2 Live services today.
For our 7am service, click here.
To pray with us at 9am, go here.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
Melissa Lucio (pictured above with two of her 14 kids) was convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, who tumbled down a set of stairs outside her apartment in Harlingen, Texas back in 2007. Lucio did not seek medical attention for Mariah after the fall and two days later she did not wake up from a nap. She died from what the medical examiner called, blunt force trauma. Mariah’s body showed signs bruising, bite marks, a broken arm and a bruised spinal cord along with missing scalp and hair. Police suspected Mariah died of child abuse and not falling down the stairs. After questioning Lucio for more than five hours she uttered “Well, I guess I did it.” This statement and the physical evidence were used to convict Lucio and get her the death penalty. But now 17 years later information has surfaced that the prosecution had in their possession evidence that was not presented, that could have cleared Lucio or at lease provided a measure of doubt. That information or knowledge was never given to the defense. Her execution was postponed just two days before it was to be carried out because Texas officials admitted that there were problems with the case. The judge who presided over the original case, Judge Arturo Nelson said that the original conviction and death sentence should be overturned. It’s on hold for now, but this case is not over. Incredibly, Lucio’s execution was stayed due in part to the lobbying efforts of Texas Rep. Jeff Leach, a pro-death penalty Republican. He joined bipartisan state lawmakers to save Lucio just before she was scheduled to be put to death. Her ordeal reveals flaws and prejudice in the criminal justice system and reignites debate over the death penalty in Texas. (USA Today)
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1
INVITATORY AND PSALTER
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
Psalm 26
1 Give judgment for me, O LORD,
for I have lived with integrity; *
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
2 Test me, O LORD, and try me; *
examine my heart and my mind.
3 For your love is before my eyes; *
I have walked faithfully with you.
4 I have not sat with the worthless, *
nor do I consort with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the company of evildoers; *
I will not sit down with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O LORD, *
that I may go in procession round your altar,
7 Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *
and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
8 LORD, I love the house in which you dwell *
and the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners, *
nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
10 Whose hands are full of evil plots, *
and their right hand full of bribes.
11 As for me, I will live with integrity, *
redeem me, O LORD, and have pity on me.
12 My foot stands on level ground; *
in the full assembly I will bless the LORD.
Psalm 28
1 O LORD, I call to you;
my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *
lest, if you do not hear me,
I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *
when I lift up my hand to your holy of holies.
3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, *
who speak peaceably with their neighbors,
while strife is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their deeds, *
and according to the wickedness of their actions.
5 According to the work of their hands repay them, *
and give them their just deserts.
6 O LORD, they have no understanding of your doings,
nor of the works of your hands; *
therefore you will break them down and not build them up.
7 Blessed is the LORD! *
for you have heard the voice of my prayer.
8 The LORD is my strength and my shield; *
my heart trusts in you, and I have been helped;
9 Therefore my heart dances for joy, *
and in my song will I praise you.
10 You, O LORD, are the strength of your people, *
a safe refuge for your anointed.
11 Save your people and bless your inheritance; *
shepherd them and carry them for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE LESSONS
Proverbs 15:16-33 (NRSV)
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife,
but those who are slow to anger calm contention.
The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
A wise child makes a glad father,
but the foolish despise their mothers.
Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,
but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.
Without counsel, plans go wrong,
but with many advisers they succeed.
To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
and a word in season, how good it is!
For the wise the path of life leads upward,
in order to avoid Sheol below.
The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD,
but gracious words are pure.
Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,
but those who hate bribes will live.
The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
The LORD is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the body.
The ear that heeds wholesome admonition
will lodge among the wise.
Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility goes before honor.
Canticle: A Song of Praise
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Have you suffered a Shipwreck in the faith?
1 Timothy 1:18 – 2:8 (NRSV)
I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith; among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all
— this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore.
A brood of vipers. (Christian Unity Ministries)
Matthew 12:33-42 (NRSV)
Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!”
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
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.
V. Help us, O God our Savior;
R. Deliver us and forgive us our sins.
V. Look upon your congregation;
R. Give to your people the blessing of peace.
V. Declare your glory among the nations;
R. And your wonders among all peoples.
V. Do not let the oppressed be shamed and turned away;
R. Never forget the lives of your poor.
V. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you;
R. And your favor to those who are true of heart.
V. Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
R. So shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Mechthild of Magdeburg was one of the most original medieval mystics, and the first to write in the German language. She was a Beguine, a member of a group of women who lived in a quasi-monastic community but did not take formal vows. Instead, they pledged to be bound by the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience only for as long as they lived in the community. Typically, Beguines lived in a communal house and supported themselves through their own work, such as nursing, weaving, embroidery, burial of the dead, and housework. (Lesser Feast and Fasts 2022) (Image Wikipedia)
Collect of the Day: Mechthild of Magdeburg, Mystic, c. 1282
Draw the souls of your people into your love, O God, that like your servant Mechthild we may yearn to be fully yours, for you know us better than we can know ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
For the Nation
Lord God almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Founded by Clint Gilliland in 2007 during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They Have Names
Week of May 20-May 27, 2024
sources: AP, iCasualties, military.com
-no casualties in war last week-
Families of five Marines killed in a June 2022 Osprey crash in southern California have filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit, blaming companies that make the aircraft for the tragedy. The lawsuit, filed this week, names Boeing, Rolls Royce and Bell Textron, which are each involved in producing the “tiltrotor” V-22 Osprey, capable of both taking off vertically like a helicopter and flying like an airplane — by changing the angle of its propellers. This is not just another training accident. Now it’s a multi Million dollar lawsuit.
Marines killed in the crash were Capt. John J. Sax, 33, from Placer, California-Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, from Rockingham, New Hampshire-Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, from Winnebago, Illinois-Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, from Johnson, Wyoming-Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, from Valencia, New Mexico
For Those We Love on Active Duty
Kaitlyn Norman
Ken & Ryan Schlorf
LeeLee Denton
Kali
Peter
Krystle + Jordan
Molly + Chris
Patrick
Logan
For Those in the Armed Forces of our Country
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; 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.
Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.
Collect for Mission
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.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14++
VIDEO: Hosanna to the living Lord (see #486, unknown tune; Reginald Heber) – 1st United Methodist Church, Troy, Ohio, 2013
The Daily Office 