A Service of Prayer for the Beginning of Day for March 17, 2021

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 

John 8:12

 One of my favorite verses is the above verse. It brings hope and joy to an otherwise dreary existence. When life is dark and bleak, trust in the good news and the light of the world that Jesus brings.

DIALOGUE

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
Give glory to God, our light and our life. 
Oh, come, let us worship him.

Psalm 107:1-16

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.

Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
they fell down, with no one to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
he brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and broke their bonds asunder.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he shatters the doors of bronze,
and cuts in two the bars of iron.

      HYMN
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

1. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.

2. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

3. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk
till trav'ling days are done.

Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889

READINGS
Isaiah 60:15-22

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
 You shall suck the milk of nations,
you shall suck the breasts of kings;
and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates Praise.
The sun shall no longer be
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you by night;
but the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down,
or your moon withdraw itself;
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
 Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever.
They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands,
so that I might be glorified.
The least of them shall become a clan,
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the LORD;
in its time I will accomplish it quickly. 

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

GOSPEL
John 8:12-20

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid.  I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”  He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

MESSAGE
A Light Shines in the Darkness! Do you see it?

With regard to the pandemic, I after all these days, over a year of seclusion; mask wearing; inability to hug others, worship as an entire congregation, sip coffee in Fellowship Hall, or sing in worship; I’m beginning to see light in the tunnel. For one thing, I am delighted to report that I finally was able to get the first shot of the COVID vaccine. No more worrying about coming down with this dreadful disease in the near future. Praise the Lord! A light shines in the darkness! 

If you haven’t been able to get an appointment for the vaccine and want one, I suggest that you call Warminster Hospital on a Tuesday morning. The phone number there is 484-325-6724. Stay on the line until they answer. (This could take some time, but they will eventually answer your call.)

I believe within the next few months things will begin to loosen up. I am thankful that at least we are able to safely hold worship services here at Good Shepherd. I long for the day when we can all come. together again, sing the hymns in the nave, hear the choir singing from the chancel, and come to the altar to receive Holy Communion.

The lessons today a filled with hope. The psalmist is filled with gratitude for all that God has done. Grateful for God’s steadfast love, redemption, and deliverance from distress. The Lord breaks the chains that bind us. 

In Jesus’ time the Pharisees kept alive the ancient promises that God would finally redeem the suffering Jewish nation. But, Roman domination was a harsh reminder that God’s covenantal blessings were being withheld from them. They prayerfully pleaded to God to send a Messiah who would usher in God’s kingdom of righteousness. And yet, the Messiah was in their midst and they did not recognize him. Isaiah tells us that God assurances are twofold: 1) God remains with the faithful even in their suffering and will guide them toward an era of peace. 2) Faithfulness, when walking through the trials of life, is crucial to the coming of the kingdom. The passage is a reassurance of restoration. In the gospel lesson, Jesus proclaims he is the light of the world to the scribes and the Pharisees. Instead of embracing this good news, they choose to walk in darkness, rather than in the light. 

I find great hope in these lessons.Yes, we are still suffering  through a pandemic. Yes, we are going through a transition at Good Shepard and these are not a comfortable places to be in. But, here’s the thing! A light shines in the darkness and that light is Christ. Can you see it? Do you see it? Christ is the light of the world and Christ is with each one of us.

And. so I pray. may Christ shine brightly in our hearts, help us to focus outward towards others, and alleviate the anxieties we are feeling. Although we are still the Church, we are just the church differently right now. May God fill us with faith and trust in his goodness. May we dwell in Christ’s love. May Jesus illuminate us with hope for the days ahead. For Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

In Christ,
Pastor Harkness

THE GOSPEL CANTICLE

Refrain:

In the tender compassion of our God the Dawn from on high shall break upon us.

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. Refrain

Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us;
you promised to show mercy to our forebears
and to remember your holy covenant. Refrain

This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. Refrain

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God's people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. Refrain

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Refrain

PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray,
Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn, bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you—
for the sustaining goodness of your creation . . .
for the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
for the gifts of relationship with others  especially within our GSLC family. . .
for the communion of faith in your church . . .

Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray—
for those who govern nations of the world especially our president and governors . . .
for the people of our country, for the restoration of peace, and for justice . . .
for the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
for all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
for all who strive to save the earth from carelessness and destruction . . .
for the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . .

Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

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. 
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

Almighty God, the Father,  ☩  the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen

HYMN
Christ, Be Our Light

1. Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

2. Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow'r to save us.
Make us your living voice.  Refrain

3. Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.  Refrain

4. Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.  Refrain

5. Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
signs of your kingdom come.  Refrain

Text: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957

Text © 1993 Bernadette Farrell. Published by OCP Publications. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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