Sunday, March 11, 2018

Rock Steady in Jesus, Luke, and John!



Good Evening Beloved Community,

Happy Monday! I had my stitches out today and am ready for new adventures on my and our pilgrimage. The lessons we have for today come with a lot of richness. Each snippet and even the longer passages have lots to teach us. We come across the word abide quite a bit in our lesson from John 15.  What does this word mean to you?  Let's do word analysis! I did this in seventh grade and it can give us all an appreciation for words. Here is our toolkit to do it!
Write the word.
Part of speech.
Definition
What is the etymology?
Use the word in a sentence.
Does this word have historical significance?
Look up the word from two outside sources.
Tonight this is your project for the word Abide!
We are going to look up abide in a thesaurus  and seek out its synonyms Just to whet our whistle.I'm not going to copy and paste them here. 
Here is the page from Thesaurus.com with the word abide. Copy and past into a browser window and take a look. Don't forget to click on the various tabs. This is a wonderful journey into words. 

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/abide

Abiding in Jesus  means to me to seek out steadiness and calm with Him and in His presence. We must allow Jesus to take up residence in our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits.  Allowing Jesus in  makes our lives more steady, complete, and a way to know what truly matters most. When I was in junior college I was in an a cappella choir and we sang a song called " In Heavenly Love Abiding", As I pondered what I was going to post tonight this piece came through my head. Here are the lyrics to start us off before we spend time in prayer and meditation:

In Heavenly Love Abiding

1 In heavenly love abiding,
no change my heart shall fear;
and safe is such confiding,
for nothing changes here:
the storm may roar without me,
my heart may low be laid;
but God is round about me,
and can I be dismayed?

2 Wherever he may guide me,
no want shall turn me back;
my Shepherd is beside me,
and nothing can I lack:
his wisdom ever waketh,
his sight is never dim,
he knows the way he taketh,
and I will walk with him.

3. Green pastures are before me,
which yet I have not seen;
bright skies will soon be o'er me,
where darkest clouds have been;
my hope I cannot measure,
my path to life is free;
my Saviour has my treasure,
and he will walk with me.

Author: Anna Letitia Waring

Let us pause and do our adapted "Be Stills"

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that God is Love.
Be still and know that You are Love.
Be sill and know that I Am Love.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Slowly inhale.
Hold.
Slowly exhale

Pause. Count to 10.



Our opening sentences from John and 1 John for tonight are here:


John !5:4 
4Abide in me as I abide in you.......

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”
I John 3:1

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 10:14,15

John 10:10 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.


Instead of the usual candle lighting prayers we open with the hymn lyrics from "Abide With Me Fast Falls The Eventide":


1 Abide with me: fast falls the eventide; 

the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. 

When other helpers fail and comforts flee, 

Help of the helpless, O abide with me. 


2 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; 

earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away. 

Change and decay in all around I see. 

O Lord who changes not, abide with me. 


3 I need your presence every passing hour. 

What but your grace can foil the tempter's power? 

Who like yourself my guide and strength can be? 

Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me. 


4 I fear no foe with you at hand to bless, 

though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness. 

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, your victory? 

I triumph still, if you abide with me. 


5 Hold now your Word before my closing eyes. 

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. 

Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee; 

in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. 


Author: Henry Francis Lyte


Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy 
great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this 
night; for the love of thy only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. 
Amen.

Almighty and most merciful God, kindle within us the fire of 
love, that by its cleansing flame we may be purged of all our 
sins and made worthy to worship you in spirit and in truth; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.




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.

John 15

15‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

18 ‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you.19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25It was to fulfil the word that is written in their law, “They hated me without a cause.”

26 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

 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.

Luke 15:11-32

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother

 Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up 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; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

 ‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” 


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. 

John 4:43-54

Jesus Returns to Galilee

43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee44(for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country). 45When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.

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. 47When 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. 48Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you* see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ 49The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ 50Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.51As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52So 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.’53The 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. 54Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. 


A Song of God’s Love

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, * for love is of God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, * for God is Love.

In this the love of God was revealed among us, * that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through Jesus Christ.

 In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us * and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, * we ought also to love one another.

For if we love one another, God abides in us, * and God’s love will be perfected in us. 


Let us pray in the words of St. Francis and Teresa of Avila.
62. 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.
We offer our loving prayers and thanksgivings to you O God of mercy, peace, and justice, as we come together and lift up our prayers either aloud our silently.

Let us listen to the same prayer as sung by John Michael Talbot  Lord Make Me an Instrument- John Michael Talbot 

Lord Jesus, as we approach the up coming week may we pray for peace in the world. 

Jesus, give us the courage to become instruments of your peace and be "Lights of the World" and "The Salt of the Earth"

Jesus, grant us the wisdom to find out for ourselves the truth behind all the stories we read and see in social media and in the newscasts.

Jesus, we pray for the forgotten people in all the war torn areas of the world that our eyes may be opened and that we may have loving hearts to welcome them.

Jesus, give us we pray the energy to do the tasks no matter how large or how small  you give us in service to you and in your Kingdom.

Jesus, we remember those who are on our hearts this night especially______________________

Jesus, protect all our family members around the world this night and 'Hide them under the shadow of your wings"

Jesus, keep reminding us that we are to be your hands, your feet, your voice, in the world. Give us by your example to never treat anyone as invisible.

Jesus, help us to be living  and  breathing Bibles by our love, compassion, mercy,  words, deeds and remember the words of  St. Francis of Assisi  "Preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words!"

Jesus, we remember all of our vulnerable family members who are lonely, lost, refugees, homeless, hungry, and all the least of these. Help us to remember that by caring and serving them we are serving you.

Jesus, heal all those who are mentally ill, PTSD,  Memory problems, and all those who struggle with daily living. We remember all of our family members who are disabled.

Jesus, help us to know that we are one with you and God and that we may never be afraid to come to you and knock at the door. Help us always to be listening and seeking you in those moments of stillness and calm.

Jesus we pray our gratitude list and offer our thanks to you!

Come Lord Jesus and be among us this night and always. Amen.


As we close our worship this night we pray,
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 the alternative form.
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.

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

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.


Holy eternal Majesty,
Holy incarnate Word,
Holy abiding Spirit,
Bless us for evermore. Amen. 


Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

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Good Night Beloved Community. I love you and am grateful to God for you always.


Love and blessings,

Sara



Resources

Enriching our Worship 1

BCPONLINE

Satucket lectionary 

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Walk With Me On Our Journey

#LiveLent

The Good Book Club

Meeting Jesus in The Gospel of John

Hymnary for hymn lyrics

YouTube







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