So
watch carefully how you walk
not as foolish people
but as wise people
by making the most of the time
because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be ignorant,
but understand what is the will of the Lord
and do not get yourselves drunk with wine
which is debauchery,
but be filled by the Spirit,
speaking to one another
in psalms and hymns and songs – of the Spirit
singing and making music
in your heart
to the Lord
constantly giving thanks
for all things
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God the Father,
being submissive to one another
in the fear of Christ…

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

So
do not become their partners,
for you were once darkness
but now are light
in the Lord.
‘Walk’ as children of the light.
For the fruit of light
(is) in
all
goodness
and righteousness
and truth,
by discerning
what is pleasing to the Lord.
And do not take part in the useless works
(that come from) darkness
but rather expose them.
For to speak of the things done
by them
in secret
is shameful.
But all things illumined
by the light
are made visible.
For everything being revealed
is light
therefore it says:
‘Get up, O sleeper!
And rise from the dead ones,
and Christ will shine on you.’

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

Then,
do not even speak about sexual immorality,
any kind of impurity
or greed
among you,
as it is not fitting for saints,
and neither obscenity
or foolish speech
or vulgar talk
which are not proper
but rather (speak) thanksgiving.
For you certainly know this:
that everyone who is immoral
or unclean
or greedy
– (greed) is idolatry –
do not have an inheritance
in the Kingdom of Christ, and God.
Let nobody deceive you
with empty words.
for beause of these things
the wrath of God is coming
on the the children of disobedience.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

So become imitators of God
as beloved children,
that is walk in love,
as also Jesus loved us,
and handed himself over for us
as an offering and sacrifice,
to God
for a fragrant aroma.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

Do not let any bad word come out of your mouths,
but (let) whatever (comes our of your mouths) be good
for building up of what is needed
so that it would give grace
to those who hear –
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
by whom you were sealed
until that day of redemption.
Set aside
from you
every bitterness
and rage
and anger
and shouting
and cursing
with all evil
but be kind to one another
compassionate
forgiving one another,
just as God in Christ
has forgiven you.

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.

Therefore
having taken off falsehood,
‘Each (of you) speak truth
with their neighbour‘
because we are members of one another.
‘Be angry and
do not sin.‘
Do not let the sun set on your anger,
nor give room to the devil.
Let thieves no longer thieve,
rather let them work,
by working good
with their own hands
so that they might have
something to give
to someone who is needy.

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

But you did not learn Christ so,
for certainly you heard (about) him
and have been taught in him,
just as the truth is in Jesus,
you! take off the ‘old person‘
that is the former way of life
which is being corrupted
in accordance with deceitful desires
but you be renewed
in the spirit, that is your mind,
and you put on the ‘new person’
which is being created in accordance with God
in righteousness and holiness
of the truth

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

So I say this,
and affirm in the Lord,
you are no longer to ‘walk’
as the gentiles ‘walk’
in the futility of their minds,
having been darkened in their understanding,
having been separated from the life of God
because of the ignorance
in them
because of the hardness of their hearts
who
having became insensitive
have given themselves to debauchery
for the practice of every impurity
with a hunger for more.

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

And he gave:
apostles
prophets
evangelists
shepherds and teachers
for the equipping of the holy ones
for the work of service
for the building up of the body of Christ,
until all of us attain
the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God
a mature person
the measure which is the stature of the fulness of Christ
so that we are no longer infants
tossed here and there by waves
or blown about by every wind
that is teaching
by human cunning
by craftiness
according to deceitful schemes,
but by speaking the truth
in love
we might grow in love
into him
(in) all things
who is the head,
Christ,
from whom all the body is being joined together
and being held together
by every supporting ligament
-each one working its part-
is making the growth of the body
for the building up of itself in love.

O Lord
Open our eyes to your presence
Open our minds to your grace
Open our lips to your praises
Open our hearts to your love
Open our lives to your healing
And be found among us.
Amen.

To each of us has been given
grace
according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Therefore it/he says:
‘Having gone up
to the high place
he led captured captives;
(and) he gave gifts to people.’

So what is ‘He went up…’
unless he went down also
to the lowest (parts), (that is) the earth?
The one who went down is
the one who went up
far above all the heavens,
so that he might fill all things.

Psalm 68 18

You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

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.