Daily Lectionary in Poetry Wednesday 3rd December 2014

Psalm 79

Plea for Mercy for Jerusalem
A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
    they have defiled your holy temple;
    they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
    to the birds of the air for food,
    the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbours,
    mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
    Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
    that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and forgive our sins,
    for your name’s sake.
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes.
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.
12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
    the taunts with which they taunted you, O Lord!
13 Then we your people, the flock of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

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O God, where are you?
You have abandoned us
You have allowed our enemies to destroy your city
Why do you not vanquish them?
Why do you allow them to lay your temple to waste?

O God, why do you abandon us?
Can you not see our strife and pain?
You are holding the sins of our ancestors against us
Forgive us now and deliver us
Then we will worship you forever through the generations

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Micah 5:1-5a

Micah 5:1-5New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

5 [a] Now you are walled around with a wall;[b]
    siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
    upon the cheek.
The Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [c] But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
    If the Assyrians come into our land
    and tread upon our soil,[d]
we will raise against them seven shepherds
    and eight installed as rulers.
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Bethlehem
Walled in
At siege
Struck upon the cheek

Yet Bethlehem will rise
From within will come the ruler of all
From within will come the shepherd of all
From within will come the bringer of peace


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Luke 21:34-38

Exhortation to Watch
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

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Keep watch
Do not let life make you fearful
Do not let life make you blind

Be alert
Pray for the strength to escape evil
Pray for readiness to meet the son of man

Be ready
As those were who listened to Jesus
As those were who followed his lead