Be alert,
Stand firm in the Faith,
Show grown-up courage,
Be strong,
All the things you do, do in love.

I ask you,
sisters/brothers –
you know the household of Stephanus,
that it is a first-fruit in Archaia
and that they have devoted themselves
to the service of the ‘holy ones’
– so you be subject to these ones
and to everyone who cooperates (with them?)
and works hard.

Moreover I am delighted
over the coming of Stephanus
and Fortunatus
and Achaicus,
because
they make up for (my) want of you.
For they refreshed my spirit and yours.
So, recognise such people.

The churches of Asia greet you.
Aquila and Prisca,
together with the church that meets in their house
greet you warmly in the Lord.
All the brothers/sisters greet you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.

This greeting, in my hand, Paul.
If someone does not love the Lord
let them be accursed.
‘Maranatha’ – Our Lord, come!
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

O Lord, in whom is our hope,
remove far from us, we pray thee,
empty hopes and presumptuous confidence.
Make our hearts so right with thy most holy and loving heart,
that hoping in thee we may do good;
until that day when faith and hope
shall be abolished by sight and possession,
and love shall be all in all.

Christina Rossetti (1830-94)

Now whenever Timothy comes,
see to it
that there is nothing to fear
among you;
for he is doing the work of the Lord,
as I do too.
Let no one treat him with contempt,
but send him on his way in peace,
so that he might come to me.
For I am expecting him with the brothers.

Regarding Apollos the brother,
I strongly encouraged him,
that he might come to you with the brothers,
but by no means was it his desire to come now.
But he will come when he has time.

Eternal God and Father,
you create us by your power,
and redeem us by your love,
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves in love and service
to one another and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

So I will come to you when I have gone through Macedonia,
for I am going through Macedonia,
but perhaps I will stay with you
or spend the winter,
so that you might send me off (with help),
to wherever place I might go.
For I do not want
to see you now
in passing;
for I hope to remain for some time
with you
if the Lord allows.

But I will remain in Ephesus
until Pentecost.
For a door stands open to me –
great and effective
– yet opposed by many.

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

Now about the collection for the ‘holy ones’
just as I have directed the Galatian churches
so also you should do.

On every first day of the week
each of you
should set aside (something)
in accordance to how they fare
storing it up
so that whenever I come
collections will not be happening.

Then when I arrive,
those whom you approve,
by letters [of authorisatio]
I will send (these ones)
to take your gift
to Jerusalem.

And if my going is fitting
they may go with me.

Lord God,
you feed us with the living bread from heaven;
you renew our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love.

Teach us to hunger
for Christ who is the true and living bread,
and to live by every word
that comes from your mouth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

And when this body which can wear out
is clothed with what cannot wear out
and this body which dies
puts on what never die,
then the word which is written will be fulfilled:
Death is swallowed up into victory,
Where Death, is your victory,?
Where Death, is your sting?

Now the sting of Death is Sin.
And the power of Sin is the Law.

But thanks be to God
who gives us the victory
through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

So then, beloved sisters /brothers
come to be firm
immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord
knowing that your work is not in vain
in the Lord.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin

So, I affirm (all) this, brothers/ sisters:
(i.e. )
Flesh and blood cannot receive the kingdom of God.
no r does what wear out inherit what cannot wear out.

Look –
a mystery I am telling you.
We will not all die
but (we) all will be changed
– in a moment,
in the blink of an eye
at the last trumpet,
for (the trumpet) will sound
and the dead people will be raised enduring
and we shall be changed.

For it is necessary that this (body) which wears out
be clothed with what cannot wear out
and this (body) that dies
puts on what never dies…

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

But not the first
was the one of the Spirit
but the one of nature
then the one of the Spirit.
The first human came from the earth,
the second human is from heaven.

Like the one from the earth,
so are these from the earth.
and like the one from heaven,
so are these from heaven.

and as we have worn the image of the one from the earth,
so we will bear the image of the one from heaven.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin (735-804)

So also the resurrection of the dead people,
It is sown as something decaying
it is raised something ‘full of life’
It is sown as something in humiliation
it is raised something glorious,
It is sown as something in weakness
it is raised as something powerful.
It is sown a body animated by natural life
is it raised a body animated by the Spirit.
Since there is a body (for this world) of nature
there is also a body (for the world-to-come) of the Spirit.
So also it is written:
‘The first man, Adam, became a living person¹,
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

1. Genesis 2:7 ↩︎

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

(But now, Christ has been raised from the dead
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.)

Otherwise what about those who have themselves
baptised for the sake of the dead
If actually the dead are not being raised
why are they being baptised for them?

And we, why are we in danger at each and every hour?
Every day I am dying,
I swear by my boast in you,
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If according to a human point of view
I have fought with wild beasts in Ephesus,
what benefit could it to me?

If the dead are not raised
Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we will die,¹
Do not be deceived!

Bad cliques ruin good morals.
Sober up as you ought,
and do not sin,
for some people have no knowledge of God,
I say this to your shame.

1. Isa 22:13? ↩︎

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great