THE WAY OF THE LAMB

St. Luke 10.1-7

THE Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire.

THE WAY OF THE LAMB

Lord, Your way

Is the Way

Of humble 

Vulnerability:

Absolute dependence

On the Father.

It is the way

Of an ever -deepening

Awareness of, and

Service in

The harvest of pain

And sorrow.

In my small way

Help me to walk

In the way of

The Lamb.

AMEN

AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD

Ecclesiasticus 28.14-end

14   Slander has shaken many,
   and scattered them from nation to nation; it has destroyed strong cities,
   and overturned the houses of the great.
15   Slander has driven virtuous women from their homes,
   and deprived them of the fruit of their toil.
16   Those who pay heed to slander will not find rest,
   nor will they settle down in peace.
17   The blow of a whip raises a welt,
   but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.
18   Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,
   but not as many as have fallen because of the tongue.
19   Happy is one who is protected from it,
   who has not been exposed to its anger, who has not borne its yoke,
   and has not been bound with its fetters.
20   For its yoke is a yoke of iron,
   and its fetters are fetters of bronze;
21   its death is an evil death,
   and Hades is preferable to it.
22   It has no power over the godly;
   they will not be burned in its flame.
23   Those who forsake the Lord will fall into its power;
   it will burn among them and will not be put out. It will be sent out against them like a lion;
   like a leopard it will mangle them.

24a  As you fence in your property with thorns,25b 
   so make a door and a bolt for your mouth.

24b  As you lock up your silver and gold,25a 
   so make balances and scales for your words.
26   Take care not to err with your tongue,
   and fall victim to one lying in wait. 

AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD

Lord,

My speech the it is pure

Is more precious than gold;

My tongue can be the creator

Of the most beautiful jewels.

Consecrate, guard, direct 

My speech:

May all my words

Be precious to You.

AMEN

TRUTH’S ECHO

Ecclesiasticus 27.30-28.9

 30   Anger and wrath, these also are abominations,

    yet a sinner holds on to them.

28  The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance,

    for he keeps a strict account of their sins.

 2   Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done,

    and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

 3   Does anyone harbour anger against another,

    and expect healing from the Lord?

 4   If someone has no mercy towards another like himself,

    can he then seek pardon for his own sins?

 5   If a mere mortal harbours wrath,

    who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?

 6   Remember the end of your life, and set enmity aside;

    remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.

 7   Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbour;

    remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults. 

 8   Refrain from strife, and your sins will be fewer;

    for the hot-tempered kindle strife,

 9   and the sinner disrupts friendships

    and sows discord among those who are at peace.

TRUTH’S ECHO

Lord,

There is a foundational truth;

‘Love creates love.’

There is its echo;

‘Forgiveness creates forgiveness.’

At the source of all things

Love and forgiveness

Live together.

This is the thread of gold

Throughout The Word:

This the hope

That will renew creation.

AMEN

INCALCULABLE

Ecclesiasticus 24.23-end

 23   All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,

    the law that Moses commanded us

    as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob.

 25   It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,

    and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits.

 26   It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,

    and like the Jordan at harvest time.

 27   It pours forth instruction like the Nile,

    like the Gihon at the time of vintage.

 28   The first man did not know wisdom fully,

    nor will the last one fathom her.

 29   For her thoughts are more abundant than the sea,

    and her counsel deeper than the great abyss. 

 30   As for me, I was like a canal from a river,

    like a water channel into a garden.

 31   I said, ‘I will water my garden

    and drench my flower-beds.’ And lo, my canal became a river,

    and my river a sea.

 32   I will again make instruction shine forth like the dawn,

    and I will make it clear from far away.

 33   I will again pour out teaching like prophecy,

    and leave it to all future generations.

 34   Observe that I have not laboured for myself alone,

    but for all who seek wisdom. 

INCALCULABLE

Lord,

Your Truth:

The reality of

Your Life,

Your Love,

Your being,

Are Incalculable.

Like all humanity

I can only channel

So little

Of so much

In my life.

Leaving untouched

So much

Majesty and mystery.

Opening myself

To wondering and worshipping.

AMEN

ETERNAL HUNGER

Ecclesiasticus 24.1-22

The  Praise of  Wisdom 

  24  Wisdom praises herself,

    and tells of her glory in the midst of her people.

 2   In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,

    and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory:

 3   ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,

    and covered the earth like a mist.

 4   I dwelt in the highest heavens,

    and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.

 5   Alone I compassed the vault of heaven

    and traversed the depths of the abyss.

 6   Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,

    and over every people and nation I have held sway.

 7   Among all these I sought a resting-place;

    in whose territory should I abide? 

 8   ‘Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,

    and my Creator chose the place for my tent. He said, “Make your dwelling in Jacob,

    and in Israel receive your inheritance.”

 9   Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,

    and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.

 10   In the holy tent I ministered before him,

    and so I was established in Zion.

 11   Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting-place,

    and in Jerusalem was my domain.

 12   I took root in an honoured people,

    in the portion of the Lord, his heritage. 

 13   ‘I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon,

    and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon.

 14   I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,

    and like rose-bushes in Jericho; like a fair olive tree in the field,

    and like a plane tree beside water I grew tall.

 15   Like cassia and camel’s thorn I gave forth perfume,

    and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance, like galbanum, onycha, and stacte,

    and like the odour of incense in the tent.

 16   Like a terebinth I spread out my branches,

    and my branches are glorious and graceful.

 17   Like the vine I bud forth delights,

    and my blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit. 

 19   ‘Come to me, you who desire me,

    and eat your fill of my fruits.

 20   For the memory of me is sweeter than honey,

    and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb.

 21   Those who eat of me will hunger for more,

    and those who drink of me will thirst for more.

 22   Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,

    and those who work with me will not sin.’ 

ETERNAL HUNGER

Lord,

I know keenly

That eternal hunger:

It is never satisfied

The desperate need

For understanding,

For truth,

For the daily discernment

Of the right way.

That hunger is

Satisfied in You:

Give me today

My daily bread.

AMEN

THE PRIME- MOVER

Ecclesiasticus 22.27-23.15

 27   Who will set a guard over my mouth,

    and an effective seal upon my lips, so that I may not fall because of them,

    and my tongue may not destroy me?

23  O Lord, Father and Master of my life,

    do not abandon me to their designs,

    and do not let me fall because of them!

 2   Who will set whips over my thoughts,

    and the discipline of wisdom over my mind, so as not to spare me in my errors,

    and not overlook my sins?

 3   Otherwise my mistakes may be multiplied,

    and my sins may abound, and I may fall before my adversaries,

    and my enemy may rejoice over me.

 4   O Lord, Father and God of my life,

    do not give me haughty eyes,

 5 

    and remove evil desire from me.

 6   Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me,

    and do not give me over to shameless passion.

Discipline of the  Tongue   

 7   Listen, my children, to instruction concerning the mouth;

    one who observes it will never be caught.

 8   Sinners are overtaken through their lips;

    by them the reviler and the arrogant are tripped up.

 9   Do not accustom your mouth to oaths,

    nor habitually utter the name of the Holy One;

 10   for as a servant who is constantly under scrutiny

    will not lack bruises, so also the person who always swears and utters the Name

    will never be cleansed from sin.

 11   One who swears many oaths is full of iniquity,

    and the scourge will not leave his house. If he swears in error, his sin remains on him,

    and if he disregards it, he sins doubly; if he swears a false oath, he will not be justified,

    for his house will be filled with calamities. 

 12   There is a manner of speaking comparable to death;

    may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob! Such conduct will be far from the godly,

    and they will not wallow in sins.

 13   Do not accustom your mouth to coarse, foul language,

    for it involves sinful speech.

 14   Remember your father and mother

    when you sit among the great, or you may forget yourself in their presence,

    and behave like a fool through bad habit; then you will wish that you had never been born,

    and you will curse the day of your birth.

 15   Those who are accustomed to using abusive language

    will never become disciplined as long as they live. 

THE PRIME MOVER

The tongue

And its talk

Is the prime- mover

Of sorrow and discord.

Deliver me Lord

From the misuse

Of speech.

Help me heed the warning:

To become accustomed

To being abusive

Is to be forever

The victim of 

A chaotic, mind and heart.

AMEN

THE FRUIT OF REFLECTION

Ecclesiasticus 22.6-22

 6   Like music in time of mourning is ill-timed conversation,

    but a thrashing and discipline are at all times wisdom. 

 9   Whoever teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together,

    or who rouses a sleeper from deep slumber.

 10   Whoever tells a story to a fool tells it to a drowsy man;

    and at the end he will say, ‘What is it?’

 11   Weep for the dead, for he has left the light behind;

    and weep for the fool, for he has left intelligence behind. Weep less bitterly for the dead, for he is at rest;

    but the life of the fool is worse than death.

 12   Mourning for the dead lasts seven days,

    but for the foolish or the ungodly it lasts all the days of their lives.

 13   Do not talk much with a senseless person

    or visit an unintelligent person. Stay clear of him, or you may have trouble,

    and be spattered when he shakes himself. Avoid him and you will find rest,

    and you will never be wearied by his lack of sense.

 14   What is heavier than lead?

    And what is its name except ‘Fool’?

 15   Sand, salt, and a piece of iron

    are easier to bear than a stupid person. 

 16   A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building

    is not loosened by an earthquake; so the mind firmly resolved after due reflection

    will not be afraid in a crisis.

 17   A mind settled on an intelligent thought

    is like stucco decoration that makes a wall smooth.

 18   Fences set on a high place

    will not stand firm against the wind; so a timid mind with a fool’s resolve

    will not stand firm against any fear. 

 19   One who pricks the eye brings tears,

    and one who pricks the heart makes clear its feelings.

 20   One who throws a stone at birds scares them away,

    and one who reviles a friend destroys a friendship.

 21   Even if you draw your sword against a friend,

    do not despair, for there is a way back.

 22   If you open your mouth against your friend,

    do not worry, for reconciliation is possible. But as for reviling, arrogance, disclosure of secrets, or a treacherous blow-

    in these cases any friend will take to flight.

THE FRUIT OF REFLECTION

Lord,

I need self-discipline

To give myself time

To reflect:

Time to allow

Your Word

To take root

In the ground

Of my heart.

Lest, being hasty

And unresolved

I should collapse

In a crisis.

AMEN

MARVELLOUS POWER

St. Matthew 9.1-8

JESUS entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the Scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men.

MARVELLOUS POWER.

Lord,

You possess the greatest,

Most marvellous

Of all powers:

The power to

Transform the heart,

To bring new life,

Create new beginnings,

To liberate,

To reconcile.

Your power to forgive

Is the power of Love

For Love’s sake.

AMEN

THAT VICIOUS SNAKE

Ecclesiasticus 21.1-17

21  Have you sinned, my child? Do so no more,

    but ask forgiveness for your past sins.

 2   Flee from sin as from a snake;

    for if you approach sin, it will bite you. Its teeth are lion’s teeth,

    and can destroy human lives.

 3   All lawlessness is like a two-edged sword;

    there is no healing for the wound it inflicts. 

 4   Panic and insolence will waste away riches;

    thus the house of the proud will be laid waste.

 5   The prayer of the poor goes from their lips to the ears of God,

    and his judgement comes speedily.

 6   Those who hate reproof walk in the sinner’s steps,

    but those who fear the Lord repent in their heart.

 7   The mighty in speech are widely known;

    when they slip, the sensible person knows it. 

 8   Whoever builds his house with other people’s money

    is like one who gathers stones for his burial mound.

 9   An assembly of the wicked is like a bundle of tow,

    and their end is a blazing fire.

 10   The way of sinners is paved with smooth stones,

    but at its end is the pit of Hades. 

 11   Whoever keeps the law controls his thoughts,

    and the fulfilment of the fear of the Lord is wisdom.

 12   One who is not clever cannot be taught,

    but there is a cleverness that increases bitterness.

 13   The knowledge of the wise will increase like a flood,

    and their counsel like a life-giving spring.

 14   The mind of a fool is like a broken jar;

    it can hold no knowledge. 

 15   When an intelligent person hears a wise saying,

    he praises it and adds to it; when a fool hears it, he laughs at it

    and throws it behind his back.

 16   A fool’s chatter is like a burden on a journey,

    but delight is found in the speech of the intelligent.

 17   The utterance of a sensible person is sought in the assembly,

    and they ponder his words in their minds. 

THAT VICIOUS SNAKE

Lord,

From the beginning

That vicious snake

Has spoiled everything:

Sowing discord,

Causing pain,

A killer of love

Hope and faith.

Lead me not into temptation,

Deliver me from evil,

For if  I put out my hand

To touch the snake of sin

It will surely bite me

Like a lion.

AMEN

DETESTABLE CLEVERNESS

 20   The whole of wisdom is fear of the Lord,

    and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.

 22   The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,

    nor is there prudence in the counsel of sinners.

 23   There is a cleverness that is detestable,

    and there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.

 24   Better are the God-fearing who lack understanding

    than the highly intelligent who transgress the law.

 25   There is a cleverness that is exact but unjust,

    and there are people who abuse favours to gain a verdict.

 26   There is the villain bowed down in mourning, but inwardly he is full of deceit.

 27   He hides his face and pretends not to hear,

    but when no one notices, he will take advantage of you.

 28   Even if lack of strength keeps him from sinning,

    he will nevertheless do evil when he finds the opportunity.

 29   A person is known by his appearance,

    and a sensible person is known when first met face to face.

 30   A person’s attire and hearty laughter,

    and the way he walks, show what he is. 

DETESTABLE CLEVERNESS

Lord,

Sometimes I admit 

I am ’too clever

For my own good.’

That quick answer,

The witty and thoughtless remark,

The cutting observati

The savage joke.

Open my heart

And mind

To be transformed 

After the manner of Christ Jesus.

AMEN