The Daily Order

Day 1

New things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Isaiah 42:9

I saw a new heaven and a new earth ..., the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:1-2

On the first day of each month we look ahead, recalling the many opportunities God gives us to start afresh and to begin new ventures in discipleship.

Jesus told his followers to take up the cross daily. Contrary to common belief, the cross is not some burden or challenge in life that we cannot escape and simply must endure (such as chronic disease or being unable to find work). Rather the cross is something we can evade, but we nevertheless take it up willingly, even amid misgivings. In Gethsemane Jesus reluctantly yet willingly accepted the cross that was presented to him; thus he defined his own instruction and set the pattern for discipleship.

As a new month begins, ask yourself:

Am I willing, indeed eager, to see God at work in new ways in my life?

Will I work to identify God's newness, particularly when it does not seem evident to me?

Am I determined to trust in God's ways, even if I am apprehensive about what they hold in store?

Will I seek in all things to give thanks to God?

OPENING PRAYER

In the beginning, O Lord,
you created heaven and earth;
you have promised to bring forth
a new heaven and a new earth
Grant therefore to all of your people
a firm conviction of your goodness and
a zeal to participate fully in whatever you intend for us,
that we may be effective witnesses to the world
in both word and deed,
a people who steadfastly proclaim your love;
through Christ our risen Savior. Amen.

CENTERING (See pages 19-21 for suggested ways of centering.)

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

O Illuminator of all that exists:
As you called forth light on the first day of creation,
now by the power of your same Spirit
sweep across our emptiness and darkness,
that in reading and pondering Scripture
we may more clearly see your way
and how to walk in it boldly;
through Jesus Christ, who guides us. Amen.

PSALM 1 (Year One) 8 (Year Two)

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE DAY (See pages 179-215)

CONTEMPLATION (See page 23)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE DAY OF THE WEEK (See pages 103-6)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE TIME OF THE YEAR (See pages 107-34)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE OCCASION (See pages 135-58)

THE PRAYER OF THE WHOLE CHURCH (See pages 156-57)

CLOSING (See page 25)

Day 2

I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:13

Consistent and conscientious discipleship springs from a sure knowledge that we are loved by God and that all of our devotion is a response to divine covenant love for us. Therefore, on days 2, 3, and 4 of each month we reflect on the nature of this gracious God.

The world is filled with competing deities. Even if many of the forces that allure us are not identified as gods, let alone recognized as false idols, still that is the situation. We do well, therefore, to re-examine regularly our understanding of God.

Consider how you know this God:

What passages of Scripture are for you the most powerful testimonies to the nature and work of God?

What long-standing convictions do Christians transmit to each new generation, handing on the faith of what the Nicene Creed calls "one holy catholic and apostolic church"?

What experiences can you identify in which God has been a crucial personal presence in your own life?

How does your understanding of God distinguish faith from superstition, deep discipleship from superficial feeling, and long-term promises to God from passing fancies about God?

OPENING PRAYER

You alone are God. You alone are holy.
You have made yourself known in the creation
we see all about us.
You have made yourself known in faithful covenants:
in the journeys of Abraham and Sarah,
in the great escape from slavery in Egypt,
in the experiences of judges, monarchs, and mighty
prophets.
But above all, you have revealed yourself
in Jesus, your anointed One,
and continually you make known your presence
in the power of the Holy Spirit,
your sacred breath within us,
your mighty wind around us.
You alone are God. You alone are holy. Amen.

CENTERING (See pages 19-21 for suggested ways of centering.)

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Mighty God, our strength and hope:
you have not left us on our own,
struggling to find you without direction.
Rather, you have come among us and,
in the Scriptures of the synagogue and the church,
you have given us the reliable record of your presence.
Open anew the meaning of what we read,
that by the gifts of your Holy Spirit
we may be strengthened and sent forth
to do your work in the world;
through Christ who is the Living Word. Amen.

PSALM 16 (Year One)

33:1-9 (Year Two)

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE DAY (See pages 179-215)

CONTEMPLATION (See page 23)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE DAY OF THE WEEK (See pages 103-6)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE TIME OF THE YEAR (See pages 107-34)

ACTS APPROPRIATE TO THE OCCASION (See pages 135-58)

THE PRAYER OF THE WHOLE CHURCH (See pages 156-57)

CLOSING (See page 25)

Day 3

The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

[Christ] is the image of the invisible God In him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. Colossians 1:15,17b-18a

In Jesus we find the clearest and most complete glimpse of the Eternal God that we mortals are capable of experiencing.

The church has always insisted that Jesus is far more than simply another good teacher of morals who ran afoul of conventional ideas and beliefs. Jesus is nothing less than God among us in human form. In Jesus we see the extent to which God will go to proclaim reconciliation and to demonstrate a drastic reordering of life. This is what it means to say that Christ died and arose for us.

Consider your response to God's work in Christ Jesus:
Suppose Jesus had never lived. How would your ways of
understanding God be different?
How would your motivation for doing good be different?
To what extent does gratitude for the gift of Christ
in our midst fill you with joy?

OPENING PRAYER

Jesus, Savior and Sovereign:
For our sakes, you dwelt among us in humility and patience,
that we might know more...