Good Evening Dear Family!
Happy Sabbath Day to you all We are on De-Cluttering Part III: The anti- attachment challenge a.k.a new habits for new wine skins. Beginning tomorrow and throughout the remainder of the Summer and into the Autumn months I want to challenge each of us to be intentional as to how we do the things we do in our lives. Let's look at our daily habits from how we keep healthy, spend money, out attachment to things. Let us ask ourselves if we really need an item or can we get along without it! Do we have to eat out when we have wonderful food at home that needs to be eaten? Remember the homeless, hungry, and ill clad in our midst who do not have the luxury of going out to eat. This will be a season of mindfulness. I have started new habits such as eating my meals at the table again as a symbol of where Jesus and his friends spent time conversing, being taught many things, and feeling and seeing Christ's risen presence in the breaking of the bread. We need to become new people in new wine skins along with new habits to keep us on track. I was going to go get a taco and a coke for dinner and then I stopped myself and ate what was available at home. No carbon footprint usage, no money spent, and a better health option with a salad. We need to reframe, refocus, and renew our lives in all facets to reflect the Family of God and Love we truly are. We can't survive with old habits in new wine skins, it just won't work. In the coming weeks we will have new projects aplenty for our challenge. This week we are all going to do a surroundings check up! What things in our homes can we do without? Why are we holding on to these items? Can some of these items be given away to family members who need them? Donate to thrift stores! I would like to see us fill at least one to two bags of gunk each day or when you select your day of ridding yourselves of clutter. This might be a way of doing self-care on Saturday so that we may make our homes and ourselves more healthy by doing a Summer Clean Sweep! After we do this we get to see how this helps us spiritually and in our souls. This is our plan for the Summer and Beyond! But first let us get to our time of prayer. Tonight we are going to use the lessons for the feast day of James Weldon Johnson. Here is his biography:
James Weldon Johnson
Stay with us, Christ, for it is evening.
Make your Church bright with your radiance.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life O God.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life.
Create in me a clean heart and way.
Create in me a clean heart.
Create in me a clean.
Create in me
Create in.
Create.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind and spirit O God.
De- clutter my home, heart, body, mind, and spirit.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind.
De- clutter my home, heart, body.
De- clutter my home, heart,
De- clutter my home,
De- clutter.
Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life O God.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life.
Create in me a clean heart and way.
Create in me a clean heart.
Create in me a clean.
Create in me
Create in.
Create.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind and spirit O God.
De- clutter my home, heart, body, mind, and spirit.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind.
De- clutter my home, heart, body.
De- clutter my home, heart,
De- clutter my home,
De- clutter.
Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life O God.
Create in me a clean heart and way of life.
Create in me a clean heart and way.
Create in me a clean heart.
Create in me a clean.
Create in me
Create in.
Create.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind and spirit O God.
De- clutter my home, heart, body, mind, and spirit.
De-clutter my home, heart, body, mind.
De- clutter my home, heart, body.
De- clutter my home, heart,
De- clutter my home,
De- clutter.
Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause.
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.
Let the righteous rejoice * in the presence of God.
Let the righteous rejoice in the presence of God.
Let them be merry and joyful:
In the presence of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let the righteous rejoice in the presence of God.
V. Their sound has gone out into all lands:
R. And their message to the ends of the world.
Light of the World Phos hilaron
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days
“Lift every voice and sing.”
― James Weldon Johnson
46 Deus noster refugium
1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
3 Though its waters rage and foam, *
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
4 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the holy habitation of the Most High.
6 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown; *
God shall help her at the break of day.
7 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
9 Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *
what awesome things he has done on earth.
10 It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.
11 "Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth."
12 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
“Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.”
― James Weldon Johnson, Saint Peter Relates an Incident: Selected Poems
97 Dominus regnavit
1 The Lord is King;
let the earth rejoice; *
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, *
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
3 A fire goes before him *
and burns up his enemies on every side.
4 His lightnings light up the world; *
the earth sees it and is afraid.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, *
and all the peoples see his glory.
7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods! *
Bow down before him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you are the Lord,
most high over all the earth; *
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; *
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, *
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *
and give thanks to his holy Name.
“Young man, your arm's too short to box with God!”
― James Weldon Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
Sirach 39:1-11
39 He seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients,
and is concerned with prophecies;
2 he preserves the sayings of the famous
and penetrates the subtleties of parables;
3 he seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs
and is at home with the obscurities of parables.
4 He serves among the great
and appears before rulers;
he travels in foreign lands
and learns what is good and evil in the human lot.
5 He sets his heart on rising early
to seek the Lord who made him,
and to petition the Most High;
he opens his mouth in prayer
and asks pardon for his sins.
6 If the great Lord is willing,
he will be filled with the spirit of understanding;
he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own
and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.
7 The Lord* will direct his counsel and knowledge,
as he meditates on his mysteries.
8 He will show the wisdom of what he has learned,
and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant.
9 Many will praise his understanding;
it will never be blotted out.
His memory will not disappear,
and his name will live through all generations.
10 Nations will speak of his wisdom,
and the congregation will proclaim his praise.
11 If he lives long, he will leave a name greater than a thousand,
and if he goes to rest, it is enough* for him.
“Listen!--- Listen!
All you sons of Pharaoh.
Who do you think can hold God's people
when the Lord God himself has said,
Let my people go?”
― James Weldon Johnson, God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse
A Song of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.
The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,
But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our* struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these,* take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
And God stepped out on space, and He looked around and said: I'm lonely - I'll make me a world.
James Weldon Johnson
Luke 1:53-75
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ 61 They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
68 ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty saviour* for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
So God stepped over to the edge of the world And He spat out the seven seas; He batted His eyes, and the lightnings flashed; He clapped His hands, and the thunders rolled; And the waters above the earth came down, The cooling waters came down.
James Weldon Johnson
Eternal God, who gave your servant James Weldon Johnson a heart and voice to praise your Name in verse: As he gave us powerful words to glorify you, may we also speak with joy and boldness to banish hatred from your creation; in the Name of Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Let us enter into a time of prayer and making vigil.
God we thank you for reminding us of the fragility and how precious life is. Tonight we light our candles and pray for all of our family members. We pray for our family members who are living on the margins. We celebrate everyone who comes across our pathways as the face of Jesus and those who seek to do Jesus' work. We pray for our family members who are coping with discrimination, bullying, abuse, and being hated by family members who seek to divide and not unite. We pray for all of our family members who are struggling with illnesses such as Cancer, Alzheimer's, and any other disease that presents challenges to everyday living. We pray for our family members who are on the front lines of activism who are seeking to bring about peace, safety, unity, and equality. We pray for all faith communities who are losing their elderly and keepers of the lore by aging and by entering into the Thin Places. We pray for all family members who have been touched by violence. We pray this night for all who work in ERs, Law Enforcement, and Mortuary ministries that they may have an uneventful night. We pray that we may take time for self-care and offer to one another who need it times of respite. We pray and remember this night in group all who have died in Orlando and other places where gun violence has occurred. We pray for peace within ourselves, our families, our cities, states, nations, and the world. Let us be peacemakers and let it begin with us. We pray these prayers this night and lift them to you Gentle and loving God. Amen.
For whom and what shall we pray?
God we pray that we may de-clutter all the junk that is hindering our relationship with you and our families?
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer.
God we pray for an end to all the junk that divides us and fails to unite us.
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray that we might find our reliance upon you and not things and earthly possessions.
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray for an end to all forms of violence that there may be peace on the the Earth.
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing of bodies, minds, and spirits remembering especially _______________
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray for an end to _________________
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray for the conservation of God's Cathedral of Life.
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray and give thanks for __________________
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we pray that the leaders of the nations and especially here at home may realize their duty is to lead and care for the least of these no matter who they are. We pray that they may truly practice and live by the words "Liberty and Justice for all!".
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
God we lift up these our prayers to you O God.
God in your mercy,
Here our prayer
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
Gracious Spirit, we come to you with heavy hearts in need of healing. We offer our tender beings to you for the healing of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Gracious Spirit we pray this night for and end to bullying and persecution of our LGBTQ youth and adults who are not lovingly accepted in our family May we love them and make for them a soft place in which to fall.
Gracious Spirit, We pray for an end to domestic violence and abuse of men, women and children that all those who have been affected this way may find necessary help and safe shelter,
Gracious Spirit, we pray for our family members who are lonely, homeless, and hungry. May they find compassionate company, safe lodging, and be feed with good food.
Gracious Spirit, protect all of our immigrants, refugees,prisoners, captives, that they may receive necessary care, justice, secure shelters, be led to freedom and liberty.
Gracious Spirit we pray that we may be good stewards of God's Cathedral of Life and protect the land that God has given us. May we conserve and learn to live simply out of Gods's abundance.
Gracious Spirit, we pray for rain in the drought parched areas of the world and for our family members who are affected by severe weather.
Gracious Spirit, We pray for all those who are suffering from mental illness and depression and especially our family members who are feeling low in mind, spirit, and energy. Heal them and may they know that they are loved, precious, and accepted fully into God's Family.
Gracious Spirit, we pray for our family members who are suffering from Zika, the respiratory viruses, A.I.D.S. and any other illnesses that are life threatening.
Gracious Spirit, heal and console all of our family members who have Cancer, Diabetes, and all autoimmune, and chronic illnesses. We pray for their caregivers.
Gracious Spirit, we pray for an end to violence and division in our country and throughout the world. We pray for our elected leaders that they may remember that it is their job to protect us and not the chosen few. May we knit a prayer circle of love around our country where we may sew seeds of love, hope, joy,justice, peace, acceptance,and mercy, and that hate, bigotry, and division may cease. May we all be one!
Gracious Spirit, may we add our prayers, thanksgivings, remembrances, and celebrations for ourselves and on behalf of others at this time.
Gracious Spirit we lift up our prayers in the Name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Visit this place, O Lord, and drive far from it all snares of the
enemy; let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in
peace; and let your blessing be upon us always; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us. Amen.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to
generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen. Ephesians 3:20,2
James Weldon Johnson Videos:
Lift Every Voice and Sing!
The Creation - James Weldon Johnson
The Prodigal Son -James Weldon Johnson
+++++
Good Night Dear Ones! Let us begin our De-Cluttering challenge in earnest tomorrow and in the weeks and months ahead. May we find ourselves connected to God, Each other, and not attached to things and bad habits. I love you and give God thanks for you this day and always.
With love and blessings!
Sara
Resources:
Enriching our Worship
Book of Common Prayer
Book of Occasional Services
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
Walk With Me On our Journey
Satucket Lectionary Page
Quotes of James Weldon Johnson all over the web.
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