Night Prayer 

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

Inspiration 

Can we praise God with our mouths, and curse men with the same mouths? To do so is to speak contradiction. Man is made in God’s image, and we are called to speak blessings over others. It is in the outpouring of God’s love and grace that the image of man is perfected in God’s likeness. So let us mind our words, so that we may always speak goodness and grace.

Prayer 

Lord, thank You for making me in Your image. Help me to always remember the truth that every person I meet is also made in Your image. Even though we all come before You stained and marred, teach me to refrain from words of condemnation. Instead, fill my mouth with words of grace so that the transforming power of Your love may work through me and bring blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Devotion 

Who’s the Judge

Frances Taylor 

We are so like the men in this passage from John. Quick to judge and we want that person punished. There's a saying, "People who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones." Jesus knew what was in the hearts of the people who accused the woman caught in adultery. He wasn't going to play their game. In the Gospel, the men walked away, beginning with the oldest. But we know people – and maybe ourselves at times – that call out the secrets sins of others while trying to pretend we have blameless lives. I believe that every one of us has something they would like to hide. It could be a youthful indiscretion or something more current, but we all have something. Would we like to be judged in the same way that we judge others? I'm sure we can find excuses for any of our behaviors, and may not consider them sins, because we can justify them. Don't we realize that the people we're judging also have reasons for their behavior as well?

In the Gospel ...

Morning Prayer 

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Inspiration 

In verse 5 of this same chapter it says "Every man shall bear his own burden. " But there is no contradiction here when it says in verse 2 "Bear one another's burdens. " Our attitude should be one of striving to take care of our own business and not casting a burden on another, even while we ourselves are willing to reach out and bear the burdens of those too weak to bear their own.

Prayer 

Strengthen us, Lord, to bear our own burdens. If we are weak, and you send others to help, let us be thankful. If we can help those too weak to bear their own burdens, let us also be thankful, for it is more blessed to give than to receive. Amen.