MORNING PRAYER: January 26, 2015 Officiant: Let us become aware of God’s presence in us and around us. All: Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be. *Feasts, Holy Days and Commemorations THE CONVERSION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL (JANUARY 25) On January 25 we remember how Saul (or Paul) of Tarsus, formerly an enemy and persecutor of the early Christian Church, was led by Gods grace to become one of its chief spokesmen. Our chief sources of information about the Apostle Paul are (1) several of his own letters, preserved for us in the New Testament, and (2) the account of him given by Luke in the book of Acts. One naturally asks whether we can be sure that the letters attributed to Paul are in fact his. A partial answer is that a forger would run into difficulty. If he wrote a letter, say, to the church at Corinth during Pauls lifetime, and signed Pauls name, the Corinthians would naturally mention it the next time they sent a message to Paul, and Paul would naturally reply: What are you talking about? I never wrote anything like that! If a letter supposedly to Corinth were circulated after Pauls death, sooner or later a copy would reach Corinth, and the members of the church there would ask, If Paul wrote this letter and sent it to us while he lived, how does it happen that no one here has ever heard of it? Thus, it would be difficult to obtain credence for a forged letter to a congregation. This argument does not apply to a letter to an individual (such as Timothy or Titus). Moreover, it arguably does not apply to the Letter to the Ephesians. Although some ancient copies of this letter begin: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are [at Ephesus and] faithful in Christ Jesus: other ancient copies read simply also instead of the bracketed words. Thus, it is widely supposed that the letter was written as a general form letter to many churches, with the name of the church to be filled in in each particular copy. This view is supported by the fact that the letter contains no personal greetings and makes no references to the past history of the congregation addressed. Now, a forger might write such a form letter, circulate it after Pauls death, and escape detection, since no particular congregation could say, Since we did not hear of this letter before, Paul could not have written it. And accordingly, we find that it is precisely Ephesians and the Pastorals (the letters to Timothy and Titus) that are questioned by some scholars who acknowledge Pauls authorship of all the other letters claiming to be by him. (I am not counting the letter to the Hebrews, which is not signed.) The Conversion of Paul, by Caravaggio Our other source of information is the book of Acts, where Paul (at first called Saul) appears in 7:58-8:1; 9:1-30; 11:25-30; 12:25--28:31. Here we read how Paul at first opposed and persecuted the Church, how he had a vision of Christ and was converted, and devoted the rest of his life to spreading the Gospel of Christ. Portions of this account include statements like we then crossed over to Troas, which are taken to mean that Luke was a companion of Paul for part of Pauls journeys. Since these accounts, particularly those of the shipwreck on Pauls last voyage, show every sign of being accurate eyewitness accounts (see the book The Voyage and Shipwreck of Saint Paul, by James Smith of Jordan Hill, FRS) and since a comparison of the style of various portions of the book of Acts makes it highly improbable that it is a scissors-and-paste job, with portions of one mans work inserted into a story by someone else, many scholars consider the claim that Acts was written by a companion of Paul to be well established. On the other hand, it is not always clear how the chronology of Lukes account of the life of Paul is to be fitted with the autobiographical snippets we find in Pauls own writings, and for this reason some scholars dispute the genuineness of the book of Acts. For an old but still worth-while introduction to the subject, and a defense of the conservative position, I refer the reader to A Historical Introduction to the New Testament (the title varies a bit from one edition to another) by George Salmon, FRS. A portion of this book (dealing with the authorship of the Fourth Gospel) can be obtained at elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/CHRISTIA/library/john-part2.html READING Acts 26:9-21 (Paul, on trial before Agrippa, recounts the story of his conversion at Damascus) PSALM 67 (God has blest us, and all the ends of the earth shall revere Him) EPISTLE Galatians 1:11-24 (Paul writes of his conversion, and its implications) THE HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 10:16-22 (Christ warns His disciples of persecutions to come, and encourages them to stand firm and trust God) *Confession of Sin Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbors. Silence may be kept. Officiant and People together Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen. The Priest alone says: Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The Invitatory and Psalter Officiant: Lord, open our lips. People: And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Officiant and People: 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. Alleluia. The earth is the Lord’s for he made it: Come let us adore him. Hymn: Come and pray in us, Holy Spirit, come and pray in us, Come and visit us, Holy Spirit, Spirit come, Spirit come. The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him. Then follows the Venite or Jubilate. Venite Psalm 95 Come let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Jubilate Psalm 100 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age. *The Psalm Appointed: Psalm 41 Beatus qui intelligit 1Happy are they who consider the poor and needy! * the LORD will deliver them in the time of trouble. 2 The LORD preserves them and keeps them alive, so that they may be happy in the land; * he does not hand them over to the will of their enemies. 3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed * and ministers to them in their illness. 4 I said, LORD, be merciful to me; * heal me, for I have sinned against you. 5 My enemies are saying wicked things about me: * When will he die, and his name perish? 6 Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words; * their heart collects false rumors; they go outside and spread them. 7 All my enemies whisper together about me * and devise evil against me. 8 A deadly thing, they say, has fastened on him; * he has taken to his bed and will never get up again. 9 Even my best friend, whom I trusted, who broke bread with me, * has lifted up his heel and turned against me. 10 But you, O LORD, be merciful to me and raise me up, * and I shall repay them. 11 By this I know you are pleased with me, * that my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 In my integrity you hold me fast, * and shall set me before your face for ever. 13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, * from age to age. Amen. Amen. 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 *The Old Testament Reading Isaiah 48:1-11 48Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came forth from the loins* of Judah; who swear by the name of the Lord, and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. 2 For they call themselves after the holy city, and lean on the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is his name. 3 The former things I declared long ago, they went out from my mouth and I made them known; then suddenly I did them and they came to pass. 4 Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, 5 I declared them to you from long ago, before they came to pass I announced them to you, so that you would not say, ‘My idol did them, my carved image and my cast image commanded them.’ 6 You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forward I make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known. 7 They are created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of them, so that you could not say, ‘I already knew them.’ 8 You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and that from birth you were called a rebel. 9 For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, so that I may not cut you off. 10 See, I have refined you, but not like* silver; I have tested you in the furnace of adversity. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for why should my name* be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Reader: The Word of the Lord. Answer: Thanks be to God. Officiant: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Officiant: Let us pray. Officiant and People: The Lord’s Prayer, in Aramaic or English Abwoon d’bwashmaya (O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos,) Nethqadash shmakh (Focus your light within us--make it useful:) Teytey malkuthakh (Create your reign of unity now--) Nehwey tzevyanach aykanna d’bwashmaya aph b’arha (Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms.) Hawvlan lachma dsunqunan yaumana (Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.) Washboqlan khaubayn aykanna daph khnan shbwoqan l’khayyabayn (Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt.) Wela tahlan l’nesyuna (Don’t let surface things delude us,) Ela patzan min bisha (But free us from what holds us back.). Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l’ahlam almin. Ameyn. (From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews. Truly--power to these statements-- may they be the ground from which my actions grow: Amen) ~translation: Neil Douglas-Klotz or Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. or Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen. Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages A V. Show us your mercy, O Lord; R. And grant us your salvation. V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy. V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care; R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth. V. Let your way be known upon earth; R. Your saving health among all nations. V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. V. Create in us clean hearts, O God; R. And sustain us by your Holy Spirit. B V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance; R. Govern and uphold them, now and always. V. Day by day we bless you; R. We praise your name for ever. V. Lord, keep us from all sin today; R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. V. Lord, show us your love and mercy; R. For we put our trust in you. V. In you, Lord, is our hope; R. And we shall never hope in vain. Collects: A Collect for Fridays Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for the Renewal of Life O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for Peace O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for Grace Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for Guidance Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then, unless the Eucharist or a form of general intercession is to follow, one of these prayers for mission is added Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. or this O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. or the following Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. Prayers and Intercessions Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others; Those who have been commended to us by our church family; Those we know and name. For the Absent O God, whose fatherly care reacheth to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech thee graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to thee, may be bound together by thy love in the communion of thy Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Travelers O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel, in particular (name); surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journeys end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Prayer for the Notable of the day. O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.Amen. A Prayer of St. Chrysostom Officiant: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Officiant concludes with: Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:30:01 +0000
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