BREAD FOR THE DAY 2018
Daily Bible Readings and Prayers
Copyright 2017 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Visit augsburgfortress.org/copyrights or write to: Permissions, Augsburg Fortress, Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
Editors: Dennis Bushkofsky, Suzanne Burke
Cover design: Laurie Ingram
Interior design: Becky Lowe-Weyand
Cover art: Christina Saj
Interior art: Gertrud Mueller Nelson
Contributors to the weekday prayers: Kristin Berkey-Abbott, Hollywood, Florida (January); Sarah Carson, Chicago, Illinois (February); Amy White, Grand Rapids, Michigan (March); Laurel Hensel, Park Ridge, Illinois (April); Meghan Johnston Aelabouni, Fort Collins, Colorado (May); Michael Tassler, Colorado Springs, Colorado (June); Julie A. Kanarr, Belfair, Washington (July); Robin McCullough-Bade, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (August); Rebecca Eve Schweitzer, Sterling Heights, Michigan (September); Will Storm, Houston, Texas (October); Sue Edison-Swift, Decorah, Iowa (November); Christine Therriault-Merkel, Bristol, Connecticut (December)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
Hymn suggestions and prayers of the day for Sundays and festivals are from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Materials prepared by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), published in Revised Common Lectionary 1992 and Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings 2005. Used by permission.
Table prayer for the season of Lent, Table prayer for Summer, A prayer to begin the work day, A prayer to begin the school day, Morning blessing, and Evening blessing are from Reformation 500 Sourcebook: Anniversary Resources for Congregations, 2016 Augsburg Fortress.
Materials prepared by the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), published in Praying Together 1988: Blessed are you, Lord and My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Used by permission.
pISBN 978-1-4514-9611-6
eISBN 978-1-5064-1024-1
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Contents
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
August
- September
- October
- November
- December
- Additional Resources
Beloved of God,
For generations, the living word has sustained Gods people. In times of prosperity and turmoil, joy and sorrow, the church has found hope and consolation in scripture.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has embraced the initiative called Book of Faith. In it we have committed ourselves to deepening our fluency in the first language of faith, holy scripture. Bread for the Day is a wonderful resource for your daily encounter with the word. You will be nourished, encouraged, and sustained, as have the saints before you.
As the Conference of Bishops, we invite you to join us, and this whole church in persistent attentiveness to the word. Your faith will be deepened, your witness empowered, and your church enriched. God bless your journey in faith.
Conference of Bishops
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
For more about Book of Faith, visit www.bookoffaith.org.
Daily prayer is an essential practice for those who seek to hear Gods voice and cultivate an inner life. Whether you pray alone or with others, with brevity or sustained meditation, the rhythm of daily prayer reveals the life-sustaining communion to which God invites all human beings. Such prayer is a serene power silently at work, drawing us into the ancient yet vital sources of faith, hope, and love.
The guiding principle of the selection of daily readings in Bread for the Day is their relationship to the Sunday readings as presented in the Revised Common Lectionary (a system of readings in widespread use across denominations). The readings are chosen so that the days leading up to Sunday (Thursday through Saturday) prepare for the Sunday readings. The days flowing out from Sunday (Monday through Wednesday) reflect on the Sunday readings.
How this book is organized
- Each days page is dated and named in relationship to the churchs year. Lesser festivals are listed along with the date as part of the day heading. Commemorations are listed just below in smaller type. Notes on those commemorated can be found on pages 407415.
- Several verses of one of the appointed scripture texts are printed. The full text citation is provided for those who would like to reflect on the entire text. In addition, two or three additional reading citations with short descriptions are provided.
- Two psalms are appointed for each week; one psalm for Monday through Wednesday and a second psalm for Thursday through Saturday. In this way the days leading up to Sunday or flowing out from Sunday have a distinct relationship with one another in addition to their relationship with the Sunday readings.
How this book is organized
- Each days page is dated and named in relationship to the churchs year. Lesser festivals are listed along with the date as part of the day heading. Commemorations are listed just below in smaller type. Notes on those commemorated can be found on pages 407415.
- Several verses of one of the appointed scripture texts are printed. The full text citation is provided for those who would like to reflect on the entire text. In addition, two or three additional reading citations with short descriptions are provided.
- Two psalms are appointed for each week; one psalm for Monday through Wednesday and a second psalm for Thursday through Saturday. In this way the days leading up to Sunday or flowing out from Sunday have a distinct relationship with one another in addition to their relationship with the Sunday readings.
- Following the printed scripture text is a hymn suggestion from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and a prayer that incorporates a theme present in one or more of the readings.
- Household prayers and blessings appropriate to the changing seasons are placed throughout the book. Simplified forms of morning and evening prayer, morning and evening blessings, and prayers with children can be found on pages 424431.
How to use this book
- Use the weekday readings to prepare for and reflect on the Sunday readings.
- Use the questions printed on page 431 to guide your reflection on the scripture texts.
- Use the resources for household prayer placed throughout the book. See the Contents on pages 34 for a complete list.
- Use the page at the beginning of each month to record prayer requests.