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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.

Prayer to Endure the World

Dear Jesus, look down on me this morning with sympathy, for I feel much afflicted. I have a headache and my back hurts. I did not sleep well and I did not sleep long enough. I am worried about my health, I am worried about my money, I am worried about my family. My home needs repairs. People do not give me the respect I deserve. Nobody listens to me.

There is a certain person who is driving me crazy! I don't have as much energy as I used to and I'm not sure I have enough to get everything done today that I want to do, or even, that I need to do.

The crazy and even destructive things people say in the media and the political mess in my locality and my nation make me despair. How can people be so stupid? They just seem to get worse and worse. The country is run by morons; how can people fail to elect people with some minimum of competence and honesty? Even in the churches, people cannot see or understand the most basic things about you, and the hypocrisy of so many Christians makes me half-ashamed to call myself one sometimes.

And then, Lord Christ, I realize. The world is not perfectible. There is only one place free from pain, worry, frustration, and all of the nonsense and damage that the human mind can create, and that is in your bosom. Hold me tight, Lord Jesus; give me the strength to endure the pain, give me the certainty of hope to avoid the anxiety, give me the blessed knowledge of Your coming again that I might not be stressed out about the things of this world; for they shall pass away soon enough.

And in the meantime, let me grow in you, that I might see my own wrongdoing and with the help of your Spirit, simply dissolve it away. It is in this world that Satan can find his prey, the fertile soil for evil. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, great Lord. Help me to prepare myself, I pray, in the name of Your love,

Mason Barge 11/8/2014

For Those Who Mourn

Almighty Holy Spirit of God, bringer of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, I pray, with all those who mourn [and especially ___], who cast every care upon you, that they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord,

1928 BCP 9/19/2015

Blessing

Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal high priest himself, the Son of God Jesus Christ, build up myself, and all Christians, in faith and truth, and in all gentleness and in all freedom from anger and forbearance and steadfastness and patient endurance and purity.

~ Polycarp of Smyrna (69-156)

Mason Barge 12/1/2016

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Living in Faith

2 Samuel 3:1-5 (ESV)

David’s Sons

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

Notes on the Scripture

t is a bit shocking, today, how primitive the morals, politics, and sensibilities of the Jews were at the time of David. We tend to think of him as a great king, a poet and musician, living in a time when modern morality began to arise.

But the primitive habits of the Hebrews are the linchpin of the story. For the most part, David has the habits and attitudes of any minor Eastern potentate of the bronze age. He attacks towns and slaughters the entire population, men, women, and children, without qualm. Not only does he sleep with numerous women, but also, the sons of these trysts are listed alongside the sons of his (multiple) wives. Daughters, of course, are not worth recording.

There really hasn’t been much progress since the days of Moses and Gideon; it will be up to David and another son, Solomon, to advance the Hebrew people to a new level of sophistication, but even they do nothing to inhibit polygyny or concubinage. The keeping of multiple wives and concubines will not really end, as a matter of stated proscription, until Paul writes 1 Corinthians.

Adam and Eve, by Lyuba Yatskiv, ca. 2005.

Daily Inspiration

“In The Inner Circle”

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