A Season of Prayer, A season of being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful), A Season of being kind,

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey,

Wow it is Tuesday in Easter Week and that must mean we are well on our way in seeking the Risen Christ among us all. Who was the Risen Christ in your life today? Remember the last face you saw today it might have been yours or someone else's. Jesus is living and active among us in many ways and yes my dear family we still must allow ourselves to continually seek Him and also allow Jesus to find us as the lost sheep and be returned to the flock  Every day we find ourselves as Lost Sheep, Lepers, Good Samaritans, Prodigal Sons and Daughters, Martha's and Mary's. We are also called to be transformed like Abraham who was Abram , Sarah who was Sarai, Peter who was Simon, and Paul who was Saul.All  of these family members of ours have one thing in common besides having their names changed to transform their lives they were people of faith who engaged in prayer and having a deep and abiding relationship with God. That is what Lent, Holy Week, and Easter are supposed to be doing in our own lives and the lives of our many family members. Today The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has called us to a season or prayer. This is what Presiding Bishop Curry said today via the Episcopal News Service,
'“In this season of Resurrection, I call on everyone to pray for our brothers and sisters in areas where there is much burden and little hope,”
 These are the areas and family members we need to pray for. 

• Burundi
• Central America
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Middle East
• Pakistan
• South Sudan

The Episcopal Church is starting this season of prayer beginning on April 3, We are going to start tonight. We not only are going to make this a Season of Prayer, We are going to make it A Season of being CALM ( Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful) A Season of Being Kind, A Season of vanquishing hate, bigotry, and disunity, A season of being the Light and a Season of being peace makers. We are going to make this a season where we truly become family members of the Jesus Movement where love is the key to unlock all that has been causing this fragile and broken world pain and division.  Remember the 4 themes in Advent?  Love,Joy, Hope, and Peace. These are how we are going to divide up our day with our prayers. Here is the prescription for our prayers. Pray for Love In the morning, Pray for Joy at Noon, Pray for Hope in the Evening, and Pray fore Peace at bedtime. 

We will take time for introspection throughout these 4 sections of the day along with periods of engaging in our "Be Stills" and that is where we are going right here, right now.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know. 

Be still.

Be.

Repeat the "Be stills" until you are ready to spend time and go deeper and center yourself and open your heart home with love energy to God and all of our family members.

Let us light our candles and be at prayer. Let us make this time during the season of Easter a pilgrimage of praying, serving, and carrying the light and love to a fragile and broken world. Let us join Presiding Bishop Curry of the Episcopal Church in the season of prayer for  Burundi,Central America, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Middle East,Pakistan,South Sudan. Let us make this a season of prayer for the least of these and an end to violence and hate. Let us pray for each other and be united as the Children and family of God that we were and are meant and made to be. 

Let us be at prayer

God we pray for peace in the world and an end to violence , hatred, terror and abuse. We pray that we may be examples of your son Jesus and that we may  be loving and light bearing to the dark places in this land and in the world. 

Loving and Merciful God we lay our burdens down and take time to rest and have holy conversation with you.

We pray that we won't be asking just for ourselves alone but on behalf of others who need a boost and who are afraid to be in a loving conversation with you. 

We pray for all of our family members who have been affected by all the dangerous weather throughout the country. We pray for all the agencies coming to their need.

We pray for a sense of calmness when we begin to feel anxious about anything. We lift up all those who have any kind of mental or memory related illness. For research into the root causes of these illnesses and especially for family and friends who care for them.

We pray for courage to be whom God has made us to be and that we may live authentically without fear, shame, or guilt. 

We pray for the Missing Girls of Nigeria, The Victims of Human Trafficking, The many young children and girls who are being sold as sex slaves by Daesh, The missing and exploited children all over the world. and that they may be found safe and released from harm. We pray for an end to human trafficking of any kind.

We pray for all places of political unrest and for the safety of all our family members throughout the world that the leaders of the nations may remember "To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God and let Justice Roll Down"

We pray for all those who are struggling to make ends meet and the unemployed who are seeking well paying jobs that are permanent. 

We pray for all those who are ill and infirm and who are lonely in care facilities. We pray for all those who have Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and all orphan, chronic, and autoimmune diseases. We pray for better medications and treatments for the relief of pain.

We pray for all who travel and we pray for all those who drive in town and we pray for all young and elderly drivers. We pray that we all may know when it is time to have the conversation about taking car keys away from our family members.

God we pray especially for______________________
We give thanks to you O God for___________________
We  Celebrate this day for________________
We remember those who now reside in the Thin Places remembering especially _____________And their loved ones who mourn their loss.

We lift up these our prayers this night to you O God of Love and mercy. Amen.

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

Good Night! Rest well and know that I love you and I give God Thanks for you this day and always. 

Love, joy, hope, and peace and yes there is power in God's presence, I can feel it can't you?

Sara