A pre -election retreat ! A time to pray, make vigil, and discern, and begin anew to heal and to reconcile with one another.

Good Evening!

Tonight we begin our 4 day retreat and vigil for our family members, nation, and the up coming election. I suggest that we begin to make time for holy silence, outside time, and periods of being away from cyberspace. I urge everyone to stop posting and sharing anything relating to the candidates and re-focus energy towards Standing Rock, the least of these, and all of our family members.

Tonight let us engage in the "Be Stills"

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know .
Be still.
Be.

After we do this as many times as we need to let us try it again with our eyes closed and incorporate deep breathing.

We open our time together by making vigil and smudging!

Anthem at the Candle Lighting (from the BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES)

You, O Lord, are my lamp; *
my God, you make my darkness bright.
You, O Lord, are my lamp;
my God, you make my darkness bright.
You have been my helper:
My God, you make my darkness bright.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
You, O Lord, are my lamp;
my God, you make my darkness bright.


V. Let my prayer be set forth, O Lord:
R. As incense in your sight.

A Smudging Prayer

 Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. 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.

A Song of Wisdom Sapientia liberavit

Wisdom 10:15-19,20b-21

Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors *

a holy people and a blameless race.

She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, *

withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.

To the saints she gave the reward of their labors, *

and led them by a marvelous way;

She was their shelter by day *

and a blaze of stars by night.

She brought them across the Red Sea, *

she led them through mighty waters;

But their enemies she swallowed in the waves *

and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.

And then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name, *

and praised with one voice your protecting hand;

For Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute, *

and gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people.

A Song of Christ’s Goodness

Anselm of Canterbury

Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *

you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.

Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *

tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.

You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *

in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.

Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *

by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.

Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *

through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.

Your warmth gives life to the dead, *

your touch makes sinners righteous.

Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *

in your love and tenderness, remake us.

In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *

for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.

Here are a series of prayers from other blogs to use as we pray during this time of prayerful discernment for our nation.

For our musical meditation let us listen to a few protest songs sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary Mix

Think about what the words of these wonderful songs are saying to you and your heart home
Now let's take time to mediate on what voting and our founding mothers and fathers, Sojourner Truth,  Martin Luther King, John Adams, Johnathan Myrick Daniels, Medgar Evers, Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce, Thomas Jefferson, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela,Malala, Mahatma Gandhi, and all those who have fought for justice throughout the world mean to us.  Who are your favorite protesters?  What do they mean to you?


Let us pray in the Key of Jesus and Ring the Bells of  El Camino Real for those who fought for  and are fighting for justice, peace, and equality. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for Martin Luther King Jr. and his witness to all of our family members who were longing for justice in this their distant home and land that we take for granted. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for Mahatma Gandhi who taught us how to protest non-violently Help us to follow Your and His Model  and use our words  to make peace and cry out for the voiceless.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray  and give thanks for all who gave their lives in the Stonewall riots to help pave the way for LGBTQ rights and the rights of those who are afraid to live authentically. May we see God in each of us who are in the LGBTQ community, who are family, allies, and friends , be enfolded into the mainstream community with out fear and labeling. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for Elizabeth Cady Stanton and all of our sisters who fought for the rights of women so that they would no longer be property but full and perfect members of  society and examples of citizenry to their sons and daughters. We pray that all of our sisters may have full protection and rights securely given them. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for all of our family members who were interned in the Japanese inte

rnment camps at Manzanar and Santa Anita. We pray for their contributions to our society and ask for their forgiveness for the wrongs we may have done out of fear and mistrust. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for the witness of all our Native and Indigenous Martyrs who were here in their homelands of origin in this country We pray for forgiveness for the wrongs we have done to them and remember the trail of tears that took them away from places they call home and became refugees in strange and distant lands. We remember this night all of our family members who are refugees. We pray that they may one day return home as You , Mary, and Joseph left Egypt for Nazareth. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for Malala and all children who speak truth to power. We pray for all our children that they may be protected from harm. May all of our youth look to Malala for hope and a role model of what one child can do. We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for Cesar Chavez and all those who fought for the farm worker and for the rights and protection of those who put food on our tables We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for those who have died in the struggle for justice, equality, inclusion, and universal human rights.We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for all the many witnesses that we have not named but you know them all may we remember them now_____________________________We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for this night especially for ________________________

We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.

We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Forgiveness,Justice, Peace, Human kindness, and most especially love,  for all of our family members now. We pray this in the name of Jesus who came to unite us in love, forgiveness, and serve to and speak  for  the least of these. Amen. 



+++

Tonight let's meditate on the words unity and love. Take your time and find your way into the center and stay there. Be in conversation and listen to 

what God is saying.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God to help us promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits not only in our lives but as as good citizens.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God  to seek peace in everything we do.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God, to love and care for the least of these.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O  God, to strive for justice, peace, and equality throughout all nations of the world and in our own country.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God, that we may learn to love and care for the refugee, victim of violence, and human trafficking.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God that we may care for all who  are in mourning and those who have died.

Open our eyes, ears hearts and souls O God to help us fight injustice and oppression.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts,and souls O God to come to you when we are in need of help and comfort.

Open our eyes, ears,hearts and souls O God to Pray for all those who are ill and in need of your healing. remembering_________________________

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls that we may lift up our prayers and thanksgivings to you O Lord . Amen.

++++++

Dear God we pray on this election day eve that we may be good citizens and take time to vote tomorrow.

May we view voting as a sacred privilege not to be squandered but prized.

May we educate ourselves on the various issues and pray for your guidance  in these matters and that we always remember the least of these and those who are on the margins especially for those whose rights may be violated and not made equal to that of our own.

We pray for our leaders at all levels of government.
We pray for our courts and the judiciary.

We pray for all governmental agencies at the local, state, and national level.

We pray for all new citizens who will be voting in their first election.

We pray that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O God and may justice roll down.

We pray that our voices may be as we vote and may we remember the voiceless who can't vote.

We pray for all lawyers, paralegals, court clerks, bailiffs, sheriffs, justices of the peace, law enforcement personnel, judges, District Attorneys and all those who help administer justice in our land.

We pray for those who work in our prisons and jails. We pray for prison reform and those who are in prison.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform. 

We pray for peace in our country and and end to violence of any kind.

We pray for an end to human trafficking and abuse.

We pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members.

We pray for peace in all troubled and war torn areas of Your World O God. Take time in this time of silence to call these places and situations to mind.

We pray for all those who have asked us to pray for them and others on their behalf. 

We add our own prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances_________.

God we lift up these prayers to you in your Name. Amen.

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

Have a blessed night dear family! I love you, you matter, and I'm blessed and give thanks that we are family!

With love, prayers, peace, blessings, and thanks for you always,


Sara