Sabbath Rest in Lent! Time for real rest and worship!

Dear Family of Love!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I'm sending you all a hear home filled with love and thanksgiving to you all.  Well ,it's the first Sunday in Lent and that means or meant rest and #Worship our keyword for the day. This Lent I challenge us all to make Sundays a time of rest and worship. That means we need to strive to self-impose if we can our own old fashioned Blue Laws or in the case of Lent, purple laws. That means we rest and try not to do extra busy-ness and yes I would like us to try not to go into stores unless we really need to. Do you shopping on Saturday! Set a day possibly on Thursday or Friday to do weekend preparations. We owe it to God and ourselves at least one day when we just stop, look,listen, and lay things down. Sundays are God and family days. When was the last time you just stayed home after church and reconnected with your families? I encourage you to catch up on Journaling your Journey. We need to dial in with God each and everyday and on God's day of rest. So take time for worship, meditation, study, and trying to do more mindfulness sitting.  Tonight Let us remind ourselves what the key words and concepts were for this week:

Prepare

Sweep

Dust

Being Thoughtful and Thankful.

Heart Home

Love Energy

Worship

Did any of these keywords and concepts hit you in any particular way?

Were you able to take anything new on and lay something down?

These are what our designated time of introspection will be used for tonight.

But first we need to spend time with our "Be Stills!"

Let's engage in 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.

Let us look ahead to next week's theme:

 Week 2: Taking time by serving the least of these by taking on________________?

Our Keywords and concepts for the week will come from today's Gospel lesson. Here is a refresher if you should need it:

Luke 4:1-13

After his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written,

'Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.'"

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you,

to protect you,'

and

'On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Here are our seven Keywords and concepts;

Wilderness

Temptation

Famished

Find out what the Pinacle of the Temple Looks like.

What are the differences between temples, churches, synagogues, basilicas, and cathedrals? Where do you worship?

Devil

Holy Spirit

This week we will take time to apply these concepts for our period of introspection and getting into the minds of the least of these.  

Dear Ones It is time for our Virtual Candlelight Vigil that will be devoted to spending tine with God and praying for peace, justice, and to become the beautiful and CALM (compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful) children of God. We pray for our family members who are struggling in any way. For those who are traveling. For those who are being affected by severe weather. Let us Light our Candles and be at prayer.

Let us spend time in prayer and worship.

God we pray that as we take time to go deeper into the silence may we find ourselves one with you.

God we pray that in the silence we may be still and know.

God we pray for peace in the world and that we may be peacemakers in our acts of silent prayers and quiet deeds.

God we pray for all who are ill that they may be healed according to your will.

God we pray for all our loved ones who are dying and especially those who have entered the Thin Places.

God we pray for all those who are living on the margins may we by your guidance O God serve them and see you reflected in their eyes.

God we add our own prayers and thanksgivings especially ___________________________

God we pray this day for an end to violence of any kind. 

God we pray for all those who were single, widowed, divorced on Valentine's day that they may find peace in their hearts and in your time find love and meaningful relationships again.

We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus your Son, Amen. 

Or these:

Lord help us to spend Sabbath time so that we may connect with you our Creator and be your creation.
Beside the still waters we take our rest.

Lord as we rest beside your still waters may we feel the Holy Spirit renewing our spirits and remind us that we are human beings not human doings. 

As we connect with you Lord may we reconnect with our family members all over the world and keep them in our hearts as we pray. Lord beside the still waters may we find each of us resting in your arms and finding peace with each other. 

Lord God be with us as we become more intentional in making right choices when we have our times of Sabbath.

Lord God we pray for all those who cannot find times of Sabbath and rest. We pray for all those who work on  Your Day of Rest. May we always be sensitive to those who cannot enjoy days off for rest, relaxation, and renewal for the refreshment of bodies, minds, and spirits.

 We pray for all people who are affected and in danger due to severe and strange weather. We pray for rain here in your drought parched land. 

We pray for sensitivity, empathy, and acceptance of all our family members who may not feel that sense of belonging only you can give through the loving actions of others.

We pray for all those who are ill and may need further examinations to find out what is wrong.

We pray for all who travel and for their safe return.

We pray for all parents and children who are being stressed out by unnecessary demands made on them by a get ahead society. We pray that they may find rest and reconnections as families and spouses.

We pray that we may find rest and renewal and may begin to come down from our mountain top or retreat experience with renewed intention and purpose to rest and take Sabbath time.

We pray for this night_________________________

We thank you Lord for all your many blessings remembering _____________________

We celebrate life, love, and times with all our family members and special times remembering________________

We offer special remembrances of family members who have entered to the place of heavenly joy and rest remembering_____________________

We pray that we may rest tonight in your loving arms and feel the Light of Christ Burning brightly in our spirits. All this we ask in Jesus most holy name. Amen.

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Today's wish is that everyone wraps their hearts around love and know that love is the key!

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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you ! Take time to rest, relax, and renew your bodies, minds, and spirits.  Have a Happy Valentine's day!


Love, joy, blessings and peace be always yours!

Sara