Voice: Jennifer
Today is Wednesday, 8th of October Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our spirit on His presence.
Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires
of our own hearts.
We have offended against your holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done,
and we have done those things which we ought not
to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.
O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Spare all those who confess their faults.
Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises
declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
We praise the Lord in the Venite:
1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
8 If only you would hear his voice today: for he comes to judge the earth.
9 He shall judge the world with righteousness: and the peoples with his truth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Mark 13:3-8
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Don’t Be Deceived or Alarmed
Is the world getting better? Or is it headed in the wrong direction?
There have been massive advancements in science, education, and communication. We have the United Nations. The internet and social media now empower individuals in unprecedented ways, giving the sense that political tyranny may no longer rule societies.
Yet, since Covid-19, the world has been continually hit by disasters on many fronts. Social media has only accentuated the deep divisions among us. It is easy to despair and give up the idea that human beings can live in reasonable peace with one another.
Didn’t Jesus warn us that we should not expect a utopian world? He cautioned us not to be deceived. In times of turmoil, it is easy to fall for conspiracy theories as we try to make sense of events and imagine that God is doing this or that behind the scenes.
Jesus also warned us not to be alarmed. It is easy to despair or even break down mentally when confronted with the senselessness and instability of our times. We are aghast at the wars and rumours of wars. How can educated human beings display such cruelty toward one another? Why do governments tolerate such criminality?
Our Lord says to us: trust in Him. Stay in the truth. Be faithful to the end.
As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 4:12:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
My brothers and sisters, you have put your faith in Jesus. Continue to follow Him. Do not turn to the left or to the right. Don’t be taken in by the strange ideas circulating online, some even coming from so-called “experts.” Don’t be discouraged by the sinfulness, hatred, and abuse of power you see around you. Jesus has told us these things will happen.
Instead, join in the prayer of the early Church—the final recorded prayer in Scripture:
“Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
May every trial deepen our longing for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. And may the Lord give us strength not to give up, but to stand firm in our faith.
These attitudes are best capture in the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin
against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and
the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
Be blessed by this song written in the 19th century, The Holy City, which sings about Good Friday, Easter and the hope of the New Creation:
1. Last night I lay a sleeping,
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Methought the voice of angels
From Heav’n in answer rang;
Methought the voice of angels
From Heav’n in answer rang:—
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna to your King!
2. And then methought my dream was changed,
The streets no longer rang,
Hushed were the glad hosannas
The little children sang.
The sun grew dark with mystery,
The morn was cold and chill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Hark! how the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna to your King.
3. And once again the scene was changed,
New earth there seem’d to be,
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day,
It was the new Jerusalem,
That would not pass away,
It was the new Jerusalem,
That would not pass away.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Sing, for the night is o’er!
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna for evermore!
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna for evermore!
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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