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We are steeped in news stories of sickness, injustice, vulnerability and loss. These daily prayers and Scripture readings are an antidote infusing us with the Spirit that heals and refreshes, reminding us we are in this together, called to action, connected to God, the Source of Life.
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Friday, Sixth Week of Easter
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The City Suffers for Its Disobedience (Jeremiah 22:20-23, NRSV)
The Home Daily Bible Readings for Monday through Saturday are selected in support of the print passage for Sunday’s lesson in the Uniform Lessons Series, ©Spring 2020.
22:20 Soup to Lebanon, and cry out,
and lift up your voice in Bashan;
cry out from Abarim,
for all your lovers are crushed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity,
but you said, “I will not listen.”
This has been your way from your youth,
for you have not obeyed my voice.
22 The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
and your lovers shall go into captivity;
then you will be ashamed and dismayed
because of all your wickedness.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon,
nested among the cedars,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain as of a woman in labor!
The Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:22-27, NRSV)
Today’s Gospel lesson is selected from the Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer (Louisville, KY:Westminster/John Knox, 1993).
7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
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Yearning for God in Distress
Submitted by Rev. Dr. Della O. McKinnon, Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalms 42: 1-2a (NRSV)
O Mighty God, we give thanks to your holy name. We praise and honor who you are in our lives. We understand that without You we cannot succeed on our own. We recognize the power of your Holy Spirit that empowers us to live in this moment.
Lord, as the deer longs for flowing waters, so does our souls yearn for you. Give your people an ear to hear you clearly in the chaos and confusion in our society. In a world of social distancing, keep us spiritually connected to the flowing streams of your righteousness. O God, as we shelter in place, dwell within our temples that the living waters flow to refresh our communities to an everlasting thirst for you. Despite the pandemic that our country is facing, our souls’ thirst for you. O come and quench our thirst—fill our cups and let it overflow! Let us not be distracted by the authorities in this world, but keep our eyes lift to You who has all authority on earth and in heaven. We humble ourselves before You. Humble this nation. Make us to know that we need You, our living God: One who responds to the cries of His people and wipes their tears away; One who will deliver the righteous from the snares of the pestilence and rescue them from pandemics. You are a living God who is familiar with our infirmities yet full of compassion.
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so our souls long for You. We want to be where You are. We long to be in Your presence where there is fullness of joy! In our distress we thirst for the true and living God! Quench our thirst.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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