Scripture Book Catalogue
May 2024
Moved by the beauty of hand lettered manuscripts, moved by the ancient devotion to scripture, moved by those who bring prayer and scripture into their lives by daily schedules of the hours, moved by the thought of how a single copy of a single epistle or a Gospel would have been prized by the first century Church we produce short copies of sections from the Hebrew and Christian scripture not with the beauty of medieval or contemporary manuscripts but inspired by them with layouts to allow the text to breath and be seen, with space for your notes. May God add blessing to our reading of the Word.
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Index
Scripture Books
A Month of Prayer and Meditation . . . . . . . . . 4
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A Month of Prayer and Meditation
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World English Bible
Every Sunday our pastor in the church where I grew up would read and talk about one Psalm before the rest of his sermon. Not remembering much about the Psalms from that experience but curious, as a young adult I began reading Psalms on my own. A little while later I went to a couple weekend monastery retreats with some friends and experienced “the Hours” where the monks gather seven times a day - first at 2:00 a.m. - and pray, not just read, all 150 Psalms every week. That made an impression. In the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (BCP) I found a morning and evening, 30 day schedule for reading through the Psalms and followed that for several years. I noticed a pattern in many of the Psalms: they would open with Praise, ( Enter his gates with thanksgiving and come into his courts with praise . Psalm 100: 4 ) Next they would express Humility in some way, often by a Confession of failure or shortcomings. Most every Psalm then contains some kind of specific request or Petition, and then closes with another section of Praise. Not every Psalm follows that pattern exactly but every Psalm contains one or more of these elements. So, following the BCP’s 30 day pattern, I put together 30 days for reading, reflection, and
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A Month of Prayer and Meditation
prayer with this pattern - first Praise, then a section of Humility/Confession, followed by Petitions, and ending with Praise, all from different Psalms (with a few sections from other books of the Bible also thrown in). Sometimes we may speed read/pray through these Psalm passages to make sure we complete one day’s worth in a day, trying to pray through all 30 days in a month. Sometimes we will find our whole prayer time spent in one area, whether Praise, Humility, or Petition. Sometimes we may open it for the first time in months, finding the section corresponding with the date and settle in there. Someone guides us in what we need.
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Stories
Day 1
Praise I love you, O Lord , my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I call on the Lord , who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18: 1-3 Humility/Confession When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah 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 Psalm 32: 3-5
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A Month of Prayer and Meditation
Petitions One thing I have asked of the Lord , that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the Lord ’s house all the days of my life, to see the Lord ’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27: 4
Praise Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him. The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord . All the families of the nations shall worship before you.
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For the kingdom is the Lord ’s. He is the ruler over the nations.
Psalm 22: 25-28
Day 17
Praise How lovely are your dwellings, O Lord of Armies! My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the Lord . My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, O Lord of Armies, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah Psalm 84: 1-4 Humility/Confession God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. Psalm 53: 2-3
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Petitions Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer.
A Month of Prayer and Meditation
From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah Psalm 61: 1-4 Praise I will sing of the loving kindness of the Lord forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. I indeed declare, “Love stands firm forever. The heavens will praise your wonders, O Lord ; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord ? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like the Lord , a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him? O Lord , God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Lord , your faithfulness is around you.. Psalm 89: 1-2, 5-8 You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them.”
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Day 22
Praise Shout for joy to the L ord , all you lands! Serve the L ord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that the L ord , he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. For the L ord is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations Psalm 100 Humility/Confession When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11: 2 Petitions Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants’ blood is being poured out.
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Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power, preserve those who are sentenced to death. Psalm 79: 9-11 Praise The L ord reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved. The L ord is great in Zion. He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is Holy! The King’s strength also loves justice. You do establish equity. You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the L ord our God. Worship at his footstool. He is Holy! Psalm 99: 1-5
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The time we spend alone with God each day we often experience to be the best part of the day. Jesus himself sought time away from the rest of the world to be alone with his Father. ( Mark 1:35, 6:46, Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:18) Sometimes the beauty of this time with God outshines the prospects of the rest of the day and we say with Peter, ”Lord, it is good for us to be here” ( Mark 9:5) Let’s stay here all day! Now is the dwelling of God among men. ( Revelation 21: 3) The universe does not contain God. God does not need anything from us. Parents don”t need gifts from their children. But a child’s gift does bless the parent. When we praise God, we build with our words and our actions a place for God to inhabit on the earth, in our places. This blesses God.
Make a map of your places and times. Wherever, whenever you enter into praise, there you have built a dwelling for God among us.
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Bless the Lord O my soul.
What a privilege God offers us if we are willing in our times with our words to build his temple in the rhythms of our days.
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