Saturday, December 9, 2017

Introducing our Seventh #AdventWord #HashTagsWithMeaning2017 #Focus







Good Evening Beloved Community!

It is day 7 of Advent and a time to #Focus on how we can prepare ourselves for tomorrow's day of Sabbath Rest. We need to lay things down tomorrow and give ourselves permission to rest with God and take necessary rest ourselves. Sabbath days aren't days where we are in the busy bee, busy me , or busy we world. Sabbath days are those days where we center in (#Focus) in on God intentionally and without all of life's blurriness. Advent is a time of #focusing in on what matters most. Advent is a time of joyful expectation, a time of what my friend Mike Kinman calls it " A time of hope and lament" It's time to settle down and concentrate upon not the holiday hype but the holy days of Hope with purposeful peace, joy, love, and hope. Let us take time to discover what the definition of our #AdventWord, #Focus means.

fo·cus
[ˈfōkəs]



NOUN
foci (plural noun) · focuses (plural noun)
the center of interest or activity:
"this generation has made the environment a focus of attention"
synonyms: center · focal point · central point · center of attention · hub · pivot · nucleus · heart · core · cornerstone · linchpin · cynosure

an act of concentrating interest or activity on something:
"our focus on the customer's requirements"
synonyms: emphasis · accent · priority · attention · concentration · subject · theme · concern · subject matter · topic · issue · thesis · point · thread · substance · essence · gist · matter

geology
the point of origin of an earthquake. Compare with epicenter.

medicine
the principal site of an infection or other disease.

linguistics
the part of a sentence given prominence, usually for emphasis or contrast, e.g., Bob in it was Bob who came, not Bill. Compare with rheme.
the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition:
"his face is rather out of focus"
synonyms: blurred · unfocused · indistinct · blurry · fuzzy · hazy · misty · cloudy · lacking definition· nebulous

another term for focal point.
the point at which an object must be situated with respect to a lens or mirror for an image of it to be well defined.
a device on a lens that can be adjusted to produce a clear image.

one of the fixed points from which the distances to any point of a given curve, such as an ellipse or parabola, are connected by a linear relation.
VERB
focuses (third person present) · focused (past tense) · focused (past participle) · focusing (present participle) · focusses (third person present) · focussed (past tense) · focussed (past participle) · focussing (present participle)
(of a person or their eyes) adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly:
"try to focus on a stationary object"

cause (one's eyes) to focus:
"trying to focus his bleary eyes on Corbett"
adjust the focus of (a telescope, camera, or other instrument):
"they were focusing a telescope on a star"
synonyms: bring into focus · aim · point · turn
(of rays or waves) meet at a single point.
(of a lens) make (rays or waves) meet at a single point.
(of light, radio waves, or other energy) become concentrated into a sharp beam of light or energy.
(of a lens) concentrate (light, radio waves, or energy) into a sharp beam.

pay particular attention to:
"the study will focus on a number of areas in Wales"

concentrate:
"the course helps to focus and stimulate your thoughts"
synonyms: concentrate on · center on · zero in on · zoom in on · address itself to · pay attention to · pinpoint · revolve around · have as its starting point

linguistics
place the focus on (a part of a sentence).

ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (as a term in geometry and physics): from Latin, literally ‘domestic hearth.’

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I suspect focaccia has it's roots in the word hearth (Focus)
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Origin and Etymology of focaccia

Italian, from Late Latin focacia (neuter plural), from Latin focus hearth

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Let us engage in the Be Stills to help center us in God's holy presence and begin to #focus our hearts and minds.

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

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


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



Let us spend time gathering together and focusing in on all that is holy. Let us light our candles and join our heart homes as one at the hearth of our family. Let us kindle love around the table of love and seek to know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit more and more  in the fellowship and the breaking of the bread.

An easier way to say this is to gather around the campfire! Let us make vigil and pray.

Image result for hearth




Lighting a candle before prayer and worship

Set our hearts on fire with love for you, O Christ our God
So that in its flame we may love you with all our heart,
With all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength,
And our neighbors as ourselves,
So that by keeping your commandments we may glorify you,
The giver of all good gifts.
Amen.


(www.oca.org)


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.


Image result for smudging ceremony





62 Nonne Deo?

1 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
from him comes my salvation.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will you assail me to crush me,
all of you together, *
as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?

4 They seek only to bring me down from my place of honor; *
lies are their chief delight.

5 They bless with their lips, *
but in their hearts they curse.

6 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
truly, my hope is in him.

7 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.

8 In God is my safety and my honor; *
God is my strong rock and my refuge.

9 Put your trust in him always, O people, *
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.

10 Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, *
even those of low estate cannot be trusted.

11 On the scales they are lighter than a breath, *
all of them together.

12 Put no trust in extortion;
in robbery take no empty pride; *
though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

13 God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, *
that power belongs to God.

14 Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, *
for you repay everyone according to his deeds.


Isaiah 57:14-19


14 It shall be said,
‘Build up, build up, prepare the way,
   remove every obstruction from my people’s way.’ 
15 For thus says the high and lofty one
   who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
   and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
   and to revive the heart of the contrite. 
16 For I will not continually accuse,
   nor will I always be angry;
for then the spirits would grow faint before me,
   even the souls that I have made. 
17 Because of their wicked covetousness I was angry;
   I struck them, I hid and was angry;
   but they kept turning back to their own ways. 
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
   I will lead them and repay them with comfort,
   creating for their mourners the fruit of the lips.* 
19 Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord;
   and I will heal them.


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.



Colossians 2:2-10

2I 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,* 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5For 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.

Fullness of Life in Christ

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives* in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe,* and not according to Christ. 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

A Song of True Motherhood
Julian of Norwich
God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.



John 12:27-36

Jesus Speaks about His Death

27 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.28Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’30Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.31Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people* to myself.’ 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah* remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ 35Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’

The Unbelief of the People

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.


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, you called your monk Thomas Merton to proclaim your justice out of silence, and moved him in his contemplative writings to perceive and value Christ at work in the faiths of others: Keep us, like him, steadfast in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. 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.




Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
St. Teresa of Avila




Prayers for Focus

God help us to be #Focused on you and serving you!
God help us to center ourselves and our lives on what truly matters.
God as we  gather together around this sacred circle may we meet together in Christlike fellowship, and in the breaking of the bread and in the prayers.
God help us when our lives become blurred may we be re-focused in on you and renew our lives with holy clarity.
God  help the communities in which we live get to the heart of the matter when there is perpetual violence,discord, and division.  
God take our complacency away when we find ourselves traveling the way of apathy and be fixed on you and what you are calling us to do and to be.
God help us when we stray to be led back to you as we hear your clear voice calling us back to you.
God remind us everyday that Love is the reason we are here and love is an action word to carry out into this fragile and broken world. 
God  help us to wake up and pay attention when you are calling us to action.
God make our lives focused on compassion, acceptance, love and mercy. May we seek to speak, stand up, focus on universal human rights for all who are on the margins of society.
God may our prayers be focused on this night_________________
God may our thanksgivings be focused on this night_____________
God re-focus our leaders and government to serve the least of these and follow the Matthew 25 pledge "

I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.

God center us as we pray the beatitudes.
The  Beatitudes  Matthew 5:3–12 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10)

God we lift up these our prayers to you O God as you are our center and reason for being. Amen.

 Prayers for Mending!

Restore us O God that we may truly become your children and live in your holy and life giving kindom. 

Knit us together as one holy people who love one another as you love us.

God give us the gifts to help you protect and remake this world a better place in which to live for all beings. We pray that we may become planet, water, animal and people protectors where we will be able to live in health and harmony.

God renew our communities, families, and ourselves daily by giving us that necessary  tap on the shoulder to do the things and serve and answer the call you are calling us to do.

God challenge us daily to become repairers of the breech and be bridge builders and tear down walls that divide us.

God give us the courage to listen and love and help mend broken communities that are divided. Give us courage to be change makers that will renew and restore our communities to wholeness and health.

God give us courage and strength to correct the wrongs and injustices that have been done against all of your creation.

God take from us the arrogance that have set us on a path to destruction and lead us on a path to construction and peace building. 

God  help us we pray to mend, heal, and feed all our beloved community members who are homeless, hungry, ill clad, and on the margins of society.

God we pray that we may help mend all divisions in our community

God we pray that our cities may be awakened to the truth of what is happening in our city and find ways to work together even if it means taking a risk and stepping down from office. 

God help our leaders to put the needs of the people they serve first before unhealthy political ambitions. Heal their hearts and minds so that they may renew their oaths of office and remember they are our public servants not our masters.

God we pray for the mending of_________________

God we celebrate today_____________________

God we lift up these prayers to you so that we may truly  trust in your mending of your world and our lives. Amen.


Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and
relieve your sick servants, and give your power of healing to
those who minister to their needs, that those 
for whom our prayers are offered may be strengthened in
their weakness and have confidence in your loving care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Healing prayers 

God help us to be co-healers with you that we may heal and cleanse the environment so badly in need of renewal and conservation.

God help us to be reconcilers with you so that we may bring all divided family members together in compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy. 

God help us to lovingly respond to all who are ill and in mourning that we may use our heart homes, heart roots, and love energy to be sources of comfort and solace and soulace. 

God help us to be co-healers with you to renew and restore peace to our world, nations, cities, and in our inner beings that violence, terror, bullying, and abuse may be no more.

God grant us courage to help speak out for the voiceless ones who are in need of healing of their bodies, minds, and spirits.

God give us courage to help see you in our family members who are the least of these and heal them by giving of ourselves with a smile, touch, broad shoulder, and any way that we can.

God we pray for the scientists who seek to find cures for orphan and known diseases.

God we pray that we may be healed from the need to be busy all the time and that our hearts may rest securely with you.

God we lift up prayers for healing, restoration, and renewal for_____________

God we lift up thanksgiving prayers for the healing of______________

God we lift up these our prayers in the Holy Name of your Son Jesus who is the Great Physician and Healer of us all. Amen.

O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the
angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in
danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and
grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and
serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.


Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored
us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may
love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts,
through Christ our Savior. Amen.
(source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom





Beloved God, as we approach your Presence, guide and stir us
with your Holy Spirit, that we may become one body, one spirit in
Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.


Loving Jesus: Protect and sustain us with your hand. Open the
door of your love that, sealed with your wisdom, we may be free
to serve you with joy. Amen.
(a prayer of St. Gertrude)

Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
St. Teresa of Avila



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)





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

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Good Night Beloved Community! I love you and give thanks to God for you always. May we all be centered on God before we rest and find God holding us in his gentle and consoling arms. 

With love and prayers,

Sara

Resources:
Enriching Our Worship
Satucket- Lessons and Saint of the Day : Thomas Merton
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
BCPONLINE
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Quote Sites for Prayers and Quotes







Today's #AdventWord : #Focus
Tomorrow's #AdventWord :#Prepare

Prayer Walking pix will return tomorrow!






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