On the Mountainside
Over the next few weeks here on Master Teaching, you’ll read answers to the question: What does the Sermon on the Mount teach you about being a teacher who follows the Master Teacher?
What you’ll find in this post is an entry in our teacher lectionary, a guide for prayer. Feel free to use it at anytime during the next few weeks as we study the Sermon on the Mount together. (Click here for a printable version.)
This time instead of linking passages, the Sermon on the Mount is our text (Matthew 5-7). In particular, we’re focusing on these passages:
The four sections of our lectionary include:
- Entering the Throne Room: a call to worship
- Advocating: mediating between Yahweh and our students (and their families), colleagues, and schools
- Seeking Mercy: confession, repentance, and forgiveness
- Going Forth: leaving the throne room blessed to be a blessing
(Links will take you to songs.)
Entering the Throne Room
Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name.
I bow my knees before Your throne; I fix my eyes on You.
- Creator of everything
- Light who shines in our darkness
- Salt who purifies me
- Merciful Judge who gives us chance after chance after chance
- Caretaker of the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, and more so me
Thank you for blessing me beyond measure in my profession, by my students, with colleagues.
Advocating
Your Kingdom come.
- Bless my students who are poor.
- Bring justice to the ones who are ignored and forgotten, oppressed, abused, or persecuted.
- Calm their anxious hearts. May they find rest for their weary souls.
- Bind up their broken spirits.
- Give favor to those who are humble and gentle.
- Fill up their hungry bodies, minds, and hearts.
- When they taste salt in me, may they be thirsty for You.
- Will you light their way out of darkness?
Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
- May my students and I know that we are poor in spirit so that the Kingdom may be ours.
- May we humbly mourn over sin before Your throne, Comforter.
- May our hearts be pure as we see You.
- May we live in mercy and flourish under Your sovereignty.
Give us today our daily bread.
- Like You feed the birds of the air, feed my students and feed me, Bread of Life.
- As you clothe the lilies of the field, clothe us with Your righteousness.
- Make me salty from the inside out; may Your light shine from my heart to theirs.
- Help me to be a haven of rest for them, a broker of peace between them and others, between them and You.
- Fill me up so that I can pour myself out for my students, on Your behalf.
- May they see You in me and glorify Your name.
Seeking Mercy
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
- Help me to be merciful toward my students, colleagues, and others as You are merciful toward me.
- Help me to see the beam in my own eye rather than nitpicking at the splinter in theirs.
- May we be gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
- When we fail, turn our failures into growth and good and glory.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- Forgive me when I shine a light on me and my good deeds.
- Help me to be light for Your glory, always and in everything.
- Forgive me when I play into our broken earthly systems.
- Heal me so that I can help put the pieces back together.
- Forgive me when I try to add hours to my life by worrying.
- Calm my anxious heart; help me to rest in you.
- Forgive me when I babble on, trying to pray You onto my page.
- Help me to pray my way onto Your page, to pray until surrender happens.
Going Forth
For Yours is the Kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
Forever.
Amen.
2 comments on “On the Mountainside”
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Master Teaching 
Inspiring as always. Are you the author this time?
Marilyn
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I do compile these lectionary entries, or I have so far. Maybe Kim will do the next one…:)
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