Morning Prayer - 24 April 15

Mellitus, Bishop of London, first Bishop at St Paul’s, 624 

The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood, Solomon Islands, 2003 

Psalm 107

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let the  

those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Some went astray in desert wastes and found no path to a city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul was fainting within them. So they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He set their feet on the right way till they came to a city to dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good. 

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound fast in misery and iron, For they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; they stumbled and there was none to help them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he has broken the doors of bronze and breaks the bars of iron in pieces.

Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, and were plagued because of their wrongdoing. Their soul abhorred all manner of food and drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, and saved them from destruction. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his acts with shouts of joy. Those who go down to the sea in ships and ply their trade in great waters, These have seen the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For at his word the stormy wind arose and lifted up the waves of the sea. They were carried up to the heavens and down again to the deep; their soul melted away in their peril. They reeled and staggered like a drunkard and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were calmed. Then were they glad because they were at rest, and he brought them to the haven they desired. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. The Lord turns rivers into wilderness and water springs into thirsty ground; A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell there. He makes the wilderness a pool of water and water springs out of a thirsty land. There he settles the hungry and they build a city to dwell in. They sow fields and plant vineyards and bring in a fruitful harvest. He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; he does not let their herds of cattle decrease. He pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes. They are diminished and brought low, through stress of misfortune and sorrow, But he raises the poor from their misery and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep. The upright will see this and rejoice, but all wickedness will shut its mouth. 

Whoever is wise will ponder these things and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 7.12-end

If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock. The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced, he will not inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. You shall devour all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to you, showing them no pity; you shall not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.

If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?’ do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the pestilence against them, until even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed. Have no dread of them, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and throw them into great panic, until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you and you shall blot out their name from under heaven; no one will be able to stand against you, until you have destroyed them. The images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, because you could be ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. Do not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You must utterly detest and abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Ephesians 3.1-13

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

The Collect

Almighty Father, who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord: give us such knowledge of his presence with us, that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life and serve you continually in righteousness and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Tamworth Hustings - 7 Days to go: A two horse race?

You might think it is a two horse race as the latest figures look like this:

Conservatives 35%

Labour             34%

UKIP                13%

Lib Dems          8%

Green Party      5%

But of course it isn't! Every player has the potential to influence the overall result and that's what the hustings event is all about.

The hustings will be split into two sessions, the first of which will feature questions from the community. These will be sent to the candidates by Monday 27th so that they can prepare an answer in their own words (rather than merely read from their manifesto).

The second session will feature questions taken from those present (and you can ask them yourself if you wish) and this, last time we did a hustings event, was the more challenging part of the affair for me as it got close up and personal (but not too personal or offensive).

So let's have those questions sorted - the polls tell us that this is a two horse race but of course with 650 races in the overall competition this provides us with 650 chances for an outsider - and it could be your question that settles it where you are.

Whilst 326 seats marks the overall victory for whichever party would form the government, here at home it's a different battle that contributes to the whole.

So get thinking about what matters to you and if you're not sure what your candidates think:

Ask the question

Morning Prayer - 23 April 15

• George, Martyr, Patron of England, c.304

Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my lamentation. Hearken to the voice of my crying, my King and my God, for to you I make my prayer.

In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice; early in the morning I make my appeal to you, and look up. For you are the God who takes no pleasure in wickedness; no evil can dwell with you. The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all those that work wickedness. You destroy those who speak lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful the Lord will abhor. But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy, I will come into your house; I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you.

Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies; make your way straight before my face. For there is no truth in their mouth, in their heart is destruction, their throat is an open sepulchre, and they flatter with their tongue. Punish them, O God; let them fall through their own devices. Because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them sing out their joy for ever. You will shelter them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; and with your favour you will defend them as with a shield.

Psalm 146
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, O my soul: while I live will I praise the Lord; as long as I have any being, I will sing praises to my God.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in any human power, for there is no help in them. When their breath goes forth, they return to the earth; on that day all their thoughts perish. Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord their God; Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps his promise for ever; Who gives justice to those that suffer wrong and bread to those who hunger.

The Lord looses those that are bound; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous;
The Lord watches over the stranger in the land; he upholds the orphan and widow; but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.
The Lord shall reign for ever, your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Alleluia.

Joshua 1.1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Ephesians 6.10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

The Collect
God of hosts, who so kindled the flame of love in the heart of your servant George that he bore witness to the risen Lord by his life and by his death: give us the same faith and power of love that we who rejoice in his triumphs may come to share with him the fullness of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,  who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Quaragosh - A call to prayer

Please read, and respond (by praying and sharing) this message - from Rev Andrew White the Vicar of Baghdad:

"The islamist group (ISIS) just took over Quaragosh, the biggest Christian city in Iraq. 

There are hundreds of men, women and children that are being beheaded. 

The people are asking for prayers to be made on their behalf concerning the ongoing atrocity in their country. 

Please take one minute to pray for them. 

They asked for this special prayer. 

Please, ensure you pass across the prayer request to the body of Christ for fervent prayers offered on behalf of the brothers, sisters and children in Iraq. 

This is an urgent SOS. May God bless you. 

From Andrew White the Vicar of Baghdad."

(I received this for Bishop Laurie Green - who posted it around 21:00 BST today) and am confident of its validity - please pass on to those you know will pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters)

Postscript: 
I saw this posted on the pages of someone I trust. I am aware that there of aspects of this that are perhaps 'old news' but rather than err too much on the side of scepticism, I will keep this in place until the original source comes back to me.

Thanks for those who have communicated with the 'old news' - have to say that if it is erroneously reported, prayer for those (even one minute of it) from those who live in freedom for those who fear the actions of ISIS is a small consideration.

PPS
Checking on Snopes and other sites I use to debunk urban myth and (often well meant) misinformation I can find nothing that looks quite like this story - I have asked for clarification form people I trust and have heard nothing, and so, continue with the piece on the lines given in the PS.

Thanks

Pax

Tamworth Hustings - 8 days to go

And the scores on the doors this morning are:

Conservatives 34%

Labour             34%

UKIP                13%

Lib Dems          9%

Green Party      5%

So with the first two parties being neck and neck, and the other three static, it is obvious that   each and every vote will indeed make a difference.


Why we should vote
In conversation with an enthusiastic and earnest Christian I found myself being challenged as to the hustings and told that we shouldn't be bringing politicians into the church building because, 'We should have nothing to do with the world!'

My response to this was, 'So we shouldn't be taking aid to nations where there is famine or war or natural disaster or any other need then?' And of course the answer, accompanied by incredulous raised eyebrows, was a resounding passionate, 'Of course we should; 'The Bible tells us to act for those in need and to defend the weak and the oppressed.'

This enthusiastic young believer was, of course, quite right and provided me with the opportunity to introduce St Augustine of Hippo (City of God) and his (paraphrased) words:

'Those who are citizens of God's kingdom are best equipped to be citizens of the kingdom of man ... for Christians, through faith in Jesus (the Christ), acknowledge that they are already citizens of heaven who merely reside as sojourners in this world,'

and yet this world according to Augustine (bk 9 - sect.17):

'Does not live by faith but seeks an earthly peace and in the end what it proposes, in the well ordered concord of civic obedience and rule, is the combination of men's wills to attain the things which are helpful to this life.'

It is the prayer of every Christian that this world is peaceably and rightly governed - but if this is an honest profession then surely it should be met with honest endeavour to bring this about. We act not just with our lips but with our hands - and in this case the hands are require to place a tick in a box and thereby play our part in the process of bringing into existence that 'right government' we so often pray for.

Of course, as Augustine likened government as being little more than a gang of thieves and robbers who having bested other thieves and robbers, rules over the people, gives us the reason for why we should vote, for should enough right thinking people fail to vote the government that is elected will (by the application of simple logic) be that which those who think wrongly voted for.

To vote having sought out those candidates who support Christian values, to support those parties whose manifestos display the closest correlation between the attitudes of this world and the demands placed on us to act with justice, humidity and mercy, is to bring our faith to bear in the matter of this world - and by doing so perhaps the Kingdom of God might be brought just a little closer in our political dealings.

Just a thought.

Morning Prayer - 22 April 15

Psalm 105
O give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises, and tell of all his marvellous works. Rejoice in the praise of his holy name; let the hearts of them rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face continually. Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgements of his mouth, O seed of Abraham his servant, O children of Jacob his chosen.

He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. He has always been mindful of his covenant, the promise that he made for a thousand generations: The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath that he swore to Isaac, Which he established as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel, Saying, ‘To you will I give the land of Canaan to be the portion of your inheritance.’

When they were but few in number, of little account, and sojourners in the land, Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, He suffered no one to do them wrong and rebuked even kings for their sake, Saying, ‘Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.’

Then he called down famine over the land and broke every staff of bread. But he had sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They shackled his feet with fetters; his neck was ringed with iron. Until all he foretold came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. He appointed him lord of his household and ruler of all he possessed, To instruct his princes as he willed and to teach his counsellors wisdom.

Then Israel came into Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; he made them too many for their adversaries, Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people and dealt craftily with his servants.

Then sent he Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen.
He showed his signs through their word and his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and it grew dark; yet they did not heed his words.
He turned their waters into blood and slew all their fish.
Their land swarmed with frogs, even in their kings’ chambers.He spoke the word, and there came clouds of flies, swarms of gnats within all their borders.
He gave them hailstones for rain and flames of lightning in their land.
He blasted their vines and their fig trees and shattered trees across their country.
He spoke the word, and the grasshoppers came and young locusts without number; They ate every plant in their land and devoured the fruit of their soil.
He smote all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their strength. R
Then he brought them out with silver and gold; there was not one among their tribes that stumbled.

Egypt was glad at their departing, for a dread of them had fallen upon them. He spread out a cloud for a covering and a fire to light up the night. They asked and he brought them quails; he satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out and ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy word and Abraham, his servant.

So he brought forth his people with joy, his chosen ones with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations and they took possession of the fruit of their toil, That they might keep his statutes and faithfully observe his laws.
Alleluia.

Deuteronomy 6
Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.

Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.

When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.’

Ephesians 2.1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

The Collect
Almighty Father, who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord: give us such knowledge of his presence with us, that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life and serve you continually in righteousness and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Tamworth Hustings - 9 Days to go

And, according to the pundits, the battle is hotting up and the latest polls see it like this:

Conservatives 34%

Labour             33%

UKIP                13%

Lib Dems          9%

Green Party      5%

It's so close that people I've spoken for today were telling me that they didn't know who to vote for. The answer is simple:

Then candidate who answers the questions and says what you think is right!

Bt if you don't ask, you won't get to find out, so make sure you are in St Editha's, Tamworth on Thursday 30th @ 7.30pm and perhaps you'll hear an answer that convinces you (or turns you off).

And on a lighter note:

An MP dies and finds himself at the pearly gates before St Peter who tells him that the has two choices: Heaven or Hell (please note this is not a theologically accurate joke). 

To aid those who come to the gates unsure of where they ought to be, the powers that be have decided that the deceased can have five minutes viewing time in each of the two venues.

So our parliamentarian jumps in a lift and descends to take a look at hell. When the doors open he sees many of those he knows from Westminster and they are waving, cheering and in between sips of champagne and obviously enjoying the experience.

The the doors shut and he presses button for 'Heaven'. The doors open and before him is heaven and it's full of people singing Graham Kendrick songs, eating soggy biscuits and drinking weak tea (just like after the service on Sunday)! 

Before he has fully recovered from such awfulness the doors close and he's back in the foyer with St Peter who asks him, 'Which is it to be, heaven or Hell?'

Without a moments hesitation he chooses Hell and no sooner than the words leave his mouth he is taken back to the life and the button is again pressed. As the doors open he is met by something awful. The people there are screaming in pain as the flames lick their bodies and there's such an awful sound that it makes his blood run cold.

Then, seeing satan, the politician rushes over and asks him, "What's going on, it wasn't like this when I looked around earlier?'

'Ah yes,' says satan, 'But that was before you voted wasn't it?'

Morning Prayer - 21 April 15

Anselm, Abbot of Le Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher of the Faith, 1109

Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His own right hand and his holy arm have won for him the victory.

The Lord has made known his salvation; his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; break into singing and make music. Make music to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sound praises before the Lord, the King. Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that dwell upon it. Let the rivers clap their hands and let the hills ring out together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 99
The Lord is king: let the peoples tremble; he is enthroned above the cherubim: let the earth shake.

The Lord is great in Zion and high above all peoples. Let them praise your name, which is great and awesome; the Lord our God is holy. Mighty king, who loves justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his footstool, for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among those who call upon his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them.  He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the law that he gave them. You answered them, O Lord our God; you were a God who forgave them and pardoned them for their offences.

Exalt the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 100
O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know that the Lord is God; it is he that has made us and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

Deuteronomy 5.22-end
These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; and you said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.’

The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken. If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.” But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.

Ephesians 1.15-end
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The Collect
Eternal God,who gave great gifts to your servant Anselm as a pastor and teacher:
grant that we, like him, may desire you with our whole heart and, so desiring, may seek you and, seeking, may find you; 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.