Morning Prayer -- Heavenly Sunlight, Eph 4

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding our souls with glory ablaze:
Hallelujah, we are rejoicing,
Thankful for blessing, singing our praise.

Shadows around us, shadows above us,
Never conceal our Savior and Guide;
Christ is the Light, in Christ is no darkness;
Always we're walking close to Christ's side.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding our souls with glory ablaze:
Hallelujah, we are rejoicing,
Thankful for blessing, singing our praise.
-- Henry J. Zelley, William Kirkpatrick , Henry Gilmour (19thC) adapted

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.

8 Therefore it is said, 'When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.' 9( When it says, 'He ascended,' what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

-- Eph 4: 1-16

God, the creator and preserver of all,
we humbly beseech you for all sorts and conditions of people;
that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto them,
your saving health unto all nations.
More especially we pray for your holy Church universal;
that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit,
that all who profess and call themselves Christians
may be led into the way of truth,
and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.

Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness
all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed,
in mind, body, or estate;
that it may please you to comfort
and relieve them according to their several necessities,
giving them patience under their sufferings,
and a happy issue
out of all their afflictions.

And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.