We are one ! Let us begin to be one with each other as God calls us to be

Good Evening Beloved Community!

Happy Wisdom Wednesday! Today has been one of being in various groups that are extensions that are extensions one from another. Although, this was the first time in many months I haven't been to a Wednesday church service, I was comforted that I was supported none the less by "A mighty cloud of witnesses and invisible means of support" I have come to the conclusion that we in fact are one body and we must begin to act that way. Division won't get us anywhere! Unity will ,and it will take a long time of trust and bridge building that needs to start step by step and person to person. It's like the Literacy council in our town's motto, "Each one, teach one",  or better yet Let us be CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and  Merciful), with one another.  Tonight let us gather as one and be CALM and know that we are one.

Be still and know  that we are one.

Be still and know that we are.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still and know  that we are one.

Be still and know that we are.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still and know  that we are one.

Be still and know that we are.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

IN LAK’ECH

Tú eres mi otro yo.

You are my other me.

Si te hago daño a ti,

If I do harm to you,

Me hago daño a mi mismo.

I do harm to myself.

Si te amo y respeto,

If I love and respect you,

Me amo y respeto yo.

I love and respect myself.

- Luis Valdez

Let us light a single candle of unity and CALM as we enter into this sacred healing circle of love.

The light of Christ in me, reflects the light of Christ in you!

Stay with us, Christ, for it is evening.
Make your Church bright with your radiance. 

Light and peace, In Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Thanks be to God.

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. 

Hail, gladdening Light, of God’s pure glory poured, 

Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest, 

Holiest of holies, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest, 

The lights of evening round us shine, 

We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung, 

With undefilèd tongue, 

Son of our God, Giver of life, alone! 

Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

81 Exultate Deo

1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

2 Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the merry harp, and the lyre.

3 Blow the ram's-horn at the new moon, *
and at the full moon, the day of our feast.

4 For this is a statute for Israel, *
a law of the God of Jacob.

5 He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, *
when he came out of the land of Egypt.

6 I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *
"I eased his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were set free from bearing the load."

7 You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and tested you at the waters of Meribah.

8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: *
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you; *
you shall not worship a foreign god.

10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *
"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."

11 And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.

12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.

13 Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.

16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.



82 Deus stetit

1 God takes his stand in the council of heaven; *
he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:

2 "How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?

3 Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;

4 Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.

5 They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 Now I say to you, 'You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;

7 Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any prince.'"

8 Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

 

God be in my head, and in my understanding;

God be in my eyes, and in my looking;

God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;

God be in my heart, and in my thinking;

God be at my end, and at my departing.

Romans 12:1-8

12I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,^* by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual^* worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world,^* but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.^*

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

A Song of Christ’s Humility

Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,

But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, * and was born in human likeness.

Being found in human form, he humbled himself *and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. 

Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,

That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, * in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, * to the glory of God the Father. 

Hymn

Be thou my vision, O Christ of my heart, 

Be all else but naught to me save that thou art, 

Be thou my best thought in the day and the night, 

Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Riches I heed not, nor folk’s empty praise, 

Be thou my inheritance now and always,

Be thou and thou only the first in my heart, 

O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

John 8:12-20

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ ¹³Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ ¹⁴Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵You judge by human standards;^* I judge no one.¹⁶Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father^* who sent me. ¹⁷In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. ¹⁸I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ ¹⁹Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ ²⁰He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

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.

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you, bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALM Prayers

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy drive far from us all temptations that keep us from you and serving the least of these.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we thank you for times in the wilderness so that we may be more fully united with you and spend time hearing your still small voice.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy, we pray for peace in our hearts and in this world.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy may we be united as one in your big wonderful and loving family.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we pray for all who are ill and suffering. May we lovingly respond to their needs and not be tempted to turn away.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we pray for all who are in mourning of any kind of loss.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we pray for all refugees captives victims of human trafficking bullying and abuse.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we give thanks for the rich diversity of cultures faiths and peoples.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we pray for all who have been on any kind of retreat or travel that now leads them back of the mountaintop experience into new life.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we pray for an end to injustice and inequality. We pray for universal human rights and that we may become the voice of the voiceless and let justice roll down.

God of all compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy we add our own prayers and thanksgivings________________ and lay them in the loving arms of your son Jesus. 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.

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.

.

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.

O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts,through Christ our Savior. Amen. (source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom) 

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 of unchangeable power, when you fashioned the world the morning stars sang together and the host of heaven shouted for joy; open our eyes to the wonders of creation and teach us
to use all things for good, to the honor of your glorious name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(source: A New Zealand Prayer Book, p. 569) 

The Beatitudes

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

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 34:14–19

The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,

for their hope is in him who saves them.

Those who fear the Lord will not be timid,

or play the coward, for he is their hope.

Happy is the soul that fears the Lord!

To whom does he look? And who is his support?

The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him,

a mighty shield and strong support,

a shelter from scorching wind and a shade from noonday sun,

a guard against stumbling and a help against falling.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake

we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

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.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake

we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

God’s Blessing be with you, Christ’s peace be with you, the Spirit’s outpouring be with you,now and always. Amen. (source: Celtic) 

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) 

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 

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Good Night Beloved Community! Let us all be one as God has made us one Beloved Community rooted as the great Family of Love. I love you and may God enfold you with love, oneness, and in the warmth of God's holy presence.

Peace, love prayers, and God's Blessings!

Sara

Resources:

Enriching our Worship,

Book of Common Prayer.

New Zealand Prayer Book

Satucket Lectionary

Walk With Me On Our Journey

In Lak' Ech - Luis Valdez