Daily Prayer, Sunday, June 5, 2011

Morning
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Invitatory Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.
You have founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in your holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of heir salvation.
Such is the company of those who seek you, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Psalms 52, 53, 54, 56

Daily Lectionary Reading, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Lectio Divina

Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering (1 Peter 5:7-9).

Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God (Psalm 68:35).

Prayer for today:
O Lord, strengthen us and sustain us as we face the turmoils and pains of life. Give us the courage and the will to follow the commands you have left for us. Through your Spirit, remind us that you are with us and will sustain us as we work in the world, against the world, and for the world. Amen.

Evening
Psalms 78, 79, 83, 86

Left Behind--to be the Church, a Reflection on Acts 1:6-14

They've witnessed the crucifixion (from a distance) and are now in the presence of the risen Jesus. What they want to know is whether he is about to restore the kingdom to Israel. I'm reading this to mean is he going to lead the overthrow of the Romans who have occupied what had been their country.

He responds, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority."

[Aside: We have recent evidence that this pronouncement is still true. See http://bit.ly/iXbmtG]

Although he doesn't tell them the exact time, he does assure them that the Holy Spirit will give them the power they need to be his witnesses--and that their work will not be just for their neighborhood but to the ends of the earth.

They see him ascend. While they're looking up to where he has disappeared from them, two men in white robes ask them why they're looking toward heaven. They say that Jesus will return.

In his commentary on Acts for the Interpretation series, Will Willimon says:

The response of the disciples to the instruction, reproof, and the promise is exemplary. They gather to pray...They are told to be witnesses "to the end of the earth" and their first response is prayer. The action demanded of the church is more than busyness and strenuous human effort. Disciples have been told that the promised kingdom is a gift to be given in God's own time and that the promised Spirit is also by God's grace. Their mission requires more than even their earnest striving.

Daily Prayer, Saturday, June 4, 2011

Morning
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Invitatory Psalm 67

God, be gracious to us and bless us
and make your face to shine upon you,
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.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere you.

Psalms 50, 51

Daily Lectionary Reading, Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

Lectio Divina

He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8).

Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land (Psalm 68:5-6).

Prayer for Today:
When they thought that Jesus had left them, when they saw him go away, they returned to Jerusalem and stayed together. They were constantly together in prayer, their group included men and women. O Lord, when we think you have left us, gather us together with others, even those who may not be like us. Instill in us the will to pray. Remind us of all you have given us, and remind us of why you have given us so much and what you intend for us to do with these gifts you have entrusted to us. Keep us singing your praises. Amen.


Evening
Psalms 75, 77

Jesus Prays for the Church, a Reflection on John 17:1-11

Those of us who may limit the meaning of "eternal life" to heaven can get a richer meaning from this prayer. Jesus defines eternal life as a life shaped by knowing God and knowing Jesus Christ who has been sent by God. In their commentary on John, Gail O'Day and Susan Hylen say "Jesus makes God known to people (They suggest looking at verses 6, 24, and 26) and, in so doing, provides eternal life.

Jesus asked God to glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you. Allen and Williamson in Preaching the Gospels point out that in the First Testament, "glory" and "glorification" referred to God's manifesting the divine will and power through people. They gives as examples, Exodus 16:10; 24:7; Wisdom 9:10; 2 Maccabeus 2:8.

In the days to come, these disciples will come together and scatter apart. The church still does. Jesus prayed that God would protect us so that we would be one. How unified are we? In what ways do we demonstrate that we know God? In what ways do we demonstrate that we are part of the world?

Daily Prayer, Friday, June 3, 2011

Morning
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Invitatory Psalm 118

....
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
....

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.

O Lord, we give thanks to you,
for you are good,
your steadfast love endures forever.

Psalms 41, 42, 43, 47

Daily Lectionary Reading, John 17:1-11

Lectio Divina

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).

But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy (Psalm 68:3).

Prayer for Today:

O God of glory,
your Son Jesus Christ suffered for us
and ascended to your right hand.
Unite us with Christ and each other,
in suffering and in joy,
that all your children may be drawn into your bountiful dwelling. Amen.
(from RCL Prayers, Fortress Press).

Midday Psalm 119:78-88



Evening
Psalm 74

Power to the Church, a Reflection on Ephesians 1:15-23

Repeat:

"I pray that God will send you the Spirit," Paul writes to the Ephesians.

Here's what the Spirit does for the church: enlightens the eyes of your heart
--that is, helps you to catch on to what God intends for you to be doing and what God has already done for you.

To these early Christians as they began to form congregations and missions, he is emphasizing power and what power is to be used for.

To these Christians adjusting to their life after the crucifixion of Jesus, he writes of the power available to them through God. God put this power to work in Christ and has made him the head of the church. The church is the body of Christ, "the fullness of him who fills all in all."

As I regularly do, I have been reading Boring & Craddock's People's New Testament Commentary. And, as I regularly am, I am glad that I do. For example,here's their discussion of the phrase, "glorious inheritance":

The phrase refers to God's inheritance, not the believers'. In Old Testament theology, Israel as God's chosen people is often called God's inheritance (Deut 4:20; 9:26, 29; 2 Sam 21:3; 1 Kings 8:51, 53; Ps 28:9; 33:12; 68:9; 78:62, 71; 94:14; 106:5, 4-; Isa 19:25; 47:6; 63:17; Jer 10:16; 51:19). For the author of Ephesians, to be in the church is to be incorporated into the continuing people of God, Israel (2:11-12).

Daily Prayer, Thursday, June 2, 2011

Morning
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Invitatory Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!

We praise you in your sanctuary;
we praise you in your mighty firmament!
We praise you for your mighty deeds;
We praise you according to your surpassing greatness!
We praise you with trumpet sound;
We praise you with tambourine and dance;
We praise you with strings and pipe!
We praise you with clanging cymbals;
We praise you with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Psalms 39, 40

Daily Lectionary Reading, Ephesians 1:15-23

Lectio Divina

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:21-23).

God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the people gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted (Psalm 47:8-9).

Prayer for Today:
Open our minds to understand the scriptures, O God,
so that when sin cripples our hope,
we may discover the freedom of your forgiveness;
when suffering and death overtake our lives,
we may know the joy of the risen Christ;
and when we feel abandoned,
we may comprehend the power of the promised Spirit,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(from RCL Prayers, Fortress Press.)

Midday Psalm 119:68-77

Evening
Psalm 69

Blessing in the Leaving

Read Jan Richardson's poem, Blessing in the Leaving, for Ascension Day, the moving from Easter to Ordinary Time.

Over All the Earth, a Reflection on Psalm 47

This week, we read Luke's accounts of the ascension. In Acts, the resurrected Jesus was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. In the gospel, he was carried up into heaven.

In the accounts of the ascension, we can hear echoes to this psalm--God has gone up with a shout. ("Gone up" anyway, but I'm not so sure about the "shout").

Walter Breuggemann discusses this psalm in Texts for Preaching:

When we say of Jesus in the creed, "He ascended into heaven," in the first instance this is the language of ritual enthronement and coronation. What is claimed substantively, politically, theologically is first asserted dramatically and liturgically.

In the psalm, the congregation is called to sing praises to the King, and the King is identified as God, the great king over all the earth, God, the king over the nations.

Clap your hands, all you peoples;
Shout to God with loud songs of joy (1).
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises(6).
For God is king over the nations... (7).

Think about the "all the earth" and "king over the nations" assertions. People who have not formally entered into our community are being cared for by God. As we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, we are recognizing that the care of Jesus extends far beyond the small circle of disciples at his death but, instead, is world-wide.

Daily Prayer, Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Morning
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Invitatory Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into the Lord’s presence with singing.

We know that you are God.
It is you that made us, and we are yours.
we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

We enter your gates with thanksgiving,
and your courts with priase.
We give thanks to you, bless your name.
For you, O Lord, are good;
your steadfast love endures forever,
and your faithfulness to all generations.

Read and reflect on Psalm 37

Daily Lectionary Reading, Psalm 47

Lectio Divina

God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet (Psalm 47:5).

Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm (Psalm 47:6-7).

Prayer for today:
We recognize that you are the king over all the earth, and we give thanks to you for sharing your possessions with us. Amen.

Midday Psalm 119:57-67

Evening
Psalms 63, 68