When Our Soul Is Downcast--Feb. 28, 2017

O God, our help and our hope,

When our soul is downcast,

and disquieted within us,

remind us how your mighty  

hand liberated us from bondage.

And if we suffer more than we can bear,

remind us that the pioneer of our salvation—

whose sandal even John was not worthy to untie—

suffered, and was made perfect, and brings us to glory.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 42; 146; 102; 133

Deut. 6:16-25

Heb. 2:1-10

John 1:19-28

Selected Verses

Ps. 42:11

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
          and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
          my help and my God.

Deut. 6:21

…then you shall say to your children, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  …  ”

Heb. 2:10

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

John 1:26-27

[John the Baptist] answered [the priests and Levites], "I baptize with water.  Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal."