s20060101ill_I Want to Be With You Forever
Understand Him through the Apostles Teaching
Ancient Words
Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart,
O let the ancient words impart,
Words of life, Words of hope,
Give us strength, Help us cope,
In this world where’er we roam,
Ancient words will guide us home.
Holy words of our faith,
Handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice,
O heed the faithful words of Christ,
Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart,
O let the ancient words impart.
Chorus
Ancient words ever true,
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts,
O let the ancient words impart.
Experiencing Him through the Apostles Fellowship
Andrews words on his way to be crucified.
From the apocryphal Acts of St. Andrew
When the apostle saw his cross at a distance, he is said to have cried out, "Hail, precious cross, that hast been consecrated by the body of my Lord, and adorned with his limbs as with rich jewels. I come to thee exulting and glad: receive me with joy into thy arms. O good cross, that hast received beauty from our Lord's limbs; I have ardently loved thee; long have I desired and sought thee: now thou art found by me, and art made ready for my longing soul; receive me into thy arms, taking me from among men, and present me to my master; that he who redeemed me on thee, may receive me by thee."
What's more, public prayers taught them a lot about what private prayers were about. In public :
- they prayed when they didn't want to pray or didn't feel like praying;
- they prayed when they had trouble concentrating on praying;
- they prayed when they weren't prepared for it;
- they prayed the Word by drawing their liturgies and readings from the Scriptures;
- they prayed for (and with!) those they were in conflict with;
- they prayed about people and things that they wouldn't have thought to pray for or would have forgotten to pray for.