Thomas Tallis, Luke, and John!

Good Evening and Early Morning Beloved Community!

I am sorry this is late but, I had a long meeting tonight and I got home late. I guess this means I need to start earlier in the day to blog. Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! How many of you have spent time engaging in attitudes of gratitude today? It might be a good thing to do every day. The first passage from John may sound familiar because it reminds me of the piece from Thomas Tallis  "If ye Love me Keep My commandments" Let us take a look  at the lyrics and listen to the motet and then begin to enter into our time of payer and meditation. You may begin with the "Peace be stills".

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace. 

Thomas Talllis, "If ye love me"

If ye love me keep my commandments

John 14:15–17

If ye love me,

keep my commandments,

and I will pray the Father,

and he shall give you another comforter,

that he may 'bide with you forever,

e'en the spirit of truth.

Let us set these lyrics and the passage below into context:

John 14 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jesus the Way to the Father

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe[a] in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know[d] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me[e] for anything, I will do it.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, you will keep[f] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[g] to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in[h] you.

18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate,[i] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.

God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” 

John 14:15-17

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.

 Blessed be the God of our salvation
Who bears our burdens and forgives our sins.

God let us make vigil and pray!

Let's light our candles and be at prayer for peace in the world and that we may begin by listening to on another without judgement and hate. Let us seek to find common ground and begin step by step building bridges of hope, love, mercy, understanding, and the willingness to see God in each other. God help us to continue to use our listening ears and hearts to find our way towards full inclusion without fear. Let us learn to stop hating ourselves so that we may not hate others. We pray for God's help to do this.  Help us to love God, our family members, and ourselves fully and unconditionally! We pray for an end to hate, violence, terror, abuse, bigotry and anything that separates us from the Family of God.

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

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 17:1-10

Some Sayings of Jesus

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent”, you must forgive.’

 The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.

 ‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” ’

A Song of Judith 

Judith 16:13-16

I will sing a new song to my God, * for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible. Let the whole creation serve you, * for you spoke and all things came into being. You sent your breath and it formed them, * no one is able to resist your voice. Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, * rocks melt like wax at your presence. But to those who fear you, * you continue to show mercy. No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, * but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.

John 11:17-27 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[a] had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles[b] away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23 Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24 Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.[c] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27 She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[d] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

A Song of Our True Nature 

Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, * our trespasses and our humiliations. Christ also revealed his blessed power, * his blessed wisdom and love. He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; * he raises us in spirit and turns everything to glory and joy without ending. God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature; * God is the true father and mother of natures. We are all bound to God by nature, * and we are all bound to God by grace. And this grace is for all the world, * because it is our precious mother, Christ. For this fair nature was prepared by Christ for the honor and nobility of all, * and for the joy and bliss of salvation.

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.

God of new beginnings and new journeys that broaden our horizons, give us we pray during this season of Lent to find opportunities to serve you and our family members in new and exciting ways.

God we pray that we may listen with listening hearts and broad shoulders to the cries of your people and their struggles day and night. May we not grow timid in helping all people to achieve human rights, justice, and encouraging them to raise their voices to speak truth to power in forceful words of Compassion, Acceptance, Love and Mercy.

God we pray that we ourselves may help our communities grow into places where bridges are built, voices are heard, and hearts and streets are mended and made safe.

God we pray for all who are seeking an end to injustice in our land in all nations. We pray for leaders who will put the interests of the people they serve first and not their self interests. 

God we pray for an end to all forms of hatred especially hate crimes that are infecting our country remembering especially Jewish Community Centers, Mosques, Jewish Cemeteries, LGBTQ centers, Churches.  Let us remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 58 

False and True Worship

58
 Shout out, do not hold back!
    Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
    to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
    and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
    and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
    they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
    Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
    and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
    will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
    and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator[a] shall go before you,
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your needs in parched places,
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to live in.
13 If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
    from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the sabbath a delight
    and the holy day of the Lord honourable;
if you honour it, not going your own ways,
    serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;[b]
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
    and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

God we thank you when you give us opportunities for new ministries we will rise up out of our complacency with a joyous, humble, and courageous Yes!

God we pray for all who are ill, help us to comfort them and be co-healers, care givers, and loving support systems for them.

God we pray for peace and unity in this nation and the world and that we may lay down all weapons of hate especially our words, deeds, and armaments  May we no longer seek to be warmakers but peace makers.

God we pray for our environment and preservation of your Cathedral of Life and remember you only made one planet for us to live on and there won't be any other if we destroy your creation and all living things. May we be air, earth, and water protectors in your Name and loving witness to Mother Earth.

God we offer these our prayers and lay them humbly at your feet. Amen. 

or These.


God of love we pray this night that we may be united in prayer with you and each other.

We pray this night that peace may prevail upon earth and that swords may be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks and that wars may cease and love and charity may take its place.

We pray for all the refugees that are in need of homes and understanding. Enfold them all with your loving presence and that they may be patient as they await resettlement.

We pray for all aid agencies who are helping our family members who do not have places to call home especially the homeless, hungry and ill clad in our midst.

We pray for all of our family members who know only hate and disunity that they may have their hearts tenderized and come to know that love is truly answer to being one with each other on life's journey.

We pray for all who are ill especially _________________may they find solace as they await your healing power O, God.

We pray and give thanks for this day _______________________

We lift up our tender hearts, hands, and feet to you O God that you may use us and respond to your call with a humble but resounding "Yes".

We pray this night for all the least of these that they may be protected and that no one will ever be seen as invisible.

We pray that we may be the voice of the voiceless, speak truth to power, and let justice roll down like an overflowing stream and that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O  God.

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.


Stay here for awhile and pray for all our family members who have unspoken prayers and remember to pray for all the families of those who seek to do evil that they may find solace and help in time of need. Remember that everyone is not excluded from our prayers even our enemies and those who wish us harm.

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)

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Good Night Dear Family ! I love you and give thanks to God for you this day. Have a blessed and restful night.

With love, blessings, and prayers,

Sara

Resources:

The Good Book Club

Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John

#LiveLent

YouTube

Lyrics and quote sites 

In Lak'Ech -Luis Valdez

Book of Common Prayer
Bible Gateway
Enriching our Worship.
Lectionary Page