Sore Knees: New Birth
Join us for our second sore knees challenge, a week before the throne, starting today and ending next Wednesday, January 6.
Our focus this week is on the new birth we have because of Birth. Birth sings the song of freedom over us so that we can sing the songs of assent to the Great Reversal. It lights the path of peace for us as we join in the song for a new day. Let’s praise Yahweh together as we sing freedom, assent, and the dawning of a new day over our students and colleagues.
What you see below is an entry in our teacher lectionary. Each entry lists ideas and passages to inspire your lifting. The four sections of our lectionary include:
- Entering the Throne Room: a call to worship
- Seeking Mercy: confession, repentance, and forgiveness
- Advocating: mediating between Yahweh and our students (and their families), colleagues, and schools
- Going Forth: leaving the throne room blessed to be a blessing
References are linked to passages. Other links will take you to songs.
Entering the Throne Room
Praise be to the Child who was born.
- For salvation, rescue, and freedom. (Luke 2:28-32; Luke 2:36-38)
- For setting things right; for an enemy crushed and a curse reversed. (1 Samuel 2:1-10)
- For filling our hunger with good things. (Luke 1:46-55)
- For Your tender mercy which brought the morning light to us who live in the shadow of death. (Luke 1:67-79)
Seeking Mercy
Be merciful to me a sinner.
- When I hold to the letter of the law rather than the fulfillment; when I esteem human rules and expectations rather than embracing the freedom I have in You; when I lead others to do the same. (Matthew 5:17-20; Galatians 5:1-6)
- When my heart is invested in earthly treasures and I look down on heavenly treasures which, by human standards, are lowly. (Matthew 6:19-21)
- When I hide Your light in me; when I shine for my glory rather than Yours. (Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 6:1-4)
Remember that I am but dust.
- Be the salt that purifies and preserves my faith so that I am ever full of flavor with a righteousness that exceeds “religious.” (Matthew 5:13, Matthew 5:20)
- Help me to pursue heavenly treasures, embracing that which is lowly by human standards, clothing myself with gentleness and humility. (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 5:5)
- Transform me into your glory so that I can reflect glory for Glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- Crush the enemy under my feet before he crushes me. (Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 4:8)
You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
Advocating
I intercede for my students and colleagues
- Remove the veil covering their hearts; help them to find freedom in You. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)
- freedom from the veil of self, from pride and fear
- freedom from the veil of human rules and expectations
- freedom from the veil of earthly treasures.
- Fill their emptiness with good things.
- with heavenly treasures
- with humility, gentleness, and esteem for the “lowly”
- with new birth
- Light up their darkness.
- Warm them up with Your presence.
- Shine out from every good deed we perform for and before them.
- Guide them to Your path of peace.
- Turn them from darkness to light, from the power of the enemy to You, and make them new. (Acts 26:18)
Remember that they are but dust. Be gracious toward them and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
Going Forth
“O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his.”[1]
With Mary I pray, “I am Your servant.
May it be to me as You ordain.”
Like Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child,
may I become a preparer of hearts for the Child.
Let my words and deeds shine with Your glory.
Like Hannah I give back to You what You have given to me.
I enter my school and classroom blessed to be a blessing.
With Anna, I go forth to tell all who will listen—
student, colleague, friend, family—
about rescue, the fullness of the empty, and the dawning of a new day.
[1]From “The Gift of Gifts,” The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett (ed.), The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975.
Photo Credit: mirefugio20 via Compfight cc
Master Teaching 
Recent Comments