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.

As we take time to observe physical distancing, 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.

Isaiah 53:4-12  4Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.  5But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.  6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  8By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.  9They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.  10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  12Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Psalm 91:9-16  9Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your habitation,  10no evil will befall you, nor shall affliction come near your dwelling.  11For God will give the angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways.  12Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot a- gainst a stone.   13You will tread upon the lion cub and viper; you will trample down the lion and the serpent.  14I will deliver those who cling to me; I will uphold them, because they know my name.  15They will call me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and honor them.  16With long life will I satisfy them, and show them my salvation.  Hebrews 5:1-10 1Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” 7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Mark 10:35-45 35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” 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 take time to observe physical distancing, 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.

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 6Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.  7Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!  10They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.  11Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain,  you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them;  you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.  12For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins—  you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.  13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.  14Seek good and not evil, that you may live;  and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.  15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate;  it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Psalm 90:12-17 12So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.  13Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? Be gracious to your servants.  14Satisfy us by your steadfast love in the morning; so shall we rejoice and be glad all our days.  15Make us glad as many days as you afflicted us and as many years as we suffered adversity.  16Show your servants your works, and your splendor to their children.  17May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.  Hebrews 4:12-16 12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.  14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Mark 10:17-31 17As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.  23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”  28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” 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 take time to observe physical distancing, 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.

Genesis 2:18-24 18The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said,  “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;  this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” 24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Psalm 8 1O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!—  2you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths of infants and children; you have set up a fortress against your enemies, to silence the foe and avenger.  3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,  4what are mere mortals that you should be mindful of them, human beings that you should care for them?  5Yet you have made them little less than divine; with glory and honor you crown them.  6You have made them rule over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet:  7all flocks and cattle, even the wild beasts of the field,  8the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the sea.  9O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  2:5Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere,  “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?  7You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, 8subjecting all things under their feet Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.   10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying,  “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” Mark 10:2-16 2Some Pharisees came, and to test [Jesus] they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”   10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”   13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. 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.