Redeemed and Called by Name--Jan. 19, 2013

 Merciful God, you created and formed us;

you redeemed us, called us by name.

Yet our hardness of heart must grieve you.

Do not be angry--restore us, we pray.

Stretch out your right hand and deliver us,

while we stretch out our hands to you.

Through faith let Christ dwell in our hearts

as we are rooted and grounded in love.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 104; 149; 138; 98

Isa. 42:18-25, 43:1-13

Eph. 3:14-21

Mark 2:23-3:6

Selected Verses

Ps. 138:7b

…you stretch out your hand,
          and your right hand delivers me.

Isa. 43:1

But now thus says the LORD,
          he who created you, O Jacob,
          he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
          I have called you by name, you are mine.

Eph. 3:17

…and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

Mark 3:5

[Jesus] looked around at [his accusers] with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.