Book of Common Prayer
(A psalm by David when he was in the desert of Judah.)
God's Love Means More than Life
1 (A) You are my God. I worship you.
In my heart, I long for you,
as I would long for a stream
in a scorching desert.
2 I have seen your power
and your glory
in the place of worship.
3 Your love means more
than life to me,
and I praise you.
4 As long as I live,
I will pray to you.
5 I will sing joyful praises
and be filled with excitement
like a guest at a banquet.
6 I think about you, God,
before I go to sleep,
and my thoughts turn to you
during the night.
7 You have helped me,
and I sing happy songs
in the shadow of your wings.
8 I stay close to you,
and your powerful arm
supports me.
9 All who want to kill me
will end up in the ground.
10 Swords will run them through,
and wild dogs will eat them.
11 Because of you, our God,
the king will celebrate
with your faithful followers,
but liars will be silent.
The Lord Works Miracles
1 Sing a new song to the Lord!
He has worked miracles,
and with his own powerful arm,
he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has shown the nations
that he has the power to save
and to bring justice.
3 God has been faithful
in his love for Israel,
and his saving power is seen
everywhere on earth.
4 Tell everyone on this earth
to sing happy songs
in praise of the Lord.
5 Make music for him on harps.
Play beautiful melodies!
6 Sound the trumpets and horns
and celebrate with joyful songs
for our Lord and King!
7 Command the ocean to roar
with all its creatures,
and the earth to shout
with all its people.
8 Order the rivers
to clap their hands,
and all the hills
to sing together.
9 Let them worship the Lord!
He is coming to judge
everyone on the earth,
and he will be honest
and fair.
(By David.)
The Lord's Wonderful Love
1 With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
and with all that I am
I praise his holy name!
2 With all my heart
I praise the Lord!
I will never forget
how kind he has been.
3 The Lord forgives our sins,
heals us when we are sick,
4 and protects us from death.
His kindness and love
are a crown on our heads.
5 Each day that we live,[a]
he provides for our needs
and gives us the strength
of a young eagle.
6 For all who are mistreated,
the Lord brings justice.
7 He taught his Law to Moses
and showed all Israel
what he could do.
8 (A) The Lord is merciful!
He is kind and patient,
and his love never fails.
9 The Lord won't always be angry
and point out our sins;
10 he doesn't punish us
as our sins deserve.
11 How great is God's love for all
who worship him?
Greater than the distance
between heaven and earth!
12 How far has the Lord taken
our sins from us?
Farther than the distance
from east to west!
13 Just as parents are kind
to their children,
the Lord is kind
to all who worship him,
14 because he knows
we are made of dust.
15 We humans are like grass
or wild flowers
that quickly bloom.
16 But a scorching wind blows,
and they quickly wither
to be forever forgotten.
17 The Lord is always kind
to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
18 who faithfully obey him.
19 God has set up his kingdom
in heaven, and he rules
the whole creation.
20 All of you mighty angels,
who obey God's commands,
come and praise your Lord!
21 All of you thousands
who serve and obey God,
come and praise your Lord!
22 All of God's creation
and all that he rules,
come and praise your Lord!
With all my heart
I praise the Lord!
15 I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. 16 (A) When we drink from the cup we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? 17 By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
18 (B)(C) Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there? 19 Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20 (D) No, I am not! This food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. 22 (E) We would make the Lord jealous if we did this. And we are not stronger than the Lord.
Always Honor God
23 (F) Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you not everything may be good or helpful. 24 We should think about others and not about ourselves.
When Someone Sins
(Luke 17.3)
15 (A) If one of my followers[a] sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. 16 (B) But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. 17 If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.[b]
Allowing and Not Allowing
18 (C) I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don't allow. 19 I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 Whenever two or three of you come together in my name,[c] I am there with you.
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