 America is Changing
Clare Malone, FiveThirtyEight There Aren’t Many Moderates Left Lee Drutman, FiveThirtyEight We Are Literally Speaking Different Languages Will Knight, Wired But We Agree on More Than You Think Perry Bacon, FiveThirtyEight Yes We’re in Exile, but Jesus is Still King Bonnie Kristian, Christianity Today We Can Still Be “One Nation Under God” Daniel Harrell, Christianity Today We Owe it to Our Gospel Witness Timothy Keller, The New Yorker It Starts By Loving Our Enemies Arthur C. Brooks, The New York Times
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 “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” ~ Psalm 34:17-19 ESV ~ A few months ago on Facebook I was nominated by two brothers in Christ and brothers in arms to raise awareness for Veteran’s Suicide Prevention. In the United States alone, we lose as many as 22 veterans to suicide every day. So I decided to share how I deal with my own anger, guilt, and shame: daily times in the Psalms. For my #22forVets I posted a video of me reading a psalm each day for 22 days. You can check out the full YouTube playlist here or at the individual links below. But as I continued sharing, I came to another realization: veterans aren’t the only ones struggling. One in five Americans struggles with mental illness, including half of our children, and less than half of these poor souls receive professional care. Suicide itself is a leading cause of death in the United States and the number one cause of firearm deaths among our neighbors. And that was before the debacle we know as 2020! So I figured we could all use a little more help. Mental health is a team sport. If you struggle inwardly with your own thoughts, you are not alone and you are braver than you think. And since September is Suicide Prevention Month, I figured it was time to share these again. But why the Psalms? Well, the Psalms are both the songbook of the early church and the prayers of Jesus himself. They help us find words when we don’t really know what to say. And they help me get my mind right by pointing me back to Christ. That first thought comes from Athanasius, a leader in the early church in Egypt: I think that these words become like a mirror to the singer for him to be able to understand in them the emotions of his own soul and thus perceiving them to explain them. Moreover, he who hears the reader also receives the ode which is spoken as about himself. … And thus all the psalms have been spoken and arranged by the Spirit so that the emotions of our soul may be understood in them according to what was written before time and so that all of them may have been written as about us and become our very own words, for a reminder of our emotions and a corrective of our conduct. (A Letter to Marcellinus; in Everett Ferguson, The Early Church at Work and Worship - Vol. 3, ch. 11) So in the Psalms I hear my own cries, and come face to face with my own demons. But honestly, that’s not a mirror I want to spent much time in front of. Recognition alone doesn’t bring healing. Thankfully, in the Psalms we don’t only hear our own cries. At times, the strange but familiar voice of Someone Else breaks through. Listen to another reader, this time from the height of Nazi oppression: The psalms that will not cross our lips as prayers, those that make us falter and offend us, make us suspect that here someone else is praying, not we—that the one who is here affirming his innocence, who is calling for God’s judgment, who has come to such infinite depths of suffering, is none other than Jesus Christ himself. It is he who is praying here, and not only here, but in the whole Psalter. … The Psalter is the prayer book of Jesus Christ in the truest sense of the word. He prayed the Psalter, and now it has become his prayer for all time. Can we now comprehend how the Psalter is capable of being simultaneously prayer to God and yet God’s own Word, precisely because the praying Christ encounters us here? (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, ch. 2) When we sing or speak the words of the Psalms we’re talking with Christ in his Spirit’s own words, and the Father recognizes our voice as his Son’s. And alongside our triune God and me, are all the believers around the world and through the ages who are singing our songs—and that is an incredibly beautiful thought. Of course, God also surrounds us with people who are there when we need them most. Here are some great resources for those struggling with doubt each day:
So these are my 22 psalms for broken spirits. Read along with me and check out my comments below. I pray that God uses these songs to open your heart and to speak to you tenderly of his love, your great worth, and his plans for you among his people. God bless! Day 1: Psalm 4. It’s okay to be angry, but hand that anger over to God.
Day 2: Psalm 6. God knows what keeps you up at night, because he sits up with you and listens. Day 3: Psalm 13. Waiting can be hard, but hope is the anthem of your soul—sing the doubt away. (The previous two phrases are shamelessly stolen from Switchfoot.) Day 4: Psalm 20. You’re never alone, especially when you pray—others are praying for you right now. Day 5: Psalm 22. What starts as a lament becomes Jesus’ own victory song. He lifts you broken from the silence, to make you whole again. Day 6: Psalm 23. Following God changes our expectations of what this world really needs—what I really need: an abiding faith, a simple goodness, and a whole lot of mercy. (You may want to read through the psalm before watching. This video was recorded in Kabul, Afghanistan in January 2019, when I tinkered with a cover of Jon Foreman’s, “The House of God, Forever.” To keep it simple I sang by ear, sticking with my first take of the melody and my second of the harmony.) Day 7: Psalm 27. When you’re surrounded by injustice and violence, find your hope and courage in the presence of the Lord, worshiping with his people. Day 8: Psalm 29. In the storm you see the power and glory of the One who made you; but it’s in the silence that you hear the gentle whisper of his words to you. Day 9: Psalm 30. God lifts us from the pits of despair; he turns our weeping to joy, our mourning to mirth, and our grieving to gladness. Day 10: Psalm 32. The injustice of the world is not about someone else’s sins, it’s about my own. Confession and forgiveness are the balm of a guilty spirit, and bring healing for a hurting nation. Day 11: Psalm 34. The goodness of God cannot be explained, it can only be experienced: a good life, the peace of his presence, and the redemption of spirit and flesh. And in that experience, his goodness flows back to him in our praise. Day 12: Psalm 38. Sometimes our head reels with feelings strong enough to be felt through our whole body. God can use that to point us beyond the Now, to share in his own goodness, and to reflect it to those around us—especially when they don’t mean us well. (I owe the thought of that first sentence to Switchfoot’s song, “Voices.”) Day 13: Psalm 40. Patience is a virtue built only by waiting, teaching us to hope. And in that hope we find our song, our gladness, and our will to follow. Day 14: Psalm 42. The world can be draining. But in God we find our oasis, a living stream in the desert of lies and injustice, where our souls drink deeply of the waters of life. Day 15: Psalm 46. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to turn. Leaders come and go, nations rise and fall, earth itself grows old. But know this: God is always there; our refuge and our peace. Day 16: Psalm 55. There is almost nothing worse than betrayal. And the closer the relationship—your neighbor, your friend, your family—the worse the pain. But fight and flight aren’t the only options; give that vindictiveness to God and he will vindicate you. Let him give you “the strength to let go.” (Yep, another line from Switchfoot.) Day 17: Psalm 56. Sometimes we get stuck in sick cycles; nothing goes as planned and no one seems to care. But God knows what keeps you up at night; he sees every tear, he writes down every prayer, and he does what’s best for everyone. Trust in him. Day 18: Psalm 73. Life just doesn’t seem fair sometimes: bad things happen to good people, while the wicked live the good life. But it’s among God’s people that we begin to understand what he’s doing. He shows us his justice, and his mercy, and calls us to hold on to him as our Rock. Day 19: Psalm 80. Coming to God is like returning to a home you’ve always dreamed of but never been to. Or like meeting your Father for the very first time. There’s so much new to take in, but there’s also a feeling of familiarity that you can’t explain. Like everything beautiful was just a glimpse of his glory, and that looking out now the beauty of everything else grows because you now see it as the work of his hands. Day 20: Psalm 84. When you feel weak, remember you weren’t intended to do it by yourself; you were made to belong. You have a Father, a family, and a place to call home—that is your strength. Day 21: Psalm 103. Amidst all the disappointments and WRONGS of this world, it’s way too easy to forget what’s going RIGHT. Healing, forgiveness, compassion—that’s real power—glimpses of Heaven’s Kingdom in our broken hearts and broken towns. (That last phrase is adapted from Jon Foreman’s song, “Your Love Is Strong.”) Day 22: Psalm 121. No matter where you go or what you do, you’re never alone. The One who made heaven and earth is watching, and helping, and guarding your every step. Look to him.  Originally posted in 2016. Edited and reposted for Labor Day 2020.
The Increasingly Unequal States of America (2018) Estelle Sommeiller & Mark Price, Economic Policy Institute While We Were Out Daniel Schwindt, The Distributist Review Why We Need More Economic Participation Richard Aleman, The Distributist Review Bernie May be Right: The Nordic Model of Health Care Works Edwin G. Dolan, Huffington Post When Capitalism Only Rewards Shareholders Bruce Scott, PBS Newshour  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  This lesson was covered by Brother Dave while we were out of town, so instead of our usual video check out Part 2 of The Bible Project's series on the book of Isaiah (see also my note below*).
Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series. [*One additional note on the video. The narrator mentions that there are two views on who wrote Isaiah 40-66: (A) Isaiah himself, before the exile or (B) his disciples after the exile. Although the video prefers Option B, I think the case is stronger for Option A. The strongest reason for this is also the simplest: when Jesus quotes both parts of Isaiah (53:1 then 6:1) in John 12:38-41, he attributes both passages to Isaiah himself. That’s pretty strong ground to stand on! For more on this question, check out The ESV Study Bible’s treatment in their “Introduction to Isaiah: Date” as well as their commentary on Isaiah 40:1-55:3.]  Revised Teaching Outline
Introduction: Ex 20:1-4; 8x Three Truths
Three Take-Aways
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series. The video for this lesson went AWOL, so instead, review the first half of the book with Part 1 of The Bible Project's series on the book of Isaiah, then dig into chapter 40 with the outline below.
Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  This lesson was taught by Brother Eddie while we were out of town, then later on I completely reworked the final point. So in lieu of our class video, check out this one from The Bible Project, which discusses the image Isaiah draws on in this passage.
Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
Three Children (8:18)
Four Lessons
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  Revised Teaching Outline
For more on Isaiah, check out our Introduction and the rest of the series.  "Galatians 6:14-15" by Christopher Powers. Find more Scripture art at fullofeyes.com. Introduction
Isaiah was a prophet in ancient Judah, whose father is traditionally identified as the brother of King Amaziah, making him a grandson of King Joash (Is 1:1; 2Ki 14:1). Isaiah prophesied from about 740 to 681 B.C. during a period of steady decline—economic, political, and military—but Judah’s real distress was spiritual and moral. Isaiah thus begins his book with a warning (chs. 1-6), showing the people that their sinful hubris violated the holiness of God himself, “the Holy One of Israel” (Is 1:4). Unfortunately, instead of responding with “a contrite and lowly” humility, Judah closed the eyes of their heart and rejected the healing of the Lord (57:15 ESV; 6:10). So Isaiah turns to the future, predicting God’s holy judgment and his merciful deliverance. Like a miniature Bible, Isaiah spends 39 chapters laying out the bad news, and then 27 chapters tracing out the good news, with a few detours along the way. Like many of the prophets, his visions are fulfilled in three ways: (1) initially in threats from Assyria (chs. 7-38; 7:17) and Babylon (39:1-44:23; 39:6-7), (2) eventually in the exiles’ return under the Persians (44:24-66:24; 13:17), and (3) ultimately in the reign of God himself (52:7). It’s this coming of God’s kingdom that most fascinated the writers of the New Testament. When they read of this newborn king (Is 9:6-7) and suffering servant (52:13), they recognized him as the same bringer of good news they knew as the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:35). Isaiah’s own name says it all: Yahweh is Salvation. The prophet’s ultimate hope is therefore the same as ours today: one day our King will return to reign over an everlasting kingdom filled with joy, love, and light (Is 35:10; 54:8; 60:19-20). Why These Texts? And What’s With the Outlines? Selecting texts for a 12-week survey can be difficult, but especially for a book as significant as Isaiah. These lessons focus on those passages most influential in the New Testament (NT). To identify them, I started with an outline of Isaiah from Outline of Bible Books by David Lang, Greg Ward, and Sean Nelson (Accordance, 2015), and then simply listed NT citations from Isaiah using the margins of my ESV and NKJV, plus a great table in The ESV Study Bible (C. John Collins, “Old Testament Passages Cited in the New Testament”). Next, I highlighted the passages of Isaiah that were cited most often (sometimes expanding or contracting sections in the outline to fit the context), and then rounded these selections out by adding an introduction (chs. 1-2) and conclusion (chs. 65-66). When I teach, I prefer to use outlines just deep enough to remind me of the author’s thoughts, but not so in-depth that I get bogged down in my notes. I share these here in hopes they might be of help to others too. These were usually tweaked right after I taught the text, so they don’t always reflect exactly what was recorded. To focus our thoughts each week, I like to ask a few fundamental questions:
For more information on Isaiah, check out the study helps listed below, or leave me a note at the Contact tab above. God bless! Study Helps:
 “In nine passages, the Hebrew Bible pictures the land groaning under the weight of sin, longing for redemption (Amos 1:2; Hosea 4:1-4; Jer. 4:23-28; 12:7-13; 23:9-12; Isa. 24:1-24; 33:7-9; Joel 1:5-20).” — John Mark Hicks, Bobby Valentine & Mark Wilson, Embracing Creation: God’s Forgotten Mission, p. 73 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good for his mercy endures forever! Sing to the Lord, all the earth saving news from day to day! For great is the Lord, and great in our praise, for the Lord made heavens and earth. In his image God made man, male and female created them. God blessed them both and said, “Bear fruit and flourish, fill the earth, subdue, and rule all that lives, fulfill my form in the flesh.” Thus Lord formed man of dust from ground and breathed in him life’s breath, and man became a living soul. Then Lord planted garden facing dawn, there he put them he formed. And from the ground trees sprang and sang. The tree of life was in their midst, and tree knowing good and evil. A river there flowed to water all, and he called all he made, Very Good. There the Lord put the man he made to tend and keep it safe. Remember his covenant forever, O seed of Abram his friend, the promise he spoke for a thousand births, saying, “The land is yours, roped off and gifted.” When you were few in number, mere strangers in the land, he gave no room for injustice; for you he counseled kings, “Touch not my anointed; do my prophets no harm!” But I looked on earth, and lo, without form, and all void; and the heavens above, alas, were black, for they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and lo, they trembled, to and fro. The earth is utterly broken, his surface rent asunder, the earth is violently shaken, he staggers like a drunk. Transgression lies heavy upon him. If he falls, will he rise again? The earth mourns and fades; and all earth’s people wither. The world lies polluted, stained; for laws they transgressed, changed judgment, broke faith. Their curse devours the earth. “They trampled down my portion; made delight a desolation. She mourns to me, but none takes heart.” So the sword of the Lord devours; no flesh finds Sabbath rest. Be ashamed, O farmers; wail, O vinedressers. Is not food cut off from our eyes, joy and gladness from his house? Lament like a virgin in sackcloth for the husband of her youth. How the beast groans, bewildered! With no pasture sheep suffers need. For fire eats at open field, and flames burn all the trees. Even beasts out grazing thirst for you; their brooks run only dry. Cursed is ground because of you, in pain you eat all your days. Thorns and thistles earth brings forth, plants of field you eat, by sweat of face seeking daily bread, till back to dust you turn. The field is destroyed, the ground groans, the seed shrivels under clods. The storehouse is vain, the granary in ruins, the grain itself dries up. The new wine mourns, the vine withers, the trees in grove sing no more-- pomegranate, palm, and apple. No joy for Adam’s sons, all merry-hearted sigh. The Lord roars from Zion’s Mount, his voice pours forth from Salem; the shepherds’ pastures wither, and Carmel’s springs dry up. There is no faith or mercy, no knowledge of God in the land. Rather cursing, lying, killing, thieving and perverting; broken bounds and bloodstains abound. Thus beasts of the field and heavens’ birds, even fish in the sea flee away. “Shepherds destroyed my vineyard; both prophet and priest polluted. Thus their way shall be slippery paths in the dark, into which they shall drive and fall in the year of disaster.” Put on sackcloth and wail, O priests; Come, pass the night in tears. Set a fast, call around, gather all who inhabit the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry aloud to his name. For it shall be, as with people, so priest; as with worker, so watcher; as with buyer, so seller; as with debtor, so lender; The land shall be emptied and plundered; for the Lord has spoken his word: “I have forsaken my house, my love is in enemy hands. My home is but a hyena’s lair; vultures loiter with greed. Go, gather the beasts of the field; bring them to devour!” Dread and pit and snare upon you, O kings who rule the earth! He who flees the voice of dread shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs the walls of pit shall be taken in the snare. For windows high are opened wide, and earth’s foundations tremble. Moon will stare confounded and sun will sulk in shame, for the Lord Sabaoth reigns on high in glory, before his saints. Behold, the Lord empties and ruins, twists surface and scatters squatters. The city of chaos lies broken; each house shut up so none enter. In the city Death moves in, the gate is battered to ruin. Behold, on the corners heroes cry; brokers of peace weep bitterly. Highways lie waste; and traveler ceases. Their course is evil, and might is not right. Alas for the day! The mirth of timbrels ceases, the sounds of Jubilee fail, the mirth of lyres is stilled. All joy, like night, has fallen; the world’s gladness is exiled. But for you, O Lord, they wait with longing, lift up their voice and sing. Your majesty they shout o’er waves of sea, and glory in your name at dawn. From earth’s end we hear the songs of praise to the Righteous One. Let heavens rejoice, and earth shout out, say to the world, “He reigns!” Let sea thunder, and all its fullness; and field burst forth from chains! Then shall the trees of forest sing to the Lord, for he comes to judge. And saints embodied give an ode, newly sung, “Worthy are you to take scroll and seals, you were slain and your blood paid the price. From natives’ tribes and peoples’ tongues, you have made royal priests unto God, and they shall reign on earth.” Then seventh angel trumpet sounds, and voices loud in heaven say, “The world’s kingdom is Christ’s, he reigns evermore.” And twenty-four elders enthroned on high fell on face and worshiped in song: “To you we give thanks, O Lord our God, who was, and is, and will be, for you have taken up your reign. Nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, to destroy the wicked who destroy the earth.” Then heaven and earth I saw remade for first heaven and earth passed away, and the sea separates no more. But holy city I saw, New Peace, led down from heaven above, adorned as a bride for her groom. And I heard a voice out of throne say: “Behold, God tabernacles with man. To him who conquers this garden comes, their God will he be, he adopts them. He will wipe every tear and Death shall die, without mourning and crying and pain.” And he who sat enthroned spoke out, “Behold, I make all things new.” And, “Write these words, faith and truth.” And yet again, “It is finished! Alpha and Zed, Beginning and End. To the thirsty I give without pay. “As for cowards and faithless, loathed murderers, fakes, loving sex and self and stone, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone-- second death.” Then angel showed me waters of life, flowing brightly from the throne through the midst of Salem’ street; and on either shore of river wide the tree of life sings with joy, yielding leaves and fruits that heal. No longer any trace of curse, for God and Lamb are there. When all his servants see his face, not by light of lamp or sun, but by splendor of his gaze. Where righteousness at last is home. “Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.” — 1 Chronicles 16:33 ESV  Before leaving our series, I want to give you one more way to enjoy these early songs and prayers, alongside some other favorites. You see, part of what makes these songs so great is that their truths echo across the centuries, and reflect the light of Christ toward us from new angles and with new applications. Setting these songs alongside other classic and contemporary hymns allows us to extend the wisdom of the ages to our situation today. Remember, the gospel is both ancient and timeless—it doesn’t grow old. Like Christ himself said, “every writer who has been discipled for the kingdom of the heavens is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Mt 13:52).
The question then becomes, Which songs make the cut? Well, there’s definitely more than one way to do it, but here’s what I settled on.
Currently, this gives us 42 songs, with 2 hours and 4 minutes of great acapella music you can take with you anywhere. Here’s the link. So which songs are you surprised made the list? Which ones are you surprised didn’t? How would you have done it differently? However you answer those questions, just remember that when we sing, it’s not about a particular list of songs. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col 3:16). Wisdom and Grace—that’s our goal. So let these songs speak the word of Christ to your heart, and find your joy bringing glory to God alongside his people.  Have you ever sat in a Bible class, in awe of the grace and knowledge of your brothers and sisters (2Pe 3:18)? Or heard a prayer in worship that you knew came from the heart of a righteous person (Jam 5:16)? The more you get to know these good people, the more you realize how much of that deep faith, hope, and love were developed alone with Jesus. And when you visit with them in their homes, you’ll find a well-worn Bible and a heart filled with songs and prayers. In this series, you’ve hopefully seen why it’s so important for every Christian (and every Christian family) to set aside time each day for communing with God. And hopefully you’ve also caught some of the how: “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col 3:16 NKJV), learning to “pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17), and meditating on the word “all the day” (Ps 119:97). So before we go, let’s pause and think more about what meditation looks like. When we hear that word these days, we probably picture someone sitting silently with eyes closed, legs crossed, breathing deeply. And those are all good things. But when the Bible speaks of meditation, the picture is of someone holding an open scroll, whispering the words of God under their breath, and turning them over in their minds. It reminds me of something C.S. Lewis said about how to enjoy beauty: “Look. Listen. Receive” (An Experiment in Criticism, p. 19). Here’s how that works with the Bible:
So as we read Scripture, we’re not just skimming the words on the page; we’re reading at the pace our own heart can grow. This may be a few chapters a day or just one, a few verses or a single verse. But when we do this well, we find that we’re not just reading Scripture, the Scriptures are reading us. For a great example of these principles in action, check out the Jews coming home from Babylon in Nehemiah 8. For a not-so-great example, compare this to Jesus’ chat with “a certain lawyer” in Luke 10:25-37. Of course, everyone needs some help sometimes, a “Phillip” to come alongside us as our guide (Acts 8:31). Here are three resources I really enjoy:
However you decide to meditate each day, though, pick up a good Bible collecting dust nearby and put it to good use. Remember, these words are ancient, but ever true. Reflect on what God reveals to you through them. Their good news belongs in your heart. Teach it to others with every song you sing and every prayer you pray. Live out God’s own wisdom and grace. Grow more into him, and you will find your strength for the day. Meditation isn’t about finding the perfect prayer routine or the perfect reading plan (though both can be helpful), but about drawing closer to the one who is Perfect. And don’t worry about how much progress you are making each day or whether you’re doing it just right. Just remember those words of the Lord: Stand by the roads, and look, Our class was recorded Oct 9, 2019. Because of scheduling, we combined our discussions of the Gloria Patri and the Kyrie Eleison. In the video below, the portion on the Kyrie runs from 17:50 to 27:40 and from 43:50 to the end. Feel free to follow along by clicking through the slideshow above. This slideshow has been revised to return it to its intended place as the last song in the study. Our class was recorded Nov 20, 2019, and starts at 22:30 in the video below. Because of scheduling, we combined our discussions of the Gloria Patri and the Kyrie Eleison, making this our final class. Since then, the slideshow above has been revised to move the summary material we used in class back to its intended place with the Kyrie (next week's song). Our class was recorded Nov 13, 2019, and starts at 15:41 in the video below. Feel free to follow along by clicking through the slideshow above. Before stepping into this time of prayer, a brief note on the format may be helpful.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. ~ Psalm 4:8 ESV ~ Finally, in all the old evening prayers, it is striking how frequently we encounter their plea for preservation during the night from the devil, from terror and from an evil, sudden death. The ancients were keenly aware of human helplessness while sleeping, the kinship of sleep with death, and the devil’s cunning in causing our downfall when we are defenseless. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, ch. 2 ~ Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. He will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the peril and pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the peril that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place-- the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall befall you, nor any plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to keep you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He will call to me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Gloria Patri (Minor Doxology) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Nunc Dimittis (The Song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32) Now, O Lord, you let your servant go in peace, according to your promise; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel. Scripture Reading Kyrie Eléison (Gk.; repeat each line three times) Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. Personal Petitions Our class was recorded Nov 6, 2019, and starts at 19:15 in the video below. Feel free to follow along by clicking through the slideshow above. Our class was recorded Oct 30, 2019, and starts at 20:03 in the video below. Feel free to follow along by clicking through the slideshow above. |
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