GREETING (quote from Augustine’s “Confessions”)
“O Beauty, so ancient and so new,
you were with us, but we not with you.”
Together we have traveled so far.
Alone we stumble without our north star.
We again fix eyes and heart on you.
our destination to bring back into view.
HYMN 448 “Go Down, Moses”
PSALM 78
PRAYER
(Consider some of the following concerns of people for prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and petition. Follow with your personal prayer list.)
The fear of God The prophecies of the Old Testament
The holiness of God Learning and studying God’s will
We are to be a holy people For discernment through Holy Spirit
The ten commandments of God For guidance through the Holy Spirit
All of us who have broken the commandments Forgiveness and grace
The good teachings of the commandments The blood of Christ
The blessings brought by the commandments Baptism in Christ
Desiring to obey God Communion with Christ
Our repetitive sins Living every day in Christ
God’s provision of our needs Living in a spiritual wilderness
God protection and care of us Remembering God’s goodness
Trusting God with our security ____________________________
The example of the Old Testament ____________________________
The promises of the Old Testament ____________________________
THE LORD'S PRAYER
SCRIPTURE LESSON
(Choose a passage of scripture to read. It can be a chapter, a paragraph, or a particular story. Daily lectionaries are available online or in print that assign a lesson each day from the gospels, epistles, Old Testament and psalms on a three-year cycle. Or you can create a plan to read a book of the Bible, or the whole Bible. Then follow the steps below.)
Read a passage of scripture. Read it out loud, very slowly and carefully as if for the first time. Continue reading until a word, phrase or sentence captures your attention. Stop there to repeat the word, phrase or sentence over and over, listening to it deeply in your heart.
Reflect on why the passage got your attention. Consider the area of your life to which this may apply. Is God saying something to you in this passage? Take time to listen carefully to whatever God may be saying to you.
Respond to God in prayer (or with journaling, music, art or whatever you choose) about what you have heard. Ask questions. Open yourself to God’s will for you.
Rest in God’s company. Be still and quiet. Move beyond thinking, practicing interior silence. Let yourself be open to God’s presence. Savor this moment with God.
PRAYER
We bow before you, O God, in fear and trembling,
like Moses and the elders on Sinai’s mountain-top.
You are so unbelievably and limitlessly powerful,
we almost willingly forget your astounding might.
We stand on shaky ground, willing to sacrifice all;
but it is not our sacrifices that you desire from us.
You want us to remember all your deeds of mercy.
You want us to remember how much we are loved.
And in our remembering, you would awake in us
love which teaches trust in your eternal covenant.
In that covenant you defeat those who enslave us,
and free us from their powerful lies and treachery.
In covenant you give us commandments and law,
not to limit us, but to guide us into your blessing.
In covenant you supply every essential and more,
and lead us through this world’s dark wilderness.
In covenant you provide a land of milk and honey,
where we make our home and live in your peace.
And in even greater covenant you send your Son,
who overwhelms our sins and defeats our death.
In that covenant you send to us your Holy Spirit,
not to control us, but to guide us into eternal life.
We still feel holy ground shaking under our feet,
as we keep faith in your covenant and learn love.
May our daily lives and deeds match our prayer,
as you steadfastly keep covenant with us forever. Amen.
SILENCE AND COMMITMENT
(Pause to reflect and listen. Work to push out of your mind any distracting or irrelevant thoughts. Concentrate your thoughts on the words of the hymns and choruses you have sung, the prayers you have spoken and the scriptures you have read. Be aware of what you are feeling. Listen for anything that God might be saying to you in this time you have spent together. As God responds to your prayer-time, seek guidance for how you can best respond to God’s will. Then commit to serving God’s will for you.)
HYMN 134 “O Mary, Don’t You Weep”
CLOSING PRAYER
You have covenanted with us, Creator and Almighty God;
and we know you are faithful to all your words.
We enjoy inexhaustible blessings because of your covenant,
and for your favor and gifts we are truly thankful.
We recognize our failures in keeping covenant with you,
and we are determined today to turn that around.
Let your Holy Spirit take possession of our minds and hearts,
so that we please you in all we think, say or do. Amen.
Copyright 2020. Robert D. Ingram, 32746 Jourden Rd., Albany, Ohio 45710 (dr.bobingram@gmail.com). Used by permission.
