Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters: Our final day of A Season of Prayer and Activism #EPPN #GC79 #Environment!

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Wisdom Wednesday and our last day of Prayer and Activism with #EPPN #GC79 and other allies. Our topic tonight is a little less controversial and something we can surely wrap our heads and hearts around that being, the environment. If we don't protect the planet we won't have any place else to live. Walk With Me On Our Journey has been always at the forefront of activism in this area because. We prayer walk in God's Cathedral of Life. I walk every day and see the damage climate change and we are doing to our neighborhoods. Littering and not keeping defensible space come to mind right off the bat. God created this world and we must respect what God created. Being pro-environment is something we must pledge to be. Let us educate ourselves and take action wherever possible. In my community there is a proposal to have 750 new oil wells and that may have deleterious affects on our groundwater aquifer if there is a leak. We must reduce our carbon footprint every day. Decide if going car-less is for you. It most definitely is for me. I have learned more about my community by doing this. I pray, I get Vitamin-D, and connect with God and our community. It also creates social time as well. Let us write down what we can do to help save our planet and then take action. Here are a few resources from EPPN and others:

#PrayFastAct for Climate Resiliency

Advocacy Environment

Blessed Tomorrow

Eco-America


15 STEPS TO CREATE EFFECTIVE CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS


It is now time to pray and hold vigil for our environment. We will use the prayers that were used during Standing Rock.  


God we light our candles in unity and make vigil together in solidarity.

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.

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

We will begin each day with this opening quote from Proverbs 31: 8-9

Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.


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.

We pray for the Water Protectors at Standing Rock.
For the musical chants click on the bold links.
Song for the Sacred Elements 
Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

Native American Prayer

Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect and to be kind to one another that we may grow with peace in mind.
 - Native American Prayer


We pray and remember that all living things are sacred precious to God and that we must be good stewards of God's Cathedral of life.

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

One With This World

My words are tied in one with the great mountains, with the great rocks, with the great trees, in one with my body and heart.
 All of you see me, one with this world.
 - Yokuts Prayer


God we pray that we my be truly one family in peace and harmony.

Prayer For Peace

Oh Great Spirit who dwells in the sky, 
lead us to the path of peace and understanding, 
let all of us live together as brothers and sisters.
Our lives are so short here, walking upon Mother Earth's surface, 
let our eyes be opened to all the blessings you have given us. 
Please hear our prayers, Oh Great Spirit.
 - Native American Prayer

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

God we pray that everyday we may remember that wherever we plant our feet we are on holy ground as we travel through life.


The Journey

When the earth is sick and dying,
There will come a tribe of people
From all races…
Who will put their faith in deeds,
Not words, and make the planet
Green again…
 - Cree Prophecy

God we pray that we may seek to remember that we are one family throughout the world and wherever there is trouble we stand in solidarity with CALM  (Compassionate, accepting, loving, and Merciful ) Hearts, hands, feet, words, and deeds.

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe
Great Spirit

O Great Spirit, help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak and to remember the peace that may be found in silence.
 - Cherokee Prayer

God we pray for the  Earth and that we may stand in solidarity with those seeking to heal the environment and save all animals from becoming endangered or extinct species.

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

Earth Prayer

Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep with rain.
 - Ute Prayer


God we pray for the healing of all our family members. We pray for the healing of hurts, hatreds, bodies, minds, spirits, and hearts.

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

Healing Prayer

Grandfather,
Sacred one,
Teach us love, compassion,
and honor.
That we may heal the earth
And heal each other.
 - Ojibway Prayer


God help us to be one family throughout the world. May we be your children and peacemakers seeking to love and serve the least of these.

Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

Sioux Prayer

Grandfather Great Spirit
All over the world the faces of living ones are alike.
With tenderness they have come up out of the ground
Look upon your children that they may face the winds
And walk the good road to the Day of Quiet.
Grandfather Great Spririt
Fill us with the Light.
Give us the strength to understand, and the eyes to see.
Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live.
 - Sioux Prayer

From Fr. Thomas Beasley- Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy." For the poor and the oppressed, for the oppressed Native Peoples at Standing Rock, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy

.Water Song

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe


A Native American Prayer for Peace

O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds,
and to Mother Earth who provides for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect,
and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all the good things you provide for us on this Earth.

 - U.N. Day of Prayer for World Peace 2

Teach us love, compassion and honor ... that we may heal the Earth and heal each other." - Ojibwe

The Water Song

Song for the Sacred Elements



God of many names we light our candles and set them on a holy and life giving pathway to you.

God we light the first pair of candles in honor and reverence for the holiness of Earth, Sea, and Sky.

God we light the second pair of candles in honor and respect for all of your creatures from the tiniest microbe to the tallest giraffe.

God we light the fourth pair of candles representing the 4 directions as we pray this prayer:

Prayer of  The Four Directions

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 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. 

Great Life-Giving Spirit, I face the West (black), the direction of sundown. Let me remember everyday 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 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.

God we light the fifth pair in recognition of our failure to be united as your children and see each person as holy and precious.

God we light each pair now in remembrance and in solidarity with The Tribes who walked the Trail of Tears, The Dakota 38, Wounded Knee, all the Treaties that were broken, All Native and indigenous peoples, Standing Rock. 

We light this special candle for all the Native Tribes and Reservations whose names we may not remember but you do God. 

Finally we light this candle God in loving memory of all Indigenous peoples who have lost their lives through genocide,  violence, abuse, terror from the White Man, and by taking their own lives. We remember especially the young who find it hard to be Native American and are lead to take matters into their own hands and take their own lives. 

We honor our brothers and sisters again with their prayers. Let them speak to us as we enter in with heart homes awakened and with listening ears of the hear. 

Words That Speak 
 

The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of 
forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, 
for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man 
for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild 
sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged.... 


Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an 
intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a 
Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, 
and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations. 


You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, 
and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, 
and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have 
heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. 
The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in 
circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.... 


Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always 
come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle 
from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power 
moves. 

-Black Elk (Oglala) 1863-1950

~TO WALK THE RED ROAD~

Long road winding began in the stars,

spilled onto the mountain tops,

was carried in the snow to the streams,

to the rivers, to the ocean…

It covers Canada, Alaska, America,

Mexico to Guatemala,

and keeps winding around the indigenous.

The Red Road is a circle of people 

standing hand in hand,

people in this world, people between

people in the Spirit world.

star people, animal people, stone people,

river people, tree people…

The Sacred Hoop.

To walk the Red Road 

is to know sacrifice, suffering. 

It is to understand humility.

It is the ability to stand naked before God

in all things for your wrong doings,

for your lack of strength,

for your uncompassionate way,

for your arrogance - because to walk 

the Red Road, you always know

you can do better. And you know,

when you do good things,

it is through the Creator, and you are grateful.

To walk the Red Road

is to know you stand on equal ground

with all living things. It is to know that

because you were born human,

it gives you superiority over nothing.

It is to know that every creation carries a Spirit,

and the river knows more than you do,

the mountains know more than you do,

the stone people know more than you do,

the trees know more than you do,

the wind is wiser than you are,

and animal people carry wisdom.

You can learn from every one of them,

because they have something you don't:

They are void of evil thoughts.

They wish vengeance on no one, they seek Justice.

To Walk the Red Road,

you have God given rights,

you have the right to pray,

you have the right to dance,

you have the right to think,

you have the right to protect,

you have the right to know Mother,

you have the right to dream,

you have the right to vision,

you have the right to teach,

you have the right to learn,

you have a right to grieve,

you have a right to happiness,

you have the right to fix the wrongs,

you have the right to truth,

you have a right to the Spirit World.

To Walk the Red Road

is to know your Ancestors,

to call to them for assistance…

It is to know that there is good medicine,

and there is bad medicine…

It is to know that Evil exists,

but is cowardly as it is often in disguise.

It is to know there are evil spirits

who are in constant watch

for a way to gain strength for themselves

at the expense of you.

To Walk the Red Road,

you have less fear of being wrong,

because you know that life is a journey,

a continuous circle, a sacred hoop.

Mistakes will be made,

and mistakes can be corrected 

if you will be humble,

for if you cannot be humble,

you will never know

when you have made a mistake.

If you walk the Red Road,

you know that every sorrow

leads to a better understanding,

every horror cannot be explained,

but can offer growth.

To Walk the Red Road

is to look for beauty in all things.

To Walk the Red Road

is to know you will one day

cross to the Spirit World,

and you will not be afraid…

God of grace and glory, you create and sustain the universe in majesty and beauty: We thank you for all in whom you have planted the desire to know your creation and to explore your work and wisdom. Lead us, like them, to understand better the wonder and mystery of creation; through Christ your eternal Word, through whom all things were made. Amen.

Psalm 8

Divine Majesty and Human Dignity

To the leader: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
2     Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
    mortals[a] that you care for them?

5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,[b]
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Sirach 1:1-10 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Prologue

Many great teachings have been given to us through the Law and the Prophets and the others[a] that followed them, and for these we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. Now, those who read the scriptures must not only themselves understand them, but must also as lovers of learning be able through the spoken and written word to help the outsiders. So my grandfather Jesus, who had devoted himself especially to the reading of the Law and the Prophets and the other books of our ancestors, and had acquired considerable proficiency in them, was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, so that by becoming familiar also with his book[b] those who love learning might make even greater progress in living according to the law.

You are invited therefore to read it with goodwill and attention, and to be indulgent in cases where, despite our diligent labor in translating, we may seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly. For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language. Not only this book, but even the Law itself, the Prophecies, and the rest of the books differ not a little when read in the original.

When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euergetes and stayed for some time, I found opportunity for no little instruction.[c] It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some diligence and labor to the translation of this book. During that time I have applied my skill day and night to complete and publish the book for those living abroad who wished to gain learning and are disposed to live according to the law.

In Praise of Wisdom

1 All wisdom is from the Lord,
    and with him it remains forever.
2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,
    and the days of eternity—who can count them?
3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,
    the abyss, and wisdom[d]—who can search them out?
4 Wisdom was created before all other things,
    and prudent understanding from eternity.[e]
6 The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed?
    Her subtleties—who knows them?[f]
8 There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,
    seated upon his throne—the Lord.
9 It is he who created her;
    he saw her and took her measure;
    he poured her out upon all his works,
10 upon all the living according to his gift;
    he lavished her upon those who love him.[g]

A Song of Creation Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Song of the Three, 35–65

One or more sections of this Canticle may be used. Whatever the

selection, it begins with the Invocation and concludes with the Doxology.

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

I. The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *

O heavens and all waters above the heavens.

Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *

all winds and fire and heat.

Winter and summer, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *

drops of dew and flakes of snow.

Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *

O shining light and enfolding dark.

Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

II. The Earth and Its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains

and hills, and all that grows upon the earth, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *

O whales and all that move in the waters.

All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *

and all you flocks and herds.

O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

III. The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *

sing praise and give honor for ever.

Ephesians 1:17-23 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God[a] put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

A Song of the Wilderness

Isaiah 35:1-7,10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *

the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

It shall blossom abundantly, *

and rejoice with joy and singing.

They shall see the glory of the Lord, *

the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weary hands, *

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *

Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *

and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.

Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *

and streams in the desert;

The burning sand shall become a pool *

and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *

with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away

John 15:1-8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jesus the True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes[a] to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed[b] by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide 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. 5 I 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. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become[c] my disciples.

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.

Let us us this time tonight to be at prayer and pray for courage to be the Light, be a Voice, be a Peacemaker, Be a Child of God, Be the one who speaks up when someone won't. 

Let us spend time in silence and prepare ourselves to be God's voice in a broken world. 

God of justice we pray that we may have courage to speak truth to power.

God of compassion we pray that we may love others not just in our words but in our deeds.

God of kindness we pray that we may use our voices to heal, comfort, and lovingly support.

God of peace we pray that we may use our voices as your beloved children to make peace and not wage war in this world.

God of all people, we pray that we may be the voices who seek to protect and serve the most vulnerable of our family members.

God of justice we pray that we may we have the courage to Stand Up, Step up, and Speak Up for all of your children who need us to act and not be silent. 

God of Love we pray that we may use the Love Energy that is within our Heart Homes to be your Light to the world. May we shine your light in dark places so that our family members may see and be guided away from the darkness that infects our world.

God of healing we pray that we may seek to use our voices to heal and not harm.

God of creation we pray that we may use our voices to speak for good conservation practices to heal and renew the face of the earth and respect all living things in your Cathedral of Live.

God of diversity, we pray that we may be voices of unity and that we may seek to come to know one another and respect the dignity of all beings.

God and creator of us all may we seek to follow the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist and speak, love, act, and pray and be mindful of the needs and concerns of others this day and always! 

God we offer our own voices in prayer and thanksgiving remembering____________________.

We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd whose voice we hear and who calls us all by our names. Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer settings from A New Zealand Prayer Book

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

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.

“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 Ávila

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
Take not Thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
And renew a right spirit within me.

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In your presence O God, we come together as one family of love. Give us courage to lay down the weaponry of hate and find common ground.

In your presence O God, take all the gunk in our lives that prevent us from truly serving you and the least of these.

In your presence O God, give us courage to discern where you are sending us and help us to respond accordingly with "Here I am send me"!

In your presence  O God, make us truly the Beloved Community intent upon serving you and our family members with CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy) 

In your presence O God, help us to stand fast and ready to speak truth to power and seek out ways to be the change you want to see in the world.

In your presence O God, may we feel and know your love for us so that we may serve others. 

In your presence O God, we offer these our prayers________________________________

In your presence O God we lift up these our prayers to you in the name of your only begotten Son Jesus. Amen.

The Woke Prayers of St. Francis

Help us O God to be woke!

Woke as your peacemakers, change makers, heart changers, and love energy bringers!

Woke to the hatred so that we may sow seeds of love.

Woke to the injury so that we may heal the hurt and cease the harm.

Woke to the divisiveness that we may be eager to heal and unite as one neighborhood and family.

Woke to uncertainty that will lead us to be renewed in faith.

Woke to the despair of all our neighbors so that we may sow seeds of radical hope, love, hospitality, and inclusion.

Woke to the knowledge that we are God's beloved children. 

Woke to sing the words of We are One in The Spirit Peter Scholte

1- 

We are One in The Spirit, 

We are One in The Lord. 

We are One in The Spirit, 

We are One in The Lord. 

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

Chorus 

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, 

By our Love, 

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

-2- 

We will work with each other, 

We will work side by side. 

We will work with each other, 

We will work side by side. 

And we'll guard each man's dignity 

And save each man's pride.

Chorus

-3- 

We will work with each other, 

We will work side by side. 

We will work with each other, 

We will work side by side. 

And we'll guard each man's dignity 

And save each man's pride.

Chorus

-3- 

We will walk with each other, 

We will walk hand in hand. 

We will walk with each other, 

We will walk hand in hand. 

And together we'll spread the News 

that God is in our land.

Help us to be woke enough not to think of ourselves being the comforted, help us be the comforters and wounded healers.

Help not to be know it alls and be woke to understand what is plaguing our inner beings, neighbors, neighborhoods, the least of these, our family members.

God wake us up to be Woke to your agape love so that we may love everything that you have made. Wake us to be Woke to Radical Love, Hospitality, and inclusion.

Help us to know that being truly woke means being open to radical and random acts of kindness and giving. Where the giver is given and receives much by acts of giving.

Help us to be woke enough to forgive and then find ourselves being actually forgiven 

God Wake us Up to Be Woke to know that death isn't the end but only the beginning of a new birth in your heavenly Kindom. Amen and let it be so!

We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." - Thurgood Marshall

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. 

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Tonight we close with two prayers of St. Francis of Assisi!

Canticle of the Son

English Translation:

Most High, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor,
and all blessing.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and the stars, in heaven you formed them
clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which
You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you light the night and he is beautiful
and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord,

through those who give pardon for Your love,

and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will
find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility

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.

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 Beloved Community. I I love you! May we all find our places to serve God and each other as we continue to explore the topics we meditated and took action on this week. Go out into your community and remember these words of Black Elk:

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.

Let us all come together in love and harmony with our deeds and service to God from our place of CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy).

Peace, love, and blessings!

Sara

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters A Season of Prayer and Activism #EPPN #GC79 - Blog Catalog

Criminal Justice Reform

Journeying with our Brothers and Sisters Blog 1

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 2

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 3

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 4

 Peacebuilding

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 5

 Domestic Poverty

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 6
Refugee Resettlement

Journeying With Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 7

Immigration

Journeying with Our Brothers and Sisters Blog 8
Environment Please see above.

Resources

Enriching Our Worship

Book of Common Prayer on Line

Metis Aboriginal Ministries

In Lak 'Ech- Luis Valdez

Walk With Me On Our Journey

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Other Resources as Noted

Oremus Bible Browser

Bible Gateway