A Prayer Service for the Beginning of Day for January 20, 2021

““Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Mark 5: 8

 Note from Pastor Brown

Today’s service was put together by me instead of Pastor Harkness (as will next week’s be). I do not have her technical prowess, so there are no links to hear music. Instead, I have used very familiar hymns, so at the very least you can hum or sing them as you are following along.

DIALOGUE

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Amen. Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Give glory to God, our light and our life. 
Oh, come, let us worship him.

Psalm 35:1-10

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

2  Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!

3  Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

4  Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.

5  Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on.

6  Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7  For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.

8  Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.

9  Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his deliverance.

10  All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you?

You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them.

 HYMN
Amazing Grace

1.Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

2. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;

Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

4. The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures.

He will my Shield and Portion be as long as life endures.

5. When we’ve been there ten thousand years bright-shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.

Text: Eliza S. Alderson, 1818-1889, alt.

READINGS
Jeremiah 29:1-14

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining

elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom

Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2  This was after King Jeconiah,

and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and

the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3  The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of

Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4  Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the

exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5  Build houses and live in them;

plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6  Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives

for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters;

multiply there, and do not decrease. 7  But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into

exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8  For thus

says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among

you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, [a] 9  for it is a lie that they are

prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD.

10  For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and

I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11  For surely I know the plans I

have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with

hope. 12  Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13  When you

search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14  I will let you find me, says

the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places

where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent

you into exile.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last

days God has spoken to us by the Son.

Silence for meditation.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. plans for your welfare and not for

harm, to give you a future with hope. 12  Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I

will hear you. 13  When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.

This line strikes me as a line written fo this exact time in our lives. We are anxious about our

time here at Good Shepherd. We are in a time of transition, we don’t know what our future will

hold. We have many questions and worries. But God promises us a future with hope. God

promises that when we search for God, we will find God, if we seek God with all our heart.

And the same can be said for the time of transition around us. We are still in this time of

pandemic and do not know when we will be able to come to a time of normalcy. Search for God

and find God. We are in a time of transition in our country. Today is the very day when a new

administration is taking office. We do not know what the future will bring there either. We have

many reasons to be anxious right now.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. plans for your welfare and not for

harm, to give you a future with hope.

GOSPEL
Mark 5:1-20

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. [ a ] 2  And when he had

stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3  He

lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4  for he had

often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the

shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5  Night and day among

the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6  When

he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7  and he shouted at the top of

his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by

God, do not torment me.” 8  For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9  Then Jesus [b] asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are

many.” 10  He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11  Now there on the

hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12  and the unclean spirits [c] begged him, “Send us into

the swine; let us enter them.” 13  So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out

and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank

into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

14  The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what

it was that had happened. 15  They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and

in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16  Those who had

seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17  Then they began to beg

Jesus [d] to leave their neighborhood. 18  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been

possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19  But Jesus [e] refused, and said to

him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what

mercy he has shown you.” 20  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how

much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

Meditative Moment

The man was an outcast. He was so possessed by demons that he was incoherent all the time. No

one could restrain him. No one listened to him. Jesus spoke to the demons. There were so many

of them their name was Legion. They begged Jesus to put them into the pigs. Jesus said okay.

They moved into the pigs and then 2000 pigs went crazy and ran into the river.

The man was cured. He found a new sanity.He recognized the power of this Jesus and wanted to

stay with him, to travel with him and learn at his feet. But Jesus said NO. Jesus told him to go

and tell everyone what had been done for him.

That is our task, to tell the story of Jesus to everyone. Do we have the courage to do so?

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last

days God has spoken to us by the Son.

In Christ, 
Pastor Brown

Hymn

I Love To Tell The Story

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love,

I love to tell the story, because I know it’s true,

It satisfies my longing as nothing else would do.

REFRAIN: I love to tell the story, I’ll sing this theme in glory

And tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, how pleasant to repeat,

What seems each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet;

I love to tell the story, for some have never heard

The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word. REFRAIN

I love to tell the story for those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;

And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,

I’ll sing the old, old story that I have loved so long. REFRAIN

Text by Katherine Hankey, Music by William E. Fischer

PRAYERS

Almighty God, in you there is no darkness at all. Give us your eternal light. When we cannot see the way before us, may we continue to put our trust in you that under your guidance and protection we may be kept from falling this day, and finally, by your mercy, enter into our evening rest, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield)

Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don’t go my way. And give me the courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Dr. Ray Pritchard

Oh God, we pray for our President and Vice-President as they take office today. We ask you to guide their footsteps. Help them to know what is good, what is just, and what is merciful, and help them to lead your people. In Jesus’name. Amen.
Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Oh God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Evening Prayer ELW

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. 
Amen

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Benedicamus and BENEDICTION

Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Almighty God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit bless and preserve us. Amen.

HYMN
Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

though the eye made blind by sin Thy glory may not see.

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea.

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Text by Reginald Heber, Music by Joh B. Dykes
Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SB125183.