September 19, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 30, 86, 123
Job 40:1, 41:1-11
Acts 16:6-15
John 12:9-19

II. Selections
Psalm 30:11-12a
You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.

Job 41:4
" ...Will [ Leviathan] make a covenant with you
to be taken as your servant forever? ... " [ God to Job]

Acts 16:14b
The Lord opened [ Lydia's] heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.

John 12:10
So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

III. Meditation: Take off our sackcloth

The great sea monster is not likely
to make a covenant with us
to become our servant forever,
and we are more intractable than he.

Open our hearts to listen eagerly
for what you have to tell us.
Surely we do not require the evidence
of another Lazarus to persuade us.

Turn our mourning into dancing;
take off our sackcloth and clothe us with joy:
so that our souls may praise you
and not be silent.