Love Challenge Week : Loving our family members who differ from us.

Dear Family of Love,

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! Did you take time to be thoughtful and thankful? I hope so. We all must do this daily and it isn't always easy but there is always something we can be grateful for.  Sometimes this is especially true when we are called to love our family members who differ from us. The best way to love all of our family members who differ from us and remember they are the least of these, our enemies, and those who hate us is by remembering what we hold in common:


We breathe
We eat
We sleep.
We wear clothes
We must have homes of some kind.
We have families.
We must have loved ones.
We were children once who looked at the world with wonder.
We make love and yes even do love.
We are sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors.

Can you think of other things that we have in common? Let us meditate on this tonight and then pray using what we have in common.  Here is tonight's meditation music: The Impressionists -Windham Hill  

Tonight let us brainstorm and ponder how we can love all our family members as in tonight's keyword and concept:  Fearlessly serving.  
Fearlessly serving entails dropping our defenses, preconceived notions, hidden agendas, and yes being willing to stop being afraid,letting go and letting God do the work through us. We also must have courage and strength to love our family members from other faiths and traditions.  Here are tonight's questions to ponder:

Could you fearlessly serve an injured family member who wears a turban or hajib?

Could you fearlessly serve a homeless family member who looks a little scary?

Are you able to serve the least of these without making judgments? 

What does your heart and mind tell you when you see family members who do not look like you?

How big is your heart home and is it expanding with CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy) like dough? Could it allow room for your enemies, haters, and family members who differ from you?

Please take your time in pondering these things. 

After you ponder these things it is time once again for 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.

I invite all of us at this time to light our candles and be at prayer as we begin our Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil. We pray this night for the people of Kansas who were affected by the latest act of gun violence. We pray for an end to urban terrorism and violence. We pray for all of our family members who are seeking reconciliation with one another. We pray this night for all parents who have children who are living with mental illness. We pray for all those who are lost, lonely, and alone and feel invisible. We pray that we may love the unlovable and fearlessly serve our family members O God and not be afraid of what other people think.  We pray for our family members who are ill and in need of healing and strength. 

Dear God we come to you with hearts that are full and tenderized, spirits that are enlivened that feel like the Waters of Life Coursing through our veins. May we enter in to your Holy presence not with fear and trembling but with awe and joy. 

Help us O God to realize it's all about Love and Family this day and always.

This day we continue to pray for the families and friends of all who have lost lives to senseless acts of violence and unknown reasons remembering especially the many air disasters,  and pray that the mystery surrounding these flights may be solved.

We pray for all  of our family members who are clergy and religious leaders who lead congregations and faith communities. We pray for all meetings that are taking place and for calm minds, listening hearts, that all those who take council may be mindful of the words they say. 

We pray for Syria and Syria's children that we may stand with all those who have been harmed and are refugees during this time of civil war. We pray for peaceful regime change.

We pray for all of our  family members who have lost loved ones that they may be supported and sustained by your presence and ever flowing love and comfort.

We pray for all refugees, captives, victims of human trafficking, and all of our family members wherever they may be. 

We pray for all aid agencies and organizations remembering_____________________.

We pray for those of us who are victim-survivors of abuse and assault. Take away our bitterness and replace it with love and forgiveness.

We pray for all the unemployed, underemployed, and have fallen on hard times who are forced to make gut wrenching decisions of what to go with out. We pray for compassionate social services and help for them.

We pray for all troubled nations of the world that the leaders of Syria, Palestine, The Ukraine, South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda, and North Korea may have their hearts tenderized to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

We pray for all of us who are dealing with health challenges, give us courage, grace, and the strength to meet each minute with the knowledge that we never walk alone and remember that you O God are the Good Shepherd and that your rod and your staff comfort us.

Watch over all law enforcement personnel at the local, state, national, and international levels.

We pray for all caregivers that they may take time to care for themselves as much as they care for others.

We pray for especially_______________________________

We give thanks for__________________________________

We celebrate this day our family members who are celebrating  birthdays and anniversaries and __________________________


Classic prayers:

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.

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. 

We remember those who are dying and those who have died today especially______________That they may rest in peace and rise in glory and live in Your Presence in the Thin Places.

We lay all of our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances in your arms this night all this we ask in Jesus most holy name. Amen.

********************


Good night  dear family of  Love! May you remember an d continue to be thoughtful and thankful. I give thanks to you this day and always!


Love and with a mind at peace to love and serve God and God's people,

Sara


Here is your ponder work preview:


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 

Tomorrow's keyword and concept:

Comforting and gathering the flock in a desolate city and sometimes being prevented in doing so.

Pharisees 

Where are the modern day Jerusalems?