Daily Prayer, Sunday, May 15, 2011

Morning

Invitatory Psalm 24
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein....

O Lord, clean our hands, purify our hearts. Instill in us the wisdom and ability to give up the false. Bless us, vindicate us, as we seek your face. Amen.

Psalms 90, 92, 93

Daily Lectionary Reading, 1 Peter 2:22-25

Lectio Divina:

When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:23-24)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long (Psalm 23:6).

Prayer for Today:
We thank you for all those venturous folk who so long ago encountered Jesus and risked their all. We thank you that they did not devalue their potential in spite of their fears. We thank you that they saw hope in community and were willing to sacrifice for one another. We pray that we might have their king of courage and trust. Amen. (excerpt from Prayers of the People, Richard J. Einerson, Authorhouse.



Evening
Psalms 108, 109

Unjust Suffering, a Reflection on 1 Peter 2:19-21

Peter was giving instruction to people who were being treated unjustly. Looking back at verse 18, we see that his original audience was household slaves. The lectionary skips that part--we Americans don't want to seem that we are in any way condoning slavery. So, how do we find Peter's message useful, instructful?

Well, some commentators point out that people even at the lowest ranks of society were included in the Christian community from the beginning.

Other commentators prefer that we not go back to verse 18 but instead read this instruction about suffering as it applies to us in the circumstances that we find ourselves.

What about Christianity causes someone to suffer unjustly?
How does doing something right cause someone to suffer?
Does any suffering that we do because we are Christians really evoke the image of Christ's suffering?

For those of us who find the membership in a Christian church full of rewards rather than threats of harm, is there something that we are neglecting? Are we not doing something that God would approve of?

Daily Prayer, Saturday, May 14, 2011

Morning

Invitatory Psalm 67

O God, be gracious to us and bless us
and make your face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
....

Psalms 81, 82, 85

Daily Lectionary Reading, 1 Peter 2:19-21

Lectio Divina:

If you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval(1 Peter 2:20).

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5).

Prayer for Today:
We have your example of how to live a life, how to serve others, how to speak out in the presence of detractors and enemies. Give us the courage today to endure what comes to us unjustly when we stand up for what is right. Amen.

Evening
Psalm 107

The Church on Its Best Behavior, a Reflection on Acts 2:44-47

What does the word "church" mean to us now? Is it restricted to that building that we gather in on Sunday morning? Or, does it mean more than that?

The United Methodist Church is engaged in an effort to ReThink Church, to think about church not only in but outside that building.

Here's an example of the way one congregation is asking people inside the church to consider what church is and what it can be, and for people outside the church to do the same.

Looking at the Acts passage, I really cannot imagine a congregation selling all of their possessions and sharing the proceeds. I can and have seen great generosity but not to the extent that Luke describes. We seem to be more likely to complain about high taxes than we are to worry about the needs of those less fortunate than we are.

What should we do with this text?

As I often do, I turned to Carl Halladay in Preaching through the Christian Year A:

So we best use this text as Luke intended it--as a broad stroke sketch of the church at its beginning: faithful in teaching; active in sharing; devoted to eating, praying, and worshiping together; fearful before the Dive; exuberant in its praise of God. It is a picture of the church on its best behavior.

The Lord is my Shepherd, a Reflection on Psalm 23

Thanks to Jenee Woodward's Textweek.com, I found this article from the Society of Biblical Literature that explores Psalm 23 in contemporary film and song.

Earlier this year, I published "Lessons to be Learned and Lived, a Reflection on Psalm 23":
Harold Kushner wrote a guide to the 23rd Psalm, The Lord Is My Shepherd. In this book, he discusses the psalm verse by verse both in context of the time it was written and how it is applicable to our own lives. For more information, see the Reading Guide.

Kushner reminds us that the psalm doesn't offer us the pious hope that if we are good people that our lives will be easy. Instead, we can expect God's help as we meet the challenges that face us. Another lesson that Kushner finds in the psalm is that although we cannot control what happens to us, we can control how we respond to it.

Another repeat:
Gary Sims, when he used to write the Reflections each week for First United Methodist, Albuquerque, asked these questions:
Do you dwell in the house of the Lord?
If not, when are you planning to move in?
Will it be after you take care of a few things in your life?
Do you have an agenda or plan that you want to follow before turning your life over to God?
Are you putting God's goodness and mercy on hold?
Are you counting your blessings to see if your cup is overflowing?
Are you looking for a bigger cup?
Do you see that now is the time to move into God's house so that these promises of life can begin?

Daily Prayer, Friday, May 13, 2011

Morning
You are with us as we walk through this day. Keep us mindful of your presence and your guidance.

Invitatory Psalm 118
You, O Lord, are my strength and my power;
You are my salvation.
....
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to you.
....

Psalms 76, 80

Daily Lectionary Reading, Psalm 23

Lectio Divina

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long (Psalm 23:6).

Prayer for Today:
Holy Shepherd, you know your sheep by name and lead us safely through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security to the joyous feast prepared in your house, where we celebrate with you forever. Amen. (RCL Prayers, Fortress Press).

Midday Psalm 119:121-128

Evening
Psalm 106

Prayers when facing flood

The GBOD offers worship resources for Times of Floods.

An Early Church, a Reflection on Acts 2:42-43

I got the Greek Reader app for my iPhone and used it today to analyze some of the words in this passage. This analysis then raised questions and prompted suggestions:

apostles (apostolos apostle, messenger, delegate) Who are we listening to? Who does the sending; i.e., how do we decide to recognize the authority of the one we're listening to, or learning from?

sign (semeion sign, token) What do we see? What do we find convincing?

wonders (teras) What is happening that is so different from ordinary life that we notice it?

devoted (proskartereo persevered, adhered to, gave constant attention to) Imagine a buzzer going off at intervals.You're supposed to write down what you are doing or thinking at that moment. Try it, and see how closely you come to the description of this early Christian congregation.

Daily Prayer, Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Morning

You lead me in right paths for your name's sake.

Invitatory Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Come into God's presence with singing!
....
You, O Lord, are good;
your steadfast love endures for ever;
your faithfulness to all generations.

Psalms 71, 72

Daily Lectionary Reading, Acts 2:42-43

Lectio Divina

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).

He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake (Psalm 23:3).

O Lord, we give you thanks for the possibility of fellowship with other Christians, for the opportunity to join in study, in communion and in prayer. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:105-112

Evening
Psalms 62, 28, 68

I Am the Gate, a Reflection on John 10:7-10

Jesus offers assurances to his listeners: "I am the gate." I am the way in for those who are in need.

He's still using the metaphor of sheep, so we imagine a flock of sheep pushing against the fence, needing the comforts offered inside and needing protection from the dangers out there where they now are.

Until they can find the gate that will let them in, they are stuck there outside.

Jesus says, "I am the gate." I am the way that the sheep can escape dangers and get into the pasture.

Let's not restrict Jesus' promise to afterlife only. He's telling us sheep that there is a way out of our troubles and a way into what we need now.

Gail O'Day and Susan Hylen, in their commentary on John:

The image of sheep finding pasture echoes the promises made in Ezekiel: "I will feed them with good pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel: (Ezek 34:14; also see Psalm 23:2).