Thursday, September 8, 2016

A season of prayer for social justice continues! Time to be thoughtful and thankful! There's a whole lot of praying going on!






Good Evening Dear Ones!

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! It's time to get out our journals and write our weekly gratitude list and spend time placing our hearts and minds on more positive things. 

Let us take time to do this now. I won't write mine here because I think privacy is very important between you and God.  Take time to listen to this piece from Godspell!

All Good Gifts


God we light our candles in thanksgiving and gratitude for all you have given us. We pray this night for the creation that sustains and enlivens our bodies, minds, and spirits. We pray and give thanks for diversity that reminds us that differences make our lives richer and more profound. We pray and give thanks for even the down times which remind us of the good things we have in our lives. We pray and give thanks for _____________________(Please add your gratitude list here)  Help us O God to be ever grateful and not take the things we have in life for granted. God we lift up our thanksgivings prayerfully and with love to you. Amen. 




We all matter and must be grateful that we do, through our prayers and meditations!

 Tonight I ask each of us to go deeper into prayer and find out why we matter to ourselves and to God. It won't be easy to do because it requires very intent listening and feeling God's loving presence almost as if we are on tip toe and in the quiet of our inner being! So let us travel to the center of our being with God to spend time with God and listen. Let us first begin with our breathing and mindfulness exercises. 

Inhale the Holy Spirit.
Exhale Love.

Inhale the Holy Spirit
Exhale Love

Inhale the Holy Spirit
Exhale Love

Now repeat the following 3 times;

Be Still and Know That I am God.
Be Still and Know
Be Still 
Be

Our musical selection for this evening is this: Spanish Angel - Paul Winter Consort
Now find a timer, mindfulness app, or music and set it for 5 minutes when you begin. Then close your eyes and be silent. If the music goes long don't worry that will lead you into our time of prayer and thanksgiving. 


 Let us be at prayer.

God we come to you in the quiet of our being to take time to be in relationship with you. Help us to listen, feel, and be. 

God help us to come to know ourselves better and that we may finally realize that we do indeed matter and are precious to you and to our family members.

We pray that we may have listening ears and hearts to welcome you and allow us to spend time with you.

We pray that we may offer our prayers in silence and stillness and not hurry.

We pray that we may welcome all of our family members into our hearts, heart homes, and our lives.

We pray for our family members who are feeling marginalized and invisible. We pray that we may stand by them no matter what.

We pray that old tapes that trigger memories of uncertainty and feelings of unworthiness may  cease. 

We pray that we all may be one in heart, mind, and spirit and that we may serve God and each other with warm and loving hearts. 

We offer our prayers and thanksgivings at this time, remembering ___________________


Accept these our prayers in the name of Jesus! Amen.

Or these!

Gracious Spirit who set the Stars, Suns, and Moons in the sky we give thanks for the beauty of God's Cathedral of  life that sustains us and gives us life and breathing. May we become good stewards of all that you have made.

Gracious Spirit, may we always seek to be peacemakers in this broken world and use our ears to listen first before reacting. May we use all of our senses to you honor and glory.

Gracious Spirit, take from us all thoughts and deeds that may separate us from  God.

Gracious Spirit, may our hearts and voices sing your praises everyday that we live, move, and just be.

Gracious Spirit, we pray continually for those who suffer from all  chronic illnesses. We pray for their caregivers as well that they may receive respite and care as well.

Gracious Spirit, we pray for all those who are suffering from depression and mental illness. May they receive the proper care and diagnosis. May we be a soft place to fall and be good listeners. 

Gracious Spirit, guide our steps to discern what you are calling us to do and be. May we listen with the ear of the heart and not what we think we are hearing.

Gracious Spirit, may we be your hands and feet in the world and care for the least of these.

Gracious Spirit challenge us to practice random acts of kindness to strangers and  members or our family that we haven't met yet.  May we have courage and not be afraid to love the unloving even if they may be our enemies.

Gracious Spirit, we pray for all who raise funds to help the various causes that need help. May we give and help accordingly.

Gracious Spirit, we pray for all those who haven't had the courage to reach out and request prayer and especially those who have and we pray on their behalf at this time adding our own petitions as well.

Gracious Spirit, we remember and pray for all who mourn and those who are grieving.

We ask and lift up these our prayers and petitions to you Lord Jesus in your name. Amen.

++++

Good Night ! God Bless you all! I love you and give thanks for you this day and always!

Love and blessings!

Sara




Here are the lessons for the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

COLLECT PRAYER

Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.


Reading 1 Mic 5:1-4a

The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

Rom 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.



 Mt 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,


which means “God is with
us.”

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