Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Welcome back to the circle!




Good Evening Beloved Community!

I hope all is well. Yesterday I had a bad headache and wasn't feeling well. Those days I take breaks from the writing. As I am writing this, John Michael Talbot's music is playing in the background and other pieces that are welcoming us back into the circle. If this were an invitation sent to you in the mail it would read something like this:

On Wednesday January 31, you are cordially invited back in to this holy circle of love and healing. We welcome your presence here as a present to all. May you feel the warmth of this circle surrounding you like a holy prayer quilt of love.  We welcome you freely as God's family of love.

We welcome you in love.
We welcome you in peace.
We welcome you in safety.
We welcome you in joy.
We welcome you as the beautifully authentic Child of God that you are.
We welcome you to carry the light of God in to the world and be the change God wants to see in the world.
We welcome you.

Tonight we welcome everyone back into this healing and holy circle of love.  May we each pass a candle one to another as a symbol of unity.

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 come together in CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy) as we meditate upon God's word and pray.








Love 
  
LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, 
      Guilty of dust and sin. 
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack 
      From my first entrance in, 
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning         5
      If I lack'd anything. 
 
'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:' 
     Love said, 'You shall be he.' 
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear, 
      I cannot look on Thee.'  10
Love took my hand and smiling did reply, 
      'Who made the eyes but I?' 
 
'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame 
      Go where it doth deserve.' 
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'  15
      'My dear, then I will serve.' 
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.' 
      So I did sit and eat. 

 
George Herbert. 1593–1632
  



We meet as family in the presence of our heavenly Father. We meet as brothers and sisters in Christ, accepting the responsibility this places upon us - to love one another as you have loved us. We meet as your lights in this dark world, and pray that through our words and our lives others might be drawn into your family, and accept you as their Saviour and Lord. Amen




Psalm 130 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Prayer for Pardon and Mercy

A song of ascents.

I

Out of the depths[b] I call to you, Lord;
    Lord, hear my cry!
May your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, keep account of sins,
    Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness
    and so you are revered.[c]

II

I wait for the Lord,
    my soul waits
    and I hope for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
    more than sentinels for daybreak.
More than sentinels for daybreak,
    let Israel hope in the Lord,
For with the Lord is mercy,
    with him is plenteous redemption,
And he will redeem Israel
    from all its sins




This is the day that the Lord has made.
This is the day when he can be found.
God of all, breath of life,
Living water, Saviour, friend.
Come as the hungry, feed on his Word
Come as the thirsty, drink of his Love
Come as the faithful, worship the Lord.

 




Isaiah 51:17-52:1


17 Rouse yourself, rouse yourself!
   Stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord
   the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
   the bowl of staggering. 
18 There is no one to guide her
   among all the children she has borne;
there is no one to take her by the hand
   among all the children she has brought up. 
19 These two things have befallen you
   —who will grieve with you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword—
   who will comfort you?* 
20 Your children have fainted,
   they lie at the head of every street
   like an antelope in a net;
they are full of the wrath of the Lord,
   the rebuke of your God. 


21 Therefore hear this, you who are wounded,*
   who are drunk, but not with wine: 
22 Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord,
   your God who pleads the cause of his people:
See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
you shall drink no more
   from the bowl of my wrath. 
23 And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
   who have said to you,
   ‘Bow down, that we may walk on you’;
and you have made your back like the ground
   and like the street for them to walk on. 

52Awake, awake,
   put on your strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
   O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean
   shall enter you no more.



Arise, shine, for the Light of the World has come!
Darkness covers the earth and its people,
but the radiance of God's Light 
burns away its shadows,
illuminates the smallest corner,
and heralds in the start
of a new dawn,
where hearts no longer fear,
souls might be set free,
and sister shall follow brother,
nation shall follow nation,
and kings and princes bow down in awe
before the one who comes to reign.
Arise, shine, for the Light of the World has come!
Alleluia!


God whose love reaches to the highest heavens
how can we keep silent?
God whose righteousness stands like the tallest mountain 
how can we keep silent?
God whose justice is deeper than any ocean
how can we keep silent?
God whose grace flows like a never-ending river
how can we keep silent?
How can we not proclaim your majesty
from generation to generation?
How can we not raise the lamp of your Salvation 
for all the world to see?
God whose love reaches to the highest heavens
we praise your mighty name!





1 Corinthians 5:6-8

6 Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.


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 away. 


Luke 4:40-44

40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.*

Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues

42 At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. 43But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ 44So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.*

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. 


A Song of Jerusalem Our Mother

Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her * all you who love her,

Rejoice, rejoice with her, *
all you who mourn over her,

 That you may drink deeply with delight * from her comforting breast.

For thus says our God, *
“I will extend peace to her like a river,
the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.

“You shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and you shall nestle in her lap.

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; * you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

“You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, * you shall flourish like the grass of the fields.”

 

Wherever Jesus went crowds flocked to be near him, and even today we gather together to hear his words, to sing his praises and to learn more about our Saviour. Be with us Lord, in our singing, our prayers and our meditation. As we meet with you today, bless us, that we might become a blessing for others. Amen

PRAYER (contemporary language) 
Holy God, we thank you for the vision of Samuel Shoemaker, who labored for the renewal of all people: Grant, we pray, that we may follow his example to help others find salvation through the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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)


God help we pray that we may be continually kind to all of our family members when they are in need.

God give us kind hearts and heart homes to help us make peace in this broken world. May we practice the art of kindness to those with whom we disagree and are in division with.

God give us kind hearts to  comfort all who mourn and that we may forever have their backs.

God give us kind and supporting hearts to those who are ill in body, mind, and spirt.

God give us kind and loving hands to love and serve you and all our family members each and every day.

God we pray for all who are dying and who have died that they may have a circle of kindness wrapped around them as they make their journey to You in the Thin Places.

God we pray for all who still face severe weather systems. God keep them safe from harm.

God we pray for all who travel that they may make arrive safely to their destination.

God give all the leaders of the nations and any governmental body kind hearts to know who they truly serve and why they do it. May they remember that if one is denied equality everyone is denied equality.

God let us now with kind hearts offer our own prayers and thanksgivings_____________

God of all kindness we lift our prayers to your Only Son Jesus who modeled kindness through His deeds, actions, and parables. Amen.

Or these

God help us to strengthen the holy connections so that we may be united in the bonds of love and family-hood.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that remind us that we are family to even the least of these and our enemies.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that make us one with you so that we may serve you as in the paths  you have set before us.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that are needed at the time when our family members mourn losses of loved ones and friends.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections to reach out to all our family members who are ill and may we pray this night for all who are ill remembering especially_____________________________

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that unite us and not divide us.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that call us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you so that we may become the voice of the voiceless. We pray for peace and an end to wars, violence, and terror. We pray for all refugees, captives,and victims of abuse and trafficking.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections to our loved ones who have died so that we may pray for those who are dying and transitioning into the Thin Places.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that will help us to have a reverence for God's Cathedral of Life and all living things and beings.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections that we may bring ourselves and our gifts to the table daily and share them with all of our family members with love and for the common good.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections when we share our life's story with courage we may feel  your loving  arms around us as we speak our truth with love and mercy. May we not be afraid to come out of our closets what ever those closets may be and the secrets that need to be told. May with live our lives authentically with love, courage, and grace.

God help us to strengthen the holy connections as we pray for ourselves, on behalf of our family members, and those who have been afraid to come to us and ask us for prayer remembering_____________

God in the name of Jesus we lift up these our prayers who connects us to you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In Closing we pray:

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus 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. 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."



“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 Ávila

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.

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.

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)





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Good Night Beloved Community! I love you! May you feel the warmth and welcome of this holy circle of healing and love. May you rest gentle in God's arms and encircled within the gift of our presence this day and always.


Love, peace, and radical welcome.

Sara

Resources:
Faith and Worship- Prayers by John Birch
Enriching Our Worship.
Quote Sites for Prayers
A to Z quotes for Samuel Shoemaker
Satucket Lectionary
Walk With Me On Our Journey






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