Book of Common Prayer
(A song and a psalm for the music leader.)
Shout Praises to God
1 Tell everyone on this earth
to shout praises to God!
2 Sing about his glorious name.
Honor him with praises.
3 Say to God, “Everything you do
is fearsome,
and your mighty power makes
your enemies come crawling.
4 You are worshiped by everyone!
We all sing praises to you.”
5 Come and see the fearsome things
our God has done!
6 (A) When God made the sea dry up,
our people walked across,
and because of him,
we celebrated there.
7 His mighty power rules forever,
and nothing the nations do
can be hidden from him.
So don't turn against God.
8 All of you people,
come praise our God!
Let his praises be heard.
9 God protects us from death
and keeps us steady.
10 Our God, you tested us,
just as silver is tested.
11 You trapped us in a net
and gave us heavy burdens.
12 You sent war chariots
to crush our skulls.
We traveled through fire
and through floods,
but you brought us
to a land of plenty.
13 I will bring sacrifices
into your house, my God,
and I will do what I promised
14 when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice my best sheep
and offer bulls and goats
on your altar.
16 All who worship God,
come here and listen;
I will tell you everything
God has done for me.
17 I prayed to the Lord,
and I praised him.
18 If my thoughts had been sinful,
he would have refused
to hear me.
19 But God did listen
and answered my prayer.
20 Let's praise God!
He listened when I prayed,
and he is always kind.
(A psalm and a song for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Tell the Nations To Praise God
1 Our God, be kind and bless us!
Be pleased and smile.
2 Then everyone on earth
will learn to follow you,
and all nations will see
your power to save us.
3 Make everyone praise you
and shout your praises.
4 Let the nations celebrate
with joyful songs,
because you judge fairly
and guide all nations.
5 Make everyone praise you, God,
and shout your praises.
6 Our God has blessed the earth
with a wonderful harvest!
7 Pray for his blessings
to continue
and for everyone on earth
to worship our God.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
The Wonders of God and the Goodness of His Law
1 The heavens keep telling
the wonders of God,
and the skies declare
what he has done.
2 Each day informs
the following day;
each night announces
to the next.
3 They don't speak a word,
and there is never
the sound of a voice.
4 (A) Yet their message reaches
all the earth,
and it travels
around the world.
In the heavens a tent
is set up for the sun.
5 It rises like a bridegroom
and gets ready like a hero
eager to run a race.
6 It travels all the way
across the sky.
Nothing hides from its heat.
7 (B) The Law of the Lord is perfect;
it gives us new life.
His teachings last forever,
and they give wisdom
to ordinary people.
8 The Lord's instruction is right;
it makes our hearts glad.
His commands shine brightly,
and they give us light.
9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred;
he will always be worshiped.
All his decisions
are correct and fair.
10 They are worth more
than the finest gold
and are sweeter than honey
from a honeycomb.
11 By your teachings, Lord,
I am warned;
by obeying them,
I am greatly rewarded.
12 None of us know our faults.
Forgive me when I sin
without knowing it.
13 Don't let me do wrong
on purpose, Lord,
or let sin have control
over my life.
Then I will be innocent,
and not guilty
of some terrible fault.
14 Let my words and my thoughts
be pleasing to you, Lord,
because you are my mighty rock[a]
and my protector.
(A special song by the clan of Korah and for the music leader.)
God Is Our Mighty Fortress
1 God is our mighty fortress,
always ready to help
in times of trouble.
2 And so, we won't be afraid!
Let the earth tremble
and the mountains tumble
into the deepest sea.
3 Let the ocean roar and foam,
and its raging waves
shake the mountains.
4 A river and its streams
bring joy to the city,
which is the sacred home
of God Most High.
5 God is in that city,
and it won't be shaken.
He will help it at dawn.
6 Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
But at the voice of God
the earth itself melts.
7 The Lord All-Powerful
is with us.
The God of Jacob
is our fortress.
8 Come! See the fearsome things
the Lord has done on earth.
9 God brings wars to an end
all over the world.
He breaks the arrows,
shatters the spears,
and burns the shields.[a]
10 Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me.”
11 The Lord All-Powerful
is with us.
The God of Jacob
is our fortress.
14 There we found some of the Lord's followers, who begged us to stay with them. A week later we left for the city of Rome.
15 Some of the followers in Rome heard about us and came to meet us at the Market of Appius and at the Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.
Paul in Rome
16 We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him.
17 Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said:
My friends, I have never done anything to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 18 They looked into the charges against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. 19 (A) The Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor.
But I don't have anything to say against my own nation. 20 I am bound by these chains because of what we people of Israel hope for. This is why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours.
21 The leaders replied, “No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you. 22 But we would like to hear what you have to say. We understand that people everywhere are against this new group.”
23 They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God's kingdom. He used the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets[a] to try to win them over to Jesus.
A Dishonest Manager
16 Jesus said to his disciples:
A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. 2 So the rich man called him in and said, “What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me.”
3 The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job.”
5 Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, “How much do you owe my master?”
6 “A hundred barrels of olive oil,” the man answered.
So the manager said, “Take your bill and sit down and quickly write ‘50.’ ”
7 The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, “How much do you owe?”
“A thousand sacks[a] of wheat,” the man replied.
The manager said, “Take your bill and write ‘800.’ ”
8 The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.
9 (A) My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10 Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. 11 If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? 13 (B) You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.
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