RITUAL
In our bread ritual today, you will have the opportunity to draw near,
to come,
and in that approach, to receive the bread of life.
All of you are invited to come
This is not communion, but a manna ritual.
We invite each of you to come and receive bread as a symbol of God's living bread,
God's daily manna,
always available to those who draw near.
No orderly lines are necessary in this ritual.
The lives which we live, the lives within which we are invited to daily come,
those lives are not filled with orderly lines, but chaotic crowds.
Come through the chaos, through the crowd.
But come.
Maybe you'll choose to receive bread from the distributor furthest away from your seat.
Maybe you'll choose to zigzag through the rows of chairs on your way.
Or maybe you'll take the shortest, most direct route.
However you come, be assured:
Whosoever comes will receive.

from Kevin Key via email:
Here's the attribution for the quote you used this morning. I remembered to look it up, because it strikes me as an interesting phrase to attempt to illustrate in fabric. Anyway, I found this:
"Nicholas Wolterstorff's book "Lament for a Son--Wolterstorff's reflections on the tragic death of his son Eric. I thought that rereading this book might give me some perspective..."I shall look at the world through tears," wrote
Wolterstorff. "Perhaps I shall see things that dry-eyed I could not see."

Call to Worship  Psalm 19:7-14
One:     The law of God is perfect, reviving the soul;
L:       the decrees of God are sure, making wise the simple;
R:       the precepts of God are right, rejoicing the heart;
One:     the commandment of God is clear, enlightening the eyes;
L:       the reverence of God is pure, enduring forever;
R:       the ordinances of God are true and righteous altogether.
One:     More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
All:     sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
One:     Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors?
All:     Clear me from hidden faults.
One:     Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
All:     Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O God, my rock and my redeemer.

Numbers 11:4-16, 24-29

The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said , `If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.'

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its colour was like the colour of gum resin. The people went around and gathered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, then boiled it in pots and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it.

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord , `Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ``Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child'', to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, ``Give us meat to eat!'' I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at onceif I have found favour in your sightand do not let me see my misery.'

The Seventy Elders
So the Lord said to Moses, `Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you.

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, `Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.' And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, `My lord Moses, stop them!' But Moses said to him, `Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!'

Mark 9:38-50

Another Exorcist
John said to him, `Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.' But Jesus said, `Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

Temptations to Sin
`If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

`For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.'

There is a Chinese proverb that reads, ``When you drink from a stream, remember the spring.''

``When you enter the land,'' to paraphrase the caution from Deuteronomy 8:718, ``do not forget the source of your good fortune. Do not say to yourself, `My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.'''

God who feeds the animals and clothes the flowers,
God who desires to bless us all,
remind us on this day of Thanksgiving
to strive first for your realm,
in which justice and equality,
laughter and joy, are available to everyone. _Amen.

PSALM 100
translation by Stephen Mitchell

Sing to the Lord, all creatures!
Worship God with your joy;
Praise God with the sound of your laughter.
Know that we all belong to God,
That God is our source and our home.
Enter God's light with thanksgiving;
Fill your hearts with God's praise,
For God's goodness is beyond comprehension
And God's deep love endures forever.

The Myth of Thanksgiving
Although the gathering which took place between the English colonists and the Wampanoag in the autumn of 1621 in Patuxet/New Plymouth has become known as "The First Thanksgiving," it would not have been considered a thanksgiving by the people involved. Not only was it not a "thanksgiving," but also it was also not a "first!" Native Peoples all over this continent have given daily thanks to their Creator for thousands of years. Likewise, celebrating days of thanksgiving was a familiar tradition for the Europeans who eventually colonized North America.

The Psalms defy our notions of profane and sacred, proving that everything we feel, witness, do unto others, and have done to us is acceptable subject matter for conversing with the Divine. They invite us to bring every part of ourselves into our houses of worship. If we omit expressions of faith lost, of rage, of disdain, and of the desire for revenge, we leave parts of ourselves at the door.
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Selah ( : ___ ) may mean "stop and listen", within the context of a prayer or psalms, is similar in purpose to in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage.
In this way, Selah is thought to imply that one should pause and reflect on what has been said. Alternatively, Selah may be a musical notation (thus explaining its use throughout ) or may mean "forever", as it does in some places in the liturgy (notably the second to last blessing of the ).

Selah is also used in modern music; most frequently at the end of spoken-word segments of songs. Its usage is again presumably to accentuate the magnitude and importance of that which has been said.

The word "psalm" is derived from the Greek "psalmos," which translates the Hebrew "mizmor"; these all mean a song recited to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. The times of composition for the psalms range across at least five centuries; the earliest psalm is probably Ps 29, which is adapted from early Canaanite worshipçThe majority of the psalms, however, originated in the preexilic, monarchic period, and are associated with the Jerusalem TempleçPs 141.2, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice"çSeveral psalms contain allusions to musical performance (e.g., 13.6; 26.7; 30.4; 33.2-3), and may of the superscriptions (headings, though not included in this specific online version see the NRSV) contain detailed, technical references to how the performance should be completed. Unfortunately, many of the technical terms that are ubiquitous in the psalms, including the frequent "Selah," are imperfectly understood, and it is thus very difficult to reconstruct with any certainty exactly how these poems were performedç

The two main types are laments, forming approximately a third of the Psalter, and hymns. Laments can be either individual (Ps 3) or communal (Ps 44). The lament's component parts include the invocation of the name of God, the complaint wherein the psalmist describes the distress experienced, and appeals for divine intervention. Many of these laments include expressions of trust, couched in the past (Ps 6.9, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer"). It is unclear if this is a reflection of the psalmist's great faith, which is furthered through the recitation of the psalms, or if part of the recitation of the psalm might have included a response to the lament by a cultic official, and the the psalmist might have expressed trust only after this divine reassurance, which does not usually appear in the psalm. The hymns typically focus on the role of God as creator (e.g., Ps 8; 19, 104) or redeemer (Ps 66; 98). These hymns are not connected to specific requests; they are reflective of the religious individual, who wants to have a close connection with God, in the belief that "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, O Most High" (Ps 92.1). The Hebrew title of Psalms, "tehillim" ("praises"), reflects the significance of the genre of hymns to the book.

Still other types of psalms may be isolated in Psalms. For example, Ps 15, which recounts the ideal qualities of the individual who "may abide in your tent" and "may dwell on your holy hill" (v. 1) is likely an entrance liturgy, recited by the worshiper while approaching the Temple. There are several royal psalms (Ps 2), which focus on the king. The number of these psalms, and by extension, the extent to which the Psalter should be viewed as a work with specifically royal focus, is debated, with some scholars contending that the "I" of the Psalter is typically the king. A handful of psalms (e.g., 37; 119) contain the vocabulary of the wisdom books Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes and focus on issues that characterize those books, such as righteousness in contrast to evil; for this reason, they are often called wisdom psalms. Several psalms, especially 93-99, focus on the kingship of God; it is unclear how these might have been used ritually, and especially if they might reflect a Judean New Year festival, which had significant parallels to a Babylonian festival, in which the deity was ritually reinstated as king. Form critics continue to debate the genres of specific psalms, the number of different genres contained in the Psalter, and the psalms' Sitz im Leben, namely the ways in which they were connected to ancient Israelite worship.

çseveral collections or anthologies within the Psalter; the clearest of these is composed of Ps 120-134, each of which begins "A song of ascents." Ps 42-83 are also a collection ("the elohistic Psalter"); these typically call the deity "elohim" (translated "God"), rather than "yhwh" (translated "Lord"), which typifies the rest of the Psalter. A comparison of Ps 14 to the parallel Ps 53 (from the elohistic Psalter) is especially enlightening as an illustration of the anthological nature of the Psalter. Clusters of psalms also begin or end with the words "halelu-yah," "Praise the Lord" (Ps 105-106; 111-113; 115-117; 146-150)ç

Jewish tradition maintains that the Psalms are the work of , basing himself on the writings of ten ancient psalmists (including and ). Many modern scholars see them as the product of several authors or groups of authors, many unknown. Most Psalms are prefixed with introductory words (which are frequently different in the HEBREW- and GREEK- traditions) ascribing them to a particular author or saying something about the circumstances of their composition; only 73 of these introductions claim David as author. Since the Psalms were not written down in Hebrew before the , nearly half a millennium after David's reign (about 1000 BCE), they doubtless depended on oral or hymnic tradition for transmission of any Davidic materialç Psalm 18 is found, with minor variations, also at 2 Samuel 22, for which reason, in accordance with the naming convention used elsewhere in the historic parts of the Bible, it is known as the .

There are thus many ways that the individual psalms might be read. In their earliest stages, they are individual compositions, recited for particular occasions at a variety of sacred sites. Later, some of these were anthologized, and might be understood within the anthology that they are in; e.g., Ps 123 might be understood within the Songs of Ascent. Finally, individual psalms might be understood within the Psalter as a book, either narrating a biography of David, or a book of teaching like the Torah. The main function of psalms within later Jewish and Christian tradition, however, has been as a type of inspirational literature, where later worshipers may find proper words in tradition to express the depths of their religious experience and feelings.

Some Psalms are among the best-known and best-loved passages of Scripture, with a popularity extending well beyond regular church-goers. In particular, the 23rd Psalm ("The Lord is My Shepherd", 22nd in the Greek numbering) offers an immediately appealing message of comfort and is widely chosen for church services, either as a reading or in one of several popular hymn settings; and Psalm 50/51 ("Have mercy on me O God", called the Miserere from the first word in its Latin version) is by far the most sung Psalm of Orthodoxy, in both and Hours , in the sacrament of repentance or confession, and in other settings. Psalm 102/103 ("Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!") is one of the best-known prayers of praise. Psalm 137/136 ("By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept") is a moody, yet eventually triumphant, meditation upon living in , and has been used in at least one , as well as one well-known song; the Orthodox church often uses this hymn during Lent. In popular music, the song is based on Psalm 40 ("I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.")

çand for Mennonites, Psalm 120:6 (``Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.'')
çand for harvest, Psalm 65!!!
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Following the , of many of the Psalms were set as . These were particularly popular in the tradition. Calvin himself made some French translations of the Psalms for church usage. 's is based on Psalm 46. Among famous hymn settings of the Psalter were the and the settings by . The first book printed in was a collection of Psalm settings, the ( ).

Psalms set to Music
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Scholars have determined that there are groups of psalms that can be classified together because of similarities. The main forms are:
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[Psalm 29]_Hymn to the God of the storm
1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,_ascribe to the LORD glory and strength._2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;_worship the LORD in holy splendor._3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;_the God of glory thunders,_the LORD, over mighty waters._4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;_the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.__5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;_the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon._6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,_and Sirion like a young wild ox._7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire._8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;_the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.__9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,_and strips the forest bare;_and in his temple all say, "Glory!"_10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;_the LORD sits enthroned as king forever._11 May the LORD give strength to his people!_May the LORD bless his people with peace!_

LAMENT

[Psalm 3]_Prayer for deliverance from enemies
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!_Many are rising against me;_2 many are saying to me,_"There is no help for you in God."__3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me,_my glory, and the one who lifts up my head._4 I cry aloud to the LORD,_and he answers me from his holy hill.__5 I lie down and sleep;_I wake again, for the LORD sustains me._6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people_who have set themselves against me all around.__7 Rise up, O LORD!_Deliver me, O my God!_For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;_you break the teeth of the wicked.__8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD;_may your blessing be on your people!

[Psalm 6]_Prayer for healing
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,_or discipline me in your wrath._2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;_O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror._3 My soul also is struck with terror,_while you, O LORD how long?__4 Turn, O LORD, save my life;_deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love._5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;_in Sheol who can give you praise?_6 I am weary with my moaning;_every night I flood my bed with tears;_I drench my couch with my weeping._7 My eyes waste away because of grief;_they grow weak because of all my foes.__8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,_for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping._9 The LORD has heard my supplication;_the LORD accepts my prayer._10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;_they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

[Psalm 44]_Prayer for divine help after a national defeat_
1 We have heard with our ears, O God,_our ancestors have told us,_what deeds you performed in their days,_in the days of old:_2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,_but them you planted;_you afflicted the peoples,_but them you set free;_3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,_nor did their own arm give them victory;_but your right hand, and your arm,_and the light of your countenance,_for you delighted in them.__4 You are my King and my God;_you command victories for Jacob._5 Through you we push down our foes;_through your name we tread down our assailants._6 For not in my bow do I trust,_nor can my sword save me._7 But you have saved us from our foes,_and have put to confusion those who hate us._8 In God we have boasted continually,_and we will give thanks to your name forever._9 Yet you have rejected us and abased us,_and have not gone out with our armies._10 You made us turn back from the foe,_and our enemies have gotten spoil._11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter,_and have scattered us among the nations._12 You have sold your people for a trifle,_demanding no high price for them._13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,_the derision and scorn of those around us._14 You have made us a byword among the nations,_a laughingstock among the peoples._15 All day long my disgrace is before me,_and shame has covered my face_16 at the words of the taunters and revilers,_at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.__17 All this has come upon us,_yet we have not forgotten you,_or been false to your covenant._18 Our heart has not turned back,_nor have our steps departed from your way,_19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals,_and covered us with deep darkness._20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,_or spread out our hands to a strange god,_21 would not God discover this?_For he knows the secrets of the heart._22 Because of you we are being killed all day long,_and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.__23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?_Awake, do not cast us off forever!_24 Why do you hide your face?_Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?_25 For we sink down to the dust;_our bodies cling to the ground._26 Rise up, come to our help._Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.

MUSIC

[Psalm 13]_Prayer for deliverance from enemies
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?_How long will you hide your face from me?_2 How long must I bear pain in my soul,_and have sorrow in my heart all day long?_How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?__3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God!_Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,_4 and my enemy will say, "I have prevailed";_my foes will rejoice because I am shaken._5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;_my heart shall rejoice in your salvation._6 I will sing to the LORD,_because he has dealt bountifully with me.

[Psalm 26]_Prayer for divine justice
1 Vindicate me, O LORD,_for I have walked in my integrity,_and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering._2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me;_test my heart and mind._3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,_and I walk in faithfulness to you.__4 I do not sit with the worthless,_nor do I consort with hypocrites;_5 I hate the company of evildoers,_and will not sit with the wicked.__6 I wash my hands in innocence,_and go around your altar, O LORD,_7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,_and telling all your wondrous deeds._8 O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell,_and the place where your glory abides._9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,_nor my life with the bloodthirsty,_10 those in whose hands are evil devices,_and whose right hands are full of bribes.__11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity;_redeem me, and be gracious to me._12 My foot stands on level ground;_in the great congregation I will bless the LORD.

[Psalm 30]_Thanksgiving after recovery from illness
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up,_and did not let my foes rejoice over me._2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,_and you have healed me._3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol,_restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.__4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones,_and give thanks to his holy name._5 For his anger is but for a moment;_his favor is for a lifetime._Weeping may linger for the night,_but joy comes with the morning.__6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,_"I shall never be moved."_7 By your favor, O LORD,_you had established me as a strong mountain;_you hid your face;_I was dismayed.__8 To you, O LORD, I cried,_and to the LORD I made supplication:_9 "What profit is there in my death,_if I go down to the Pit?_Will the dust praise you?_Will it tell of your faithfulness?_10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me!_O LORD, be my helper!"__11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;_you have taken off my sackcloth_and clothed me with joy,_12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent._O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever._

[Psalm 33]_Praise of God, creator and redeemer
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous._Praise befits the upright._2 Praise the LORD with the lyre;_make melody to him with the harp of ten strings._3 Sing to him a new song;_play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.__4 For the word of the LORD is upright,_and all his work is done in faithfulness._5 He loves righteousness and justice;_the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.__6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,_and all their host by the breath of his mouth._7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;_he put the deeps in storehouses.__8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;_let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him._9 For he spoke, and it came to be;_he commanded, and it stood firm.__10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;_he frustrates the plans of the peoples._11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,_the thoughts of his heart to all generations._12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,_the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.__13 The LORD looks down from heaven;_he sees all humankind._14 From where he sits enthroned he watches_all the inhabitants of the earth _15 he who fashions the hearts of them all,_and observes all their deeds._16 A king is not saved by his great army;_a warrior is not delivered by his great strength._17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,_and by its great might it cannot save.__18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,_on those who hope in his steadfast love,_19 to deliver their soul from death,_and to keep them alive in famine.__20 Our soul waits for the LORD;_he is our help and shield._21 Our heart is glad in him,_because we trust in his holy name._22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,_even as we hope in you._

HYMNS OF PRAISE

[Psalm 92]_Thanksgiving for deliverance from enemies_ _1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,_to sing praises to your name, O Most High;_2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,_and your faithfulness by night,_3 to the music of the lute and the harp,_to the melody of the lyre._4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;_at the works of your hands I sing for joy.__5 How great are your works, O LORD!_Your thoughts are very deep!_6 The dullard cannot know,_the stupid cannot understand this:_7 though the wicked sprout like grass_and all evildoers flourish,_they are doomed to destruction forever,_8 but you, O LORD, are on high forever._9 For your enemies, O LORD,_for your enemies shall perish;_all evildoers shall be scattered.__10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;_you have poured over me fresh oil._11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;_my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.__12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree,_and grow like a cedar in Lebanon._13 They are planted in the house of the LORD;_they flourish in the courts of our God._14 In old age they still produce fruit;_they are always green and full of sap,_15 showing that the LORD is upright;_he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

GOD AS CREATOR

[Psalm 8]_Praise of the creator
1 O LORD, our Sovereign,_how majestic is your name in all the earth!_You have set your glory above the heavens._2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants_you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,_to silence the enemy and the avenger.__3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,_the moon and the stars that you have established;_4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,_mortals that you care for them?__5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,_and crowned them with glory and honor._6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;_you have put all things under their feet,_7 all sheep and oxen,_and also the beasts of the field,_8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,_whatever passes along the paths of the seas.__9 O LORD, our Sovereign,_how majestic is your name in all the earth!

[Psalm 19]_Hymn to God the creator and lawgiver
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;_and the firmament proclaims his handiwork._2 Day to day pours forth speech,_and night to night declares knowledge._3 There is no speech, nor are there words;_their voice is not heard;_4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,_and their words to the end of the world.__In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,_5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,_and like a strong man runs its course with joy._6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,_and its circuit to the end of them;_and nothing is hid from its heat.__7 The law of the LORD is perfect,_reviving the soul;_the decrees of the LORD are sure,_making wise the simple;_8 the precepts of the LORD are right,_rejoicing the heart;_the commandment of the LORD is clear,_enlightening the eyes;_9 the fear of the LORD is pure,_enduring forever;_the ordinances of the LORD are true_and righteous altogether._10 More to be desired are they than gold,_even much fine gold;_sweeter also than honey,_and drippings of the honeycomb.__11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;_in keeping them there is great reward._12 But who can detect their errors?_Clear me from hidden faults._13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;_do not let them have dominion over me._Then I shall be blameless,_and innocent of great transgression.__14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart_be acceptable to you,_O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

[Psalm 104]_God the creator and sustainer
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul._O LORD my God, you are very great._You are clothed with honor and majesty,_2 wrapped in light as with a garment._You stretch out the heavens like a tent,_3 you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,_you make the clouds your chariot,_you ride on the wings of the wind,_4 you make the winds your messengers,_fire and flame your ministers.__5 You set the earth on its foundations,_so that it shall never be shaken._6 You cover it with the deep as with a garment;_the waters stood above the mountains._7 At your rebuke they flee;_at the sound of your thunder they take to flight._8 They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys_to the place that you appointed for them._9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,_so that they might not again cover the earth.__10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;_they flow between the hills,_11 giving drink to every wild animal;_the wild asses quench their thirst._12 By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;_they sing among the branches._13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;_the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.__14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,_and plants for people to use,_to bring forth food from the earth,_15 and wine to gladden the human heart,_oil to make the face shine,_and bread to strengthen the human heart._16 The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,_the cedars of Lebanon that he planted._17 In them the birds build their nests;_the stork has its home in the fir trees._18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;_the rocks are a refuge for the coneys._19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons;_the sun knows its time for setting._20 You make darkness, and it is night,_when all the animals of the forest come creeping out._21 The young lions roar for their prey,_seeking their food from God._22 When the sun rises, they withdraw_and lie down in their dens._23 People go out to their work_and to their labor until the evening.__24 O LORD, how manifold are your works!_In wisdom you have made them all;_the earth is full of your creatures._25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,_creeping things innumerable are there,_living things both small and great._26 There go the ships,_and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.__27 These all look to you_to give them their food in due season;_28 when you give to them, they gather it up;_when you open your hand, they are filled with good things._29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;_when you take away their breath, they die_and return to their dust._30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created;_and you renew the face of the ground.__31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;_may the LORD rejoice in his works _32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,_who touches the mountains and they smoke._33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;_I will sing praise to my God while I have being._34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,_for I rejoice in the LORD._35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,_and let the wicked be no more._Bless the LORD, O my soul._Praise the LORD!

GOD AS REDEEMER

[Psalm 66]_Praise of God the savior
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;_2 sing the glory of his name;_give to him glorious praise._3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!_Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you._4 All the earth worships you;_they sing praises to you,_sing praises to your name."__5 Come and see what God has done:_he is awesome in his deeds among mortals._6 He turned the sea into dry land;_they passed through the river on foot._There we rejoiced in him,_7 who rules by his might forever,_whose eyes keep watch on the nations _let the rebellious not exalt themselves.__8 Bless our God, O peoples,_let the sound of his praise be heard,_9 who has kept us among the living,_and has not let our feet slip._10 For you, O God, have tested us;_you have tried us as silver is tried._11 You brought us into the net;_you laid burdens on our backs;_12 you let people ride over our heads;_we went through fire and through water;_yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.__13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;_I will pay you my vows,_14 those that my lips uttered_and my mouth promised when I was in trouble._15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,_with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;_I will make an offering of bulls and goats.__16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,_and I will tell what he has done for me._17 I cried aloud to him,_and he was extolled with my tongue._18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,_the Lord would not have listened._19 But truly God has listened;_he has given heed to the words of my prayer.__20 Blessed be God,_because he has not rejected my prayer_or removed his steadfast love from me.

[Psalm 98]_God's kingship
1 O sing to the LORD a new song,_for he has done marvelous things._His right hand and his holy arm_have gotten him victory._2 The LORD has made known his victory;_he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations._3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness_to the house of Israel._All the ends of the earth have seen_the victory of our God.__4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;_break forth into joyous song and sing praises._5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,_with the lyre and the sound of melody._6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn_make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.__7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;_the world and those who live in it._8 Let the floods clap their hands;_let the hills sing together for joy_9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming_to judge the earth._He will judge the world with righteousness,_and the peoples with equity.

WISDOM PSALMS

[Psalm 37]_The certainty of retribution
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;_do not be envious of wrongdoers,_2 for they will soon fade like the grass,_and wither like the green herb.__3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;_so you will live in the land, and enjoy security._4 Take delight in the LORD,_and he will give you the desires of your heart.__5 Commit your way to the LORD;_trust in him, and he will act._6 He will make your vindication shine like the light,_and the justice of your cause like the noonday._7 Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him;_do not fret over those who prosper in their way,_over those who carry out evil devices.__8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath._Do not fret it leads only to evil._9 For the wicked shall be cut off,_but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.__10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;_though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there._11 But the meek shall inherit the land,_and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.__12 The wicked plot against the righteous,_and gnash their teeth at them;_13 but the LORD laughs at the wicked,_for he sees that their day is coming.__14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows_to bring down the poor and needy,_to kill those who walk uprightly;_15 their sword shall enter their own heart,_and their bows shall be broken.__16 Better is a little that the righteous person has_than the abundance of many wicked._17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,_but the LORD upholds the righteous.__18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless,_and their heritage will abide forever;_19 they are not put to shame in evil times,_in the days of famine they have abundance.__20 But the wicked perish,_and the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;_they vanish like smoke they vanish away.__21 The wicked borrow, and do not pay back,_but the righteous are generous and keep giving;_22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,_but those cursed by him shall be cut off.__23 Our steps are made firm by the LORD,_when he delights in our way;_24 though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong,_for the LORD holds us by the hand.__25 I have been young, and now am old,_yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken_or their children begging bread._26 They are ever giving liberally and lending,_and their children become a blessing.__27 Depart from evil, and do good;_so you shall abide forever._28 For the LORD loves justice;_he will not forsake his faithful ones.__The righteous shall be kept safe forever,_but the children of the wicked shall be cut off._29 The righteous shall inherit the land,_and live in it forever._30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,_and their tongues speak justice._31 The law of their God is in their hearts;_their steps do not slip.__32 The wicked watch for the righteous,_and seek to kill them._33 The LORD will not abandon them to their power,_or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.__34 Wait for the LORD, and keep to his way,_and he will exalt you to inherit the land;_you will look on the destruction of the wicked.__35 I have seen the wicked oppressing,_and towering like a cedar of Lebanon._36 Again I passed by, and they were no more;_though I sought them, they could not be found.__37 Mark the blameless, and behold the upright,_for there is posterity for the peaceable._38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;_the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.__39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;_he is their refuge in the time of trouble._40 The LORD helps them and rescues them;_he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,_because they take refuge in him.

[Psalm 119]_Meditation on God's law
is the longest Psalm. It is composed of 176 , in sets of eight verses, each set beginning with one of the 22 . Several other Psalms too have .

1 Happy are those whose way is blameless,_who walk in the law of the LORD._2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,_who seek him with their whole heart,_3 who also do no wrong,_but walk in his ways._4 You have commanded your precepts_to be kept diligently._5 O that my ways may be steadfast_in keeping your statutes!_6 Then I shall not be put to shame,_having my eyes fixed on all your commandments._7 I will praise you with an upright heart,_when I learn your righteous ordinances._8 I will observe your statutes;_do not utterly forsake me.__9 How can young people keep their way pure?_By guarding it according to your word._10 With my whole heart I seek you;_do not let me stray from your commandments._11 I treasure your word in my heart,_so that I may not sin against you._12 Blessed are you, O LORD;_teach me your statutes._13 With my lips I declare_all the ordinances of your mouth._14 I delight in the way of your decrees_as much as in all riches._15 I will meditate on your precepts,_and fix my eyes on your ways._16 I will delight in your statutes;_I will not forget your word.__17 Deal bountifully with your servant,_so that I may live and observe your word._18 Open my eyes, so that I may behold_wondrous things out of your law._19 I live as an alien in the land;_do not hide your commandments from me._20 My soul is consumed with longing_for your ordinances at all times._21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,_who wander from your commandments;_22 take away from me their scorn and contempt,_for I have kept your decrees._23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,_your servant will meditate on your statutes._24 Your decrees are my delight,_they are my counselors.__25 My soul clings to the dust;_revive me according to your word._26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;_teach me your statutes._27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,_and I will meditate on your wondrous works._28 My soul melts away for sorrow;_strengthen me according to your word._29 Put false ways far from me;_and graciously teach me your law._30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;_I set your ordinances before me._31 I cling to your decrees, O LORD;_let me not be put to shame._32 I run the way of your commandments,_for you enlarge my understanding.__33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes,_and I will observe it to the end._34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law_and observe it with my whole heart._35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,_for I delight in it._36 Turn my heart to your decrees,_and not to selfish gain._37 Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;_give me life in your ways._38 Confirm to your servant your promise,_which is for those who fear you._39 Turn away the disgrace that I dread,_for your ordinances are good._40 See, I have longed for your precepts;_in your righteousness give me life.__41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,_your salvation according to your promise._42 Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,_for I trust in your word._43 Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,_for my hope is in your ordinances._44 I will keep your law continually,_forever and ever._45 I shall walk at liberty,_for I have sought your precepts._46 I will also speak of your decrees before kings,_and shall not be put to shame;_47 I find my delight in your commandments,_because I love them._48 I revere your commandments, which I love,_and I will meditate on your statutes.__49 Remember your word to your servant,_in which you have made me hope._50 This is my comfort in my distress,_that your promise gives me life._51 The arrogant utterly deride me,_but I do not turn away from your law._52 When I think of your ordinances from of old,_I take comfort, O LORD._53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,_those who forsake your law._54 Your statutes have been my songs_wherever I make my home._55 I remember your name in the night, O LORD,_and keep your law._56 This blessing has fallen to me,_for I have kept your precepts.__57 The LORD is my portion;_I promise to keep your words._58 I implore your favor with all my heart;_be gracious to me according to your promise._59 When I think of your ways,_I turn my feet to your decrees;_60 I hurry and do not delay_to keep your commandments._61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,_I do not forget your law._62 At midnight I rise to praise you,_because of your righteous ordinances._63 I am a companion of all who fear you,_of those who keep your precepts._64 The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;_teach me your statutes.__65 You have dealt well with your servant,_O LORD, according to your word._66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,_for I believe in your commandments._67 Before I was humbled I went astray,_but now I keep your word._68 You are good and do good;_teach me your statutes._69 The arrogant smear me with lies,_but with my whole heart I keep your precepts._70 Their hearts are fat and gross,_but I delight in your law._71 It is good for me that I was humbled,_so that I might learn your statutes._72 The law of your mouth is better to me_than thousands of gold and silver pieces.__73 Your hands have made and fashioned me;_give me understanding that I may learn your commandments._74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,_because I have hoped in your word._75 I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right,_and that in faithfulness you have humbled me._76 Let your steadfast love become my comfort_according to your promise to your servant._77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;_for your law is my delight._78 Let the arrogant be put to shame,_because they have subverted me with guile;_as for me, I will meditate on your precepts._79 Let those who fear you turn to me,_so that they may know your decrees._80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes,_so that I may not be put to shame.__81 My soul languishes for your salvation;_I hope in your word._82 My eyes fail with watching for your promise;_I ask, "When will you comfort me?"_83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,_yet I have not forgotten your statutes._84 How long must your servant endure?_When will you judge those who persecute me?_85 The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;_they flout your law._86 All your commandments are enduring;_I am persecuted without cause; help me!_87 They have almost made an end of me on earth;_but I have not forsaken your precepts._88 In your steadfast love spare my life,_so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.__89 The LORD exists forever;_your word is firmly fixed in heaven._90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;_you have established the earth, and it stands fast._91 By your appointment they stand today,_for all things are your servants._92 If your law had not been my delight,_I would have perished in my misery._93 I will never forget your precepts,_for by them you have given me life._94 I am yours; save me,_for I have sought your precepts._95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,_but I consider your decrees._96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,_but your commandment is exceedingly broad.__97 Oh, how I love your law!_It is my meditation all day long._98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,_for it is always with me._99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,_for your decrees are my meditation._100 I understand more than the aged,_for I keep your precepts._101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,_in order to keep your word._102 I do not turn away from your ordinances,_for you have taught me._103 How sweet are your words to my taste,_sweeter than honey to my mouth!_104 Through your precepts I get understanding;_therefore I hate every false way.__105 Your word is a lamp to my feet_and a light to my path._106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,_to observe your righteous ordinances._107 I am severely afflicted;_give me life, O LORD, according to your word._108 Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD,_and teach me your ordinances._109 I hold my life in my hand continually,_but I do not forget your law._110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,_but I do not stray from your precepts._111 Your decrees are my heritage forever;_they are the joy of my heart._112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes_forever, to the end.__113 I hate the double-minded,_but I love your law._114 You are my hiding place and my shield;_I hope in your word._115 Go away from me, you evildoers,_that I may keep the commandments of my God._116 Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,_and let me not be put to shame in my hope._117 Hold me up, that I may be safe_and have regard for your statutes continually._118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes;_for their cunning is in vain._119 All the wicked of the earth you count as dross;_therefore I love your decrees._120 My flesh trembles for fear of you,_and I am afraid of your judgments.__121 I have done what is just and right;_do not leave me to my oppressors._122 Guarantee your servant's well-being;_do not let the godless oppress me._123 My eyes fail from watching for your salvation,_and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise._124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,_and teach me your statutes._125 I am your servant; give me understanding,_so that I may know your decrees._126 It is time for the LORD to act,_for your law has been broken._127 Truly I love your commandments_more than gold, more than fine gold._128 Truly I direct my steps by all your precepts;_I hate every false way.__129 Your decrees are wonderful;_therefore my soul keeps them._130 The unfolding of your words gives light;_it imparts understanding to the simple._131 With open mouth I pant,_because I long for your commandments._132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,_as is your custom toward those who love your name._133 Keep my steps steady according to your promise,_and never let iniquity have dominion over me._134 Redeem me from human oppression,_that I may keep your precepts._135 Make your face shine upon your servant,_and teach me your statutes._136 My eyes shed streams of tears_because your law is not kept.__137 You are righteous, O LORD,_and your judgments are right._138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness_and in all faithfulness._139 My zeal consumes me_because my foes forget your words._140 Your promise is well tried,_and your servant loves it._141 I am small and despised,_yet I do not forget your precepts._142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,_and your law is the truth._143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,_but your commandments are my delight._144 Your decrees are righteous forever;_give me understanding that I may live._145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD._I will keep your statutes._146 I cry to you; save me,_that I may observe your decrees._147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;_I put my hope in your words._148 My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,_that I may meditate on your promise._149 In your steadfast love hear my voice;_O LORD, in your justice preserve my life._150 Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw near;_they are far from your law._151 Yet you are near, O LORD,_and all your commandments are true._152 Long ago I learned from your decrees_that you have established them forever.__153 Look on my misery and rescue me,_for I do not forget your law._154 Plead my cause and redeem me;_give me life according to your promise._155 Salvation is far from the wicked,_for they do not seek your statutes._156 Great is your mercy, O LORD;_give me life according to your justice._157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,_yet I do not swerve from your decrees._158 I look at the faithless with disgust,_because they do not keep your commands._159 Consider how I love your precepts;_preserve my life according to your steadfast love._160 The sum of your word is truth;_and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever._161 Princes persecute me without cause,_but my heart stands in awe of your words._162 I rejoice at your word_like one who finds great spoil._163 I hate and abhor falsehood,_but I love your law._164 Seven times a day I praise you_for your righteous ordinances._165 Great peace have those who love your law;_nothing can make them stumble._166 I hope for your salvation, O LORD,_and I fulfill your commandments._167 My soul keeps your decrees;_I love them exceedingly._168 I keep your precepts and decrees,_for all my ways are before you.__169 Let my cry come before you, O LORD;_give me understanding according to your word._170 Let my supplication come before you;_deliver me according to your promise._171 My lips will pour forth praise,_because you teach me your statutes._172 My tongue will sing of your promise,_for all your commandments are right._173 Let your hand be ready to help me,_for I have chosen your precepts._174 I long for your salvation, O LORD,_and your law is my delight._175 Let me live that I may praise you,_and let your ordinances help me._176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,_for I do not forget your commandments.

Selah
Lauren Hill
(song dedicated to her second child, Selah)

Nothing can be done against the truth
No matter how we remain in denial
Wasting time
Replacing time
With each empty excuse
But that'll only work a little while
Coping with despair
Knowing you're not there
Ashamed to just admit
I've been a fool
So I blame it on the Son
Run away from everyone
Hoping to escape this ridicule
Trapped in misery
Wrapped so miserably
In this deception that im wearing like a skin

Dying to mantain
Oh I keep trying to explain
A heart that never loved me to begin
Oh I'm such a mess
I have no choice but to confess
That I've been desperately trying to belong
Lying to myself
And everybody else
Refusing to admit my right was wrong

And then He came
Selah
And it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Did you think about that?
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
That it is sealed

How beautiful is fruit still in denial of its roots?
My guilty heart behaved so foolishly
This treason from within
That reasons with my sin
Won't be happy til it sees the death of me
Selfishly addicted
To a life that I depicted
Conflicted cuz it's not reality
Oh what's left of me
I beg you desperately
Cause me to agree with what I know is best for me
Please save me from myself
I need You to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal

The choices that Ive made
Oh have been nothing but mistakes
What a wasted use of space
Should I die before I wake?
In all of my religion
I've fortified this prison
Obligated to obey
The demands of bad decisions

Please save me from myself
I need You to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal

And then He came
Selah
And it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Did you think about that?
And He came
Selah
Oh and it means
Meditation
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
That it is sealed

And then He came
And then He came
Then He came, then He came, then He came
And then He came

Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me,
and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight
indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap;
he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,
until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD
as in the days of old and as in former years.


Luke 1:68-79

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us
that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

Psalm 24
Entrance into the Temple
Of David. A Psalm.

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his 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 their salvation.
Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Selah

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.
Selah

Hebrews 8:11-12
words of assurance

And they shall not teach one another
or say to each other, ``Know the Lord'',
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful towards their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.'

Luke 1:39-55

Mary Visits Elizabeth

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, `Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.'

Mary's Song of Praise

And Mary said,
`My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'

(Norman Kember, Harmeet Singh Sooden and CPTer James Loney
delivered the following statement at a press conference on Dec 8,
2006 in London.)

We three, members of a Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation to
Iraq, were kidnapped on November 26, 2005 and held for 118 days
before being freed by British and American forces on March 23, 2006.
Our friend and colleague, Tom Fox, an American citizen and full-time
member of the CPT team working in Baghdad at the time, was kidnapped
with us and murdered on March 9, 2006. We are immensely sad that he
is not sitting with us here today.

On behalf of our families and CPT, we thank you for attending this
press conference today.

It was on this day a year ago that our captors threatened to execute
us unless their demands were met. This ultimatum, unknown to us at
the time, was a source of extreme distress for our families, friends
and colleagues.

The deadline was extended by two days to December 10, which is
International Human Rights Day. On this day, people all over the
world will commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948 by speaking out for
all those whose human dignity is being violated by torture, arbitrary
imprisonment, poverty, racism, oppression or war.

We understand a number of men alleged to be our captors have been
apprehended, charged with kidnapping, and are facing trial in the
Central Criminal Court of Iraq. We have been asked by the police in
our respective countries to testify in the trial. After much
reflection upon our traditions, both Sikh and Christian, we are
issuing this statement today.

We unconditionally forgive our captors for abducting and holding us.
We have no desire to punish them. Punishment can never restore what
was taken from us.

What our captors did was wrong. They caused us, our families and our
friends great suffering. Yet, we bear no malice towards them and
have no wish for retribution. Should those who have been charged
with holding us hostage be brought to trial and convicted, we ask
that they be granted all possible leniency. We categorically lay
aside any rights we may have over them.

In our view, the catastrophic levels of violence and the lack of
effective protection of human rights in Iraq is inextricably linked
to the US-led invasion and occupation. As for many others, the
actions of our kidnappers were part of a cycle of violence they
themselves experienced. While this in no way justifies what the men
charged with our kidnapping are alleged to have done, we feel this
must be considered in any potential judgment.

Forgiveness is an essential part of Sikh, Christian and Muslim
teaching. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first of the Sikh Gurus
said, "'Forgiveness' is my mother..." and, "Where there is
forgiveness, there is God." Jesus said, "For if you forgive those
who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
And of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) it is told that once,
while preaching in the city of Ta'if, he was abused, stoned and
driven out of the city. An angel appeared to him and offered to
crush the city between the two surrounding mountains if he ordered
him to do so, whereupon the Prophet(PBUH) said, "No. Maybe from
them or their offspring will come good deeds."

Through the power of forgiveness, it is our hope that good deeds will
come from the lives of our captors, and that we will all learn to
reject the use of violence. We believe those who use violence
against others are themselves harmed by the use of violence.

Kidnapping is a capital offence in Iraq and we understand that some
of our captors could be sentenced to death. The death penalty is an
irrevocable judgment. It erases all possibility that those who have
harmed others, even seriously, can yet turn to good. We
categorically oppose the death penalty.

By this commitment to forgiveness, we hope to plant a seed that one
day will bear the fruits of healing and reconciliation for us, our
captors, the peoples of Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the
United States, and most of all, Iraq. We look forward to the day
when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is respected by all
the world's people.

Harmeet Singh Sooden, Norman Kember, James Loney

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate.
They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses,
which the LORD had given to Israel.
Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly,
both men and women and all who could hear with understanding.
This was on the first day of the seventh month.
He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand;
and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the lawç

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people,
for he was standing above all the people;
and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands.
Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the groundç

So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation.
They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,
"This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep."
For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
Then he said to them,
"Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine
and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared,
for this day is holy to our LORD;
and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee,
and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,
he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.
He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 6:17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said: `Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. `Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. `Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. `Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. `But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. `Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. `Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. `Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Psalm 138

I give you thanks, O God, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down towards your holy temple
and give thanks to your name
for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;

for you have exalted your name
and your word above everything.

On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.

All the rulers of the earth shall praise you, O God,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of God,
for great is the glory of God.

For though God is high, God regards the lowly;
but the haughty God perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;

you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.

God will fulfill God's purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O God, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to youunless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and [God's] grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of themthough it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Lectionary texts

Isaiah 65:17-25
For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpentits food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Psalm 118:1-2,14-24

O give thanks to God, for God is good;
God's steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, `God's steadfast love endures forever.'

God is my strength and my might;
God has become my salvation.
There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
`The Strong hand of God does valiantly;
the mighty hand of God is exalted;
the strong hand of God does valiantly.'

I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of God.
God has punished me severely,
but God did not give me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to God.
This is the gate of God;
the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is God's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that God has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: `I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christhe is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.'

Luke 24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, `Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.' Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Luke 13:1-9

Repent or Perish

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, `Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on themdo you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.'

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Then he told this parable: `A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ``See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?'' He replied, ``Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'' '


Isaiah 55:1-9
An Invitation to Abundant Life

Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.


Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.


Psalm 63
Comfort and Assurance in God's Presence
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.


2 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul Defends His Ministry

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of ChristI who am humble when face to face with you, but bold towards you when I am away! I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. For they say, `His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.' Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense. We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you.

Proverbs 8:32-9:6

`And now, my children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord;
but those who miss me injure themselves;
all who hate me love death.'

Wisdom's Feast

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
`You that are simple, turn in here!'
To those without sense she says,
`Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.'


John 10:22-30
Jesus Is Rejected by the Judeans

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the [Judeans] gathered around him and said to him, `How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered, `I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.'


Acts 9:36-43
Peter in Lydda and Joppa

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, `Please come to us without delay.' So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, `Tabitha, get up.' Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Proverbs 8 (Today's NIV)

1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?

2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:

4 "To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all humankind.

5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. [a]

6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.

7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.

8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.

9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.

12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.

15 By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;

16 by me princes govern,
and noblesall who rule on earth.

17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,

21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.


Call to Worship: based on Psalm 148 and John 1: verses 14,16.

Praise the Lord who spoke the Word
which created the grandeur of the heavens:
For brilliant moon and countless stars, sun and rain and blue-skied days we praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord who spoke the Word
which created the fragile beauty of the earth and the seas:
For changing seasons; the contours of land and sea; for heat and cold, wind and calm, we praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord who spoke the Word
which created trees and plants, animals and birds,
as well as multi-colored and multi-gendered people:
For the environment which sustains male and female; poor and rich, young and old, gay and straight, we praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, the Word who became flesh
and who lived among us full of grace and truth:
We have seen The Word's glory and have all received grace upon grace, and truth that has set us free.

All - praise the Lord, Hallelujah!


Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, `Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?' Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, `I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." But I replied, "By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth." But a second time the voice answered from heaven, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, "Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved." And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?' When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, `Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.'


John 13:31-35
When he had gone out, Jesus said, `Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come." I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.'

Leader: God, we praise you for the courageous work being done by Christians in Colombia, as they strive to bring about peace and justice for all within their country. We pray for their protection, as they are being targeted by all sides. We pray for strength to persevere in their long struggle. We pray that through it all you will sustain their hope.

Response: "Oyenos, mi Dios" (Hear us, my God) HWB #358

Leader: Good Shepherd, we ask for your care and protection for those suffering in Colombia. We ask for strength for those who have lost loved ones in the war. We pray for healing for the victims of violence. We pray that the many displaced persons will find a home -- both a physical home and comfort in your presence.

Response: "Oyenos, mi Dios"

Leader: Prince of Peace, we pray for the thousands of Colombians who are working to bring an end to the conflict and a more just society for all. We also pray for all of the armed groups in the conflict - the paramilitaries, the guerrillas, and the military - that they will cease their violence, repent, and turn in humility to you.

Response: "Oyenos, mi Dios"

Leader: Merciful God, we confess that for too long we in North America have complacently stood by, unaware of the situation in Colombia and implicitly supporting government policies which have prolonged the war. We ask for forgiveness for our complacency, and for courage to stand with our Colombian brothers and sisters. We pray for wise policies from our governments that will bring peace instead of continuing this destructive war.

Response: "Oyenos, mi Dios"

Leader: Source of all Life, we lift up to you our dear sister Luz Marina, and our dear brother, Jose William. Protect their precious lives, O God. Sustain them in their work and ministry. Call out and equip new leaders in their growing congregation. And give to them the gift of friendship. Never leave them, God, and never forsake them. Keep us ever faithful in our commitments to them and to all the people of Colombia.

Response: "Oyenos, mi Dios"

Hear our prayers, O God. Amen.

Proverbs 1:20-2:11

The Call of Wisdom
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
`How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.'

The Value of Wisdom
My child, if you accept my words
and treasure up my commandments within you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
if you indeed cry out for insight,
and raise your voice for understanding;
if you seek it like silver,
and search for it as for hidden treasures
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
prudence will watch over you;
and understanding will guard you.

Acts 16:16-34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, `These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.' She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, `I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And it came out that very hour.

But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, `These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.' The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, `Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.' The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, `Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They answered, `Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

Psalm 97
Refrain:
Rejoice in God, O you righteous! Give thanks to God's holy name!

God is ruler! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness
are all around God;
righteousness and justice are
the foundation of God's throne.

Fire goes before God,
and consumes God's adversaries
on every side.

God's lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax
before God,
before the God of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim
God's righteousness;
and all the peoples behold
God's glory.

All worshippers of images are
put to shame, those who make their
boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before God.

Zion hears and is glad,
and the towns of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgements, O God.

For you, O God, are most high
over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

God loves those who hate evil;
God guards the lives of God's
faithful; God rescues them
from the hand of the wicked.

Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in God, O you righteous,
and give thanks to God's holy name!

John 17:20-26
`I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. `Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.'

Lectionary texts

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, `Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabsin our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power.' All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, `What does this mean?' But others sneered and said, `They are filled with new wine.'

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: `Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Psalm 104:24-34,35b

Refrain:
O God, how manifold are your works!

O God, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
it is teeming with countless
creatures, living things both small
and great.

There go the ships,
and Leviathan that you formed to
sport in it.

These all look to you
to give them their food in due
season;

when you give to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are
filled with good things.

When you hide your face,
they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they
are created; and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of God endure forever;
may God rejoice in God's works

God who looks on the earth and it
trembles,
God who touches the mountains and
they smoke.

I will sing to God as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I
have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to God,
for in God do I rejoice.

Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more.
Bless God, O my soul.
Praise be to God!

Romans 8:14-17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, `Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christif, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.