Rallying in God's Kindom with the Beloved Community!

Good Evening Beloved Community!

It has been one year since I attended and marched in the Women's March and it has been an exciting year to say the least. These rallies and marches have taken on a spiritual tone. Not in the way we usually think about them. They are full of enthusiasm, empowerment, and a reminder that we are called to speak out and recommit ourselves to the baptismal vows we have made. I kept thinking of the one line in the vows and you'll know immediately what I mean "Will you strive for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of every human being?"  Our response is "I will with God's help!"  This is what these rallies and marches do. They inspire and get us on the road to build  up God's Kindom! We can only do this by striving for justice, following the words of the prophet Micah, Matthew 25, the Beatitudes and other words of prophetic voices from the Bible and beyond. Tonight our one question to ponder is this? What am I doing to help God in God's Kindom to make a difference?  Please take time to do this and pray your response. Tonight, I hope this is will be shorter meditation so that we may prepare ourselves for tomorrow's Sabbath day and get our bodies, minds, and spirits refreshed and renewed.  You'll never know where God leads me when I write these! Let us first engage in the "Peace be stills"

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Let us light our candles, join together in a virtual fellowship in the breaking of bread and in the prayers, meditating on God's God News and in a holy and healing circle of love.

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 45: 11-16

11 "Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; *
forget your people and your father's house.

12 The king will have pleasure in your beauty; *
he is your master; therefore do him honor.

13 The people of Tyre are here with a gift; *
the rich among the people seek your favor."

14 All glorious is the princess as she enters; *
her gown is cloth-of-gold.

15 In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; *
after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.

16 With joy and gladness they are brought, *
and enter into the palace of the king.

Song 2:10-13

¹⁰ My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away; 
¹¹ for now the winter is past,
   the rain is over and gone. 
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
   the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
   is heard in our land. 
¹³ The fig tree puts forth its figs,
   and the vines are in blossom;
   they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away.

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. 

Matthew 18:1-6

18At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ ²He called a child, whom he put among them, ³and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.⁴Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

6 ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.

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. 

Let us pray

Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be in us the life that draws us to God. Amen.

(source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual [London: Mowbray, 1961], p. 29, adapted) 

Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.

Teresa of Avila

God our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray to you faithfully and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives for ever and ever. Amen. (source: Veronese Sacramentary) 

Let nothing Disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, Though all things pass, God does not change. Patience wins all things. But he lacks nothing who possesses God; For God alone suffices.

Teresa of Avila

I place my trust in You, O adorable Blood, our Redemption, our regeneration. Fall, drop by drop, into the hearts that have wandered from You and soften their hardness.

Agnes of Rome

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. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Teresa of Avila

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love.

Francis of Assisi

Christ has no body now but mine. He prays in me, works in me, looks through my eyes, speaks through my words, works through my hands, walks with my feet and loves with my heart.

Teresa of Avila

Prayers for today for those who rally, protest,and march.

God you have called us to march for our family members who have no voice.

Let our pounding footsteps sound speak the words of justice and liberty for all your children.

God you have called us to picket in front of places where our family members are being denied proper wages, healthcare, educational opportunity and any other cause that divides us.

Let our pickets speak the words along with our feet to ensure justice, liberty, and human rights for all of your children.

God you have called us to sit down and sit in so that our bodies may show others that we have the courage and resolve to stay put and do the necessary work that needs to be done for the good and protection of us all.

Let our bodies while we sit down and sit in be made strong so that when we protest we may show the world what true civil disobedience looks like.

God you have called us to write and circulate petitions to affect change. Help our words to be made clear and that change may come through our words and actions.

Let our words ring clear and that our petition(s) may reach the right places where our voices need to be heard and change may happen.

God you have called us to love radically with our actions not just for today but for tomorrow.

Let our love energy be the empowering force for good and to affect great change in this world and with each other.

God you have called us to go hungry and strike when we want to make a visible sign of how the least of these are going with out and that the pangs of hunger aren't just food related but liberty related.

Let us in the words of the Beatitudes to "Hunger and thirst after righteousness".

God you have called us to afflict the comfortable so that the afflicted may receive comfort.

Let us be the agents of CALM (Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy)

God you have called us to use our gifts of prophesy, peacemaking, writing the wrongs of injustice, and giving of ourselves to be agents of change and your beloved children.

Let us be the lights, voices, hands, and feet in this world and may we never be afraid to practice civil disobedience and be non-violent protesters.

God help us to remember these things. Amen.

God we pray these classic words:

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Now let us pray for peace and unity among all people and nations! 

God who made us and makes us one we pray for unity among all people and nations
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one lead us to put away all hindrances that divide us
May we be one and love one another

God who made us and makes us one give us  the courage to see you in the eyes of all who are our enemies and wish us harm.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for all who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. Heal them and make them whole and may we lovingly respond to their needs.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for the protection of those who are protesting using peaceful non-violence.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for the protection of all our most vulnerable family members. Help us to ourselves and you in their eyes and love them as you have taught us and to serve them as you have taught us to serve.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one. we give thanks for all those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this day.

God who made us and makes us one may we be with those who are pre-grieving and mourning any loss.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for all who are dying and have died may they find loving, joy, and oneness with you in the Thin Places.

God who made us and makes us one we offer these our prayers and thanksgivings in the most Holy Name of your Son Jesus. May we be one and love one another. Amen.

A pledge to practice civil disobedience and peaceful non-violent protest when we are called to do so.

God we sit here in the silence listening and waiting to know what you are calling us to do when this world has gone awry and that we no longer know how to be united. We come to you O God and offer our bodies, minds, and spirits in loving and courageous service to be your hands and feet in this world and that when we are called to do so to engage in acts that do not require violence but in prayerful and peaceful non-violent protest. May we courageously petition, sit in and sit down, hunger, march, speak truth to power, picket, and stay the course to affect change in the world without fear and if it should happen to freely give up our lives to the justice system and risk our own lives to spread your God News and Good News to all so that peace may prevail upon earth and that we may finally be united as one people, one family, and one world. We lift up this our pledge to you O God with a conscience and vision clear.

Today's wish: Connect with all that is good and holy in every person you meet. Love boldly and fearlessly! I love you!

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 Beloved Community ! I love you! May you rest gentle in God's arms and in this sanctuary of love, peace, mercy and justice.

Let peace prevail upon Earth,

Sara

Resources 

Quote sites for prayers

Enriching Our Worship

Satucket Lectionary

BCP On Line

Walk With Me On Our Journey