Dear Family of Love,
Happy Take Care Tuesday! I hope everyone took care of yourselves so that you could take care of others. This week we are in the midst of Love Challenge week where we are going to explore and learn how to love our enemies, haters, and family members who differ from us. Tonight we are going to begin loving our enemies by praying for them. Yesterday's featured Gospel spoke of this earnestly.
For our Enemies (From the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER)
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Loving our enemies requires us to boldly do things we normally wouldn't do. We need to see God's face in all of our enemies. We need to see them as children of God. We need to see them as children of family members who love them very much. We need to see them as the least of these. We need to love ourselves and yes sometimes we may be our own worst enemies. We should be able to find ways to lovingly help them when needed. This is easier said than done but maybe if we know what they need in the ways of food, clothing, shelter, and a pair of listening ears that might be a way in which to start.
Today's Keyword and concept is Jerusalem. Jerusalem has many meanings for all three Abrahamic faiths. It is central to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Each of these faiths hold this the City of Peace dear. I want us to meditate upon how we can make our cities and towns mini- Jerusalems (Cities of Peace). For your journaling do a study on Jerusalem and see if this is where you'd like to live? How can we apply this keyword and concept to the main theme of the week and being a modern prophet? How can we live in a multi-faith city in peace and love our family members who do not practice the same faith as we do. Could you see yourself attending Shabbas services in a synagogue, Friday Prayers in a Mosque, or going to a Christian service that is outside your comfort zone?
Extra Ponder Work:
Here is a question from The Reverend Ron Culmer a dear friend of mine that he asked on FB tonight:
If I asked you to name all the things you love how long would it take to name yourself?
Here is a reminder of our study for the week:
Our Theme of Action: Week 3: Challenging ourselves to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. How can we be of help to them.
Our secondary theme comes from the Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent : Being a modern prophet in and out of our own Jerusalems and the Jerusalems throughout the world.
The seven Keywords and concepts are these:
Prophet
Jerusalem
Going against authority
Fearlessly serving
Comforting and gathering the flock in a desolate city and sometimes being prevented in doing so.
Pharisees
Where are the modern day Jerusalems? Would you think that all the places that have been affected by terrorism fall into this category? (Ferguson, Paris, Charleston, San Bernardino, Kalamazoo, etc.)
Tonight after our ponder work let us spend some time in prayer and meditation beginning with our "Be Stills"
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Slowly inhale.
Hold.
Slowly exhale
Pause. Count to 10.
Repeat 4 times!
Now sit quietly and reflect up the day past and enjoy your visit with God. Open wide your heart homes and feel God filling you up with Love Energy.
Part of the above piece as seen below is repeated for the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts.
Dear ones let us light our candles and be at prayer as we begin our Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil. Tonight let us pray for peace with in ourselves and in the world. Let us pray that we may learn to love our enemies again by boldly doing things we normally wouldn't do. We need to see God's face in all of our enemies. We need to see them as children of God. We need to see them as children of family members who love them very much. We need to see them as the least of these. We need to love ourselves and yes sometimes we may be our own worst enemies. We should be able to find ways to lovingly help them when needed. This is easier said than done but maybe if we know what they need in the ways of food, clothing, shelter, and a pair of listening ears that might be a way in which to start. We pray for all of our family members tonight as we remember that we indeed are all God's Children and the least of these!
God we pray that we may love our enemies by being agents of CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy).
God we pray that we may lovingly help our enemies to find common ground with us without fear and anger.
God we pray for and end to all kinds of hatred and discord that we all may be one holy family with you our Loving and merciful God.
God we pray for all who are ill in body,mind, and spirit. We pray especially for_______________
God we pray for all refugees, captives, victims of violence, terror, and abuse. We pray for all who are victims of human trafficking. We pray for an end to gang violence and urban terrorism in our cities.
God we pray for love and understanding among all faith communities.
God we pray in thanksgiving for___________________________
We remember and pray for all the concerns and all things that are on our hearts and minds_______________.
God we pray for the forgiveness of any thought, word, or deed that has drawn us away from you and your children. Help us to have repentant and loving hearts to start anew.
God help us to meet the Love Challenge this week with courage, strength, and love energy and that our heart homes maybe expanded as we become more loving towards our enemies, haters, and family members who differ from us.
God we pray these prayers in the name of Jesus our brother, friend, master, redeemer, and great physician of us all. Amen.
Our classic prayer selections:
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3–12
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Jerusalem My Happy Home ( Land of Rest)
Jerusalem- Parry Mix
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Good Night Family of Love! I love you ! May you have a blessed rest and awaken renewed to do God's work in the world. I give God thanks for you this day and always.
With love, peace, and blessings!
Sara
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