Sunday, April 22, 2018

Don't run, walk and then take time for rest, prayer, and renewal!


Good Evening Beloved Community,

It is time for our rest component of our retreat and that means a little less content and a time to enjoy the last few hours of Sabbath Rest. So let us begin!

Jesus said, If you dwell within the revelation I have brought, you are indeed my disciples; you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31,32


Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

A Song of God’s Love

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 Put on the Mantle of Resiliency!

Let us continue in silence and mindfulness. Don't forget to inhale and exhale until you find yourselves at peace.
Peace be still and renew and revive me by your love O God.
Peace be still and renew and revive me by your love
Peace be still and renew and revive me.
Peace be still and renew and revive
Peace be still and renew
Peace be still
Peace be.
Peace,



Let us engage in a time of silence. Please get out your timers and set them for 20 minutes.
After the period of 20 minutes of mindfulness and our eyes being closed let us use this format for our time of prayer and breathing:

First breathe in the Holy Spirit and let your lungs expand with love and energy.
Exhale love and feel empowered with compassion and mercy.

God let our spirits be renewed this night and that we may rest and awaken to serve and worship God on the morrow.

Inhale the Holy Spirit, exhale love!

God we pray for all those who are ill that they may be healed that they may feel God's healing and life giving spirit.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for peace in our hearts and in the world that all of our family members may be empowered to be peace makers and your children.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for all those who have lost loved ones in the latest acts of terror. May we rise with the Holy Spirit's power and do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O God and give voice to the voiceless!

Inhale the Holy Spirit, exhale love!
God we pray for an end to hatred, violence, division and terror from all who use these things against all your beloved children and the least of these. May their hearts be turned to love and live the true words of the Gospel and not the Gospel of Hate.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for all who died and those who mourn. Let those who mourn and those who have entered and are entering the Thin Places feel your gentle Spirit's love, compassion, and grace enfolding them.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

We add our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances this night especially for________________
Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

Come Jesus! Come empower us! Receive these our prayers in your Name ! Amen.


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.


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 Smudging Prayer

Creator,
our Father in heaven,
we come to you as your children.

We confess that we are weak and broken images of you.
We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies.
We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. 

We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen. 





A Song of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.
The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,
But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God.

Loving God we thank you for this day of Sabbath rest the gift of sleep. Before we slumber we light our candles and pray for all of our family members who are facing any struggle or anxiety this week.
We pray that we may give ourselves over to kind words and loving deeds in service to our family members. We pray for peace in this fragile and broken world that has been fraught with war, disaster, and terror. We pray that we may find ourselves rising to help others in Jesus Name and spread the Good News that God is Love.  We take time in the silence of our hearts to pray for______________ and add our thanksgivings__________________. As our season of prayer continues we pray this night for the peoples  and nations of Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan and all places where there is terror and acts of war being committed. We pray for all those who have lost their lives this weekend and those who mourn their loss. We pray for refugees, captives, and victims of human trafficking.  Let us  be light bearers and show and love others. We pray that we may be CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful) this night and always. Amen. 


Christ our Passover     Pascha nostrum
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Alleluia. 
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; * 
    therefore let us keep the feast, 
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, * 
    but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; * 
    death no longer has dominion over him. 
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; * 
    but the life he lives, he lives to God. 
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, * 
    and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

Christ has been raised from the dead, * 
    the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
For since by a man came death, * 
    by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 
For as in Adam all die, * 
    so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.



23 Dominus regit me

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Acts 4:5-12

5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,* and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners*stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,* whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11This Jesus* is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
   it has become the cornerstone.”* 
12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’

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.


1 John 3:16-24

16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister* in need and yet refuses help?

18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

A Song of the Heavenly City

Revelation 21:22-2622:1-4

I saw no temple in the city, *
for its temple is the God of surpassing strength and the Lamb.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, *
for the glory of God shines on it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

By its light the nations shall walk, *
and the rulers of the world lay their honor and glory there.

Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; * into it they will bring the honor and glory of nations.

I saw the clean river of the water of life, bright as crystal, * flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

The tree of life spanned the river, giving fruit every month, * and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations.

All curses cease where the throne of God and the Lamb stands, and all servants give worship there; *

there they will see God’s face, whose Name shall be on their foreheads. 


John 10:11-18

11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes* it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’

A Song of the Spirit

Revelation 22:12-17

“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord, “and bringing my reward with me, *

to give to everyone according to their deeds.

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, * the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who do God’s commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, *

and may enter the city through the gates. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *

with this testimony for all the churches. “I am the root and the offspring of David, *

I am the bright morning star.” “Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *

“Come!” let each hearer reply! Come forward, you who are thirsty, *

let those who desire take the water of life as a gift. 


Our featured Reading from the Good Book Club 

Acts 10:17-33

 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon’s house and were standing by the gate. They called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Look, three men are searching for you. Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them.’ So Peter went down to the men and said, ‘I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?’ They answered, ‘Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.’ So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believersfrom Joppa accompanied him. The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshipped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, ‘Stand up; I am only a mortal.’ And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; and he said to them, ‘You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?’

 Cornelius replied, ‘Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. He said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.” Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.’

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. 



Fourth Sunday of Easter

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people;
Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who
calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with
you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

Eternal God,
your Son Jesus Christ
is the way, the truth and the life for all creation;
grant us grace to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.

Word of God,
sharper than a two-edged sword,
penetrate our lives to expose our secrets
and the world’s secret sins;
open us to cleansing and to cure.

Living God,
for whom no door is closed,
no heart is locked,
draw us beyond our doubts,
till we see your Christ
and touch his wounds
where they bleed in others.

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.


Let us pray in the words attributed to St. Francis and Teresa of Avila.
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 now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through 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 on earth but yours.”  Teresa of Avila
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)

Prayers for Easter!

Jesus we give thanks for your rising from the dead and redeeming us from sin, fear, and invisibility.

Jesus we give thanks for the women in your life who bore witness to your resurrection and thereby gave us a place in ministry with you.

Jesus we give thanks for your institution of the Holy Eucharist and making us aware of who you truly are in the breaking of the bread and in fellowship with one another.

Jesus we give thanks for your acceptance of all of us and including us on your journey with you.

Jesus we give thanks for your healing power everyday that we live move, and have our being. 

Jesus we give thanks for you who came down from heaven to be among us and live as we are from babyhood and until your resurrection.

Jesus we pray for all who are in need of healing now, be with them and may they feel your love and give them courage.

Jesus we pray for all clergy and lay ministers who are in need of rest after this Lenten, Holy Week and  Easter day.

Jesus we pray for all who mourn any kind of loss that they may feel your comforting hands upon them.

Jesus, we pray for all who are dying and those who have died and entered into the Thin  Places.

Jesus, we pray for sound government. and that divisions may cease.

Jesus we pray and give thanks for this night all that is on our hearts minds and we pray especially for those who have asked us for our prayers.

Jesus , receive these our prayers in your name. Amen.

Prayers for Earth Day in the Native American Tradition!

Prayers from Black Elk

Earth Prayer

"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth 

and lean to hear my feeble voice.

You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer.

All things belong to you -- the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, 

and all green things that live.

"You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other.

You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, 

and where they cross, the place is holy.

Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things."

Hey! Lean to hear my feeble voice.

At the center of the sacred hoop

You have said that I should make the tree to bloom.

With tears running, O Great Spirit, my Grandfather,

With running eyes I must say

The tree has never bloomed

Here I stand, and the tree is withered.

Again, I recall the great vision you gave me.

It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives.

Nourish it then

That it may leaf

And bloom

And fill with singing birds!

Hear me, that the people may once again

Find the good road

And the shielding tree.


The Sunset

Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy...

But anywhere is the center of the world.


Prayer to The Four Directions by Chief Seattle

 

Great Spirit of Light, come to me out of the East (red) with the power of the rising sun. Let there be light in my words, let there be light on my path that I walk. Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day. And never let me be burdened with sorrow by not starting over again.

 

Great Spirit of Love, come to me with the power of the North (white). Make me courageous when the cold wind falls upon me. Give me strength and endurance for everything that is harsh, everything that hurts, everything that makes me squint. Let me move through life ready to take what comes from the north.

 

Great Life-Giving Spirit, I face the West (black), the direction of sundown. Let me remember every day that the moment will come when my sun will go down. Never let me forget that I must fade into you. Give me a beautiful color, give me a great sky for setting, so that when it is my time to meet you, I can come with glory.

 

Great Spirit of Creation, send me the warm and soothing winds from the South (yellow). Comfort me and caress me when I am tired and cold. Unfold me like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. As you give to all the earth your warm, moving wind, give to me, so that I may grow close to you in warmth. Man did not create the web of life, he is but a strand in it. Whatever man does to the web, he does to himself.



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)

Good Night Beloved Community. Don't forget this is the new Prayer Walking Frame Work we continue  our prayer focus in praying for peace in the world especially Syria and our communities wherever we may be, asking God to show us where and how we can make positive changes wherever we plant our pilgrim and holy feet.  We especially pray for all of our family members who feel invisible, refugees, the hungry, and we pray that we may be truly peacemakers and God's children and one family in love, service, and in unity. We pray and remember  all who are grieving losses of any kind  We also pray for all who are facing yearly remembrances of griefs timely and untimely borne. 

Walking quotes!


Our Fitness routine  for a Month From our Camino Fitness guide is this: 

MONTH 1

Walk 5 km 2 TIMES PER WEEK - 5 k = 5 kilometers =

3.107 miles 

Month One is all about getting started. Walking 5km on flat terrain should take less than an hour. You should be aiming for 45 minutes by the end of the month. 


The prayer walking framework is designed for all fitness levels or no fitness level at all when you can pray in place.  We will begin with the toolkit a.k.a. the things you need for your prayer walk:

Water
Clothing appropriate for the weather
Hat
Sun Screen
Well cushioned and supportive shoes.
Music if you so desire.
Do not carry a bag unless you are going to an event or to the store, church, appointment.  Jesus was right about traveling light.

We begin our time remembering to secure our homes and make sure we have our house key with us. Take time to secure your shoe laces.

Pause.

Give thanks to God for being able to walk in God's Cathedral of life.
Pray for your neighbors.
When you see uneven pavement pray for those who repair our infrastructure.
When you approach a Stop sign. Pause, reflect, and decide your route and length of walk.
Use the signage along the way to help you design your prayer intentions. 
If you are walking to the store - pray for the hungry, farmworkers, grocery clerks, food banks etc.
If you are walking to the doctor's office as I did today, I prayed by name for the sick, the ill, for the medical personnel and for calm nerves for myself.
I prayed the prayer requests that were given me. 
Adjust your prayer walk to fit in with your schedule instead of walking at a set time that may or may not work for you.
Take time for quiet and appreciate nature. Introspection should be the last half of the walk.
Remember this is a sprint not a marathon as we place our feet upon holy ground. 
Give thanks to God when you return home.
Hydrate as much as you can and give thanks to God for the gift of water and feel it coursing through your veins as you are empowered with love energy to serve God in the world. 
Remember to honor our family members who are sharing the side walk with us and greet them. Our smiles and courtesy reflect Jesus to others. 

Those are the basics. You don't even need a prayer book.

I love you all!


Love, blessings, peace,and prayers for a wonderful time of rest, refreshment,renewal and recommitment to a better world as we place our holy pilgrim feet upon holy ground for the good of all and in the service of God. Remember Beloved Community it is all about sacred relationships.


Sara

Resources

Enriching Our Worship 1 - 1997
Book of Common Prayer
The Good Book Club
Satucket Lectionary
Oremus Bible Browser
Walk With Me On Our Journey
In Lak 'Ech - Luis Valdez
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Other resources as noted



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