The Good Samaritan and Martha and Mary of Bethany! Examples of the Beloved Community!

Good Evening Beloved Community.

I hope everyone is ready for our time of Sabbath rest this weekend. We always make time for retreat and self care. I know that I will be doing just that as I prepare for surgery on Monday. Our bodies, minds,hearts, and spirits need them. We all need time to heal and listen at the foot of Jesus. I love our combined sets of lessons and snippets this day. They show us how to be examples as the Beloved Community. As members of the Beloved Community it is all about loving service, loving listening, and radical hospitality. Above all else we need to find time for balance in our lives, that is why making time for Sabbath and retreat for rest, refreshment, and renewal is vitally important. Without those elements we cannot do what God is calling us to do. Tonight let us begin with the "Be Stills".

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

“It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made [God] known.” John 1:18 


Jesus,
just as you lived in intimate union
so draw me to yourself in love that I may live
so that all that I do and all that I say may flow

Amen.


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.” John 10:14


As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love." John 15:9

“The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” John 5:20



“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.’” John 5:19 

“Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” I John 4:11,12 

Psalm 134  Ecce nunc

1	Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, *
	you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
2	Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; *
	the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Canticle N

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.

John 6:66-69 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ 68 Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’[a]

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.

Luke 10:21-42

Jesus Rejoices

 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Luke 14:1, 7-14 (NRSV)

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our hearts if they are hurting in any way whole and healed from anxiety, fear, distress, and broken.

God you who are the heart healer of us all,heal the brokeness of  your fragile world and that peace may prevail.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, heal our bodies, minds, and spirits and all of our family members who are ill. Give us courage and strength to meet each day with joy and hope.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, take from us every root of bitterness and division that we may all be one.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we have courage to live authentically into our truth as the beautiful children you have made us to be in your image and likeness. 

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you as we become and are the voices for the voiceless and speak truth to power.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our bodies strong so that we may serve you and follow where you lead.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we  pray for _______________ and give thanks for____________ for ourselves and on behalf of others.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for those who are in mourning and pre-grieving  may we lovingly respond with compassion.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for all who are dying and who have died today that they may have a gentle transition into the Thin Places.

Jesus, accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen.

From Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John

Jesus, loving Shepherd of my soul,grant that, as I observe and reflect on the friendships th at your disciples enjoyed with you,
I may, like them, be drawn closer to you in love.
Amen.

God you have reminded us that we are precious, help us to convey this to all the voiceless ones.
May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak.

God you have reminded us that we are to be a forever and eternal family and as we are this we need to lovingly respond to the need of our family members. 
May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak.

God you teach us many things day by day. May we remember that we are each other's keeper.

May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak.

God you love us unconditionally through and through. May we find the way to do this and model your example. May we have courage to speak the words I love you with warm hearts and light in our eyes.

May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak. 

God we pray for all who are ill and seeking healing. We pray and give thanks for healing that has already taken place. May we speak up for our family members who may not know how to advocate for themselves.

May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak.

God we pray for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially_____________
May we lift up our voices with strength and loving compassion for those who cannot speak.

Jesus we come to you with our voices united in prayer for peace and lift up these our petitions and prayers in your Name. 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 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. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God Good Night Beloved Community! It's time to take our rest. I love you and grateful to God for you. Love and Blessings, Sara Resources  The E Common Prayer Meeting Jesus in The Gospel of John The Good Book Club #LiveLent Walk With Me On Our Journey  Oremus Bible Browser Bible Gateway