Fist of all I would like to apologize for the long gap since my last ministry update! It’s my goal to keep everyone as updated as possible and these blogs are one of the primary ways of doing that. In the future I will be putting more effort into making these updates more regular.

Intro To Staff

That being said the first thing I would like to mention is how the Intro to Staff Program is going. Since last January we have now started a new semester of Intro To Staff and have a new group of young adults to equip and shepherd! Also this semester I have started leading the Intro To Staff Program along with a couple other people. Leading Intro To Staff means I have been teaching, shepherding, and discipling those who are in the Intro To Staff Program. It’s been great!

21 Days Of Fasting And Prayer

The last year has really flown by and once again it is time for us to start preparing for Awaken The Dawn (our yearly regional conference).As always, the biggest way we will be preparing will be with our annual 21 day fast! To some the idea of not eating for 21 days seems unpleasant at best and insane at worst. However, regular fasting was not only embraced and endorsed by Jesus but is also one of the greatest weapons we have as “modern” Christians! Here are some verses on fasting: Matthew 6:16-17, Matthew 9:15, Acts 13:2, Daniel 10:3. Along with the 21 day fast we will also being doing 24/7 prayer and once again I will be doing the night-watch this year! Psalm 134 gives us a picture of those who ministered by night in the tabernacle during the days of King David. Also this year in addition to Awaken The Dawn we will be hosting The Call Virginia which is a day to fast and pray in repentance for our nation and  to cry out for the ending of abortion and revival in America, along with other things. All this being said I am extremely excited about the next month! Your covering in prayer during this time is GREATLY appreciated as we push through spiritual warfare surrounding these events!

On A Personal Note

Personally things have been going great for the most part. As always there are trials but over the last 3-4 months God has been taking me deeper in my understanding of the scriptures surrounding intimacy, intercession, compassion, and the supernatural. Also in the last month I have experienced an increase in being able to feel the Lord’s heart in intercession and breakthrough in being able to pray. This has been refreshing and is probably linked to where we are currently going as a house. Please pray for me as a leader at the Prayer Furnace that I would have wisdom and grace in leading those given to me and that I would be able to really equip and pray for them.

Thanks!

Thank you so much for your partnership with me in praying and financial support! Countless lives are being impacted in Virginia because of your partnership with me and the Prayer Furnace. Lives will be changed forever! Please Email me at Daniel.lewis@theprayerfurnace.org with any prayer requests or questions that you might have, I check my Email at least once a day.

Grace and Peace to you!

Daniel Lewis

Above:  Austrian Crown Jewels

Like Crown Jewels

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Assigned Readings:

Zechariah 9:1-17

Psalm 96 (Morning)

Psalms 132 and 134 (Evening)

2 Timothy 2:1-26

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some Related Posts:

Zechariah 9:

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/proper-9-year-a/

2 Timothy 2:

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/week-of-proper-4-thursday-year-2/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The LORD their God shall prosper them

On that day;

[He shall pasture] His people like sheep.

[They shall be] like crown jewels glittering on his soil.

–Zechariah 9:16, TANAKH:  The Holy Scriptures

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Book of Zechariah exists in two parts, for time and authorship separate Chapters 1-8 from Chapters 9-14.  Chapter 9 is set in an ideal future when the exiles are triumphant and their enemies are defeated–both by the hand of God.  The people of God will be like crown jewels.  That image speaks of their preciousness to God.

Speaking of precious people….

We read in 2 Timothy 2 that pointless quarrels and misleading discussions weaken the faith of people and give rise to confusion.  Yes, some people sow the seeds of mischief willingly.  Yet many others–perhaps most–do not think of their activities as destructive, even though they are.  Perhaps this is why we read advice to correct people gently and with the intention of changing their minds.  Such an attitude recognizes the potential for repentance.

Some who are like crown jewels just need a little cleaning.  May we give them the benefit of that opportunity.  And may we remember that we might like crown jewels in need of cleaning.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

APRIL 11, 2012 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT DIONYSIUS OF CORINTH, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP

THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY NEYROT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR

THE FEAST OF GEORGE AUGUSTUS SELWYN, ANGLICAN PRIMATE OF NEW ZEALAND

THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF KRAKOW

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another Devotion for Today:

http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/week-of-3-epiphany-wednesday-year-1/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/like-crown-jewels/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“From the end of the earth I will cry to you. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than than I.”  ~  Psalm 61:2

Lessons I’ve learned from the broken road…

As far as my eyes could see the road was broken and crumbled…strewn before me in a million jagged pieces. “Will you trust Me?” God asked. The road I saw had no end and no sure footing. How could I even take the first terrifying step? “Will you trust Me?” God asked again. I shook my head…not a “no” but an “I’m unsure.” Then He whispered…in an ever small voice, “Trust Me, Child.” I smiled shyly, wiped the tears from my stained cheeks, then took my first steps in shaky trust down the path God called me to. My heart was broken…shattered like the road below my feet. How could God lead me this way? How could a God of love lead his child down the road of a broken heart…and at such a young age?

Those were the thoughts of a young woman new in her faith and fresh from the vice of pain. But Psalm 147:3 & 6 say…

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds…The Lord lifts up the humble.”

Psalm 145:18 & 20 say…

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him…The Lord preserves all who love Him.”

Even at such a young age, I had been knocked down and beat up so many times that the emotional and psychological bruises could have had a crippling affect on my walk. But each time God was there to pick me up…to heal my wounds with His gentle kiss…and to send me once again on my way down the road He placed me on. It was because of Him…and only because of Him…my Strength and my Hiding Place…that I continued on with life.

When I look back at those times, I can see how much those trials benefitted my relationship with God. Though it was hard then to see what good could come of those heartbreaks, afterward I remained standing…every time. And the more God brought me through those times, the more I trusted Him and persevered by His strength. My focus changed from me to Him…and He led me to the Cross where my Lord and Savior had suffered for me. Without the broken road…without the heartbreaks and pain…I would not know Jesus as I do.

“Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord!”  ~  Psalm 134:1-2

Trust God today wherever He has you. Don’t walk away from God because you think as I did — “What good could come of this?” TRUST and WALK IT OUT WITH GOD. He is bringing you through it so that at the end of the road you can stand with Him in the richness of His glory.  ~  Amen

“But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all Your works.”   ~  Psalm 73:28

Life together is way better then life isolated.  I know, I was a hermit for two years.  Sort of.  I lived 15 minutes out into the mountains west of Woodland Park, far enough to feel like it was sort of a big deal to go into town.  I remember some of the best feelings I had two years into that season were driving out of my neighborhood at the invitation of friends to share a meal and play a board game, nestled in a blanket with cocoa in one hand and dice in the other, prepared to absolutely lose perspective in the safety of deep friendship…the loss of perspective was usually a direct result of one of these treasured friends doing something unforgivable on the Settlers of Catan board, haha!

Yes, these were the moments I treasured as my hermitage was winding down.

Psalm 133 says “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”  This song was written from the perspective of community, from a Psalm that is rare in it’s communal focus.  The last section of the song simply says that no one is too far from the Love of God for Him to redeem and pull home.

Hope you like this crazy version.  It’ll be finished and mixed for the (I know, too many records!) Buffalo album due out in December.

Go get it for free at Noisetrade.

An exhortation to bless God

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 134:1-3 (KJV)

Psalm 4 from the Liber Usualis

At Compline at St. Mark’s in Seattle, we often select the psalm according to the liturgical theme of the day, but occasionally we sing psalms that were prescribed by St. Benedict in his Rule for monasteries to be sung only and always at Compline.  Last Sunday we sang two of these – Psalms 4 and 134 (I’m using the Jewish numbering, which is widely used in bibles today, as opposed to the Latin Vulgate numbering, prevalent in scholarly discussions and  Catholic liturgy until the 1970s — here’s a decoder for the two numbering systems).  Peter Hallock composed for us a lovely setting of these two psalms, in which the very short Psalm 134 is used as a refrain (or antiphon) before and after Psalm 4.  Here is the text, taken from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (BCP) that you can read while listening to it on our podcast (click on the “Play” button — the Psalms begin at about 3:40):

Psalm 134
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 4
1  Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2  “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”
3  Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4  Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5  Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
6  Many are saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7  You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase,
8  I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 134 is the next-shortest psalm in the Bible – Psalm 117 has about half as many words.  Although the portion “you that stand by night in the house of the Lord” evokes the priestly class worshipping in the temple, Robert Alter, in his translation of The Book of Psalms (2007), comments (p. 464) that “the acts of the sacrificial cult were completed by sundown, but the reference here could be either to the tending of the fires and the temple lamps through the night or to those who stayed to pray, or perhaps to partake of the sacrificial feast, through the hours of the night”.  It seems like an excellent way to describe all who pray before retiring for the night.  Alter translates the psalm as three verses, beginning the third where the BCP has a semicolon.  His second verse begins “Lift up your hands toward the holy place and bless the Lord”, implying that the Hebrew qodesh (“holiness”) can not only designate the sanctuary, but might be “an epithet for the heavens”.  The psalm is wonderfully recripocal — we take the time at night to bless the Lord, and the Lord will bless us.  The fact that this psalm comes at the end of a cycle of fifteen “psalms of ascent” along with the night imagery makes it a natural end-of-the-day prayer.

A portion of Psalm 4 occurs as part of the Jewish Bedtime Shema, and I refer you to an excellent blog posting on this ritual by Paul Kent Oakley in his blog Night Prayers.  I knew that the Christian offices were built on the foundation of Jewish fixed-hour prayer, but I have only just begun to explore that history.  The “Shema Yisrael” (“Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One”) is the most important prayer in Judaism; the whole passage, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, is worth quoting:

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. (NRSV)

The command to recite the Shema “when you lie down” is at the heart of Jewish prayer at the end of the day.  In the Bedtime Shema, after the psalmody, which includes Psalm 91 (the other psalm prescribed for Compline by St. Benedict), comes a threefold repetition of verse 4: “Quake, and do not offend.  Speak in your hearts on your beds, and be still.” (Alter translation, p. 11).  Another part of the Bedtime Shema could almost be a paraphrase of Psalm 4:

If you will only heed his every commandment—that I am commanding you today—loving the Lord your God, and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul— then he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil; and he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your fill. Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving other gods and worshipping them, for then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly from the good land that the Lord is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11:13-21, NRSV)

I find it interesting that although Psalm 4:7 only mentions grain and wine (Alter translation: “You put joy in my heart, from the time their grain and their drink did abound”), the writers of the Latin Vulgate (or perhaps the Greek Septuagint from which it was translated) must have had the passage from Deuteronomy in mind when they formed the more poetic “more than when grain and wine and oil increase” (see the Latin in vs. 8 of the chant pictured).

And for our last thought before we close our eyes tonight, we could hardly choose better than this:

I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Related Articles

• Short Reflection on Psalm 4:1 (simuliustusetpeccator.com)
• 12 Praise thoughts from Psalm 4 (panasianbiz.com)

The Holistic Driven Life:

Don’t work and praise, praise IN work and work IN praise.

Read in full at Biblegateway

Summation:

Don’t just ‘do’ for God but consider how we might ‘be’ for God.

Application:

Be aware of the danger of compartmentalization. There is no such thing. What ever you do, do it for the glory of God.

Psalm 134

A Pilgrim Song

Right mouse click to save/download this Psalm as a MP3 file

^1-3 Come, bless God,

all you servants of God!

You priests of God,

posted to the nightwatch

in God’s shrine,

Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place,

and bless God.

In turn,

may God of Zion bless you-

the God who made heaven and earth!

Right mouse click to save/download this Psalm as a MP3 file

If you find these resources helpful to you, please do prayerfully consider making a donation. You can support via PayPal, the universal and most secure way to donate money online. You do not need to be a member of Paypal to use their facilities and all major credit cards are accepted. Thank you

Click on the appropriate link to subscribe to this website

Subscribe via iTunes

At 5am, I felt like the Lord was going to release a wave of his joy to the NightWatch. It came about 30 seconds later and slowed. Then it started back up more intense than the first time.

The Lord is coming to His House. It is His House. We are His prized posession. We are the ones whom He gave his life for. Why would he not freely give us all things? Including  joy.

Another thing I felt in my spirit is that the Fire in the Night internship program is about to get very intresting.

Here is the NIV version of Psalm 134 (by all accounts the second shortest of the bible):

“Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.  May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.”

We reworked this as follows:

“Prz GOD aL u Gs of GOD hu rap aL nite on da graveyrd shift. Put ur h&z ^ in prz. mA da GOD hu mAkz hvn&erth bls u frm paradize.”

Psalm 134 (the final psalm in a series of “songs of ascent”) talks of blessing (both us blessing God – praising him in the NIV version and God blessing us).  It talks of a people serving all night in the temple, presumably keeping the lamps lit, or on guard duty or perhaps praying through the night.  In our version we took on this sense of being on the graveyard shift (cold, lonely, tired, …) but then suddenly it dawns on you where you are (in the sacred temple) and your filled with a tremendous urge to praise the LORD and lift your hands in prayer and are filled with an awe for him who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 134 - "Grounded, Leaping" (c) Aaron Collier, 2007

This week at Christ the King we are finishing up our series on the Psalms of Ascents by looking at Psalm 134.

Listen to Pastor Steve Brown read Psalm 134

Listen to our Pastor Elliot Grudem on the Psalms of Ascents

Read Psalm 134 in the ESV translation

-

Psalm 134 – Come People of God
mp3 | leadsheet

Come people of God, praise the Lord

All you who love and obey

Come people of God, praise the Lord

Who serve him by night and by day.

You who lift up your hearts, lift up your hands

Give of your lives unto him.

You who lift up your hearts, lift up your voices

Praise him with true sacrifice.

May the Lord who made all the heavens and earth

Bless you.

_

Praise the Lord, All You Servants of the Lord
mp3 | leadsheet

- a capella version of Psalm 134 that follows the NIV wording

—

O Bless Our God, with One Accord
mp3 | leadsheet(4pt)

- psalter hymnal version with Old 100th tune

—

Ye that Obey th’ Immortal King
mp3 | lyrics

- late night vamp on Psalm 134 – lyrics by Isaac Watts
- music by Bruce Benedict and Brian Murphy

.

Come People of God
mp3 | leadsheet

- contemporary, congregational version of Psalm 134

————

Praise the Lord, All You Servants of the Lord
mp3 | leadsheet

- a capella version of Psalm 134 that follows the NIV wording

————

O Bless Our God, with One Accord
mp3 | leadsheet(4pt)

- psalter hymnal version with Old 100th tune

————-

Ye that Obey th’ Immortal King
mp3 | lyrics

- late night vamp on Psalm 134 – lyrics by Isaac Watts
- music by Bruce Benedict and Brian T. Murphy

PRaP 03-26-2010

“What’s Your Ministry?”

Jesus calls us all to ministry, what is yours?  The Lord calls us to do one ministry or sometimes calls us to do one ministry with many opportunities.  Like with c2C Ministry there are many parts to this ministry.  What part are you?  Maybe God has called you to service then you should serve.  I was talking to someone yesterday that the ministry she has is teaching children in a school.  Maybe you are called to show the love of Christ through how you live, well that would be all of us.  Do you have the call to feed the hungry?  Maybe you are to travel the world and be at places where natural disasters have taken place to help the children?  Maybe you are to help people with their taxes? Maybe even a mechanic?  Are you a carpenter for Christ?  Maybe you are a chef, are you a chef for Christ?  What is your ministry?  Helping the elderly?  Do you clean up for Christ?  Maybe you are a dog walker for Jesus?  I don’t just do c2C Ministry and VoltEdge Radio and all the stuff here but in my job I shine the Light of Christ so that people who need help can come to me.  Even if it is nothing more than a listening ear at lunch or a prayer request or just someone to call friend.  Those things come easy to me.  Maybe that is your ministry too?  My mom’s ministry is to be there for dad, my sister and me and my dad’s ministry is to be there for mom, my sister, and me.  My dad also grows a garden and shares the crops with his family and friends that is another part of his ministry.  What’s your ministry?  Send us a note and tell us about your ministry and we will do a drawing and give your ministry a blessing.  The deadline for entry is April 15^th and we will announce the winner during the “Ask The Pastor” show on April 24^th.

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

2 Corinthians 3:6
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:5-7 (in Context) 2 Corinthians 3 (Whole Chapter)

Colossians 1:7
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
Colossians 1:6-8 (in Context) Colossians 1 (Whole Chapter)

Colossians 4:7
[ Final Greetings ] Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
Colossians 4:6-8 (in Context) Colossians 4 (Whole Chapter)

1 Timothy 4:6
If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
1 Timothy 4:5-7 (in Context) 1 Timothy 4 (Whole Chapter)

Hebrews 1:14
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews 1:13-14 (in Context) Hebrews 1 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 101:6
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
Psalm 101:5-7 (in Context) Psalm 101 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 134:1
[ A song of ascents. ] Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Psalm 134:1-3 (in Context) Psalm 134 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 135:2
you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
Psalm 135:1-3 (in Context) Psalm 135 (Whole Chapter)

PSALM_134_PRAISING_the_LORD_in_HIS_HOUSE_at_NIGHT_(a_song_of_ascents)_.mp3 (3318 KB)

PSALM 134 “PRAISING the LORD in HIS HOUSE at NIGHT”
recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

134:1 Praising the LORD in His House at Night ,A Song of Ascents.
Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.

3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!
NKJV

For years, especially since the rise of the “worship bands,” many Christians have confused music for worship.  The confusion is voiced by church staff everywhere, especially “worship ministers.”  Apparently, worship doesn’t begin until the band strikes the first chord.

Just a skimming of the Bible shows that worship isn’t regulated to the realm of music.  Worship of God takes place all the time through everything we do.  Is music included?  Sure.  But worship isn’t synonymous with music.

Psalm 134 shows this.  Look what it says:

Behold, bless the Lord, all the servants of the Lord.
Who serve by night in the house of the Lord.
Life up your hands to the sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth.

The writer of this psalm shows that worship in the ancient temple took place around the clock.  So it should be with those of us who follow Jesus.  Worship isn’t limited to an hour on Sunday.  It happens around the clock.  That should cause us to stop and think:

• Am I intentional about my life, since all of life is worship?
• What kinds of “bad” or “unacceptable” worship have I given to God?
• Have I been  deceived into thinking that worship only takes place “at church”?
• How can I change my mind and thus change my worship (that sounds like repentance)?

1 Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.

3 May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.

Eerdman’s Bible Commentary says that this psalm was for a vigil of a night festival in the Temple. It references Isaiah 20:29: And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. We hear the congregation exhort the temple leaders who respond in kind.  Furthermore, the blessing God gives is for individuals as the word “you” is singular (534)

In the Archaeological Study Bible, the editors write that what  is emphasized in this Psalm is that “Yahweh does not cease to work simply because it is nighttime; indeed, the Protector of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps…Worship of the Lord is to continue uninterrupted by day and night (941). “

Finally, Charles Spurgeon quotes Samuel Martin in the Treasury of David:

1. God—Jehovah—the fountain of blessing.
2. The heavens and the earth, evidence of divine capacity to bless.
3. The church, a channel of blessing.
4. The saints, the means of spreading blessing, through the spirit of blessing.
5. The riches involved in the divine benediction.—Samuel Martin.

My point is mentioning all this is that I wanted to draw attention to this short, compact Psalm,  to emphasize that our praise of the Lord should not be limited to Sunday morning, but in the evening and, if I may extrapolate, all of the time, and to show that the blessing we receive for corporate worship is met with personal, individual blessings from the Lord

LJG (c) 2009

Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place, and bless God

The other morning I walked into my home office. Other than a few pieces of artwork on the walls, my home office is a fairly stark room. Three desks, three computers, and books. This particular morning I walked in and found a gorgeous arrangement of beautiful daisies on my desk. Below it was a sticky-note on which was written "Praying for you!"

The flowers and note were not from my wife, but from my youngest daughter, Madison. What a blessing to her old man. The daisies are still there, beginning to wilt but I'm loathe to throw them away. The blessing from my daughter continues to bless, even as the leaves wither and flowers fade.

It's easy, in our gimme, gimme, gimme world to constantly ask for our Heavenly Father's blessing. "God bless me with…" is a pretty consistent cry from my lips. I'm reminded this morning that we have opportunity to actually bless our Heavenly Father.

How am I going to be a blessing to God today?

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and aesum

A Song of Ascents.

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,

   who stand by night in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your hands to the holy place,

   and bless the Lord.

May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,

   bless you from Zion.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.

Take a deep breath and allow the Psalm to remain with you for the evening.

the prayers

Spend time with God praying in your own words or with no words at all.

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here’s a responsive Psalm reading that also includes an integrated song:

Pastor:         Psalm 133 was sung by the Israelites as they went up to the temple in Jerusalem for religious festivals.  These pilgrimages were the highlight of the year for the Jewish people, since they were able to gather on Mt. Zion, the place where God had chosen to dwell among His people.

Psalm 133 celebrates the coming together of the Israelites in unity.  As people journeyed to Jerusalem from far away places, they sensed a common bond in their commitment to the Lord.  This union delighted the people, who experienced it as “good and pleasant.”

Congregation: How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  (Ps 133:1)

Congregation Sings: We are one in the Spirit,

we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit

we are one in the Lord,

And we pray that all unity

may one day be restored:

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians

By our love.

Pastor:         The goodness is accentuated through the use of two-word pictures.  First, the unity of God’s people is:

Congregation: It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down the collar of his robes. (Ps 133:2)

Pastor:         The Psalmist envisions the anointing of Aaron, the first high priest of the Temple, focusing on the special oil that was saturated with aromatic spices.  This oil was not applied sparingly, but generously, covering Aaron and spreading its pungent fragrance everywhere.  It signified the outpouring of forgiveness upon his people.

Congregation Sings: We will walk with each other

we will walk hand in hand

we will walk with each other

we will walk hand in hand

and together we’ll spread the news

that God is in our land:

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians

By our love.

Pastor:         The second-word picture that illustrates the pleasantness of unity says that:

Congregation: “It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.”  (Ps 133:3a)

Pastor:         Mt. Hermon, which towers above the Northern part of the Holy land, received ample precipitation that filled streams and produced lush vegetation.  As the pilgrims journeyed to Jerusalem, especially in the summer months, they would not be likely to enjoy actual rain.  But their unity as they gathered at Mt. Zion would be like the refreshment of the showers God poured out upon Mt. Hermon.

Both images in Psalm 133 involve liquid being poured out liberally, upon either the head of Aaron or the heights of Mt. Hermon.  When God’s people come together in unity to worship the Lord:

Congregation:  For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life evermore.  (Ps 133:3b)

Congregation Sings: We will work with each other

we will work side by side

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

We’ll respect people’s dignity

And in love abide.

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love, by our love

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians

By our love.

Pastor:         Psalm 133 calls us all to unity in worship, promising rich blessings from God.  The New Testament frequently echoes this summons as well.  Jesus prays that his followers “may be one”, even as He is one with His father:

Congregation:  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.   (John 17:20, 21)

Pastor:         The Apostle Paul urges us to:

Congregation: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  (Eph 4:3)

Congregation Sings: All Praise to the Father

from whom all things come,

And all praise to Christ Jesus

His only Son,

and all praise to the Spirit

who makes us one:

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love, by our love

Yes, They’ll know we are Christians

By our love.

Pastor:         Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.   (Ps134:1)

Congregation: (the Congregation may lift their arms in praise if desired while reading)

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.  (Ps134:2)

Pastor:         (with your arms lifted as in the Benediction)

May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.  (Ps 134:3)

Sources:

1. Pastor’s readings adapted from “Lyrical Poetry”, By Dr. Mark Roberts, “Worship Leader Magazine”, July 2008.
2. All scripture text is NIV (Zondervan Publishing)
3. “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”, by Peter Scholtes, © 1996 F.E.L. Publications, Lorenz Publishing CO., CCLI #26997 for Church License No. 2600615