Prayer and Fasting for GAFCON - Day 29

Opening Sentence
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

The Psalms of Ascent (these are also appointed for Wednesday Evening after Trinity IV, 1928 BCP, USA)
Psalm 132
Memento, Domine

LORD, remember David, * and all his trouble:
2 How he sware unto the LORD, * and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob:
3 I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house, * nor climb up into my bed;
4 I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber; * neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5 Until I find out a place for the temple of the LORD; * an habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of the same at Ephratah, * and found it in the wood.
7 We will go into his tabernacle, * and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8 Arise, O LORD, into thy resting-place; * thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; * and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10 For thy servant David's sake, * turn not away the face of thine anointed.
11 The LORD hath made a faithful oath unto David, * and he shall not shrink from it:
12 Of the fruit of thy body * shall I set upon thy throne.
13 If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall teach them; * their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.
14 For the LORD hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself; * he hath longed for her.
15 This shall be my rest for ever: * here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16 I will bless her victuals with increase, * and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17 I will deck her priests with health, * and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18 There shall I make the horn of David to flourish: * I have ordained a lantern for mine anointed.
19 As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame; * but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

* * *

Psalm 134
Ecce nunc

Behold now, praise the LORD, * all ye servants of the LORD;
2 Ye that by night stand in the house of the LORD, * even in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, * and praise the LORD.
4 The LORD that made heaven and earth * give thee blessing out of Sion.

(USA, The Book of Common Prayer, 1928)

Collect
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength; By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“For Quiet Confidence,” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

Lesson (from Morning Prayer, BCP 1928)
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Luke 8:40-56 (ESV)

From the Great Litany
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name's sake.

O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them.

O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
From our enemies defend us, O Christ.
Graciously look upon our afflictions.
With pity behold the sorrows of our hearts.
Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people.
Favourably with mercy hear our prayers.
O Son of David, have mercy upon us.
Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ.
Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.

O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us;
As we do put our trust in thee.

Let us pray.

We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and, for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



Second Lesson (from Evening Prayer, BCP 1928)
In those days arose Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and dwelt in Modin. And he had five sons, Joannan, called Caddis: Simon; called Thassi: Judas, who was called Maccabeus: Eleazar, called Avaran: and Jonathan, whose surname was Apphus. And when he saw the blasphemies that were committed in Juda and Jerusalem,

He said, Woe is me! wherefore was I born to see this misery of my people, and of the holy city, and to dwell there, when it was delivered into the hand of the enemy, and the sanctuary into the hand of strangers?
Her temple is become as a man without glory.
Her glorious vessels are carried away into captivity, her infants are slain in the streets, her young men with the sword of the enemy.
What nation hath not had a part in her kingdom and gotten of her spoils?
All her ornaments are taken away; of a free woman she is become a bondslave.
And, behold, our sanctuary, even our beauty and our glory, is laid waste, and the Gentiles have profaned it.
To what end therefore shall we live any longer? Then Mattathias and his sons rent their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourned very sore.

I Maccabees 2:1-14 (Apocrypha, KJV)

Third Lesson (from Evening Prayer, BCP 1928)
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:16-24 (NIV)

A Meditation
LORD, remember David, and all his trouble….

Like the woman with the flow of blood, some of us have been afflicted for what must feel like a lifetime. Like Jairus’s daughter, some of us feel cut off in our prime. Whether we be Cradle Anglicans or converts to the Anglican Way, whether we reach out our hand to touch the fringe of his garment, or he takes us by the hand, the power goes out from our Lord to heal and to restore.

The LORD that made heaven and earth give thee blessing out of Sion.



A Heritage Reflection
Christian! seek not yet repose,
Hear thy guardian angel say;
Thou art in the midst of foes;
“Watch and pray.”

Principalities and powers,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for thy unguarded hours;
“Watch and pray.”

Gird thy heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever, night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one;
“Watch and pray.”

Hear the victors who o’ercame;
Still they mark each warrior’s way;
All with one clear voice exclaim,
“Watch and pray.”

Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
Him thou lovest to obey;
Hide within thy heart His Word,
“Watch and pray.”

Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray that help may be sent down;
“Watch and pray.”

Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871)
Hymns for a Week