Lord of Hosts, Like a Hovering Bird--Dec. 22, 2012

 Lord of Hosts, you have brought down the powerful

from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. 

Like a bird hovering overhead, protect your people--

protect and deliver them, spare and rescue.

Deliver the needy when they call, the poor and those

who have no helper. Fill the hungry bellies.

Bring peace and justice to the world's warring nations;

from your tree of life, bring healing and peace.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 90; 149; 80; 72

Isa. 31:1-9

Rev. 21:22-22:5

Luke 1:39-56

Selected Verses

Ps. 72:12

For [the king] delivers the needy when they call,
          the poor and those who have no helper.

Isa. 31:5

Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of hosts
          will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it,
          he will spare and rescue it.

Rev. 22:2b

On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Luke 1:52-53

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
          and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
          and sent the rich away empty.