If We Loved You, O God--April 21, 2021

[From April 17, 2013 archive]

 

O God, you heal the broken hearted;

and you bind up their wounds.

 

We drink and praise our gods

of gold and silver, bronze, 

iron, wood, and stone.

 

If we loved you instead of them,

we would obey your commandments;

for your commandments are not burdensome.

 

And should we not love and obey you? 

You who gave us Jesus, to proclaim

the good news of your love?

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 99; 147:1-11; 9; 118

Dan. 5:1-12

1 John 5:1-12

Luke 4:38-44

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 147:3

[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted, 
          and binds up their wounds.

 

Dan. 5:4

[King Belshazzar and his company] drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

 

1 John 5:3

For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome…

 

Luke 4:43

But [Jesus] said to [to the crowds who wanted to prevent him from leaving], “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.”