Deus Misereatur

  Long before "The Chosen," or "The Passion of the Christ," or "Jesus Christ, Superstar," or "Godspell" there was "The Man Born to be King" by Dorothy L. Sayers. Sayers was commissioned to pen 12 radio plays on the life of Christ to be reenacted on BBC Radio in 1941, in the heat of the Second World War. Recently Kathryn Wehr, creative author and scholar, has compiled a new, 420-page paperback including all twelve plays, with writer's notes, scripture references and more in "The Man Born to be King: Wade Annotated Edition". The work is a slow read, which in this case is a good thing. It is packed with background details, the history of the work, the adversity Sayers received early on, footnotes, commentary, and more. Dorothy L. Sayers, a contemporary of C.S. Lewis, and one who corresponded with him, was quite the woman. Theological, thoughtful, literary, astute, and at times, a bit saucy. She penned numerous short stories, ...

  Holy God, we pray for all nations and countries, these United States of America, and for the leaders of the world. O God be gracious to us and bless us and make your face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you (Psalm 67)! We give you thanks for the bounty of the rain and showers this year. Thank you for hearing our pleas and answering. We pray, help us in this State to be good stewards of all you have bestowed on us. Correct what needs to be corrected that we may be sensible, sagacious, and sound-minded in our fiscal responsibilities, areas of justice, equity, education and industry. Correct what needs to be corrected both personally and civically. We pray on behalf of your univer...

  It's a subject worth much of our reflective powers. if, as Christians, we truly hold to the idea that all humans are somehow the image of God, then we need to delve into the topic with verve. The ramifications are, and can be, far reaching. It impacts how we view people of different ethnic or educational or economic tribes. It affects the way we think of women, men, girls and boys, born and unborn. Carmen Joy Imes, associate professor of the Old Testament at Biola University, addresses this matter in her easy going, though serious, manner in the new 240-page softback "Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matter". Academically written, but intended for the Jane and Joe walking through the ecclesiastical streets, this volume is clear, instructive, and straightforward. Imes's main point is that we don't bear the image of God, but are the image of God. "God's image is not something we bear; it's something we are...image isn't something we do, b...

  "God, right here. God, right there. God's handiwork is everywhere" so begins a new kids book written by Kara Lawler, author, wife, mom and dog lover. "God, Right Here" is 32-page 9x9 hardback contemplating Psalm 139:7-10, and written for kids to remind them that "God is always with you." The work is beautifully illustrated by Jennie Poh in a watercolor and pen style that's bright and attractive. "The earth is so full of God's glory" worms its way through every page, walking through the cycle of seasons several times. Winter, spring, summer, and fall, and back through again and again. It dances around the different aspects of each time of year, sometimes rambunctious, at other times quietly, "The sun rises and sets, the moon takes over the sky...And in these quiet moments, we know God is still at work. God ever near." The scenes, and script, work together taking little and older readers through country settings, mountains, ...

  O Strengthener of the weak; fortifier of the faithful, rescuer of the wayward, restorer of the repentant; we lift up our hearts and eyes and voices proclaiming that your steadfast love is good and endures forever. Thank you that by your most holy, wise and powerful preserving you govern all your creatures and all our actions; thank you that you deliver your people from their enemies, drawing them from the miry bog and setting their feet on a rock. Look on the nations – including Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, and the Netherlands – preserve the good and just, remove the evil and malicious. Open the way for your Gospel to run deep and wide in all lands. And look upon our country, Good Lord. May our leaders be noble, honorable, gracious, merciful, just and moral. May we and our fellow inhabitants support whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. We pray on behalf of your Church world-over; this congregation; Penn South Church of Christ, P...

  Habakkuk was a prophet who faced dark times socially, economically, politically, nationally, and personally. He foresaw the demise of his culture from within and without. It was in the midst of what he was being told by God that he heard the Lord remind him that pride brings destruction, but the better way is trusting in the Lord: “ Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith ” (Habakkuk 2:4).   The Apostle Paul saw the same thing hundreds of years later. He chronicled the downward spiral of society, a society that pushed hard against God and so God “ gave them up in the lusts of their own heart…gave them up to dishonorable passions…gave them up to a debased mind ” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). But before he launched into this description, he takes us to God’s message in Habakkuk, “ For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith. ”” (Romans...

  It is our privilege and honor to be invited into your presence to pray on behalf of the world and your church. And in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, you have given us bold access into your presence to bring our cares and petitions. We come, Lord, at your invitation and bequest. For those in our State, townships and neighborhoods who feel that all hope is gone; for those who are in despair and deep in darkness; for those who are in continual pain (…), and we pray for those grieving and groaning in Allen Texas, Georgia, Henryetta Oklahoma, and other places. We pray that you would place people in their lives who would hold on to them and walk with them through it all. And we especially pray for those who are having thoughts of suicide. O God, break into the grief and gloom with your hope, and raise them up to see your life and light in Jesus Christ. For those who are in great need, who have chronic health troubles, who are being treated for cancer, (…). We pray for them to have rel...