Dear Family of Love !
I hope everyone is having a wonderful and wonder-filled Wednesday. We are on Day 3 of our Wilderness week experience and that means we get to delve into our keyword and concept : Famished. Jesus was famished while he was undergoing his wilderness experience. This hunger was like none other. I sense that he was hungering for food the comforts he had at home his relationships with people and the normal every day things one would have taken for granted during the time in which he lived. I suspect that if he did a wilderness experience today we'd find him with our family members who are homeless, hungry and ill-clad. That leads me to ask of each of you these questions to hold in your heart for a space and write in your journals not just today but in the days to come.
What does the word famished mean to you?
Name few synonyms that might make these questions clearer? Old ROGET'S THESAURUS might be of help to you!
When have you been famished?
Do you know what that means?
When were you famished for____________?
Suggested list:
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Affection
Relationships
Sex
Intimacy
Friendships
Familyhood
Soulace
Solace
Attention
Knowledge
Righteousness
Justice
Equality
Human Rights
CALM (Compassion Acceptance Love and Mercy)
Peace
Peace of Mind
Financial security
The list is quite extensive isn't it ? I think that we all must find ourselves during Lent and other times facing wilderness experiences where we are hungry for an enriching and life giving relationship with God and each other. What does your wilderness look like? I picture mine as a drought laden area resembling a desert. My wilderness experiences sometimes are fallow times where I don't sense or see a lot of spiritual growth and yes I feel deserted. It is in periods like these I find that this hunger or being famished gives me clarity of what is missing in my life and in God's world. We all mustn't fear these fallow times. That is when those little mustard seeds of faith are planted. Do you know what a mustard seed looks like? Here it is! I like the meme that this picture shows!
This season of Lent is the most wonderful time of the year to reconnect and recognize our need for relationship with God and each other. Sometimes we do have hunger pangs that aren't always food related. So that must mean we need to settle in and spend a little time together with God in prayer, meditation study and becoming acquainted . Let us begin!
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.
Dear Ones as we light our candles and be at prayer for our nightly Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil let us be mindful of those who are hungry in body, mind, and spirit. Let us be mindful of those who are lacking safe food clothing, and shelter. Let us be mindful and prayerful and ask God to show us how to serve and care for the least of these. Let us never take our lives for granted and remember that we may indeed may become the least of these.
God we come to you in prayer with spirits that are hungry for a deeper relationship with you and all of our family members. We pray these prayers based on the list above.
We pray for our family members who are hungry for nourishing and life giving food. May their bodies be filled. We pray for all soup kitchens feeding programs food banks, and pantries.
We pray for our family members who are in need of clothing. May we take time to give our old and usable clothing away for those that need it.
We pray for our family members who are in need of shelter this evening and if they need to be out in the cold that they may be safely protected.
We pray for our family members who are in need of affection we pray that our prayers may encircle them with a virtual prayer quilt of love and compassion. May they feel our prayers as a holy hug and embrace.
We pray for our family members who are seeking relationships and that they may come to know that the most important relationships are with God and themselves.
We pray for our family members who are hungering for knowledge that education may be made affordable and that everyone will have places in which to learn and grow.
We pray for our family members who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
We pray for our family members who are hungering for justice,equality human rights, dignity, and respect.
We pray for our family members who are hungering for CALM (Compassion Acceptance Love and Mercy)
We pray for our family members who are hungering for peace and Peace of Mind.
We pray for our family members who have come to us with their prayer requests remembering especially__________________.
We add these classics of faith to make our time of prayer complete. From the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER and other sources.
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.
The Song of Mary Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
Luke 1:46-55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Song of Simeon Nunc Dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplication to you; and you
have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of
your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplication to you; and you
have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of
your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
++++++++
Tomorrow's Keyword and Concept:Find out what the Pinacle of the Temple Looks like.
To ponder tomorrow or this evening: How can you apply the word famished to our main theme of the week: Taking time by serving the least of these by taking on________________?
+++++++
Good Night dear family ! I love you! I give thanks to God for you this night and always. Remember we are approaching our weekly celebration and prayer time of Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday. It's a good time to practice random acts of kindness and wear your attitudes of gratitude.
With love and blessings!
Sara
No comments:
Post a Comment