Week of March 1, Psalm 25:1-10

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from Psalm 25, the first ten verses – a psalm looking to God for guidance, teaching and hope:
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Dear Lord, I bring myself to You. In You I trust, O my God. You are my hope. Show me your ways,
O Lord and teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are my God and Savior. My hope is in You every part of the day.

Lord, You know I’m a sinner. Remember me, O Lord, with mercy and love, as I come to You asking for forgiveness. You remind me that You are quick to forgive and quick to restore. My relationship with You is the most important part of my life, Lord, and yet there are times when You seem far away. When that happens, I realize it’s my fault -- not Yours. For You are always faithful to Your promises. You are always with us. You are always good and upright, and You instruct sinners in Your ways.

So guide me, Lord. Instruct me in humility and right living. Your ways, O Lord, are loving and faithful. Help me always to keep close to You, especially in times of turmoil and frustration.

Thanks for Your presence, Jesus, Your love, Your peace. Amen.

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to Himself;
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in His service;
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls;
May the fire of the Holy Spirit bring comfort to you, guide you in your decisions, and fill you
with a fervent desire to serve Him better.
And may the blessing of the almighty and most merciful God - Creator, Word and eternal Holy Spirit - be upon us and remain with us always.
In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may leave a message or prayer request by emailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.

May God, our great hope, be with you now and always.

Week of February 22, Mark 9:2-9

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from the gospel of Mark, chapter 9, verses 2-9 – the story of the transfiguration:
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Jesus, thanks for this great experience when the three disciples saw you in all your glory. Rather than words to try to capture the moment that we might experience Your presence in an overwhelming way, help me simply to experience Your presence, Your glory in all of Your wonder. Help me to rest in You – to wait on You, to glory in Your presence.

In my hectic life, Lord, help me to slow down, to take time, to quiet myself and focus more clearly on You, so that Your Word can penetrate my life, my heart, my soul, and to listen to Your voice.

And each day, Lord, help me to become more and more in Your image, reflecting Your joy, Your love, Your presence to others.

Lord, thanks always for being a part of my life, and for the gift of peace that You bring. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His strength and His great peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may leave a message or prayer request by emailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.

May God be with you now and always.

Week of February 15, 2009, Psalm 30

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is Psalm 30 – a celebration of God’s faithfulness even when earthly security is uncertain.
1 I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."
11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Dear Lord, I exalt You and praise You. When I called on You, You healed me. You brought me up from the grave, from darkness, from dark thoughts, and You spare me from going down into the pit. I praise You from my inmost being, even singing to You when I have no song, for You give me words to praise Your holy name.

You remind me, Lord, that when I have tough times, when my weeping remains for a night, rejoicing comes in the morning. You turn my fears and turmoil – my sobbing, into dancing and joy. Your promises are true, I will not be shaken. I stand firm in the strength of Your mercy and compassion, Your faithfulness and steadfastness.

Lord Jesus, I continue to call on You, for You are merciful and You are my help. My heart gives You thanks always. Jesus, thanks for Your love, Your peace, Your presence with me always. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His strength and His great peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may leave a message or prayer request by emailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.

May God be with you now and always.

Week of February 8, 2009, Psalm 147:1-12, 20

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from Psalm 147, verses 1 to 12, and the last part of verse 20:
1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,
20 Praise the LORD.

Dear Lord, we praise You. It is so good to sing Your praises. For You heal the brokenhearted and You bind up their wounds. You heal each of us broken in heart and mind and body, and You bind up each of our wounds, as You forgive, heal and restore.

Your power is so great, O God, and no one can fathom Your mind – how vast and limitless, and Yet You love us, sustaining the humble. O God, we give You thanks, for You supply all that we need, as You supply the earth with rain, and the sun to shine on the crops, making the grass grow green on the hills.

You delight, O Lord, in those who fear You, and we hold You in awe, Lord – awe and reverence. We put our hope in Your unfailing love, and we extol and praise You, O God.

Thanks for Your love that reaches out to us, Your power in our lives, Your presence with us always. Amen.

May the Lord bless you as you go on your way. May He go before you to show you the way. May He go behind you to encourage you. May He go beside you to guide and befriend you. May He always be above you to watch over you. And may He be within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may leave a message or prayer request by emailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.

May God be with you now and always.