Midday Prayer

Opening

O Lord, open my lips

And my mouth will declare Your praise.

Make haste, O God, to deliver me;

Make haste to help me, O Lord.

Candle Lighting

Prayer of Approach (from St. Augustine)

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,

that my thoughts may be holy.

Act in me, O Holy Spirit,

that my work may be holy.

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,

to love what is holy.

Psalm Reading - Psalm 117 - NLT (Pentecost)

Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Praise him, all you people of the earth.

For his unfailing love for us is powerful;

the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Scripture Reading - Matthew 7:24-25

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Silent Meditation on God’s Word

As we enter this time of meditation on God’s Word, we pause to be still, to breathe slowly, to re-center our scattered senses on the presence of God, and to take a moment of silent prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to speak clearly to us through His Word.

-Pause-

As I read our text for today, listen for one word or phrase that is being spoken by God to you.

Ask yourself: Through which word or phrase is God wanting to speak to me today?

Allow that word or phrase to guide your meditation today. Repeat it over and over in your mind. Let it wash over you. Let it fill you.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

As the Holy Spirit speaks to You today through His Word, take a moment now to pause and repeat that word over and over in your mind as you allow God’s Word to wash over you and fill you.

-Pause-

Now we reflect on the word or phrase that God is highlighting for us today.

Ask yourself: What part of my life needs to hear this word from God?

The Spirit has highlighted something in this text for you today. What part of you really needs to hear that?

Here, I will read the text again, and then we will have a longer time of silence to reflect on what God is highlighting for you today.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Take a moment now to pause and consider: What part of your life needs to hear this word from God today?

-Pause-

Now we respond to God’s Word.

As yourself, What is my response to God based on what I have encountered in His Word?

Because God speaks to us all in different ways, your response can also take on many different forms.

Maybe that response is in the form of a prayer. Use this time to thank and praise God. Speak to and listen to Him. Ask Him for something. Allow your prayer to flow from your heart freely and fully.

Or maybe God is reminding you of something. Maybe He’s reminding you of your identity in Him. Or of His promises. Or of His presence in your life. And so I encourage you to sit in that reminder.

Or is God inviting you to respond in some physical way to the word that you have heard?

Maybe it’s an encouragement to keep doing what you’re doing. Maybe it’s an encouragement to stop doing what you’re doing. Maybe it’s an encouragement to start doing something new.

We hear God's Word and respond to it. 

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Take a moment now to pause and consider: What is your response to God based on what you have encountered in His Word?

-Pause-

And now we rest in God’s Word.

We have read God’s Word. We have reflected on it. You have responded to it.

Now we return to a place of rest. 

Remember that this rest is not based on your works. It is not based on your response to God’s Word. But today and every day, we can rest in God’s promises and His presence here with us today.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Take a moment now to rest in God’s promises and His presence here with us today.

-Pause-

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven:

hallowed be Thy name:

Thy kingdom come:

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: 

Give us this day our daily bread:

and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us:

 and lead us not into temptation:

but deliver us from evil:

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

Eternal Creator of light,

Yours is the morning and Yours is the evening.

Draw us to Yourself so there will be no darkness within us.

Amen.

Let us go in peace.

Thanks be to God.

*Liturgy was compiled using resources from Lectio 365 and Ruth Haley Barton's "Invitation to Retreat."

When Jesus tells his disciples and us today to “do his words” it doesn’t mean there won’t be storms in our lives as all of us absolutely know.  Sometimes it’s storm after storm.  Where is the calm?  

The calm is in our hearts and minds through one thing - faith in Christ Jesus.  He is THE Rock, not just “A” rock.  How we hold up during the storms of our lives is dependent upon our faith in Jesus, our Rock, our Redeemer.  

What a foundation He gives us.  A foundation built for us by blood, sweat and tears of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, yes, but not the storms of the world although He could if He desired.  But that isn’t the way He works.  He does the heavy lifting.  We do the trusting and believing.  Living inside the will of God is the safest place to be.  Living outside God’s will, well, we are asking for trouble.  

But even then, our Rock and Redeemer isn’t going anywhere.  He is always ready to forgive, ready to lift us up again.  It’s what our God does.  It’s who our God is.  

Jesus warns against practicing righteousness in order to be seen by others. Whether we are giving, praying, or fasting, the praise of the world can feel like a reward. But it is an incredibly small one. It doesn’t last, it can’t save us, and it can’t hold us together when life falls apart.

"Missionary Gary" Theis shares his thoughts on the bible and  miracles God still provides. The joy the Lord that is found in not being normal.

Changed hearts.  This is what Jesus is after in this part of His Sermon on the Mount.  It is not about check lists.  They will ALWAYS be imperfect.  Even when we have a TO DO list, and start crossing things off on it, you can still see through the scribbles and be reminded of not being able to be perfect when it comes to DOING what is needed to be done.  Also, there are some things that remain on our TO DO lists unchecked as we either run out of time to do them or ignore them out of inconvenience.  

Jesus reminds us in these verses that our imperfections are not going to go away on our own.  However, Jesus, Himself, absolutely can and did perfectly fulfill the LAW for us.  His righteousness redeems us, not our “trying” hard enough to DO the things we have to do.  No, God promises to give us NEW HEARTS through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our lights shine because of our transformed hearts, not out of our ability or inability to be righteous by upholding, perfectly, the Law of God, which we can’t.  But HE can and HE did, for You and for me.  He took our imperfections to the cross and he finished what was needed for us to be saved.  Check√

Last week we heard that we are empty vessels filled with Jesus. This weekend we ask: What does a life look like when that vessel is full, oozing out? In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus declares, “You are the light of the world” and commands us, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is not about hiding Jesus or shining our own light, but allowing Christ’s light to shine through us. When we are filled with Him, our good works, done in faith, love, and service, become visible reflections of His grace. Others see them and are drawn to glorify our Father in heaven.

This week, Jesus continues the Beatitudes and shows us what happens when He gives His kingdom to empty-handed people. He fills His people with His Spirit, and what He gives begins to come out in mercy, purity, and peace. These gifts are not a reward we earn or a possession we keep for ourselves. They are gifts from Jesus, worked in us by His Spirit, for the sake of our neighbor. And even when others reject Jesus as He comes through His people, His promise remains: the kingdom is already ours, and the fullness is still coming.

This week, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” In a world broken by sin and death, mourning is real. But Jesus does not leave His people with grief as the final word. He enters our brokenness, dies and rises, and promises the day when death will be swallowed up forever, every tear will be wiped away, and all things will be made new.

On our own, we are not capable of giving anything to God.  Our works don’t cut it.  Can NOT cut it.  God blesses us with gifts that don’t involve doing but receiving, receiving his goodness, grace and His promises.  Promises to never leave or forsake us.  Promises to cover us with the robe of His Son’s righteousness.  

We are blessed not because good things are happening to us, we are blessed because of what Jesus has done for us when He suffered and died for us. When He rose again for us.  This is how He has restored us.  So the question becomes, what does it look like to live that restored life?