A Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Heavenly Father,

We pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for Your Name's sake -
for those who have lost homes and possessions, family and friends simply because they profess faith in your Son, Jesus.

We pray for those who have been arrested, beaten, imprisoned, tortured beyond what we can even imagine, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel,

for the multitude of Christians who are in prison even now as we gather in the comfort of our church sanctuary.

Grant these Your grace that they may endure,

grant them courage that their faith would not waver;

may they remain true to the One who suffered and died for them.

Give them the assurance that the sufferings of this present time

are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Give them love for their enemies that they might bless and not curse them,

that, in their suffering, they might testify of the love of Jesus for sinners.

May they rejoice that they are considered worthy to suffer for His name.

Give them joy in spite of their suffering,

and peace in spite of their pain,

knowing that a great reward awaits them.

We pray for their families,

that You would meet all their needs,

that they would not lose hope,

that their faith in You would remain strong.

We do pray for the release of these, Your children,

but until that day, may Your grace prevail and the

name of Jesus be glorified.

We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus,

Who suffered and died for us. Amen.

John Wesley's Rules for Congregational Singing (1761)

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, then when you sing the songs of Satan.

3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, not stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

Save the Afflicted

We beseech thee, Master,

to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us;

have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; 

appear to the needy;

heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry;

ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick;

comfort the faint-hearted.

 ~ ~ ~ Clement of Rome (1st Century) 

 

For the poor and the oppressed,
for the unemployed and the destitute,
for prisoners and captives,
and for all who remember and care for them,
let us pray to the Lord.
"Lord, have mercy."
~ ~ ~ Book of Common Prayer

Prayer for Ephiphany 2015

Lord Jesus Christ, 
You have shown yourself to the nations and transformed many by your radiant light. 

Your ongoing revelations bring a continual rebirth, recreating each of us in your likeness. 

May today’s rising sun remind us that your light is for the healing of the nations. Amen.

~ ~ ~ from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine

As our Christmas season comes to a close (today is the 11th Day of Christmas), here is what is known as the Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine.

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.

Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.

Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

Amen

St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

ADVENT IS . . .

Advent is . . .
Longing and looking

Waiting and watching

Attentive anticipation

Earnest expectation

Patient preparation

During this season of hope we look back on, remember, and celebrate what many generations only dreamed of and longed for - the Incarnation of the promised Messiah. But we not only look back, we look forward to another promise, that of His return. 

Never lose that sense of expectancy that Advent is about!
Don't lose heart!
Hold fast to the hope!

May this Christmas bring you, your family, and your church God's richest blessings. May His favor be abundantly poured out on you and all you hold dear.

Happy Holidays!

"Happy whatever-your-holidays-might-be!"
 

For me:
it was Thanksgiving,
currently is Advent,  
soon will be twelve days of Christmas,
followed by Epiphany.

I don't presume that you would know that, nor do I assume you will remember that, so, "Happy Holidays!" will be just great.

When you smile at me and wish me a "Happy Holidays!" I will intentionally "keep Christ in Christmas" by kindly and simply saying, "Why, thank you! May your holidays be happy as well." A big part of "keeping Christ in Christmas" is keeping His grace in Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

A True Advent Hymn

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is truly a hymn for Advent. The earnest desire for the One who would come as Israel's Deliverer is seen in every verse. This longing and hoping, watching and waiting is what the spirit of Advent is all about. Originally written in Latin in the 12th century, this hymn was translated into English by John M. Neale in 1851. Neale originally translated the first line, "Draw nigh, draw nigh, Em­man­u­el."

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. Refrain

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call. Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. Refrain

Remember Christian Soul

 

Remember Christian Soul 

 

That today and every day you have

God to glorify.

Jesus to imitate.

Salvation to work out with fear and trembling.

A body to use rightly.

Sins to repent.

Virtues to acquire.

Hell to avoid.

Heaven to gain.

Eternity to hold in mind.

Time to profit by.

Neighbors to serve.

The world to enjoy.

Creation to use rightly.

Slights to endure patiently.

Kindnesses to offer willingly.

Justice to strive for.

Temptations to overcome.

Death perhaps to suffer.

In all things, God's love to sustain you.

 

~ ~ ~ From St. Augustine's Prayer Book

A Note to Husbands and Fathers

Husbands and fathers, your family needs to feel safe when they are with you. You are to be a place they can run, knowing you will protect and care for them. There is something seriously wrong if your family dreads being near you, never knowing if they can trust you to be the man you are meant to be. If they are afraid of being around you, you are a miserable failure at this game we call life.

Are you a bully around your family, or a bully toward anyone, for that matter? Being a bully and being a Christian are not compatible. You are called to lead by example in humility, servanthood, and Christlikeness. You are not called to rule with an iron fist.

Love your wife. Love your children. Make sure they never have a reason to doubt your love and never have a reason to be afraid of you.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." - 1 John 4:18

On the Lives of Early Christians

Some scholars date this wonderful work as early as 130 a.d., while others, mid to-late second century.

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

Chapter V - The Manners of the Christians

Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.

Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.

They live in their own countries, but they do so as those who are just passing through. As citizens they participate in everything with others, yet they endure everything as if they were foreigners. Every foreign land is like their homeland to them, and every land of their birth is like a land of strangers.

They marry, like everyone else, and they have children, but they do not destroy their offspring. They share a common table, but not a common bed.

They exist in the flesh, but they do not live by the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, all the while surpassing the laws by their lives.
They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death and restored to life.

They are poor, yet make many rich. They lack everything, yet they overflow in everything. They are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor they are glorified; they are spoken ill of and yet are justified; they are reviled but bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if raised from the dead. They are assailed by the Jews as barbarians; they are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred.

Walking with Grief

The following thoughts are beautifully written by  Andy Raine, one of the founders of the  Northumbria Prayer Community, and found in the book Celtic Daily Prayer.

Do not hurry as you walk with grief;
it does not help the journey.
Walk slowly, pausing often:
do not hurry as you walk with grief.
Be not disturbed by memories that come unbidden.
Swiftly forgive; and let Christ speak for you unspoken words.
Unfinished conversation will be resolved in him.
Be not disturbed.
Be gentle with the one who walks with grief.
If it is you, be gentle with yourself.
Swiftly forgive; walk slowly, pausing often.
Take time, be gentle as you walk with grief.