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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.

Translation

Who is a human being who lives in this world?
My earthly brother or sister.
If you will take Jesus, take him
Because it won't be long till He comes.
If you've taken him, take him well.

He will come and judge everybody
That's how his work is.
He will come And will go and sit in his kingdom.
The day of your death is not the end.

Prayer for the Morning

Oh God the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness, and has turned the shadow of death into the light of morning; I pray that this day you will incline my heart to keep your commandments, driving temptation from my mind. Guide my feet into the way of peace; that having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, I may, when the night comes, rejoice in giving you thanks for a day lived in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer from Psalm 86

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon you: for you will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; and no works like those you have done.
All nations whom you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; and will glorify your name.
For you are great, and do wondrous things: you are God alone.
Teach me your way, Lord, and I will walk in your truth: unite my heart to fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify your name forever.

Benediction

Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, let me think about these things. What I have learned and received, let me do; and the God of peace be with us all.

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 132:7 (English Standard Version)

Matthew 4:18-19

Bible Basics — St. Peter

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Notes on the Scripture

I thought we would start a series called "Bible Basics". Some readers will find these familiar territory, but to tell you the truth, I always find out something I didn't know, or at least needed refreshing to be perfectly clear about, when I look at the basic facts about our beliefs and the Bible.

Peter (and his brother Andrew) were simple fishermen who came from Bethsaida on the north shores of the Sea of Galilee. Little did he suspect that he would become one of the most famous men in history! The brothers became the first of the twelve original apostles of Christ, and Peter would become first in importance.

Peter was married and lived in Capernaum. His name was originally Simon; he came to be called Peter because "petros" means "stone" in Greek, and he would become the rock upon which Christ's church was founded. Oddly, it is the meaning of his name that has stuck with him rather than the actual name: he was called "Cephas" which means "stone" in Aramaic, the language he and Christ both spoke.

Peter seems to have been Christ's favorite, for he was at the Transfiguration and, like Jesus, once walked on water (at Jesus' bidding). Other notable moments for him in the Gospels were his criticism of Jesus -- which prompted Christ's famous statement, "get thee behind me, Satan", his denial of Jesus "three times before the cock crows"), and because he drew his sword during Christ's arrest. After the Resurrection, Christ appeared to Peter alone.

It was Peter who first spoke of Christ's divinity, the turning point of the Gospels. In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked him "Who do you say I am?" and Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

After Christ ascended to heaven, Peter and Paul became the two most prominent figures in establishing the church. Peter was especially important in his mission to Gentiles, non-Jewish believers in Christ. He championed the idea that Christians did not need to be circumcised or follow the Hebrew laws to become full member of Christ's church. Like Paul, he made journeys (trips to Antioch and Corinth are mentioned in the Bible), got arrested repeatedly, healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached the Gospel in public. He was not as prolific a writer as Paul, but did write two Epistles (1 Peter and 2 Peter 2).

According to tradition, and supported by non-Biblical history, Peter was crucified in Rome by Nero in 64 AD. He was crucified upside-down at his request, because he did not consider himself worthy to die as Christ had, and thus his symbol is an upside-down cross.

Peter is often depicted holding keys, stemming from Jesus' statement that "into your hands I give the keys to the kingdom of God". This is also the source of the widespread (and rather vulgar) depiction of St. Peter standing in front of pearly gates deciding who goes into Heaven.

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