Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Please Join us in the circle of love to pray and make vigil: A time to unite for the victims of disasters





Good Late Evening Brothers and Sisters,\

Tonight let us join in the circle of love, make vigil, and pray for the victims of disasters, and for peace in this world. 

Let us begin our time in the circle with the 23 Psalm as sung by Bobby McFerrin 
23rd Psalm -Bobby McFerrin

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.

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.

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.

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for thse who abuse you. Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful as your father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.  Give and it will be given to you; for the measure you give will be the measure you receive.  Luke 6:27-38
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Psalm 46:1
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.                                                                    Philippians 4:6
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.



Let us light one single candle for our family members in Mexico, Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and all other places in the world affected by hurricane,earthquake, fire, and flood. Let us pray for all aid agencies meeting their needs. Let us pray that each of these disasters in some way lead us to unity and tenderness of heart and spirit, not only in words but in deeds. Give us courage to reach out to one another as family members and see God in each other. May this be a time where we see no borders but a seamless landscape where all families dwell. We pray this in the name of  God who has many names and who is love. Amen. 


God of steadfast love, who led your people through the wilderness: Be with us as we grieve. By your grace, lead us in the path of new life, in the company of your saints and angels; through Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Amen.






60 Deus, repulisti nos

1 O God, you have cast us off and broken us; *
you have been angry;
oh, take us back to you again.

2 You have shaken the earth and split it open; *
repair the cracks in it, for it totters.

3 You have made your people know hardship; *
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you, *
to be a refuge from the power of the bow.

5 Save us by your right hand and answer us, *
that those who are dear to you may be delivered

JOB 14:7-13


7 ‘For there is hope for a tree,
   if it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
   and that its shoots will not cease. 
8 Though its root grows old in the earth,
   and its stump dies in the ground, 
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
   and put forth branches like a young plant. 
10 But mortals die, and are laid low;
   humans expire, and where are they? 
11 As waters fail from a lake,
   and a river wastes away and dries up, 
12 so mortals lie down and do not rise again;
   until the heavens are no more, they will not awake
   or be roused out of their sleep. 
13 O that you would hide me in Sheol,
   that you would conceal me until your wrath is past,
   that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!


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 a



130 De profundis

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins

Jeremiah 31:15-20


15 Thus says the Lord:
A voice is heard in Ramah,
   lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
   she refuses to be comforted for her children,
   because they are no more. 
16 Thus says the Lord:
Keep your voice from weeping,
   and your eyes from tears;
for there is a reward for your work,

says the Lord:
   they shall come back from the land of the enemy; 
17 there is hope for your future,

says the Lord:
   your children shall come back to their own country. 


18 Indeed I heard Ephraim pleading:
‘You disciplined me, and I took the discipline;
   I was like a calf untrained.
Bring me back, let me come back,
   for you are the Lord my God. 
19 For after I had turned away I repented;
   and after I was discovered, I struck my thigh;
I was ashamed, and I was dismayed
   because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 
20 Is Ephraim my dear son?
   Is he the child I delight in?
As often as I speak against him,
   I still remember him.
Therefore I am deeply moved for him;
   I will surely have mercy on him,
says the Lord. 

80 Qui regis Israel

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

ROMANS 8:35-38

35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
   we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ 
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,



23 Dominus regit me

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

ROMANS 8:18-25

18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in* hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes* for what is seen?25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

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.

LUKE 6:20-26

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God. 
21 ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
   for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.
22 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you* on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 
24 ‘But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have received your consolation. 
25 ‘Woe to you who are full now,
   for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
   for you will mourn and weep.
26 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

A Song of the Spirit
Revelation 22:12-17
“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord,
“and bringing my reward with me, *
to give to everyone according to their deeds.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, *
the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, *
and may enter the city through the gates.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *
with this testimony for all the churches.
“I am the root and the offspring of David, *
I am the bright morning star.”
“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *
“Come!” let each hearer reply!
Come forward, you who are thirsty, *
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.

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

Hymn 6
Be still and know that I am God. 
Be still and know that I am God. 
Be still and know that I am God.
I am the God that healeth thee. 
I am the God that healeth thee.
I am the God that healeth thee.
In thee, O God, I put my trust. 
In thee, O God, I put my trust. 
In thee, O God, I put my trust.

The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.    Amen.
Or
Eternal Spirit, 
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, 
Source of all that is and that shall be, 
Father and Mother of us all, 
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! 
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world! 
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! 
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom 
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us. 
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. 
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. 
From trials too great to endure, spare us. 
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, 
now and for ever. Amen.
For Protection 

Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and
prayers, and dispose the way of thy servants towards the
attainment of everlasting salvation; that, among all the
changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be
defended by thy gracious andready help; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn 9

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.
Prayers to God who is the Heart Healer


God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our hearts if they are hurting in any way whole and healed from anxiety, fear, distress, and broken.

God you who are the heart healer of us all,heal the brokeness of  your fragile world and that peace may prevail.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, heal our bodies, minds, and spirits and all of our family members who are ill. Give us courage and strength to meet each day with joy and hope.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, take from us every root of bitterness and division that we may all be one.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we have courage to live authentically into our truth as the beautiful children you have made us to be in your image and likeness. 

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you as we become and are the voices for the voiceless and speak truth to power.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our bodies strong so that we may serve you and follow where you lead.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we  pray for _______________ and give thanks for____________ for ourselves and on behalf of others.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for those who are in mourning and pre-grieving  may we lovingly respond with compassion.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for all who are dying and who have died today that they may have a gentle transition into the Thin Places.

Jesus, accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen.

Let us add this meditation and prayer time and remind ourselves of our inter-connectedness:
Our Family Members, and ultimately ourselves are interconnected. Everything. Interconnected living is what we all must strive for and yest that means getting back to basics and do these things:
 
loving the unlovable
feeding the hungry
giving drink to the thirsty, yes that even means ourselves,
sheltering the stranger or homeless family member.
 clothing the naked
caring and loving the ill
taking the shroud off our invisible and marginalized family members.
conserving water, electricity, gas, and plastics. Recycle
providing wound care to the injured
 caring for all creatures great and small
welcoming all and our family members whom we haven't met yet.
being good stewards of the environment
recognizing that any person at any time may become a refugee
respecting everyone and I know it is very hard to love our enemies
showing love, mercy, gratitude, and  kindness at every turn
showing the light of God to the world
thinking in the key of Jesus
thinking before posting and tweeting
a smile often will go the extra mile to  be an ice breaker.
Add your own to this list and realize that we who practice interconnected living, all matter and are precious to God. 

Let us meditate upon the above list and see how this can draw us more deeply into our relationship with God, our family members, and each other. 

God when you created the universe you wove us into being and yet we seem to forget this many times over. May we return to the sense of being truly interconnected and living holy lives. 

God when you created the planet we call our Earthly Home we forgot that we are all made in your image and likeness and in love. We pray that we may return and become loving towards one another and see you in all living things and in our family member's eyes.

God we pray for an end to all the droughts remembering our mental, spiritual, physical, and those that affect the land.

God we pray that we may remember to take care of our bodies and give them proper hydration, food, and sustenance . We pray that this may be extended to all living beings and each other. 

God we pray for all of our family members who may be experiencing spiritual droughts that their hearts,minds, and spirits may be reawakened.

God we pray for peace in our minds and hearts that we may practice peace not only in our lives but in the world. We pray that we may be peace makers, love givers, joy bringers, and hope bearers!

God we pray and remember our family members who are ill, grieving, and in need of love and prayers.

God Help us to accept these periods of drought as a sign of our dependence and interdependence upon you and each other. Help us to know that it is ok to walk and live through these periods of drought and that every step we make through these drought ridden paths are holy ones too. 

Accept these our prayers in the name of Jesus. Amen.

In Closing May we remember these portions of scripture

Everything Has Its Time

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The Beatitudes

When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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.

The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)

Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)
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 and Loving Family! I love you! Take time to know that we all matter together and that God is always with us no matter what. Tonight I want us to feel that our spirits are enlivened, our steps are quickened, our hearts and heart homes are being expanded, and that yes even through periods of drought and disasters The Waters of Life are still coursing through our veins joining us together as one family of God in Love. 

With love and prayers,

Sara

Resources:
Satucket Lectionary
New Zealand Prayer Book
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship
Walk With Me On Our Journey
YouTube








No comments:

Post a Comment