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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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