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.
4 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, I am sending you to your own people. 5-6 They are Israelites, not some strangers who speak a foreign language you can't understand. If I were to send you to foreign nations, they would listen to you. 7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen, because they have refused to listen to me. All of them are stubborn and hardheaded, 8 so I will make you as stubborn as they are. 9 You will be so determined to speak my message that nothing will stop you. I will make you hard like a diamond, and you'll have no reason to be afraid of those arrogant rebels.
10 Listen carefully to everything I say and then think about it. 11 Then go to the people who were brought here to Babylonia with you and tell them you have a message from me, the Lord God. Do this, whether they listen to you or not.
34 (A) Peter then said:
Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. 35 God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from. 36 This is the same message that God gave to the people of Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.
37 You surely know what happened[a] everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38 God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39 We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40 But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. 41 Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.
42 God told us to announce clearly to the people that Jesus is the one he has chosen to judge the living and the dead. 43 Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name.
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening.
The Lord Is Always Merciful
1 (A) Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
2 Let Israel shout,
“God is always merciful!”
3 Let the family of Aaron
the priest shout,
“God is always merciful!”
4 Let every true worshiper
of the Lord shout,
“God is always merciful!”
5 When I was really hurting,
I prayed to the Lord.
He answered my prayer,
and took my worries away.
6 (B) The Lord is on my side,
and I am not afraid
of what others can do to me.
7 With the Lord on my side,
I will defeat
my hateful enemies.
8 It is better to trust the Lord
for protection
than to trust anyone else,
9 including strong leaders.
10 Nations surrounded me,
but I got rid of them
by the power of the Lord.
11 They attacked from all sides,
but I got rid of them
by the power of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around like bees,
but by the power of the Lord,
I got rid of them
and their fiery sting.
13 Their attacks were so fierce
that I nearly fell,
but the Lord helped me.
14 (C) My power and my strength
come from the Lord,
and he has saved me.
15 From the tents of God's people
come shouts of victory:
“The Lord is powerful!
16 With his mighty arm
the Lord wins victories!
The Lord is powerful!”
17 And so my life is safe,
and I will live to tell
what the Lord has done.
18 He punished me terribly,
but he did not let death
lay its hands on me.
19 Open the gates of justice!
I will enter and tell the Lord
how thankful I am.
20 Here is the gate of the Lord!
Everyone who does right
may enter this gate.
21 I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
and saving me.
22 (D)(E) The stone that the builders
tossed aside
has now become
the most important stone.
23 The Lord has done this,
and it is amazing to us.
24 This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
25 (F) We'll ask the Lord to save us!
We'll sincerely ask the Lord
to let us win.
26 (G) God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
We praise you from here
in the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is our God,
and he has given us light!
Start the celebration!
March with palm branches
all the way to the altar.[a]
28 The Lord is my God!
I will praise him and tell him
how thankful I am.
29 Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
Jesus and Peter
15 When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”[a]
Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.
16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.
17 Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don't want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”
Jesus and His Favorite Disciple
20 (A) Peter turned and saw Jesus' favorite disciple following them. He was the same one who had sat next to Jesus at the meal and had asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw this disciple, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.”
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