The Gifts of De-Cluttering -The art of letting go!

Good Evening Dear Family!

Wow what a day! I spent from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.mish at the Santa Maria Valley Democrats booth at the County Fair. Our booth was in the commercial building along with a  few other organizations. I can now say that I have reached a wonderful place in de-cluttering! I no longer have the need for junk and things. A person tried to sell me on the purchase of a  regularly priced$700.00 eye cream reduced to $150.00! As much as I liked the result. I didn't feel guilty saying NO. This is a big deal for people who lack finances and who are possibly sucked into things they do not need and really don't want.
De-Cluttering comes with unknown gifts and benefits! When you do your de-cluttering you might find yourself being released from things, attachment from the need to buy and accumulate, released from busyness, released from noise, released from the go, go, go mentality or the gimme, gimme, gimme syndrome. Tonight as part of our retreat let us write down the gifts of de-cluttering and what it says about our new Rules of Life. Tonight we will use the lessons for the feast of the Righteous Gentiles.  Click on the name in the preceding sentence for more information.

But first let us begin by doing our pre- prayer work by placing our worries, fears, etc. into the Worry/Sabbath box to start moving into a place of prayer.

Tonight let us take time to find peace by doing our mindfulness time. This might make you sleepy but that may be just what you need.  Let's start with our breathing exercises:

Inhale the Holy Spirit
Exhale Love

Inhale the Holy Spirit
Exhale Love.

Inhale the Holy Spirit
Exhale Love.


Now let us take time to "Be Still"

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Let us close our eyes and breathe deeply and exhale slowly until as my trainer says "Find your happy place!"

Jesus said: “If any of you would come after me, deny yourself and
take up your cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19

God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and
in truth. John 4:24 

"Let all guests who arrive, be received as Christ." Benedict of Nursia 

Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord.
 Thanks be to God.


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

Psalm 11 In Domino confido

1 In the Lord have I taken refuge; *
how then can you say to me,
"Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;

2 For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string, *
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed, *
what can the righteous do?"

4 The Lord is in his holy temple; *
the Lord's throne is in heaven.

5 His eyes behold the inhabited world; *
his piercing eye weighs our worth.

6 The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, *
but those who delight in violence he abhors.

7 Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and
burning sulphur; *
a scorching wind shall be their lot.

8 For the Lord is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds; *
and the just shall see his face.

A Song of the Heavenly City
Revelation 21:22-26, 22:1-4
I saw no temple in the city, *
for its temple is the God of surpassing strength and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, *
for the glory of God shines on it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
By its light the nations shall walk, *
and the rulers of the world lay their honor and glory there.
Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; *
into it they will bring the honor and glory of nations.
I saw the clean river of the water of life, bright as crystal, *
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The tree of life spanned the river, giving fruit every month, *
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations.
All curses cease where the throne of God and the Lamb stands,
and all servants give worship there; *
there they will see God’s face, whose Name shall be on their foreheads

Joshua 2:1-21

2Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night there. ²The king of Jericho was told, ‘Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land.’ ³Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, ‘Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land.’ ⁴But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. ⁵And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.’ ⁶She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. ⁷So the men pursued them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof ⁹and said to the men: ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you. ¹⁰For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea^* before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹As soon as we heard it, our hearts failed, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.¹²Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith ¹³that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.’ ¹⁴The men said to her, ‘Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land.’

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself. ¹⁶She said to them, ‘Go towards the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there for three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterwards you may go on your way.’ ¹⁷The men said to her, ‘We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you ¹⁸if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family. ¹⁹If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death. ²⁰But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us swear to you.’ ²¹She said, ‘According to your words, so be it.’ She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.

A Song of Our True Nature

Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *

our trespasses and our humiliations.

Christ also revealed his blessed power, *

his blessed wisdom and love.

He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *

he raises us in spirit

and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.

God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature; *

God is the true father and mother of natures.

We are all bound to God by nature, *

and we are all bound to God by grace.

And this grace is for all the world, *

because it is our precious mother, Christ.

For this fair nature was prepared by Christ

for the honor and nobility of all, *

and for the joy and bliss of salvation.

Colossians 3:1-4

3

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your^* life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

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

John 19:10-15

¹⁰Pilate therefore said to him, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?’¹¹Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’ ¹²From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, ‘If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.’

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat^* on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew^*Gabbatha. ¹⁴Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, ‘Here is your King!’ ¹⁵They cried out, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but the emperor.’

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

Lord of the Exodus, who delivers your people with a strong hand and a mighty arm: Strengthen your Church with the examples of the Righteous Gentiles of World War II to defy oppression for the rescue of the innocent; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

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

  Prayers for Familyhood 

God we pray that we may be united as your children .

Bind us together as one.

God we pray for all of our family members who are estranged one from another.

Bind us together as one.

God we pray for peace in this fragile and broken world.

Bind us together as one.

God we pray for all of our family members who are in need of  love and care.

God help us to be loving and caring towards each other.

God we pray for all who are ill in body, mind, and spirit.

God help us to be loving and caring towards each other.

God we pray for all who are mourning and in tender times.

God help us to be loving and caring towards each other.

God we  pray that we may be united in familyhood.

God  may we speak with kind and loving words.

We pray that we may love, God,, all our family members, and ourselves tenderly and with out fear

God help us to love even our enemies and those who hate us.

We pray for__________________________

Unite us with God .

We give thanks for______________________

Unite us in thanksgiving O God.

Accept these our prayers of unity, love, and familyhood in the Holy Name of Jesus. 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


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


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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always! Rest gentle and confident that God is enfolding you in God's arms as you sleep and when you awaken. 


With love and blessings!

Sara


Resources:
Enriching Our Worship
Book of Common Prayer
Satucket Lectionary Page
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
Walk With Me On Our Journey

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