Monday 29 November
Behold the Lord is coming, with all his power on the clouds of heaven.
Bo Bartlett. The Forge (Swords into Plowshares) (2008)
"they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks" (Isaiah 2.2)
What the Bird Said Early in the Year, by C.S. Lewis
I heard in Addison’s Walk a bird sing
This year the summer will come true. This year. This year.
Winds will not strip the blossom from the apple trees
This year, nor want of rain destroy the peas.
This year time’s nature will no more defeat you,
Nor all the promised moments in their passing cheat you.
This time they will not lead you round and back
To Autumn, one year older, by the well-worn track.
This year, this year, as all these flowers foretell,
We shall escape the circle and undo the spell.
Often deceived, yet open once again your heart,
Quick, quick, quick, quick! — the gates are drawn up.
Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For there the thrones for judgement were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.’
For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
Matthew 8:5-11
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came among us in great humility, that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty and merciful God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. With great power you gathered the first Christians in the city of Jerusalem, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, defying the earthly authority of the Roman empire. Grant that, like that first church in Jerusalem, we also may come together to be bold in preaching and living the good news of reconciliation and peace. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who liberates us from the bondage of sin and death.
Simon Khorolskiy. The Storm Will Cease | Умолкнет гром
The storm will cease, abate the thunder,
The violent wind will soon subside,
The rose blossoms will show their wonder
And the sunshine will yet be bright.
The day will come, you won’t be crying,
All your temptations will also pass,
And all your sorrows, all your trials
Will be removed by Jesus Christ.
When your heart bleeds, when griefs came closely,
When pain is all your soul can feel,
He will approach you with great mercy
And tender wounds will gently heal.
Oh, run to Him, in heartfelt prayer,
When you are languishing in pain,
In any battle, you will prevail,
Then you will dwell with God in heaven.
May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.