X (Chi) and Kairos time, in XP's (Chii Rho's/ Christ's) Xommunity/Community !

Good Evening Beloved Xommunity,

No, I didn't make a mistake in calling us "Xommunity " because the Greek symbol for Christ si the letter Chi as in XP - Chi Rho. As we follow the Way of Christ this year we are are a BlelovedXommunity in Christ, X and XP. 

When I was getting ready to blog I saw this quote from Pope Francis- 

"God walks along the dusty paths of our lives and responds to our longing for love and happiness by calling us to joy." 

This was a Kairos moment for me and all of us we needed to hear this at such a time as this! Kairos or God's time is always perfect and messengers like Pope Francis nails it. We are called to be joyful and the this is especially true on the Eve of The Epiphany! Let's meditate upon those Kairos moments with XP and see if we have any Epiphany Eve, Epiphanies! Please take your time and get ready for our first Worry Free Sabbath work of the year! Time to clean out the jar, the journal, and box, and begin again!

Let us breathe and Be Stiil!

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

Breathe in God's love!
Exhale out The Holy Spirit's empowering love energy to the world.
Pause.
Repeat as necessary.


Let us light our candles make vigil as God Leads us on a journey with the Magi and follow the star to Bethlehem and meet Jesus the Christ who is God incarnate, Man Divine who has made us a beautiful family in Christ's Xommunity of Love and Joy!

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalms 29

Afferte Domino

1	Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
	ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2	Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
	worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3	The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
	the God of glory thunders; *
	the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4	The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
	the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5	The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
	the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6	He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
	and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7	The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
	the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
	the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8	The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
	and strips the forests bare.
9	And in the temple of the Lord*
	all are crying, “Glory!”
10	The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
	the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11	The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
	the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Psalm 98

Cantate Domino

1	Sing to the Lord a new song, *
	for he has done marvelous things.
2	With his right hand and his holy arm *
	has he won for himself the victory.
3	The Lord has made known his victory; *
	his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4	He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
	and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
5	Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
	lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
6	Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
	with the harp and the voice of song.
7	With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
	shout with joy before the King, the Lord.
8	Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
	the lands and those who dwell therein.
9	Let the rivers clap their hands, *
	and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
	when he comes to judge the earth.
10	In righteousness shall he judge the world *
	and the peoples with equity.

Isaiah 66:18-23 (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord: For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud—which draw the bow—to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord.

Canticle A Song of Waiting

Lamentations 3:19-26

The thought of my trouble and my homelessness * is as bitter as wormwood and gall. My mind dwells on it continually; * my soul is weighed down within me. When I remember this, I have hope: * by God’s kindness, we are not destroyed; for God’s mercies are never-ending * and are new every morning. How great is your faithfulness, O God! * “You are my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I hope in you.” You are good to those who wait with patience, * to every soul that seeks you. It is good to wait, even in silence, * for the salvation of the Lord.

Romans 15:7-13 (NRSV)

Welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Canticle 15

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

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, First Sunday after Christmas Day, Rite Two Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.,

Gracious and loving God be with us tonight as the 12 days of Christmas come to a close and await the Epiphany of our Lord tomorrow. Help us to bring to Jesus in the manger and our mangers in our heart homes love, mercy, peace, hope, and joy.

Gracious and loving God we pray that we may be your agents of love,hope, joy, and peace and carry the light that was in the star of  Bethlehem to all the four corners of the world so that all of our family members may come to know you as the God of Love not war.

Gracious and loving God We pray for all those who are in the dark places of mental illness.  Give them the light of proper help so that they may live manageable lives.

Gracious and loving God we pray for all refugees remembering the Holy Family, Abraham and Sarah, and Hagar who made journeys into other lands to escape violence, danger, and oppression. 

 Gracious and loving God we pray for all who are ill and those who have are in the hospital. We pray for your gracious gift of  healing.

 Gracious and loving God we pray for all of our family members who are without proper shelter, food, and clothing in the winter time. May we be mindful of the least of these and that warming centers may be made available for help.

 Gracious and loving God may we become the voices for the voiceless,  speak truth to power. and let justice roll down. 

Gracious and loving God we pray that we all may be one as you, Jesus, and and the Holy Spirit are one.

 Gracious and loving God we pray and give thanks for all those who are fervent in prayer and steadfast in the service of your kingdom here on Earth. We pray that peace may prevail upon this your fragile and broken world.

Gracious and loving God we pray for all those who are grieving the loss of loved ones especially those who are grieving sudden losses.

Gracious and loving God we pray that we may walk with you on your journey and remember the wise men from the East who came to seek your son. May we always be seeking and finding Jesus abiding in our heart homes and that we may know Him as Love in human and divine form.  May we continue to make our heart homes a place of love, joy, hope,and peace. Accept these our prayers in the name of your Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Preserve us, O God, while waking, 
and guard us while sleeping, 
that awake we may watch with Christ, 
and asleep may rest in your peace. 

Song of SimeonNunc Dimittis

Praise be to God, I have lived to see this day.
God’s promise is fulfilled, and my duty done.

At last you have given me peace,
for I have seen with my own eyes 
the salvation you have prepared for all nations - 
a light to the world in its darkness, 
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be God, sustaining, redeeming, sanctifying, 
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. 
Amen.

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.

God our Creator, our centre, our friend,
we thank you for our good life, 
for those who are dear to us, 
for our dead, and for all who have helped and influenced us. 
We thank you for the measure of freedom we have, 
and the extent to which we control our lives; 
and most of all we thank you for the faith that is in us, 
for our awareness of you and our hope in you.
Keep us, we pray you, thankful and hopeful 
and useful until our lives shall end.
Amen.

Isaiah 49:1-13New International Version (NIV)

The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen to me, you islands;
    hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
    from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
    and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
    and my reward is with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

7 This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Restoration of Israel

8 This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
    and lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways will be raised up.
12 See, they will come from afar—
    some from the north, some from the west,
    some from the region of Aswan.[b]”

13 Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

The blessing of God, the eternal goodwill of God, the shalom of God, the wildness and the warmth of God, be among us and between us, now and always. 

+++++++

Good Night Beloved Community! Sending Epiphany greetings and a final Merry Christmas to all and to all a blessed good night!

With love and blessings and a basket full of joy for good measure,

Sara

Resources

NewZealand Prayer Book

E Common Prayer

Walk With Me On Our Journey

Bible Gateway