Friday, February 23, 2018

Centurions, misfits, the elderly, immigrants, young people, and the least of these!



Good Evening Beloved Community,

Happy Friday! I hope all is well! Today's readings show us that Jesus heals, calls, and reaches out to not just the Jewish people but centurions, the least of these, etc. This week we have seen Jesus calling our youth into action and the  the least of these standing up and beginning a new "Poor People's Campaign!  Yes ,God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit call us all into action, no matter who we are and where we have come from.  In our opening sentence from Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John we see Jesus appearing to the apostles! Remember the apostles were seen as renegades, outcasts, and yes even people who were on the most wanted list of their day. God keeps telling us over and over again that God  is calling as they say in one of the prayers in the Book of Common Prayer "all sorts and conditions of men" For those of you who aren't familiar with this prayer here it is:



For All Sorts and Conditions of Men

O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving
 health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [especially those for whom our prayers are desired]; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

I prefer to refresh the title of the prayer to "A Prayer for all Peoples in their walks of life" but sometimes old language does pack a much needed punch. Today I discovered many quotes from the woman whose name the High School in Florida that had the last devastating school shooting. Marjory Stoneman Douglas said these things:


You have to stand up for some things in this world.


Those are our prophetic words from Marjory Stoneman Douglass. Remember God uses all people for God's work in the world.
Let us center in and ready ourselves for our second Lenten Weekend Retreat.
Love God,Love Neighbor, Love Self.
Love God, Love Neighbor.
Love God.
Love

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Love God,Love Neighbor, Love Self.
Love God, Love Neighbor.
Love God.
Love

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Love God,Love Neighbor, Love Self.
Love God, Love Neighbor.
Love God.
Love

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12

God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,
to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.    
John 3:16


If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth 
is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful 
and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness.    I John 1:8, 9


I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 
"Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you; I am 
no longer worthy to be called your son."    Luke 15:18, 19

If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the perfect offering for our
sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole
world.    
1 John 2:1-2



When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week ...Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” 
John 20:19,20
 
Let us light our candles and be at prayer and in meditation with the Gospels of Luke and John.



 A Song of Penitence    Kyrie Pantokrator 
          Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * 
    God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
    and of all their righteous offspring: 
You made the heavens and the earth, * 
    with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence; * 
    they tremble because of your power. 
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * 
    it surpasses all that our minds can fathom. 
O Lord, you are full of compassion, * 
    long-suffering, and abounding in mercy. 
You hold back your hand; * 
    you do not punish as we deserve. 
In your great goodness, Lord, 
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, * 
    that they may repent of their sin and be saved. 
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, * 
    and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness. 
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, * 
    and I know my wickedness only too well. 
Therefore I make this prayer to you: * 
    Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. 
Do not let me perish in my sin, * 
    nor condemn me to the depths of the earth. 
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * 
    and in me you will show forth your goodness. 
Unworthy as I am, you will save me, 
in accordance with your great mercy, * 
    and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life. 
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * 
    and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

Luke 7:1-35

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” ’ Jesushad just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’

 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way before you.” 
I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)

 ‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
   we wailed, and you did not weep.” 
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’

16    The Song of Zechariah    Benedictus Dominus Deus
          Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * 
    he has come to his people and set them free. 
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * 
    born of the house of his servant David. 
Through his holy prophets he promised of old, 
that he would save us from our enemies, * 
    from the hands of all who hate us. 
He promised to show mercy to our fathers * 
    and to remember his holy covenant. 
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * 
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies, 
Free to worship him without fear, * 
    holy and righteous in his sight 
    all the days of our life. 
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,  To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.  In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the  shadow of death, *  and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

John 4:46-54 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you[a] see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ 49 The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’50 Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.


15    The Song of Mary    Magnificat 
          Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,  my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *   for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *  the Almighty has done great things for me,  and holy is his Name. 

He has mercy on those who fear him *  in every generation. 

He has shown the strength of his arm, *   he has scattered the proud in their conceit. 

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *  and has lifted up the lowly. 

He has filled the hungry with good things, *    and the rich he has sent away empty. 

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, 


The promise he made to our fathers, *  to Abraham and his children for ever.

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 few days ago we celebrated the commemoration of Eric Liddell. The prayers  written for that day will serve us nicely this evening and at all times. 

Let us be at prayer,

Dear ones I invite your prayers for those in our country and throughout the world whose human rights and dignity are being taken away from them. We pray and remember the list from above with precious ones added: 
Women
The sick
Native Americans
Refugees
Public School Kids
Special needs children
Veterans
Immigrants
LGBTQ students
Muslims
The Environment
African Americans
Hispanics and Latinos
The Disabled.
Trans youth.
Children
LGBTQ persons.

God we lift each one up to you and pray for an end to all hatred, division, and mistreatment of your children. Tonight I ask your prayers for peace and and end to all the violence and hatred in our country and throughout the world. I ask your prayers for those who are finding it hard to love the unlovable. We pray for our family members who differ from us and the courage be reunited with each other. We pray for all of our family members who are seeking love and understanding and an end to feeling invisible. We pray for all who are suffering from chronic pain and illness. We pray that we may continue to be CALM(Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)

Eric's Theme Chariot's of Fire

Lord of the springtime, Father of flower, field and fruit, smile on us in these earnest days when the work is heavy and the toil wearisome; lift up our hearts, O God, to the things worthwhile-sunshine and night, the dripping rain, the song of the birds, books and music, and the voices of our friends. Lift up our hearts to these this night and grant us Thy peace. Amen.

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.


 For Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.


May God the Father, who made us, bless us. May God the Son, who redeemed us, send healing into our midst. 
May God the Holy Spirit, who gives us life, move within us. 

May God give us eyes to see to God, ears to hear God, and hands to bring God’s work into the world. 

May we walk with God and preach the word of God to all. 
May the angel of peace watch over us and lead us at last by God's grace to the eternal Kingdom. 

- Prayer of St. Dominic


We continue our prayer vigil with this piece of music from  John Michael Talbot

Healer of My Soul- John Michael Talbot


God we pray for our tender hearts,bodies, minds, and spirits that are in need of healing this night.
Heal us loving and merciful God and make us whole .

God we pray for the healing of all our family members who are victims of bullying, terror, and abuse.
Heal them loving and merciful God and make them whole.

God we pray for the healing of our land and nation, that our environment may be restored from climate change and misuse.
Heal this your planet O loving and merciful God and make it whole as you created to be.

God we pray for the healing of division that we may be made one and that we may in the words of the the Prophet Micah 'Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with you O God.
Heal us from all hatred, bigotry, and discrimination and make us wholly one O God of love and mercy.

God we pray for healing of our jangled nerves as we confront life's struggles daily.
Heal our anxieties and may we always remember to "Not be anxious and to Consider the Lilies!"

God we pray for the healing of these precious ones we name before you now____________
Heal them God and make them whole.

God we pray for the healing of those who are grieving the loss of many dearly loved ones. We remember them now and speak their names tenderly and in their honor____________

Heal the grieving and give them peace and comfort loving and merciful God.

God we pray for the healing of all places where there has been violence and terror recently and today we remember Pakistan.

We pray for healing of all peoples and nations who are divided and at war. 

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God and seek the cleansing and healing of our nation from all of its division, hatred, and enmity.

 Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God to help us promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits not only in our lives but as as good citizens.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God  to seek peace in everything we do.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God, to love and care for the least of these.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O  God, to strive for justice, peace, and equality throughout all nations of the world and in our own country.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God, that we may learn to love and care for the refugee, victim of violence, and human trafficking.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God that we may care for all who  are in mourning and those who have died.

Open our eyes, ears hearts and souls O God to help us fight injustice and oppression.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts,and souls O God to come to you when we are in need of help and comfort.

Open our eyes, ears,hearts and souls O God to Pray for all those who are ill and in need of your healing. remembering_________________________

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls that we may lift up our prayers and thanksgivings to you O Lord . Amen.

 Let us Pray for elections at the national, state, and local level and listen to the voices of the people in the list of precious ones that John Pavlovitz and all of us  are standing with during these perilous times. 



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


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.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with 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 but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

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)

   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.


+++++
Good Night Dear Ones! I love you and Give God Thanks for you always! May you always  remember  that Centurions, misfits, the elderly, immigrants, young people, and the least of these are family members,
who are our heroes, helpers, prophets, called ones even if they break the conventional mold. God loves al
all and God uses all. 

With love and blessings! Do you hear God calling you? Listen carefully! You'll never know !

Sara

Resources;
 Enriching Our Worship
Book of Common Prayer
A to Z Quotes
Satucket Lectionary
The Good Book Club
#LiveLent
YouTube
Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John






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