Scripture for Today

Opening Song:

Lyrics:

Broken hearts

Son of God Emmanuel

Passage:

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Musical Reflection:

Reflection Notes:

Prayer:

Opening Song:

Lyrics:

Passage:

4 Blessed is the man who makes

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b]

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain

Musical Reflection:

Reflection Notes:

Prayer:

Opening Song:

Lyrics:

Well we all remember Moses

And we all remember Pharaoh

So the years went by and the people

Passage:

28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Musical Reflection:

Reflection Notes:

Prayer:

Opening Song:

Altogether Good by Brian Eichelberger and Zach Bolen 

Lyrics:

How could we recount the ways

That You have multiplied our faith

The wisdom of Your ways

The currents of Your grace expressed

In every moment every wave

In the longing of our souls

In the darkness where we go

You are there You are love

You are altogether good

In the weakness of our faith

In the silence where we wait

You are here You're enough

You are altogether good

Through our joys and in our griefs

You have led us to believe

The wisdom of Your ways

The currents of Your grace express

Our only hope for all our days

You are altogether good

I love You Lord I love You Lord

You are my more

Wholly present and pure

(You are altogether good)

Passage: 

Luke 5:1-11

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”[a] 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Musical Reflection: 

“Amazing Grace,” Appalachian folk tune

Reflection Notes: 

This beloved tune, formally known as NEW BRITAIN, originates from the folk music of Appalachia. The melody is simple and outlines triads, making it memorable; the ascending line creates a triumphant climax. 

Prayer:

O Lord, our heavenly Father, keep your household the Church continually in your true religion, that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace may always be defended by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.  Amen.

Opening Song: 

Morning by Morning by Ben Smith, Daniel Bashta, Mack Brock, and Pat Barrett

Lyrics:

Daily daily I surrender

Grace for today is all that I need

Surprised by Your mercy

It's new every morning

Awaken my soul to sing (2X)

I will trust where You lead

I will trust when I can't see

Morning by morning

Great is Your faithfulness to me

Breath by breath overtaken by want

One step at a time when I'm overwhelmed

Strength for today

Bright hope for tomorrow

I will trust with all my heart

You are good You always are

Morning by morning

Great is Your faithfulness to me

All fear be reminded

My future is secure

Oh my Father has spoken

And He keeps His every word

Oh I will trust

Oh morning by morning

Passage: 

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Musical Reflection: 

JESUS, REMEMBER ME by Jacques Berthier 

Reflection Notes: 

“Jesus, Remember Me” is a tune from the French Taizé tradition; these simple songs are meant to be repeated indefinitely with added instrumentation or voice parts. They are meant to be meditative and allow for prayer. 4

Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the Cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Opening Song: 

Battle Belongs by Brian Johnson and Phil Wickham

Lyrics:

When all I see is the battle

You see my victory

When all I see is a mountain

You see a mountain moved

And as I walk through the shadow

Your love surrounds me

There's nothing to fear now

For I am safe with You

So when I fight I'll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

O God the battle belongs to You

And every fear I lay at Your feet

I'll sing through the night

O God the battle belongs to You

And if You are for me

Who can be against me

For Jesus there's nothing

Impossible for You

When all I see are the ashes

You see the beauty

When all I see is a cross

God You see the empty tomb

Almighty Fortress You go before us

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

You shine in the shadows

You win every battle

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

O God the battle belongs to You

Passage: 

Judges 6:11-24 

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord[a] turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah[b] of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Musical Reflection:

Harp Meditation No. 3 by Gretchen Kirby

Reflection Notes: 

This harp reflection features rich, full chords with a strong melody. The tension between major and minor chords reflects the challenges and triumphs of life. 

Prayer:

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

Opening Song:

You Came For Me by Amanda Williams, Leslie Jordan, and Sally Lloyd-Jones

Lyrics:

Hiding in plain sight praying for some peace

Carrying my burden looking for relief

Wearied as I was I felt You close to me

Reaching out Your hand You offered me a drink

And You wouldn’t speak to me a single word

If You only knew the things I've done

You came for me Jesus

You came for me Jesus

In spite of my shame

You called me by name

You came for me Jesus

You came for me Jesus

I’ll leave all that I know

Just to go where You go

Springs of Living Water welling up in me

Bringing life abundant setting my heart free

And it’s more than I can hope

Oh it’s more than I can dream

A love so overwhelming it fills the depths in me

I’ll never be thirsty

Forever forever

I’ll never be thirsty

Forever forever

I’ll leave all that I know

Just to go where You go

Passage: 

Luke 4:21-32

And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

Musical Reflection: 

All to Jesus I Surrender (SURRENDER) by Winfield S. Weeden

Reflection Notes: 

This tune was originally intended to have two-part harmonies on the verse and four-part harmonies of the refrain; the additional harmonic fullness adds to the repeated emphasis of the words “I surrender all.” 

Prayer:

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.

Opening Song: 

You Hear Me by Jonathan Ogden 

Lyrics:

Lord your ways are higher than my mind

Could ever reach

But still you call me to come and speak with You

And now I speak straight to the king above all kings

And I know that You are always listening

And You hear me

Oh I know You hear me

If you give to me a crown then at Your feet

I lay it down

Passage: 

1 Cor 14:12-25

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign[b] not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Musical Reflection: 

“Breathe on Me, Breath of God,” tune by Robert Jackson

Reflection Notes: 

TRENTHAM is a tune by Robert Jackson, an English composer during the nineteenth century. It fits perfectly with the text for “Breath On Me, Breath of God,” by Edwin Hatch; each phrase is allotted ample space for reflection.

Prayer:

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.

Opening Song: 

Omnipotent Yet Intimate by Anna Bartlett Warner, Benjamin Potter, Elyssa Smith, Gable Patrick Price, Ryan Gilpin, and William Batchelder Bradbury

Lyrics:

Omnipotent yet intimate

By hand you rended heaven

In skin and flesh

In humbleness

The Godhead has descended

Though you handcrafted the cosmos

Though your words have formed the heavens

Heart to heart you speak to me

Hand in hand you’re fathering me

Interstellar yet cellular

You comprehend our complex

From earthquaking

To hearts-breaking

You care for our condition

Yes Jesus Loves me

Yes Jesus Loves me

Yes Jesus Loves me

Heart to heart you speak to me

Yes Jesus Loves me

Yes Spirit Loves me

Yes Father Loves me

Hand in hand you’re fathering

Heart to heart you speak to me

Hand in hand you’re fathering

The cosmic triune deity

Disclosed to me His mystery

Eternally

Restored to me

A love that’s never failing

Passage: 

Ps 71:11-20

...and say, “God has forsaken him;

    pursue and seize him,

    for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not far from me;

    O my God, make haste to help me!

13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered

    who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually

    and will praise you yet more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

    of your deeds of salvation all the day,

    for their number is past my knowledge.

16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;

    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,

    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18 So even to old age and gray hairs,

    O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might to another generation,

    your power to all those to come.

19 Your righteousness, O God,

    reaches the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

    O God, who is like you?

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

    will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth

    you will bring me up again.

Musical Reflection: 

Harp Meditation No. 2 by Gretchen Kirby 

Reflection Notes: 

This modal meditation centers around an intervallic pattern in the right hand that is anchored by deep bass octaves in the left hand and occasional supportive harmonies. Though somewhat haunting, the melodic motif provokes reflection. 

Prayer: 

O God, you know that we are set in the midst of many grave dangers, and because of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant that your strength and protection may support us in all dangers and carry us through every temptation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Opening Song: 

Canvas and Clay by Ben Smith, Chris Tomlin, and Pat Barrett

Lyrics:

In my mother's womb

You formed me with Your hands

Known and loved by You

Before I took a breath

When I doubt it Lord remind me

I'm wonderfully made

You're an artist and a potter

I'm the canvas and the clay

(And) You make all things work together

For my future and for my good

You make all things work together

For Your glory and for Your name

There's a healing light

Just beyond the clouds

Though I've walked through fire

I see clearly now

I know nothing has been wasted

No failure or mistake

You're an artist and a potter

I'm the canvas and the clay

When I doubt it Lord remind me

I'm wonderfully made

You're an artist and a potter

I'm the canvas and the clay

I know nothing has been wasted

No failure or mistake

You're an artist and a potter

I'm the canvas and the clay

You're not finished with me

You're not finished with me yet

Passage: 

Jer 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;

for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,

and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8 Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

declares the Lord.”

9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,

to pluck up and to break down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.”

Musical Reflection:

 I Need Thee Every Hour (NEED) by Robert Lowry

Reflection Notes: 

Each stanza of this familiar hymn was written by Annie Hawks as part of a poem. When she showed the composition to her pastor, Robert Lowry, he added the refrain and set the text to music for their congregation to enjoy. The musical lines always tend upward before falling back down, an apt parallel to the textual pleas reaching up to God. 

Prayer:

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.