14Well, then, since we have a great high priest who has gone right through the heavens, Jesus, God’s son, let us hold on firmly to our confession of faith. 15For we don’t have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us at the moment when we need it.

7During the time of Jesus’ earthly life, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud shouts and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his devotion. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9When he had been made complete and perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10since he has been designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

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Teach us, good Lord,

to serve thee as thou deservest;

to give and not to count the cost;

to fight and not to heed the wounds;

to toil and not to seek for rest;

to labour and not to ask for any reward,

save that of knowing that we do thy will,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

St Ignatius

4So we are bound to worry that some of you might seem to have missed out on God’s promise of entering his rest, the promise which is still open before us. 2For we certainly had the good news announced to us, just as they did; but the word which they heard didn’t do them any good, because they were not united in faith with those who heard it.

9Thus we conclude: there is still a future sabbath ‘rest’ for God’s people. 10Anyone who enters that ‘rest’ will take a rest from their works, as God did from his.  11So, then, let’s make every effort to enter that ‘rest’, so that nobody should trip and fall through the same pattern of unbelief.

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O Lord God

When you give to your servants to endeavour any great matter

grant us to know that it is not the beginning,

but the continuing of it,

until it be thoroughly finished,

which yields the true glory,

through him

who for the finishing of your work

laid down his life,

our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Francis Drake

1In many ways and by many means God spoke in ancient times to our ancestors in the prophets; 2but at the end of these days he spoke to us in a son. He appointed this son to be heir of all things; through him, in addition, he created the worlds. 3He is the shining reflection of God’s own glory, the precise expression of his own very being; he sustains all things through his powerful word. He accomplished the cleansing needed for sins, and sat down at the right of the Majesty Supreme. 4See how much greater he is than the angels: the name he was granted is finer than theirs.

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O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.

O Love, who redeemed me,

fill up in me whatever part of your love

has fallen into neglect within me.

O Love, O God,  who first loved me,

grant that with my whole heart,

and with my whole soul,

and with my whole strength,

I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

10What else is there to say? Just this: be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power. 11Put on God’s complete armour. Then you’ll be able to stand firm against the devil’s trickery. 12The warfare we’re engaged in, you see, isn’t against flesh and blood. It’s against the leaders, against the authorities, against the powers that rule the world in this dark age, against the wicked spiritual elements in the heavenly places. 13For this reason, you must take up God’s complete armour. Then, when wickedness grabs its moment, you’ll be able to withstand, to do what needs to be done, and still to be on your feet when it’s all over.

14So stand firm! Put the belt of truth round your waist; put on justice as your breastplate; 15for shoes on your feet, ready for battle, take the good news of peace. 16With it all, take the shield of faith; if you’ve got that, you’ll be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is God’s word. Prayer and peace

18Pray on every occasion in the spirit, with every type of prayer and intercession. You’ll need to keep awake and alert for this, with all perseverance and intercession for all God’s holy ones – 19and also for me! Please pray that God will give me his words to speak when I open my mouth, so that I can make known, loud and clear, the secret truth of the gospel.

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Be thou a bright flame before me,

Be thou a guiding star above me

Be thou a smooth path below me

Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me

Today - tonight -forever

Amen.

St Columba

11So don’t get involved in the works of darkness, which all come to nothing. Instead, expose them! 12The things they do in secret, you see, are shameful even to talk about. 13But everything becomes visible when it’s exposed to the light, 14since everything that is visible is light. That’s why it says: Wake up, you sleeper! Rise up from the dead! The Messiah will shine on you! 15So take special care how you conduct yourselves. Don’t be unwise, but be wise. 16Make use of any opportunity you have, because these are wicked times we live in. 17So don’t be foolish; rather, understand what the Lord’s will is. 18And don’t get drunk with wine; that way lies dissipation. Rather, be filled with the spirit! 19Speak to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks for everything to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

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Gracious and holy Father,

Lord, you have given me so much,

I ask for one more thing -

a grateful heart.

George Herbert

17So this is what I want to say; I am bearing witness to it in the Lord. You must no longer behave like the Gentiles, foolish-minded as they are.25Put away lies, then. ‘Each of you, speak the truth with your neighbour,’ because we are members of one another. 26‘Be angry, but don’t sin’; don’t let the sun go down on you while you’re angry, 27and don’t leave any loophole for the devil. 28The thief shouldn’t steal any longer, but should rather get on with some honest manual work, so as to be able to share with people in need. 29Don’t let any unwholesome words escape your lips. Instead, say whatever is good and will be useful in building people up, so that you will give grace to those who listen.

30And don’t disappoint God’s holy spirit – the spirit who put God’s mark on you to identify you on the day of freedom. 31All bitterness and rage, all anger and yelling, and all blasphemy – put it all away from you, with all wickedness. 32Instead, be kind to one another, cherish tender feelings for each other, forgive one another, just as God forgave you in the king. 5So you should be imitators of God, like dear children. 2Conduct yourselves in love, just as the Messiah loved us, and gave himself for us, as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

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Gracious and holy Father,

give me wisdom to perceive you,

intelligence to fathom you,

patience to wait for you,

eyes to behold you,

a heart to meditate upon you,

and a life to proclaim you,

through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.

14Because of this, I am kneeling down before the father, 15the one who gives the name of ‘family’ to every family that there is, in heaven and on earth. 16My prayer is this: that he will lay out all the riches of his glory to give you strength and power, through his spirit, in your inner being; 17that the king may make his home in your hearts, through faith; that love may be your root, your firm foundation; 18and that you may be strong enough (with all God’s holy ones) to grasp the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the king’s love – though actually it’s so deep that nobody can really know it! So may God fill you with all his fullness. 20So: to the one who is capable of doing far, far more than we can ask or imagine, granted the power which is working in us – 21to him be glory, in the church, and in King Jesus, to all generations, and to the ages of ages! Amen!

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O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.

O Love, who redeemed me,

fill up in me whatever part of your love

has fallen into neglect within me.

O Love, O God,  who first loved me,

grant that with my whole heart,

and with my whole soul,

and with my whole strength,

I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

3Let us bless God, the father of our Lord Jesus, the king! He has blessed us in the king with every spirit-inspired blessing in the heavenly realm. The choice and the plan 4He chose us in him before the world was made, so as to be holy and irreproachable before him in love. 5He foreordained us for himself, to be adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus the king. That’s how he wanted it, and that’s what gave him delight, 6so that the glory of his grace, the grace he poured on us in his beloved one, might receive its due praise. 7In the king, and through his blood, we have deliverance – that is, our sins have been forgiven – through the wealth of his grace 8which he lavished on us. Yes, with all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the secret of his purpose, just as he wanted it to be and set it forward in him 10as a blueprint for when the time was ripe. His plan was to sum up the whole

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Open my eyes to your presence

Open my ears to your call

Open my heart to you love

May I open my arms to others

May I open my heart to strangers

May I open my door to callers

That I may be open you you Lord

Open this day and for evermore

16Let me say this to you: live by the spirit, and you won’t do what the flesh wants you to. 17For the flesh wants to go against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you can’t do what you want. 18But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are obvious. They are such things as fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, bursts of rage, selfish ambition, factiousness, divisions, 21moods of envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I told you before, and I tell you again: people who do such things will not inherit God’s kingdom. Fruit of the spirit 22But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, great-heartedness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. There is no law that opposes things like that! 24And those who belong to the Messiah, Jesus, crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the spirit, let’s line up with the spirit. 26We shouldn’t be conceited, vying with one another and jealous of each other.

The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Teach us, good Lord,

to serve thee as thou deservest;

to give and not to count the cost;

to fight and not to heed the wounds;

to toil and not to seek for rest;

to labour and not to ask for any reward,

save that of knowing that we do thy will,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

St Ignatius

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Lord, make me and instrument of your peace:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, union;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy,

For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen