Good Evening Dear Family!
This weekend we are beginning our retreat time as well as the 4th anniversary of Walk With Me On Our Journey! It has been a privilege to come into your hearts each day. I give God thanks for each and everyone of you who take time to read, meditate, pray, make vigil, and be active in social justice as we walk together. I will be continuing to bring times of spiritual reflection and support daily. I hope that I will be able to get back to prayer walking if my PT allows me to. I know we need it now more than ever. I will continue to challenge us in many ways as God puts my head, heart, and hands on this laptop. I never know what God is calling me to write but God does and I do! So dear ones let us begin our 4th year together as we always do by prayer and reflection. Today we have the honor to celebrate the Feast Day of Bach, Handel, and Purcell ! We will have music interspersed with the prayers and lessons. God is good! All the time! All the time! God is Good! Click on the links for musical selections!
All Breathing Life - Bach
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth
tremble before him. Psalm 96:9
O Gracious Light Phos hilaron
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
God we light 4 candles tonight in thanksgiving to celebrate Walk With Me On Our Journey's 4th anniversary. We light these 4 candles as a symbol of what was past, what is here, and what is to come and where we are now. We pray this night as we continue to show what it is like to be the Family of Love and God in these perilous times. We pray that we may use our words and prayers to lift up the those who are in desperate need of love, resources, encouragement, and a family. We pray that as a family we may draw in all of our family members with loving and welcoming prayers, arms, and with warm heart homes and sustaining love energy. We pray for all of our family members who have been bullied, hated abused, and who have been victimized by terror. We pray for all of our precious ones who we see the face of Jesus each and every day that they may be comforted and not made to feel invisible and on the margins of society. We pray for all who are ill that their bodies, minds, and spirits may be healed and consoled. We pray for all who have died this day and for their family members who mourn their loss. Help us to grieve well with them. We pray for peace, justice, love, and mercy in our nation and the world. We pray for sound governance by all people who lead us in this country and that they may use words of tact for the good of all. We pray this night for______________. We lift up these our prayers and the prayers that haven't been said to you O God. Amen.
Let the celebration continue with Psalm 150
Laudate Dominum
1 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy temple; *
praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; *
praise him for his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn; *
Praise him with lyre and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; *
praise him with strings and pipe.
5 Praise him with resounding cymbals; *
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath *
praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah Chorus
A Song of Praise Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Purcell -Trumpet Tune
2 Chronicles 7:1-6
7When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2The priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,
‘For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.’
‘For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.’
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures for ever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Israel stood.
A Song of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 36:24-28
I will take you from among all nations; *
and gather you from all lands to bring you home.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you; *
and purify you from false gods and uncleanness.
A new heart I will give you *
and a new spirit put within you.
I will take the stone heart from your chest *
and give you a heart of flesh.
I will help you walk in my laws *
and cherish my commandments and do them.
You shall be my people, *
and I will be your God.
Colossians 2:2-6
2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,* 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives* in him,
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
Luke 2:8-14
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’*
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’*
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
Now repeat after me: "The Light of Christ in Me, Recognizes the Light of Christ in you!" Imagine that you are passing this candle to the person next to you and passing the candle from family member to family member. Lovingly look into their eyes and with tender and compassionate tone of voice repeat the above. Don't forget the smile!
Zadok the Priest- Handel
Let us pray!
Almighty God, beautiful in majesty and majestic in holiness: You gave to your musicians Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, and Henry Purcell grace to show forth your glory in their music. May we be also moved to sound out your praises as a foretaste of your eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.Amen.
God we thank you for the Gift of Walk With Me On Our Journey, we pray that it may continue to reach all of your family members with love, inclusion, kindness, and mercy.
God we give thanks for the witness Walk With Me On Our Journey makes to all of it's readers and family members in order to bring peace, seek justice, and be a voice for the voiceless.
God we give thanks for the openness that Walk With Me On Our Journey brings to the LGBTQ community and to all of humanity. We continue to pray that it will love, serve, and respect everyone's dignity.
God we give thanks for the efforts of Walk With Me On Our Journey and its being mindful of God's Cathedral of Life and promoting conservation of its natural resources in the animal, vegetable,and mineral kingdoms.
God we give thanks for the courage of Walk With Me On Our Journey for daily prayer for our enemies, those who wish us harm, the refugees, the strangers in our midst, those who are victims of violence, terror, and abuse.
God we give thanks for the loving care Walk With Me On Our Journey provides its family members and the daily prayers and loving support it gives.
God we pray for this night as we imagine our feet on the prayer walking trail______________
God we lift up these prayers in the Name of Jesus The Prayer Walking role model for us all. Amen
.
And these!
Let us pray and give thanks!
God we thank you for times of celebration that remind us to live life lightly with joy.
God we thank you and pray for you who made us. Sometimes we forget to offer our prayers for and we shouldn't because you are God and Father of us all, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, and Who lovingly made us in Your image and likeness.
God we thank you and pray for the many lives we touch daily by our words, deeds, and loving touches.
God we thank you and pray for all of our family members who are our support systems.
God we pray for all of our family members and especially for those who are ill and have asked us to pray for them remembering______________
God we pray for peace, love, justice, and mercy in this your fragile and broken world.
God we pray for an end to violence, terror, and abuse.
God we pray for all who are mourning during grief's long season. Help us not to skip steps.
God we pray for all who are dying and who have died today Remembering. We pray that they may enter the Thin Places with Joy and warmth.
God we pray for the environment and the preservation and the conservation of God's Cathedral of Life.
God we lift up any additional prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances before you and in the Holy Name of your Son Jesus. Amen.
And these!
Let us pray and give thanks!
God we thank you for times of celebration that remind us to live life lightly with joy.
God we thank you and pray for you who made us. Sometimes we forget to offer our prayers for and we shouldn't because you are God and Father of us all, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, and Who lovingly made us in Your image and likeness.
God we thank you and pray for the many lives we touch daily by our words, deeds, and loving touches.
God we thank you and pray for all of our family members who are our support systems.
God we pray for all of our family members and especially for those who are ill and have asked us to pray for them remembering______________
God we pray for peace, love, justice, and mercy in this your fragile and broken world.
God we pray for an end to violence, terror, and abuse.
God we pray for all who are mourning during grief's long season. Help us not to skip steps.
God we pray for all who are dying and who have died today Remembering. We pray that they may enter the Thin Places with Joy and warmth.
God we pray for the environment and the preservation and the conservation of God's Cathedral of Life.
God we lift up any additional prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances before you and in the Holy Name of your Son Jesus. Amen.
The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
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.
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.
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 3:20,21
+++++++
+++++++
Good Night Dear Ones! Let us continue to celebrate as we make retreat this weekend. I love you ! May you all have a blessed night!
With love, blessings, and with deep and abiding gratitude,
Sara
Resources
Satucket Lectionary Page
Enriching Our Worship
Book of Common Prayer
Walk With Me On Our Journey
YouTube
No comments:
Post a Comment