Good Evening Dear Family!
Happy Self-Care Saturday! Today I decided to keep it simple in the de-cluttering projects and rest. I have developed floaters in my right eye and have needed to slow down and rest. I also couldn't sleep at 4:00 in the morning and sorted and de-cluttered items in my old bedroom. I hate it when I can't sleep, but I accomplished much. Trying to dial down energy is difficult when for so long one hasn't had any is a challenge. That is why I have allowed myself periods of rest and relaxation. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Tonight we are going to use the lessons for the feast day of Harriet Beecher Stowe. She was an amazing woman and author. Last evening we used the lessons for Pauli Murray whose feast day is also today. These two women were prophetic witnesses in society and have blazed trails for all of us. You will get to read their bios again tonight. Today's retreat focus is keeping life simple on the weekends by really caring for ourselves and not playing heavy duty catch up. Tomorrow, I encourage you to enjoy a true Sabbath rest day as I always do. If you have to do anything, map out your routine for the week ahead and tasks that need doing. Honor your bodies, minds, spirits, and activity levels.
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.
“Obeying God never brings on public evils. I know it can’t. It’s always safest, all round, to do as He bids us.”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
“The past, the present, and the future are really one: they are today”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe
“Once in an age, God sends to some of us a friend who loves in us... not the person that we are, But the angel we may be.”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe
Psalm 94:16–23
Deus ultionum
16 Who rose up for me against the wicked? *
who took my part against the evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not come to my help, *
I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18 As often as I said, "My foot has slipped," *
your love, O Lord, upheld me.
19 When many cares fill my mind, *
your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you, *
one which frames evil into law?
21 They conspire against the life of the just *
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, *
and my God the rock of my trust.
23 He will turn their wickedness back upon them
and destroy them in their own malice; *
the Lord our God will destroy them.
“It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe
Isaiah 26:7–13
The way of the righteous is level;
O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous.
In the path of your judgements,
O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and your renown
are the soul’s desire.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgements are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
If favour is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness they deal perversely
and do not see the majesty of the Lord.
O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.
O Lord our God,
other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but we acknowledge your name alone.
A Song of Pilgrimage Priusquam errarem
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16,20b-22
Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.
“In all ranks of life the human heart yearns for the beautiful; and the beautiful things that God makes are His gift to all alike.”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe
1 Peter 3:8–12
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. For
“Those who desire life
and desire to see good days,
let them keep their tongues from evil
and their lips from speaking deceit;
let them turn away from evil and do good;
let them seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
The truth is the kindest thing we can give folks in the end.
– Harriet Beecher Stowe
A Song of the Wilderness
Isaiah 35:1-7,10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
It shall blossom abundantly, *
and rejoice with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, *
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands, *
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *
Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *
and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *
and streams in the desert;
The burning sand shall become a pool *
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Matthew 23:1–12
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
What makes saintliness in my view, as distinguished from ordinary goodness, is a certain quality of magnanimity and greatness of soul that brings life within the circle of the heroic.
– Harriet Beecher Stowe
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.
Gracious God, we thank you for the witness of Harriett Beecher Stowe, whose fiction inspired thousands with compassion for the shame and sufferings of enslaved peoples, and who enriched her writings with the cadences of The Book of Common Prayer. Help us, like her, to strive for your justice, that our eyes may see the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ, when he comes to reign with you and the Holy Spirit in reconciliation and peace, one God, now and always. Amen.
“. . . in the gates of eternity, the black hand and the white hold each other with an equal clasp.”
― Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
Let us pray the litany of the Saints of Social Justice Living and Departed. You may add your own to the list.
Lord, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, hear us.
CHRIST, graciously hear us.
GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, have mercy on us.
GOD THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, have mercy on us.
GOD THE HOLY GHOST, have mercy on us.
HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, have mercy on us.
HOLY MARY, pray for us.
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us.
HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, pray for us.
ST. MICHAEL, pray for us.
ST. GABRIEL, pray for us.
ST. RAPHAEL, pray for us.
ALL HOLY ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS, pray for us.
ALL HOLY ORDERS OF BLESSED SPIRITS, pray for us.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, pray for us. ST. JOSEPH, pray for us.
ALL HOLY PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS, pray for us.
ST. PETER, pray for us.
ST. PAUL, pray for us
After the names are spoken aloud our response is this :
"IF YOU SPEAK MY NAME, I WILL LIVE FOREVER."
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Pauli MurrayFesto Kivengere
Nelson Mandela
Malala
Anne Frank
Raoul Wallenberg
Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, William Wilberforce, John Newton, Alex Haley, ROOTS
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Oskar Schindler
Elie Wiesel. The Albanian Muslims who Saved the Jews in World War II
Johnathan Myrick Daniels
James Chaney
Andrew Goodman
Michael Schwerner
Martin Luther King Jr.
Sacheen Littlefeather
St. Theresa of Calcutta
Fr. Damian of Molokai
The Martyrs of Japan
The Martyrs of Memphis
The Martyrs of Uganda
The Martyrs of lynching in our country past and present
The Dakota 38
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Our Japanese family members who were sent to internment camps
Our family members who died in the Nazi Concentration camps
Our family members who practice civil disobedience and peaceful-non violent protest
John Lewis
Clara Barton
Florence Nightingale
Thich Nhat Hanh
All Transgender Martyrs who have been murdered for living authentically.
Black Elk
Chief Seattle
Florence Li Tim Oi
The Dalai Lama
Leonart Pelletier
Harvey Milk
Mahatma Gandhi
Oscar Romero
Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin
Our indigenous family members who walked Trail of Tears
The Righteous Gentiles
Madame C.J. Walker
Margaret Sanger
Gabby Giffords
Francis Perkins
All God's children who have died and survived Gun Violence
The Charleston 9
The Orlando 49
The Martyrs of Stonewall
Ryan White
Matthew Shepherd
Malcolm X, Mohammed Ali, Salam Al Maryati,
Cesar Chavez
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Katherine Lee Bates, Marie Curie, The Philadelphia 11, Barbara Harris, Katharine Jefferts Schori
Seneca Falls Conference.
Christine Jorgenson, Billy Tipton, Renee Richards
Sally Ride, Billy Jean King, Sheila Kuehl,
Your heroes of social justice.
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire Victims.
Dorothy Day
Jane Addams
Addie Mae Collins
Cynthia Wesley
Carol Roberson
Denise McNair
Indira Gandhi
Benazir Bhutto
Those who have spoken and speak with prophetic voices.
We name before God the names of others who are on your hearts this day________________
"IF YOU SPEAK MY NAME, I WILL LIVE FOREVER."We add these prayers this day!
As we continue to pray let us pray the words of peace of St. Francis of Assisi
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.
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.
The Key of Jesus is Compassion, Acceptance, Love, Mercy, and Justice.
Let us pray in the Key of Jesus and Ring the Bells of El Camino Real (King's Highway)for those who fought 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 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 internment 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 the y 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.
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Good Night Dear Ones! Enjoy your Sabbath Rest and Self-Care ! I love you and give God thanks for you this day and always. Tomorrow's de-clutter project is to spend time practicing mindfulness and releasing all the gunk from our minds by getting back to timed mindfulness sittings.
With love, blessings, and prayers,
Sara
Resources:
Enriching our Worship 1997
Satucket Lectionary
Here are today's bios:
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Pauli Murray
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Quote sites for quotes of Harriet Beecher Stowe
Resources:
Enriching our Worship 1997
Satucket Lectionary
Here are today's bios:
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Pauli Murray
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Quote sites for quotes of Harriet Beecher Stowe
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