Dear Family of Love!
Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is getting ready for what I call our mellow down, not melt down!
Wednesdays are very important to be able to start get ready for our weekend Self-care and Sabbath rest period. We need to just stop what we are doing and mellow down. It's time to take a breather and un-cook our bodies, minds, and spirits. I don't know about you but it is time to do so in light of what we are seeing in social media and the news. We are going to keep this brief and more calming and healing.
Tonight is devoted to the healing of our spirits, hearts, and nation.
Let's begin with our "Be Stills" and breathe!
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Take a few deep breaths , hold, and exhale slowly ! Pause
Close your eyes and relax your bodies.
Keep doing this as long as you need to.
Now won't you join with me and enter into our nightly virtual prayer vigil?
God of all mercy you are hearing the cries of your people whose voices are waiting to be heard. We light our candles in solidarity of the voiceless ones who are on the marginalized and especially all of our family members who were killed in senseless and brutal acts of terror and hate We light our candles and raise our voices in prayer for the courage to speak truth to power. We pray this night for all of our leaders that they may come together for the benefit of all citizens We pray for the families of victims of hate crimes and terror. We pray for healing in our hearts, families, and our nation. We pray for unity and bridge building and that walls of division may come down. We pray for peace,hope, and healing among all peoples of the earth. We pray and light our candles in honor for all of the heroes of peaceful non-violent protest and the Civil Rights Movement. We offer our own prayers from our hearts and lift up these our prayers in your name. Amen.
Prayers and thanksgivings for Diversity
God we give you thanks this day for the gift of diversity. Thank you for all that diversity brings into our lives.
God we pray for all of the rich cultures found throughout the world. We pray that we may see you in each and every face and reflect the love you give us back into their eyes.
God we pray for peace in the world that wars and hatred may cease and that we may know only how to be compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful.
God we pray that we my be loving conservationists and help preserve the diverse landscape or your Cathedral of Life.
God we pray for all our loved ones who are facing yet another night in all kinds of weather. We pray for warm shelters, nourishing meals, and warm clothing to be made available.
God we pray for all who are dying and transitioning from this life into the next.
God we pray for all of us who are mourning the losses of loved ones.
God we pray for refugees, victims of human trafficking, abuse, bullying, hatred, and the family members of terrorists who are mourning the loss of their children who have made a journey into the darker more harmful aspects of life.
God we pray for ___________________________________
God we give thanks for______________________________
God we lift up all our faith communities this time of year that we may come to learn, respect, and love them and that we may come to their aid when hatred is lodged against them. May we sow seeds of love, hope, and generosity of spirit.
God we lift up these our prayers and each other this night to your son Jesus for Love, healing, and refuge. Amen.
Tonight's extra prayers from THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
Psalm 121 Levavi oculos
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills; *
from whence cometh my help?
My help cometh even from the Lord, *
who hath made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, *
and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord himself is thy keeper; *
the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
So that the sun shall not burn thee by day, *
neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; *
yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
For our Enemies
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.
For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
++++++++
Good Night Dear Family! I Love you! May you have a restful night! Tomorrow is Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday. I give thanks to God for you this night and always.
Let us practice random acts of kindness, radical hospitality, and love towards all.
With love,blessings, and gratitude,
Sara
Optional prayers for prayer vigils:
God we come before you this night to light our candles, pray, give thanks, and be still and know that you are God and that you are Good. We pray this night that we may seek to be refreshed, renewed, and reacquainted with you, each other, and ourselves. We pray that we may be freed from the need to be drawn into the snares of fear, hatred, bigotry, and all things that divide us from you and each other.
We pray this night for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit that draw us near to you and carry us out into the world to serve and love all of our family members. We pray this night and give thanks for the gift of pain and struggle that remind us of our sisters and brothers who are enduring many things beyond all of our knowledge. We pray that love, joy, hope, and peace may spread across this nation and the world like the rush of that famous mighty wind on Pentecost and we may find ourselves wrapped in the Spirit's Comforting and Healing quilt. Draw us near to one another through Jesus' love and mercy. Let us light our candles as we take them out into the world and vanquish all darkness, hate, and division. We add our prayers and thanksgivings and offer this moment of silence in memory of all who have died in any act of violence this day and those who are suffering at the hands of verbal and violent acts of terror and abuse. God hear our prayers and petitions and the cries of our hearts and spirits this night and always. Amen.
We pray this night for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit that draw us near to you and carry us out into the world to serve and love all of our family members. We pray this night and give thanks for the gift of pain and struggle that remind us of our sisters and brothers who are enduring many things beyond all of our knowledge. We pray that love, joy, hope, and peace may spread across this nation and the world like the rush of that famous mighty wind on Pentecost and we may find ourselves wrapped in the Spirit's Comforting and Healing quilt. Draw us near to one another through Jesus' love and mercy. Let us light our candles as we take them out into the world and vanquish all darkness, hate, and division. We add our prayers and thanksgivings and offer this moment of silence in memory of all who have died in any act of violence this day and those who are suffering at the hands of verbal and violent acts of terror and abuse. God hear our prayers and petitions and the cries of our hearts and spirits this night and always. Amen.
or
Let us take time to meditate upon these questions and and then take time to offer ourselves hospitality as we sit quiet and engage in the "Be Stills"
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be
Please sit quietly and repeat with our eyes closed.
This is a day of Sabbath Rest dear ones. I invite us all this night to enter into our time of Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil quietly, reverently, and take journey into a holy time with God. Let us open our heart homes widely with CALM (compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy) Let us pray that we may practice holy hospitality daily with all whom we meet and also with God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We pray that we may walk together as the family of God and Love. We pray that we may walk hand in hand on equal footing. We pray that we may welcome all the table and that means everyone. We pray that we may see God in every person this week. We pray that we may use loving words, kind speech, and non-violent actions towards our family members. We pray that we may let go of any and all anxieties that we are struggling with this week. We pray that we may Love one another as united family members in peace.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be
Please sit quietly and repeat with our eyes closed.
This is a day of Sabbath Rest dear ones. I invite us all this night to enter into our time of Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil quietly, reverently, and take journey into a holy time with God. Let us open our heart homes widely with CALM (compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy) Let us pray that we may practice holy hospitality daily with all whom we meet and also with God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We pray that we may walk together as the family of God and Love. We pray that we may walk hand in hand on equal footing. We pray that we may welcome all the table and that means everyone. We pray that we may see God in every person this week. We pray that we may use loving words, kind speech, and non-violent actions towards our family members. We pray that we may let go of any and all anxieties that we are struggling with this week. We pray that we may Love one another as united family members in peace.
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