 59
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from those who work evil;
from the bloodthirsty save me.
….
O my strength, I will watch for you;
for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
....But I will sing of your might;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been a fortress for me
   and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to you,
   for you, O God, are my fortress,
   the God who shows me steadfast love.

Daily Lectionary Reading, the Gospel

John 12:20-36

20 Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One (l) to be glorified. 24 I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.

27 “Now I am deeply troubled. (m) What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? No, for this is the reason I have come to this time. 28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.”

29 The crowd standing there heard and said, “It’s thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to him.”

30 Jesus replied, “This voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world’ ruler will be thrown out. 32 When I am lifted up (n) from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (33 He said this to show how he was going to die.)

34 The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One (o) must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?” (p)

35 Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. 36 As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them.

_________________________________________________
l  Or Son of Man
m  Ps 6:2
n  Or exalted
o  Or Son of Man
p  Or Son of Man
[Common English Bible]

Evening Prayer for Today: Holy and immortal God, from earliest times you have named us and called us into discipleship. Teach us to follow the One whose light scatters the darkness of our world, that we may walk as children of the light. Amen. (RCL Prayers, Fortress Press)


Psalm 60
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
   you have been angry; now restore us!
You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open;
   repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people suffer hard things;
   you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.
You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
    to rally to it out of bowshot. Selah
Give victory with your right hand, and answer us,
   so that those whom you love may be rescued.
….
Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless.
With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.



Psalm 62
For you alone, O God,  my soul waits in silence;
   from you comes my salvation.
You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress;
    I shall never be shaken.
....
For you alone, God,  my soul waits in silence,
   for my hope is from you.
You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress;
   I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before God;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
....