Dear Family of Love!
Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! We must remember that everyday that we live is a holy day. This isn't because there is a designated saints day but because everyday that God created the Universe, planets, and where we live God, "Called it good." That is an amazing thing to think about. God never called anything God created as "Bad!" always "Good" That means that everyone and everything on the planet is good. So why are we afraid of anyone or anything God has made? Why are we afraid of our neighbors/family members who differ from us? Why are we afraid to accept that God didn't make us carbon copies of each other? Why are we afraid of all of God's family members when they are have different colored skin, gender identity, sexual orientation, or faith community. Sometimes our brothers and sisters may differ from us and have all 4 of those descriptions in one body. Our task tonight Jim is to meditate on why we are afraid and why our family members hate what God has made? Take time to go deeper and deeper still ! Take time to give God thanks for all the wonderful diversity God has made and given us. This diversity must be seen as a gift not a bad thing. God gave us these gifts so that we may learn to love, care, accept, and include God's family fully and not be afraid and hate. Part being thoughtful and thankful on Thursday is the the journey we travel back in time to the Upper Room for the Last Supper! We learn from Jesus what it means to be truly both family and friends and that we all are on equal footing when we become friends. We learn what it truly means to be thankful in the breaking of the bread, sharing the cup, being united in prayer and fellowship or as I like to call it Familyhood. We learn that sometimes we are called to do things we'd rather not do but that is how God works. Yes we must give thanks to God for Judas' response to God's Call, otherwise we would never have known the awesome gift of salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. We learn that night and on this night and every night we live, move, and just be that when God means ALL, God means ALL,and NOT SOME Again tonight Our task tonight Jim is to meditate on why we are afraid and why our family members and some times that may mean ourselves hate what God has made? Does Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday resonate with you to the very core of your inner being and hit you squarely in the solar plexus? It does with me how about you?
First let us take time to breathe:
Breathe in Love
Exhale and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit!
Breathe in Love
Exhale and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit!
Breathe in Love
Exhale and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit!
Exhale and feel empowered by the Holy Spirit!
God of Love and Goodness let us enter in prayer with open and loving hearts and hear your still small voice and do as you would have us do.
God of Love and Goodness let us pray and ask for forgiveness of any wrong thoughts, speech, or actions we may have done to hurt, harm, debase, or exclude any of your Children and our Family members.
God of Love and Goodness take away the pain that all our family members are are enduring by acts of hatred, violence, and words that are harsh and unloving.
God of Love and Goodness take away the pain that our family members are struggling with when they encounter injustice, inequality, and human rights violations.
God of Love and Goodness, take away the pain that our family members find themselves in as refugees, political prisoners, victims of violence, terror, abuse, and human trafficking, persecution of any kind, and release them from pain and suffering.
God of Love and Goodness help us to not hate but love, not to ignore but see you in our family members' faces.
God of Love and Goodness give us courage to make peace and be peace makers. May peace prevail upon Earth.
God of Love and Goodness protect the least of these and the most vulnerable remembering especially women, children, the elderly, and the mentally ill.
God of Love and Goodness help us to reach out to all of our estranged family members through out the world. May we seek to be united in hearts that are loving and souls that are bright with God's light.
God of Love and Goodness help us to become healers of your creation and learn to have reverence for its resources.
God of Love and Goodness we pray and remember those who have come to us asking for prayers and even those who have unspoken prayers that need to be offered. We remember especially___________ We also add our thanksgivings on this Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday remembering______________
God of Love and Goodness we pray and remember all of us who are continuing on grief's long journey. May we have times of lessened grief and when grief comes roaring back afresh we may seek your comfort and our family members.
God of Love and Goodness we pray and remember this day the work of William Wilberforce with the following prayer:
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, kindle in your Church the never-failing gift of love, that we, following the examples of your servants William Wilberforce and Anthony Ashley-Cooper, may have grace to defend the poor and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Accept these our prayers in the name of Jesus our Redeemer, Friend, and the one who teaches us daily to love and not to hate and that yes, all means all and not some. Amen.
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Good Night Dear and Precious Ones! I love you and Give God thanks for you this night and always! Tomorrow is Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly Without Fretting! Do not be afraid ! Love is the key to banish and vanquish hate and division. Remember this always!
Love,
Sara
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