We read the watchword for the week together: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
Let the whole earth be joyful in you, O God,
We greet you with gladness and celebrate your gift of peace.
We know that you are creating us,
you are alive in us, and we belong to you.
We see the heart of God when we see the love of Christ,
We give thanks to God for the grace shown in the self-giving sacrifice of our Lord.
We greet God daily through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
May we be empowered by this life-giving Spirit who makes Christ real to us.
Psalm 8
O God, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O God, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Let us Confess our Sins:
O God, we thank you for sending the gift of your peace to us each day, even though we do not always claim it. Move us, by your Spirit, to accept your gift and share it freely with those who need it. Forgive us when:
· We are slow to seek reconciliation with others,
· When we cling to the feeling of having been wronged,
· When we fail to work for the redemption of people whom we do not like,
· When we fail to extend to others the same compassion you freely give to us.
Break in on our selfishness and astonish us anew, O God! We pray that you will claim us again and strengthen us to respond to the needs of those who are hurting. Amen.
We can be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgive one another, and be forgiven because Jesus feeds us with his life: a life given to save us from sin. Hear then, the good news: those who are in Christ are a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Let us give praise to God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Take time to read today’s Daily Texts. If you do not have a copy of the Daily Texts, you will find today’s texts posted in the margin on your page’s right side (at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile phone). God speaks to us through the inspiration of scripture, so approach the opportunity to read the texts as a privilege, eagerly anticipating what might be conveyed to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
Let us now pray together:
Creator of us all, we praise your name because you have lovingly made each one of us. May your intended purpose be made real here on earth, even as it is already done in heaven. Feed us today with the things we genuinely need, and may we share our abundance with others. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have done wrong to us. In times of temptation, may we know of your life-giving strength and keep us from all evil. Gracious God, this is your kingdom, and we acknowledge your power and glory now and forever more. AMEN.
Jesus makes my heart rejoice,
I’m his sheep and know his voice,
He’s a shepherd kind and gracious,
And his pastures are delicious,
Constant love to me he shows,
Yea my very name he knows.
(Hymn 662 v.1)
And now may the love of God, the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
Be with us now and forever. Amen.