Lent daybook, 7: Kyrie

My Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. Join me, won't you? (see previous Lent daybook 2016 posts here)

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look

Christ Pantocrator 

Stephane Rene 

source

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read

2 Peter 2:4-9 (MSG)

God didn’t let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day. Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off. He wiped it out with a flood, rescuing only eight people—Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them.

God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left—grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment.

So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day.  

all readings for the day: Psalm 17; Zechariah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 2:4-21

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pray

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (source)

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listen

Kyrie, Gregorian Chant

( I invite you to listen with me to my ever-evolving Lent playlist & Lent Spirituals playlist )

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do

Fast from a meal today. During the time you would have been eating, sit quietly and pray the Jesus Prayer. ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.")

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(see all Lent daybook posts from 2015 here)

Epiphany, week 5: we all with unveiled face behold Him

My Epiphany daybook for these 5 weeks of witness. Join me, won't you? 

(Read here for a brief description of the liturgical season of Epiphany. See previous Epiphany daybook 2016 posts here)

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look

An Apostle from the Transfiguration
 Matthias Grünewald
source

Dome from Christ Church in Chora, Turkey, 11th-12th century.

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2 Corinthians 3:18 / Luke 4:24-28:  And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. / Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

all readings for the day: Exodus 34:29-35  • Psalm 99  • 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2  •  Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

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pray 

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (source) 

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listen

Epiphany 2016: Transfiguration playlist

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Epiphany playlist.)

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do

Ash Wednesday is this week. Find a service near you and attend. 


A few resources to help you prepare for Lent:

• Pope Francis' Guide for Lent: What You Should Give Up This Year

• An Intentional Lent at Anglican Pastor

• The Season of Lent at The Voice

A few recommended resources to take with you for the 40 days of Lent:

•  God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter

• 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast by Alicia Britt Chole (the book Christ Church is following this year)

• Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter

• Lent Daybook posts at This Sacramental Life

• my Lent playlist on Spotify

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Epiphany, week 3: he has anointed me to bring good news

My Epiphany daybook for these 5 weeks of witness. Join me, won't you? 

(Read here for a brief description of the liturgical season of Epiphany. See previous Epiphany daybook 2016 posts here)

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look

Christ Preaching In the Temple
Jan Polack, 1500
source

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read

Nehemiah 8:5-6 / Luke 4:16-19:  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. / When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

all readings for the day: 

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10  •  

Psalm 19  • 

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a  • Luke 4:14-21

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pray

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (source)

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listen

Arise, Shine For Your Light Has Come
Jered McKenna (via Canticles from Cardiphonia)

Epiphany 2016/3 playlist

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Epiphany playlist.)

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do

This week walk your neighborhood, the neighborhood where you live, work or worship of your workplace or your church, and pray. Pray the collect for this week (above) and ask God to open your eyes to the people and places He's asking you to "proclaim the Good News of His salvation". Ask a friend to pray for you to "answer readily" to what the Spirit reveals to you during your prayer.

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12/18 Advent daybook, 20: the coming one will come and will not delay

My Advent daybook for these 24 days of waiting. Join me, won't you? (see previous Advent daybook 2015 posts here)

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look

Icon of Second Coming
source

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read

Hebrews 10:32-39: For, 'Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.  

  

all readings for the day:  Psalm 80:1-7; Isaiah 42:10-18; Hebrews 10:32-39

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Read this excerpt of an essay written from prison by Jesuit priest Alfred Delp, shortly before he was executed and martyred in Nazi Germany: 

"There is perhaps nothing we need today than to be genuinely shaken up. Where life is firm we need to sense its firmness; where it is unstable and has no foundation we need to know this too and to endure it...Advent is a time when we need to be shaken. The necessary condition for Advent's fulfillment is the renunciation of presumptuous attitudes and dreams through which we build imaginary worlds...Being shattered, being awakened-only with these is life made capable of Advent." (via Watch for the Light) 

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pray

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (source)

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listen

Hope for Soon

The Calendar Years

See the lyrics here.

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Advent playlist or a growing Advent Orchestral/Choral playlist on Spotify.)

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do

prepare a meal for someone who needs it

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(see all Advent daybook posts from 2014 here)

Advent daybook, 7: the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings

My Advent daybook for these 24 days of waiting. Join me, won't you? (see previous Advent daybook 2015 posts here)

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look

You Do It To Me
John Petts
16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
via The Advent Project 

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read
Malachi 4:1-6: But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

all readings for the day: Luke 1:68-79; Malachi 4:1-6; Luke 9:1-6

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pray

O God of all the prophets, you herald the coming of the Son of Man by wondrous signs in the heavens and on earth. Guard our hearts from despair so that we, in the company of the faithful and by the power of your Holy Spirit, may be found ready to raise our heads at the coming near of our redemption, the day of Jesus Christ. Amen. (source)

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listen

He's My LIght

Mahalia Jackson

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Advent playlist or a growing Advent Orchestral/Choral playlist on Spotify.)

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do

help someone who needs it (friend or stranger) today

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(see all Advent daybook posts from 2014 here)