Voices Found in Jerusalem

 

Voices Found #157

All you who love Jerusalem,

be glad and share her cheer.  All you who

mourn for  her sad state

 will have no cause for fear.

For God has said, my peace will flow,

and treasures of the earth. 

 Like banks of waters past their fill,

her comfort will pour forth.

Her gentle arms will cradle you,

as mother comforts child. 

 Your heart will sing as you grow strong, 

like grasses in the wild.

Words: Patricia B. Clark, para. A Song of Jerusalem

Music: Edmonton, from Harmonica Sacra, ca. 1760

2 Kings 24:8-15,  Revelation 18:1-2, 4-8, and Luke 7:11-23 are appointed for Proper 28B (Closest to November 16) in The Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

Nebuchadnezzar brought out all the treasures of the house of the Holy One and the treasures of the home of the king and he cut up all the vessels of gold in the house of the Holy One which Solomon, King of Israel, had made; just as the All-Knowing God had said.  And Nebuchadnessar exiled all Jerusalem: all the leaders, all the warriors, ten thousand exiles, all the artisans and the smiths; no one remained except the poorest people of the land.  So he exiled Jehoiachin to Babylon and the mother of the king, the women of the king, his [most trusted] officials, and the [men called the] rams of the land, Nebuchadnessar took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.  1 Kings 24:13-15, tr. Gafney

Voices Found #97

In deepest night, in darkest days, when harps are hung,

no songs we raise,

when silence must suffice as praise,

yet sounding in us quietly

there is the song of God.

When friend was lost, when love deceived, dear Jesus wept,

God was bereaved; 

so with us in our grief God grieves,

and round about us mournfully

there are the tears of God.

When through the waters winds our path,

around us pain, around us death,

deep calls to deep a saving breath,

and found beside us faithfully

there is the love of God.

Words: Susan Palo Cherwein

Music: Emily Mason Porter 

Reflection:

I saw [an] angel coming down from the heavens, now who had great authority and the earth was illumined with its splendor.  It called out with a mighty voice,

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

Now she has become a den of demons,

a bastion of every unclean spirit,

a bastion of every unclean bird,

a bastion of every unclean and hateful beast.

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

"come out of her, my people,

so that you do not take part in her sins,

and so that her plagues you do not receive."

Revelation 18:1-4, tr. Gafney

Meditation:

Jesus raised up a widow's son from his coffin. Word about him spread like wildfire.  He healed many more. John's disciples asked Jesus  'Are you the one who is to come. or for another should we wait?...He responded, saying,'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those with diseased skin are made whole, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them,  And blessed is anyone who is not scandalized by me."  Luke 7:20-23, tr. Gafney

                                                                                    

Prayer:

Voices Found # 91

Heal me, Lord,

in your mercy,

heal me Lord,

in your mercy

Heal me Lord

in your mercy

Thank you, Lord

for your mercy

thank you Lord,

for your mercy

thank you Lord

for your mercy.

Thank you, Lord.

Words and Music: Carol E. Peterson

For the full text and performance suggestions please see the Leader's Guide to Voices Found