Thread by @DisabilityJ

Midday prayers for Tuesday in Holy Week.....

Thread

Grace, mercy and peace –
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ –
be with you

This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Almighty and everlasting God,

we thank you that you have brought us safely to this day.

Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger,

order us in all our doings and guide us to do always what is righteous in your sight;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

CONFESSION

Holy God, Maker of all,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus Christ, Son of Mary,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, breath of life,

Have mercy on us.

Let us each consider our own faults and failings...

In this community of Christ’s Church

we confess to God that we have sinned

in thought, word & deed.

We have not loved God, cared for God’s world,

or respected God’s people as we should.

We own our responsibility & pray for God’s pardon.

May God forgive us,

Christ befriend us,

the Spirit renew and change our lives. Amen.

All who are thirsty,

this is the place for water.

All who are hungry,

this is the place to be fed.

God speaks,

and all who will listen will have life.

Verses from Matthew 21

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead  with these instructions....

“Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me.  And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.”
...

This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said:

“Tell the city of Zion,
    Look, your king is coming to you!
He is humble and rides on a donkey
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
...

So the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do: they brought the donkey & the colt, threw their cloaks over them, & Jesus got on.
  
A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road, others cut branches from the trees & spread them on the road. 
...

The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout,

“Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!”
....

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. “Who is he?” the people asked.
“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.
...

Jesus went into the Temple, driving out all who were buying & selling, overturning the moneychangers tables & pigeon sellers stools, saying, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!”

The blind & crippled came to him in the Temple, & he healed them.  The chief priests were angry when they saw the things he was doing & children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David's Son!”
They asked, “Do you hear what they are saying?”

“Indeed I do,” answered Jesus. 
///

REFLECTION

·        What did you notice in the reading?

·        Did anything surprise you?

·        How might this reading make a difference to your day?

Space to pray......

For leaders, followers, & rebels

For headline makers & writers

For those at the centre & the margins

For those who've lost & those who cause loss

...

Father in heaven,

your name be holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done.

Daily bread received,

forgiveness received,

forgiveness given freely.

Temptation refused, from evil protected.

The kingdom, power, and glory are yours

now and for ever.  Amen.

This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice & be glad.
We go in peace & serve the Lord.
We will seek peace & pursue it.

Glory to God who made us
to Christ who saved us
to the Holy Spirit who keeps us in faith.  Amen

The Lord bless us and watch over us,

the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us,

the Lord look kindly on us
and give us his peace;

May the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among us and remain with us always.  Amen.

///