Loving God. Loving People. Making Disciples.
Weekly Scripture
Beginning Sunday, January 28th
Mark 1:4-13 TPT
John the Baptizer was the messenger who appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the complete cancellation of sins. 5A steady stream of people came to be dipped in the Jordan River as they publicly confessed their sins. They came from all over southern Israel, including nearly all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 6John wore a rough garment made from camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and honey. 7And this is the message he kept preaching: “There is a man coming after me who is greater and a lot more powerful than I am. I’m not even worthy to bend down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8I’ve baptized you into water, but he will baptize you into the Spirit of Holiness!” 9One day, Jesus came from the Galilean village of Nazareth and had John immerse him in the Jordan River. 10The moment Jesus rose up out of the water, John saw the heavenly realm split open, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. 11At the same time, a voice spoke from heaven, saying: “You are my Son, my cherished one, and my greatest delight is in you!”
John the Baptizer was the messenger who appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the complete cancellation of sins. 5A steady stream of people came to be dipped in the Jordan River as they publicly confessed their sins. They came from all over southern Israel, including nearly all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 6John wore a rough garment made from camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and honey. 7And this is the message he kept preaching: “There is a man coming after me who is greater and a lot more powerful than I am. I’m not even worthy to bend down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8I’ve baptized you into water, but he will baptize you into the Spirit of Holiness!” 9One day, Jesus came from the Galilean village of Nazareth and had John immerse him in the Jordan River. 10The moment Jesus rose up out of the water, John saw the heavenly realm split open, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. 11At the same time, a voice spoke from heaven, saying: “You are my Son, my cherished one, and my greatest delight is in you!”
Weekly Prayer
Beginning Sunday, January 28th
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Beginning Sunday, January 28th
The daily readings expand the range of biblical reading in worship and personal devotion by providing daily citations for the full three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect on and digest what they heard in worship readings the previous Sunday.
- Sunday, January 28, 2024: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
- Monday, January 29, 2024: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:1-21; Acts 21:17-26
- Tuesday, January 30, 2024: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:22-28; 1 Corinthians 7:32-40
- Wednesday, January 31, 2024: Psalm 35:1-10; Jeremiah 29:1-14; Mark 5:1-20
- Thursday, February 1, 2024: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Proverbs 12:10-21; Galatians 5:2-15
- Friday, February 2, 2024: Presentation of the Lord
- Friday, February 2, 2024: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Job 36:1-23; 1 Corinthians 9:1-16
- Saturday, February 3, 2024: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Isaiah 46:1-13; Matthew 12:9-14
Hallow
A Guided Prayer & Meditation App
HALLOW
Hallow is a prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible readings, music, and more.
In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, revealing the peaceable kingdom of Christ in earth is the goal:-)
WHAT YOU GET
Additional features to help customize your prayer experience:
Hallow is a prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible readings, music, and more.
In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, revealing the peaceable kingdom of Christ in earth is the goal:-)
WHAT YOU GET
- Daily prayers: Pray daily across methods including 3 of our most popular - Lectio Divina (on the Daily Readings), the Rosary, & the Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Christian Meditation: This can seem similar to mindfulness meditation in learning to be comfortable in silence, but the difference is the goal is never to remain in ourselves, but always to lift our hearts & minds to God, to talk with Him, listen to Him, & recognize His presence with us
- Sleep Bible Stories: Try Night Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours / Daily Office, and Catholic Bible stories read by folks like Jonathan Roumie from the Chosen or Fr. Mike Schmitz from the New American Bible
- Ignatian Examen: Reflect on your day & discover an awareness of God, Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit
- Lectio Divina: Enter into a conversation with God through Bible passages / Scripture
- Taizé & Gregorian Chant: Meditative chant & music
- Community: Match your prayers to the season with the #pray40 Lent Challenge, starting Ash Wednesday, or our #pray25 Advent Challenge for Christmas
- Homilies & Guests: From Father Mike Schmitz, and on topics on being a Catholic Dad, St. Augustine & more!
- Praylists: Sessions on joy, humility, discernment, or stress / anxiety / calm
- Challenges: Re-discover the Our Father, Stations of the Cross, Psalms, and Saints - or start with the Intro 9 Day Novena
- Litanies & Novenas: Try out the Litany of Humility, the 54 Day Novena, and more!
- Minute Meditations: Jesus, I Trust in You, Angelus, Rosary Decade, St. Michael the Archangel prayer and more!
Additional features to help customize your prayer experience:
- Journal after every prayer
- Choice of man or woman guide
- Options for 3 different lengths for every prayer (typically 5, 10, or 15 minutes)
- Ability to set prayer reminders
- Option to include calming background music like Gregorian Chant
- Ability to download sessions for offline listening
- Ability to join a Hallow Family to share prayer intentions and prayer reflections with one another
Prayers for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
For the peace of humanity, nations, & enemies
How can we pray? What do we pray?
“When you don’t know what to pray, say your prayers.”—Unknown
Here are a few prayers we can pray together in unity for our world and it’s peace:
__________________________
For The Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Peace Among Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
For Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“When you don’t know what to pray, say your prayers.”—Unknown
Here are a few prayers we can pray together in unity for our world and it’s peace:
__________________________
For The Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Peace Among Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
For Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Common Book of Prayer
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Common Book of Prayer
One of the ways that we participate in having common ground here at Word of Life Ministry is found in The Common Book of Prayer.
The CBOP is designed to help individuals, families, and congregations pray together across denominations and help you and your community join together each day with the same songs, scriptures, and prayers to compile a beautiful tapestry of prayer that will help the church be one as God is one.
This universal prayer book allows readers to greet each day together, remembering significant dates and Christian heroes in church history, as well as important historic dates in the struggle for freedom and justice. There are morning prayers for each day of the year, evening prayers for each of the seven days of the week, a midday prayer to be repeated throughout the year, and prayers for special occasions.
To access the Book of Common Prayer online, click here:
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Revised Common Lectionary
Here at Word of Life Ministry we want to make sure that we rehearse The Jesus Story and the story of the people God so that can be imitators and participants within the confines of our own story. We do that by searching the sacred scriptures and implementing them into our daily individual readings as well as our corporate gatherings.
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.
The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections.
The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:
To access the Revised Common Lectionary online, click here:
The Revised Common Lectionary
The Contemporary Collects
The Collects comprise a set form of prayer which bring together or “collect” our thoughts on a matter, concentrating our minds on a particular desire or intention, be it stewardship, peace, guidance, adoration, thanksgiving for the life of a saint, or any other matter. The Collect for the Day sets the emphasis for the prayers and liturgy of the day. Many of these prayers are very ancient and are among the great devotional riches of our heritage.
In form, collects address God by calling to mind some aspect of His Being, offer petition or petitions for a stated need, and conclude with a clause acknowledging the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ who is known through the eternal activity of the Blessed Trinity.
Here at Word of Life Ministry we are committed to implementing them into our weekly prayer life as well as our corporate gatherings.
To access The Contemporary Collects online, click here:
The Collects - Contemporary
One of the ways that we participate in having common ground here at Word of Life Ministry is found in The Common Book of Prayer.
The CBOP is designed to help individuals, families, and congregations pray together across denominations and help you and your community join together each day with the same songs, scriptures, and prayers to compile a beautiful tapestry of prayer that will help the church be one as God is one.
This universal prayer book allows readers to greet each day together, remembering significant dates and Christian heroes in church history, as well as important historic dates in the struggle for freedom and justice. There are morning prayers for each day of the year, evening prayers for each of the seven days of the week, a midday prayer to be repeated throughout the year, and prayers for special occasions.
To access the Book of Common Prayer online, click here:
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Revised Common Lectionary
Here at Word of Life Ministry we want to make sure that we rehearse The Jesus Story and the story of the people God so that can be imitators and participants within the confines of our own story. We do that by searching the sacred scriptures and implementing them into our daily individual readings as well as our corporate gatherings.
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.
The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections.
The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:
- Year A - Matthew
- Year B - Mark
- Year C - Luke
To access the Revised Common Lectionary online, click here:
The Revised Common Lectionary
The Contemporary Collects
The Collects comprise a set form of prayer which bring together or “collect” our thoughts on a matter, concentrating our minds on a particular desire or intention, be it stewardship, peace, guidance, adoration, thanksgiving for the life of a saint, or any other matter. The Collect for the Day sets the emphasis for the prayers and liturgy of the day. Many of these prayers are very ancient and are among the great devotional riches of our heritage.
In form, collects address God by calling to mind some aspect of His Being, offer petition or petitions for a stated need, and conclude with a clause acknowledging the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ who is known through the eternal activity of the Blessed Trinity.
Here at Word of Life Ministry we are committed to implementing them into our weekly prayer life as well as our corporate gatherings.
To access The Contemporary Collects online, click here:
The Collects - Contemporary