The Third Sunday in
Lent.
Psalm 102. Domine, exaudi.
HEAR my prayer, O Lord, * and let my crying come unto
thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble;
* incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.
3 For my days are consumed away like smoke, * and
my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.
4 My heart is smitten down, and withered like
grass; * so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 For the voice of my groaning, * my bones will
scarce cleave to my flesh.
6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, *
and like an owl that is in the desert.
7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow,
* that sitteth alone upon the housetop.
8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long; * and
they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, * and
mingled my drink with weeping;
10 And that, because of thine indignation and
wrath; * for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are gone like a shadow, * and I am
withered like grass.
12 But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, * and
thy remembrance throughout all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion; *
for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.
14 And why? thy servants think upon her stones, *
and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
15 The nations shall fear thy Name, O Lord; * and
all the kings of the earth thy majesty;
16 When the Lord shall build up Sion, * and when
his glory shall appear;
17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute,
* and despiseth not their desire.
18 This shall be written for those that come after,
* and the people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.
19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; *
out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
20 That he might hear the mournings of such as are in
captivity, * and deliver them that are appointed unto death;
21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion,
* and his worship at Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together, * and
the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23 He brought down my strength in my journey, * and
shortened my days.
24 But I said, O my God, take me not away in the
midst of mine age; * as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.
25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth, * and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: * they
all shall wax old as doth a garment;
27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and
they shall be changed; * but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, *
and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the
Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
The Collect.
WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
{The Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the Day.}
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old
Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 6
Psalter:
Psalm 56, 58 | 119.73-104
Epistle
Reading: Ephesians 5.1-14
Gospel Reading: St. Luke 11.14-28
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[From my letter sent to my congregation last Wednesday]
Today at lunch I will speaking at the Capitol Bible
Study. I’m sharing with them the series I did on Philippians last year. Today
we’ll be in Philippians 1:18-26. And its v.25-26 I thought I’d give you in this
week’s letter.
“I know
that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the
faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because
of my coming to you again.”
One
important aspect of these two verses is to remind us that life is for the
service of others. That says quite a bit about our social relations, and it
speaks to our perspectives on the recent invention called “Retirement.”
Christian life – given to us twice over (birth-life and new-birth-life) is for
the service of others. Notice that this Christian life is about “for your
progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory
in Christ Jesus…” (25-26). Dads, moms, why do you persist in life with your
kids, raising them, disciplining them, discipling them? Isn’t it ultimately for
their progress and joy in the faith? Retired seniors, do you still serve as a
deacon or involve yourself with church at all? Isn’t it for this aim, so that
all have “ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus” because of you? Paul’s
words here hit us all, especially as we serve in God’s church! And when you
recognize that, in Philippians, Paul is moving toward the tension between Euodia
and Syntyche (4:2-3), you feel Paul’s gentle nudge toward them both, “Euodia,
Syntyche, don’t you see, you need to come to agree with each other in the Lord
and to work toward each other’s progress and joy in the faith so that each of
you have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus. Especially since Christ has
deep, deep affections for your both (1:8).”
Our
life-purpose, on it’s first level, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And
on the second level, we are for each other’s progress and joy in the faith that
each may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of us. A good
question to ask yourself is, “How am I filling out this second level life-purpose?”
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