O Divine Presence,
This is the day You have made. It is the Sabbath, a day to worship You, to participate in the bounty of creation, a day for leisure, rest and reflection. May we use this Sabbath day to be refreshed and renewed. May we allow the power and presence of Your Spirit to enter our hearts. Embolden us, Loving God, to stand in contrast to the busyness of the culture this day, and to bask in the wonder of Your love. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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Please pray for our hospitalized: Marianna Powell, Joan Ingmire, Gene Carlson, and Eric Koegel.
Today we honor our high school seniors. CONGRATULATIONS!
We are back in the New Testament for our scripture reading this week (plus a Psalm). Today ‘s scripture is Matthew 22:34-46:
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ‘This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ‘On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question:“What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”‘? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
The Psalm for this week is Psalm 5:
Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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