May 01, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 97, 115, 124, 145
Exodus 18:13-27
1 Peter 5:1-14
Matthew 1:1-17; 3:1-6

II. Selections
Psalms 115:11
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.

Exodus 18:20
" ...teach [ the people] the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. [ Jethro to Moses]

1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.

Matthew 3:1-2
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

III. Meditation: In our fear and in our trust
God of all grace,
your kingdom has come near,
and you call us to repent;
how can we not fear you?

You have called us
to your eternal glory in Christ;
you are our help and shield;
how can we fail to trust you?

In our fear and in our trust,
in the midst of our suffering,
come to restore, to support,
to strengthen, and to establish us.

Make known to us-
and lead us to teach others-
the way we are to go
and the things we are to do.