Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Psalm 80 repeats and then ends with the above refrain. In the Psalm we see a crying out for God, a desperate appeal, a litany of challenges and difficulties. Unlike many Psalms it does not turn eventually to thanks and praise for God’s response. Instead, there is this repeated phrase, asking God to restore us, to show us the light, and claiming against all adversity that God can and will save God’s people.

In this troubled and difficult life, in a world torn apart by violence, war, and hatred, in a time where millions are refugees, millions go hungry, thousands are killed every day, many many many of whom are completely innocent yet suffer anyway, sometimes all we can do is the same, just pray for God’s light, God’s salvation. We pray. And repeat. And pray. And wait.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts.

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Monday – Children, youth, and family ministries of St. Paul’s and those who teach and work with our youth. Our music program and choirs.

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)

Special prayers of blessing and celebration to all of the good folks of St. Paul’s. A big day!

What better way to reflect on a day of exciting news and thanksgiving for work very well done than praying the Phos Hilaron?

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Sunday – Clergy, Staff, Wardens and Vestry and the Rector Search (click HERE to read the Rector Search prayer)

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)

The Lord is my light…….and my salvation…..whom……shall I ….fear?

From Evening Prayer lessons we have Psalm 27. I hear the tune from Lift Every Voice and Sing to the above words echoing in my head every time I read Psalm 27. If I could sing, I would record it for you….but alas, you do not need to hear that unless you are looking for some way to be punished for your sins!

Later in the 8th verse, the Psalmist writes:

⁸Even now he lifts up my head *

I love that image. Lifts up our heads so we see the light, we see our salvation. Our tender, loving God, like a parent to a small child, gently lifts up our heads so we can gaze upon the light, the light of Christ.

Whom shall I fear?

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Saturday – for the Green Team and for all Creation, for our ministries to Seniors, and for all on our Parish prayer list.

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)

Do not deceive yourselves…

1st Corinthians 3, appointed for today, is especially good in light of the presidential debate this week:

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ 20and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’

21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-all belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

All things are yours because you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. A great thought to take into the day. May we all become fools for Christ.

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Friday – Daughters of the King, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Marthas, worship volunteers (acolytes, ushers and greeters, chalice bearers) and all over volunteer groups who work so tirelessly and joyfully for the Kingdom of God and the Body of Christ at St. Paul’s.

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)

I want patience and I want it NOW…

Psalm 71 takes us on a journey today:

¹⁴But I shall always wait in patience, *
and shall praise you more and more.

Always wait in patience? I find this the most difficult of callings.

¹⁵My mouth shall recount your mighty acts
and saving deeds all day long; *
though I cannot know the number of them.

¹⁶I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord GOD; *
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.

So perhaps we have here the key – waiting is not passive. Waiting does not mean sit on the couch or wander around, shuffling your feet and murmuring like an Israelite in the wilderness. The waiting is active. And it is to be filled with prayer – the Psalm says not necessarily prayer like HELP ME LORD, but prayer that praises God. “Begin with the mighty works of the Lord GOD” and keep it up all day: “recount your mighty acts and saving deeds all day long”.

¹⁷O God, you have taught me since I was young, *
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.

Yes you have, O God. Thanks for the reminder!

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Thursday – The people of Bondeau, Haiti, especially Pere Phanord, the school teachers and medical clinic volunteers, for our Cursillo community.

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)