Great Chesterford Archives » Cam Villages Bible Reading Group

25th February 20193rd February 2019

Cam Villages Pop-Up Prayer: Readings for 1 March 2019

This is Friday’s Common Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer. This week’s morning prayer will be celebrated at All Saints Church, Great Chesterford, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

2 Chronicles 14.2-end

2 Asa did that which was good and right in the LORD his God’s eyes; 3 for he took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, 4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey his law and command. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images; and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7 For he said to Judah, “Let’s build these cities, and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand out of Judah who bore bucklers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valour.
9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million troops and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, LORD our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. LORD, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.”
12 So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and so many of the Ethiopians fell that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD and before his army; and they carried away very much booty. 14 They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came on them, and they plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them. 15 They also struck the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

Psalm 55

For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David.
1 Listen to my prayer, God.
Don’t hide yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me.
I am restless in my complaint,
and moan 3 because of the voice of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they bring suffering on me.
In anger they hold a grudge against me.
4 My heart is severely pained within me.
The terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come on me.
Horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove!
Then I would fly away, and be at rest.
7 Behold, then I would wander far off.
I would lodge in the wilderness.”
Selah.
8 “I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”
9 Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language,
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl around on its walls.
Malice and abuse are also within her.
11 Destructive forces are within her.
Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets.
12 For it was not an enemy who insulted me,
then I could have endured it.
Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me,
then I would have hidden myself from him.
13 But it was you, a man like me,
my companion, and my familiar friend.
14 We took sweet fellowship together.
We walked in God’s house with company.
15 Let death come suddenly on them.
Let them go down alive into Sheol.*
For wickedness is amongst them, in their dwelling.
16 As for me, I will call on God.
The LORD will save me.
17 Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress.
He will hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
although there are many who oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned forever,
will hear and answer them.
Selah.

They never change
and don’t fear God.
20 He raises his hands against his friends.
He has violated his covenant.
21 His mouth was smooth as butter,
but his heart was war.
His words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the LORD and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
23 But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,
but I will trust in you.

21st January 2019

Cam Villages Pop-Up Prayer: Readings for 25 January 2018

This is Friday’s Common Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer. This week’s morning prayer will be celebrated at All Saints, Great Chesterford, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

Ezekiel 3.22-27

the LORD’s hand was there on me; and he said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there.”
23 Then I arose, and went out into the plain, and behold, the LORD’s glory stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar. Then I fell on my face.
24 Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me on my feet. He spoke with me, and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 But you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out amongst them. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, that you will be mute, and will not be able to correct them; for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”

Psalm 66

For the Chief Musician. A song. A Psalm.
1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing to the glory of his name!
Offer glory and praise!
3 Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
4 All the earth will worship you,
and will sing to you;
they will sing to your name.”
Selah.
5 Come, and see God’s deeds—
awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land.
They went through the river on foot.
There, we rejoiced in him.
7 He rules by his might forever.
His eyes watch the nations.
Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah.
8 Praise our God, you peoples!
Make the sound of his praise heard,
9 who preserves our life amongst the living,
and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved.
10 For you, God, have tested us.
You have refined us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into prison.
You laid a burden on our backs.
12 You allowed men to ride over our heads.
We went through fire and through water,
but you brought us to the place of abundance.
13 I will come into your temple with burnt offerings.
I will pay my vows to you, 14 which my lips promised,
and my mouth spoke, when I was in distress.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals,
with the offering of rams,
I will offer bulls with goats.
Selah.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God.
I will declare what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth.
He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
19 But most certainly, God has listened.
He has heard the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor his loving kindness from me.

14th November 2018

Cam Villages Pop-Up Prayer: Readings for 16 November 2018

Daniel 7:1-14

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.

2 Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. 3 Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.

4 “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it.

5 “Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’

6 “After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.

8 “I considered the horns, and behold, there came up amongst them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 “I watched until thrones were placed,

and one who was ancient of days sat.

His clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of his head like pure wool.

His throne was fiery flames,

and its wheels burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came out from before him.

Thousands of thousands ministered to him.

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The judgement was set.

The books were opened.

11 “I watched at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burnt with fire. 12 As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that which will not be destroyed.

Psalm 32

By David. A contemplative psalm.

1 Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD doesn’t impute iniquity,

in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me.

My strength was sapped in the heat of summer.

Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin to you.

I didn’t hide my iniquity.

I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah.

6 For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.

Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.

7 You are my hiding place.

You will preserve me from trouble.

You will surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go.

I will counsel you with my eye on you.

9 Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding,

who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,

but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in the LORD.

11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you righteous!

Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!

The artwork at the top of this post is an engraving of Daniel’s vision of the four beasts in chapter 7, by Matthäus Merian, 1630. Held in the public domain and made available by Wikipedia.

3rd September 20182nd September 2018

Cam Villages Pop-Up Prayer: Readings for 7 September 2018

This is Friday’s Common Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer. This week’s morning prayer will be celebrated at All Saints Church, Great Chesterford, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

Acts 15.22-35

Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: ‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.’

So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.

Psalm 17

1 Hear my just cause, O Lord; consider my complaint;
listen to my prayer, which comes not from lying lips.

2 Let my vindication come forth from your presence;
let your eyes behold what is right.

3 Weigh my heart, examine me by night,
refine me, and you will find no impurity in me.

4 My mouth does not trespass for earthly rewards;
I have heeded the words of your lips.

5 My footsteps hold fast in the ways of your commandments;
my feet have not stumbled in your paths.

6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me;
incline your ear to me, and listen to my words.

7 Show me your marvellous loving-kindness,
O Saviour of those who take refuge at your right hand
from those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me under the shadow of your wings,

9 From the wicked who assault me,
from my enemies who surround me to take away my life.

10 They have closed their heart to pity
and their mouth speaks proud things.

11 They press me hard, they surround me on every side,
watching how they may cast me to the ground,

12 Like a lion that is greedy for its prey,
like a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, Lord; confront them and cast them down;
deliver me from the wicked by your sword.

14 Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand
from those whose portion in life is unending,

15 Whose bellies you fill with your treasure,
who are well supplied with children
and leave their wealth to their little ones.

16 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness;
when I awake and behold your likeness, I shall be satisfied.

Reminder: This Sunday, 9th September, is our Five Churches Together Service at St. Peter’s Church, Littlebury Green, at 10:00 a.m. We hope to see you there!