Woodlake Lutheran Church

As we continue to maneuver church life in the pandemic, we at Woodlake Lutheran invite you into a time of Morning Prayer. The following practice may be done individually, or with one or two in your household leading the whole family in a time of prayer.   Begin with centering yourself in a quiet space. Take three slow breaths. After this, speak these words: Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, O God, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Praise to the blest and holy Trinity, one God, who gives us life, salvation, and resurrection.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

³¹The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ³²It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. ³³But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. 

Psalm 46 

¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains shake in the depths of the sea; 

³though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 

⁵God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be shaken; God shall help it at the break of day. 

⁶The nations rage, and the kingdoms shake; God speaks, and the earth melts away.  

⁷The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. 

⁸Come now, regard the works of the Lord, what desolations God has brought upon the earth; 

⁹behold the one who makes war to cease in all the world; who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire. 

¹⁰“Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” 

¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Romans 3:19-28

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. ²¹But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.²⁷Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

John 8:31-36

³¹Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”³⁴Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” 

Pray 

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Bless 

Almighty God bless us, and direct our days and our deeds in peace. Amen.

As we continue to maneuver church life in the pandemic, we at Woodlake Lutheran invite you into a time of Morning Prayer. The following practice may be done individually, or with one or two in your household leading the whole family in a time of prayer.   Begin with centering yourself in a quiet space. Take three slow breaths. After this, speak these words: Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, O God, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Praise to the blest and holy Trinity, one God, who gives us life, salvation, and resurrection.

Jeremiah 31:7-9  7Thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.”  8See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.  9With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.   Psalm 126  1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream.  2Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”   3The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad indeed.  4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negeb.  5Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.  6Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.   Hebrews 7:23-28 23The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.   Mark 10:46-52 46As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.   Pray   O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   Bless   Almighty God bless us, and direct our days and our deeds in peace. Amen.