Author Archives: Steve Shelby

Heart Prep for Sunday, March 17

Question:  Can you see Jesus, or only yourself today?  Have you asked Him for sight?

The Servant, Odilon Redon (French, 19th century)

image: The Servant, Odilon Redon (French, 19th century)

audio:   Upon A Life I Did Not Live, Horatius Bonar, 19th cent / Sandra McCracken, 2012

Gospel — Mark 10:32-52

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

God Alone is Good

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Drawing circa 1960 by César (César Baldaccini) 1921-1998

image: César, César Baldaccini (French, c.1960)

Preparation for Worship

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To [the bishop’s] celestial kindness he opposed pride, which is the fortress of evil within us. He was indistinctly conscious that the pardon of this priest was the greatest assault and the most formidable attack which had moved him yet.  That his obduracy was finally settled if he resisted this clemency; that if he yielded, he should be obliged to renounce that hatred with which the actions of other men had filled his soul through so many years, and which pleased him; that this time is was necessary to conquer of be conquered; and that a struggle, a colossal and final struggle, had begun between his viciousness and the goodness of that man.
— Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, I.13
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Gathering SongIn Christ Alone (Getty & Townend)

Call to Worship — from Philippians 2:5-11

Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Song of Adoration Let The Glory of the Lord Endure Forever (Psalm 104:31)

Sermon

Mark 10:13-31

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,”Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Song of Response   Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall) 

We Confess Our Sin Together based on the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-17

O LORD, our God who brought His people out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery and by Christ delivered us from sin, You have been faithful to keep all the promises of Your covenant. But we, O LORD, have been a stiff-necked people who love unfaithfulness.  We have loved other gods before You and become their servants.  We have not worshipped You in spirit and in truth, and so we have mocked Your glory in heaven.  We have used Your name in vain and profaned Your reputation on earth.  We have desecrated Your Sabbath because we have not trusted You to give us rest.  We have not honored our fathers and mothers, and so we have proved ourselves rebels.  We have hated our neighbors and murdered them in our hearts.  We have made adulterers of ourselves in the lust of our eyes or in the deeds of our flesh.  We have stolen honor and wealth and privileges that are not ours.  We have lied and falsely accused for we love gossip more than truth.  We have coveted blessings which You wisely and righteously gave to others.  O LORD, have mercy on us for we have not kept Your law.

Words of Encouragement Romans 8:31-34

If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?

Song of Praise  Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace (Daniel Herbert, 1838)   >>> AUDIO

Old Testament Reading   Jeremiah 32:17-18, 27

Ah, Lord, LORD!  It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too hard for you.  You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts…

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.  Is anything too hard for me?”

Songs of Praise   Rejoice the Lord is King (Charles Wesley, 1744)  

Benediction

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Heart Prep for March 10 2013

Question: Are you repenting of your righteousness as well as your sin?

Child With A Dove, Marc Chagall (French, c.1977)

image: Child With A Dove, Marc Chagall (French, c.1977)

audio:   Lament, Miles Davis (1957)

GospelMark 10:13-31

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,”Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Marriage, Divorce & Hard-Heartedness

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Only One, Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1959)

image: Only One, Georgia O’Keeffe (American, 1959)

Preparation for Worship

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When I married my wife, I had hardly a smidgen of sense for what I was getting into with her.  How could I know how much she would change over 25 years?  How could I know how much I would change?  My wife has lived with at least five different men since we were wed—and each of the five has been me.  The connecting link with my old self has always been the memory of the name I took on back there:  ‘I am he who will be there with you.’  When we slough off that name, lose that identity, we can hardly find ourselves again.
— Lewis Smedes[/quote]

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When husband and wife are united in marriage, they no longer seem like something earthly, but rather like the image of God Himself.
— John Chrysostom
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Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His Bride has made herself ready.”

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

How Great Is Our God (Tomlin, Reeves & Cash, 2004)  >>> audio/chart

Declaration of Faith  The Apostles’ Creed, 2nd century

We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,

We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell.  The third day He rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

Old Testament Reading   Genesis 2:20-25

The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

The Ministry of Prayer   Luke 11:2-4

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing(Robert Robinson, 1758)  [bandcamp track=4015998502  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

SermonMark 10:1-12

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Words of Institution – from the Book of Common Prayer

Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of the faith:

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast.

The gifts of God for the people of God.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Good and gracious God, we lay our sins before You, confessing the times when we have not lived in light of Your fulfilled promises.

We have lived in fear by not trusting you in our relationships and circumstances, by putting our hope in our finances or accomplishments, and by demanding comfort.

We seek to control our lives by not addressing our addictions, by refusing to listen to Your Word, and by our cynicism and anger.

 We have tried to pay for our own sins by being dominated by shame and guilt, by seeking to do good works to gain Your favor, and by not believing that we are forgiven.

We have only lived for this life, by centering our lives on created things instead of You, by demanding more riches, and by being self-centered, disregarding those around us.

Because Jesus lived, died, was raised, and ascended into heaven, we confess our sins with the great confidence that You will forgive, accept, and renew us.

God Declares Our Forgiveness   Isaiah 43:25

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Come, All Ye Pining, Hungry Poor (Anne Steele) [bandcamp track=2538870965  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

In Need of Grace (Ross King, 2002)  audio/lyrics

Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting ( Jean Sophia Pigott, 1876) [bandcamp track=104008922  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Arise! My Soul Arise! (Charles Wesley, 1742) [bandcamp track=1534263805  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Benediction

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Have Salt

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Table Salt 1922 by Kurt Schwitters 1887-1948

image:  Table Salt, Kurt Schwitters (Germany, 1922)

Preparation for Worship

Made, and bought by Love divine, Thine I am, and doubly Thine:
Lest through me Thou suffer loss, Nail me to Thy bleeding cross;
Farther to secure Thine own, Fix me on Thy glorious throne.
Charles Wesley, from “You Belong to Christ” (Mark 9:41)

Call to Worship Psalm 86:8-12

There is none like You among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like Yours.
All the nations You have made shall come
and worship before You, O Lord,
and shall glorify Your name.
For You are great and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in Your truth;
unite my heart to fear Your name.
I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify Your name forever.

Come and Welcome (Thomas Haweis, 1792) [bandcamp track=2905232559  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

We Confess Our Sin Together  Book of Common Prayer; Psalm 139:23-24

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden:
“Search us and know our hearts!
Try us and know our thoughts!
And see if there be any offensive way in us,
and lead us in the way everlasting.”

God Declares Our Forgiveness Romans  8:1

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Ministry of Prayer   Psalm 13.  A Psalm of David

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
(Silent prayers for those in sorrow and despair, that Jesus Christ might lift their heads.)
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
(Silent prayers for all who suffer injustice and disgrace, that Jesus Christ might redeem, protect and restore them.)
But I have trusted in Your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
(Silent prayers for the Church and for those the Holy Spirit is drawing to believe in Jesus Christ)

None Other Lamb (Christine Rossetti, 1892) [bandcamp track=798046000  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Sermon Mark 9:38-50

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

The Church’s One Foundation (Samuel Stone, 1866) [bandcamp track=3890947056  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

All Creatures of Our God and King (Francis of Assisi, 1225) [bandcamp track=3110760989  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Crown Him With Many Crowns (Matthew Bridges 1851) [bandcamp track=594463031  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Benediction

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Transfiguration

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The Transfiguration, Raphael (1516-20)

image :  The Transfiguration, Raphael (1516-20)

Preparation for Worship

“Worship is a meeting at the center so that our lives are centered in God and not lived eccentrically. We worship so that we live in response to and from this center, the living God. Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives. We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy as we are, in turn, alarmed by spectres and soothed by placebos. If there is no center, there is no circumference. People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose.”  —Eugene H. Peterson

“Look at Him… A friend of sinners!”  —Luke 7:34

Call to Worship  Psalm 99:1-3,9

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble;
He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.
Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy.

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Joachim Neander, 1680) [bandcamp track=1956047333  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Old Testament Reading   Exodus 33:18-23

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Behold Our God (Baird & Altrogge, 2011) [bandcamp track=4160179747  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

We Confess Our Sin Together 

Holy God, when You call us to follow You with great boldness, we tremble at Your presence and cover our eyes. We are afraid of what we will see for Your greatness unveils our weakness, Your justice unveils our iniquity, and Your holiness unveils our stained hearts and minds. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Giver of all grace,  forgive us our sins. Give us the strength to renounce that which hides You from us. Give us the wisdom to trust Your atoning sacrifice. We believe; help our unbelief, that we might know the freedom and power of Your Cross.

God Declares Our Forgiveness  from Colossians 2:13-15

When you were dead in your sins God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the Law that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the Cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.

Before the Throne of God Above (Bancroft, 1841-1923) [bandcamp track=4120787669  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Sermon   Mark 9:1-37

1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Uncreated One (Walt & Tomlin, 2006)  >>>audio>>>

Holy Holy Holy (Reginald Heber, 1826) [bandcamp track=2796283475  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

We Will Glorify (Paris, 1982) [bandcamp track=2156561497  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Benediction

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