Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Epiphanies Both Small and Great A ha moments that connect us to the holy #AccepandReceive





Good Evening Dear Family of Love ! 

Happy #WisdomWednesday! I hope all of you are having a good week so far. It has been a week of revelations and a ha moments that have meant much to me. Today I received good news that I qualify for Food Stamps and Medicaid. These are two great reliefs for me and I give God thanks for them and TPTB (The Powers that Be). The a ha moment key words today are #AcceptandReceive. Many of us do not know how to ask for help nor how to receive assistance when it is offered.  Life is all about accepting and receiving. Yes there is a balancing act with both of these actions. So what does that have to do with a ha moments and holy times. I would say a great deal because when we accept we stop placing conditions on the actions of  others  and just allow the giver to give without question. Receiving is the other part of accepting because it places us in the positions of being receptive as we accept the gift, the help, the comfort, the care, and the CALM(Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy) God and our neighbors are offering.  So let us work on accepting and receiving so that we may broaden our faith as we learn to be better in the giving department. Tonight let us pray about our lives and how we can open ourselves up to be more accepting, receiving, and giving with love. 

Here is a reading from Hebrews that speaks of Jesus connecting with us on a very profound level.Let us pray and accept and receive his most precious gift so that we may share our gifts with God and others. 


Hebrews 2:14-18

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters* in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested

Let us light our candles and be at prayer for the week to come and that we may continually listen with the ear of the heart to what God is saying to us. Let us pray that we may continually be Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful.







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

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him
with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his
Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly
confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

12 Salvum me fac

1 Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left; *
the faithful have vanished from among us.

2 Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; *
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.

3 Oh, that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues, *
and close the lips that utter proud boasts!

4 Those who say, "With our tongue will we prevail; *
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"

5 "Because the needy are oppressed,
and the poor cry out in misery, "
I will rise up," says the Lord,
"and give them the help they long for."

6 The words of the Lord are pure words, *
like silver refined from ore
and purified seven times in the fire.

7 O Lord, watch over us *
and save us from this generation for ever.

8 The wicked prowl on every side, *
and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.


13 Usquequo, Domine?

1 How long, O Lord?
will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.

5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.

6 I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
  

14 Dixit insipiens

1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." *
All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
there is none who does any good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, *
to see if there is any who is wise,
if there is one who seeks after God.

3 Every one has proved faithless;
all alike have turned bad; *
there is none who does good; no, not one.

4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers *
who eat up my people like bread
and do not call upon the Lord?

5 See how they tremble with fear, *
because God is in the company of the righteous.

6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, *
but the Lord is their refuge.

7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! *
when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.





Isaiah 41:1-16

41Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
   let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
   let us together draw near for judgement. 

2 Who has roused a victor from the east,
   summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him,
   and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
   like driven stubble with his bow. 
3 He pursues them and passes on safely,
   scarcely touching the path with his feet. 
4 Who has performed and done this,
   calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am first,
   and will be with the last. 
5 The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
   the ends of the earth tremble;
   they have drawn near and come. 
6 Each one helps the other,
   saying to one another, ‘Take courage!’ 
7 The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
   and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, ‘It is good’;
   and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved. 
8 But you, Israel, my servant,
   Jacob, whom I have chosen,
   the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
   and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘You are my servant,
   I have chosen you and not cast you off ’; 
10 do not fear, for I am with you,
   do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. 

11 Yes, all who are incensed against you
   shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
   shall be as nothing and shall perish. 
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
   but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
   shall be as nothing at all. 
13 For I, the Lord your God,
   hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Do not fear,
   I will help you.’ 

14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
   you insect* Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
   your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 
15 Now, I will make of you a threshing-sledge,
   sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
   and you shall make the hills like chaff. 
16 You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
   and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
   in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. 


Canticle C
The Song of Hannah
1 Samuel 2:1-8
My heart exults in you, O God; *
my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, *
for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *
Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, *
those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *
while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *
gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; *
and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers *
and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s *
on which the whole earth is founded


Ephesians 2:1-10

2You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ*—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.


Canticle L
A Song of Christ’s Humility
Philippians 2:6-11
Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.



Mark 1:29-45

29 As soon as they* left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ 38He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
40 A leper* came to him begging him, and kneeling* he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ 41Moved with pity,* Jesus* stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’42Immediately the leprosy* left him, and he was made clean. 43After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus* could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.


The Song of Mary Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children 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


Let us use these prayers tonight, let us reconnect through prayers, and tell and show each other I Love You. let us accept, receive, and give love freely without condition. 

Tonight let us once again reconnect with one another by thinking of all whom are precious to us and love deeply. Let's see how many of you who are on FB, Twitter,Google+. or Pinterest  can tell our family members you love them. Don't be afraid, the God who made us and and loves us will hold our hands and lay us in God's arms gently as we do this . God does this every nano-second of our lives.  Our meditation and listening music is this The Impressionists Windham Hill  or this Alma Del Sur  

Let us now pray to the God who is Love with our hearts and heart homes open with love, hope, peace, and joy.

God of  love  teach us how to love one another boldly with out fear.

God  of love help us to hold each other's hands united in the bonds that make us family.

God of  love we pray for peace in this world and that was and divisions may cease.

God of  Love give us strength and courage to see ourselves and each other as the beautiful children whom you have made.

God of love take the hands of those who are dying and gently lead them into you heavenly realm.

God of  Love infuse our hearts with love so that we may lovingly respond to the needs of  our most vulnerable family members.

God of Love lovingly enfold all those who are grieving the losses of family and friends.

God of  Love heal all those who are ill and especially those who have cancer and all chronic illnesses.

God of Love help us to answer your call with a resounding yes! 

God of Love teach us to give ourselves permission to rest, relax, and renew.  

God of Love we pray for_______________________________

God of Love surround all those who are caregivers and those who are called to protect and keep us safe.

God of Love teach all leaders of all the nations in the ways of justice,peace, and love.  Help them to use loving and kind voices. May they hear the cries of those seeking justice, peace, universal human rights, and equality at all levels of life.

In the name of Christ Jesus who is Love Made fully Human and Divine we offer these our prayers. Amen. 

Bonuses!


Here are today's wishes;Morning Wish: Today's wish is that there be peace on earth and that we all may be one family of Love (God) throughout the world.


Evening Wish: My wish for this evening is this that we pray for peace and unity in this world and for each other.

Prayer bidding: Let us pray for peace and unity in this world and for those whom you'd like us to pray. I love you all! 



+++++++++

Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Take time to love, be love, accept and receive love. Thank you for today and always.

With love and gratitude,

Sara





Resources for today:
Canticles C and L from Enriching our Worship.
Book of Occasional Services -Anthem at the Candle Lighting and Epiphany Collect
Book of Common Prayer Canticles.
Walk With Me On Our Journey Original Prayers.


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