Daily Lectionary in Poetry Wednesday 14th January 2015

Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36

Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution
To the leader: according to Lilies. Of David.

1 Save me, O God,
    for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.
4 More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
many are those who would destroy me,
    my enemies who accuse me falsely.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy,
    and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
    and rebuild the cities of Judah;
and his servants shall live[a] there and possess it;
36     the children of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall live in it.

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Save me from drowning
the flood sweeps over me
I am tired from my crying
how much more waiting must there be?

Everyone hates me
so many in number are they
they would destroy me
and accuse me falsely

God you know my ills
you know what I've done wrong
But why must I suffer for more
Can I not sing your song?

I will praise you
and magnify your holy name
I will seek God
and I know my heart will do the same

All will worship you
For they know you hear their cries
their children will worship you
Your name will be forever told to the skies

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Isaiah 41:14-20

Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
    you insect[a] Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Now, I will make of you a threshing sledge,
    sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
    and you shall make the hills like chaff.
16 You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
    and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
17 When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights,[b]
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
20 so that all may see and know,
    all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.

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Jacob do not fear
I will help you now
I'll give you strength to make your way
Don't go worrying how

I will feed the poor
And water anyone in need
I will pave a way that's safe
Just follow where I lead

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John 1:29-34

The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

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Here is the Lamb of God
Sent here for us all
He'll take away the sin of the world
Raise up those who fall

I saw the spirit come down on him
A dove sent from the sky
He will baptise in the spirit now
To this I can testify



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