Tuesday 18 September 2012

Tuesday - the Bible is the life of each Christian

Prayer:   Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Spirit that we may hear Your living Word as the Scriptures are read and interpreted.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.  (Word and Sacrament,  PCC,  1987).

Read:  2 Timothy 3: 10-17

Paul says to Timothy in this reading that the Scriptures are the life of each Christian.  We are to read the Scriptures daily as well as focusing upon God’s Holy Word each Sunday.
By reading and meditating upon the Scriptures,  we become mature in the faith.

The Word Proclaimed….
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament Lesson
Psalm
Epistle
Gospel

This is the time of Worship when we listen to God’s  Word through the reading of the Scriptures.  The Word of God is life giving for all peoples.

Before the Scriptures are read,  there is a Prayer for Illumination.  This prayer asks God, through the blessing of the Holy Spirit,  that our hearts and minds may be open to hearing God’s  Word and that we may take what we hear and put it into action.  

Each Sunday,  four scriptures are read.  These four scriptures come from the Old Testament to remind us of  where we as Christians, have come from….  the Psalm is read responsively to remind us of the prayers of the Israelites…..the Epistle – a Letter from the Apostles, is read to remind us of the Early Church…..and finally the Gospel is read to remind us of the life and work of Jesus Christ.   The Gospel is always read last as this is the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The reading of these four scriptures each Sunday is called “the Lectionary”.  The Lectionary is used so that almost each book of the Bible is read once in three years.  The Presbyterian Church in Canada uses the “Revised Common Lectionary”.   While the use of the Lectionary is not mandatory,  it certainly helps Ministers and Lay Preachers know what Scriptures to use each Sunday.

Prayer:  May the words of our mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to You,  our Lord and Saviour.   Amen.

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