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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.

Call to Sunday Worship

O  Lord, I beseech you mercifully to hear my prayers, and the prayers of all your people who call upon you; and grant that we may both perceive and know what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Glory to God

O  Glorious God, I see Your heavens resplendent with stars. How glorious You are, radiant with light! Eternity watches me by the rays of the distant stars. I am small, insignificant, but You are at my side. Your right arm guides me wherever I go.

Glory to You, ceaselessly watching over me;
Glory to You for the encounters You arrange for me;
Glory to You for the love of parents, for the faithfulness of friends;
Glory to You for the humbleness of the animals which serve me;
Glory to You for the unforgettable moments of life;
Glory to You for the heart's innocent joy;
Glory to You for the joy of living,
Moving and being able to return Your love.
Glory to You, O God, from age to age,

Mason Barge from Ikos 5 by Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov 10/2017

For the Needy

Dear Lord above, never let me forget about those who are hurting from guilt, shame and other afflictions I may not know about. Show me that I need to remember those who are: sick, imprisoned, lonely, confused, in need of a friend, dying, hungry, spiritually lost in their lives — wandering aimlessly through life. Teach me to comfort my brothers and sisters in their hours of need, wherever they may be. Guide me to look deeply into their hearts and understand.

Teach me to reach out my hands and help them up and feed their souls and hearts with your word, O Lord. Let me never forsake one of my hurting brothers or sisters along life's way. Grant me the strength to carry forth your will and your way, in bringing all to you, dear Father. I pray this needful prayer through your blessed Son, Jesus Christ.

Meditation

[Wandering aimless through life.]

Benediction

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”; I pray that I and your whole church, the body of all faithful people, will know your peace, and live in harmony and unity, one with another, in accordance with your wishes. This I pray to you, who lives and reigns forever.

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.

Psalm 71:5-8

Luke 12:4-7 (ESV)

Fear of Death

Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Notes on the Scripture

esus is not telling us that we should not avoid death, or that we can somehow make our natural avoidance of danger, pain, disease, or injury disappear. He is comparing the fear that we might have of someone who is able to kill our earthly body, compared to the fear we have of God. Physical death is a terrible moment, but it is inevitable. Our odds of dying are one out of one.

But once we learn that our souls are eternal, and that God’s mercy has given us hope of eternal existence in a world where there is no anxiety or pain, we realize that there is something worse than physical death. The stronger our faith becomes, the less anxious we are about the inevitable time when our bodies perish, and the more concerned we are about the salvation of our souls.

It is interesting to reflect on how strong and immediate our reactions become when we feel threatened by physical death. Yet so often we are calm, even cavalier, when faced with something that could cast us into hell. A vicious criminal with a gun, or direct exposure to a dangerous wild animal, will send us into emergency overdrive. But Satan is the most dangerous and vicious force in existence-- a creature or force poised and motivated to send our souls to eternal oblivion -- and when he threatens us, we generally show a comparatively mild reaction.

Jesus wants us to understand the greater threat. This is about taking God seriously (reverence and fear toward Him), and along with this - a sober, watchful defensive position toward evil. Who really cares about you? God cares about you in the deepest, purest way.

Simply reflect that, if it were not for God, you would not have life in the first place. He created us and loves us. We are his children. He has sent us a message, through the life of Christ, that He will guard and protect us for all eternity, if we are true to him.

Daily Inspiration

“ Friction Smoothed With Oil ”

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