God of compassion, we are always under your care and you know the needs of our bodies, hearts and minds. Give us the healing that you desire for us and help us to follow and embrace your plans. Inspire our trust, nourish our faith, be our hope.  

Psalm 26

The Lord is my light and my salvation;   whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life;   of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me   to devour my flesh- my adversaries and foes-   they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,   my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me,   yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,   that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord   all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord,   and to inquire in his temple.

For the Lord will hide me in his shelter   in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;   he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up   above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent   sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,   be gracious to me and answer me! ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’   Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Do not hide your face from me.   Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.   Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!   If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,   and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.   Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me,   and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord   in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord;   be strong, and let your heart take courage;   wait for the Lord!  

Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven", or to say, "Stand up and take your mat and walk"? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’-he said to the paralytic- ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’ 

The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.