Walk With me on Our Journey: We begin our Season of Prayer and Action Planning this weekend. Let us Walk the walk and talk the talk in Love with God's Help!

Good Evening Beloved Community!

Our Weekend Retreat is now here! We begin our Season of Prayer and Action Planning this weekend. Let us Walk the walk and talk the talk in Love with God's Help!

Welcome to our weekend retreat and time of being together as we seek to discern where God is calling us to be in our local communities. This is a time of list making in a journal or in a word processing document. A gentle reminder that here at Walk With Me On Our Journey we do our Worry/Free Sabbath (Journaling, box, or jar) work first on Fridays so that we can free ourselves of the gunk that is clogging up our mental and spiritual lives. Jot down what ever is creating anxiety, anger, worries, etc. and don't visit them until Monday if at all. Our retreat focus is on creating a social justice service plan for our own personal use to carry out with God's help. Our local communities do come with their own idiosyncrasies and needs. That is why we are starting locally. For many of you this may only be on the street where you live ( No this isn't My Fair Lady)! A few years ago I wrote this blog and it has quite a few ideas: Today we begin our social justice campaign!

Friday Ponderings on Vocation:
"Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice �out there� calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice �in here� calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God." - Thomas Merton

"Any praise I receive does not change me, for I pass it right along to God. I walk because God gives me strength to walk, I live because God gives me the supply to live, I speak because God gives me the words to speak. All I did was to surrender my will to God's will. My entire life has prepared me for this undertaking. This is my calling. This is my vocation. This is what I must be doing. I could not be happy doing anything else." - Peace Pilgrim

"Peacemaking is a full-time vocation that includes each member of God's people." - Henri Nouwen

"My vocation to preach on paper." - Harriet Beecher Stowe

"Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise your ideal of compassion." - Nhat Hanh

"Our vocation, to be beautiful, must be full of thought for others." - Mother Teresa

"The vocation of every man and woman is to serve other people." - Leo Tolstoy

"Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need." - Frederick Buechner

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet." - Frederick Buechner

"Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus." - Mother Teresa

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19

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.

God we come to this night with our hearts and hands open as we light our candles and pray as we in the words of Psalm 141

"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

God may we come to you with a vision clear that this isn't a time of gimme, gimme, gimme or instant expectations but, with hearts full of prayers and thanksgivings not just for ourselves but on behalf of others and this world where there is great need. We pray that with our hands ready to serve you and the least of these we may find this a time of bridge building and peacemaking We pray that with our open hands we may seek to use them as offerings of help, love, giving, and solace and our word for soothing of our souls, soulace. We come to you as we lift up our hands in grateful thanksgiving and praise and that they may rise to the heavens in holy and enthusiastic joy and hope. We pray that we may extend our hands in peace to our enemies and those who hate us and offer to them a sign that we are here to build and not destroy. We lift these our prayers and place them in your loving and healing hands O God. We also present the Light of Christ to each other remembering these words as we close our time of prayer "The Light of Christ in Me recognizes the Light of Christ in You!" We pray these prayers with hands and lights uplifted in Jesus most Holy Name. Amen.

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

God is Love and where true love is,God himself is there!
God is Love and where true love is God himself is.
God is Love and where true love is God
God is Love and where true love is.
God is Love

Be still and know that God is Love.
Be still and know that God is.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Ubi Caritas

Where charity and love are, God is there.

Christ's love has gathered us into one.

Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.

Let us fear, and let us love the living God.

And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

As we are gathered into one body,

Beware, lest we be divided in mind.

Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,

And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

And may we with the saints also,

See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:

The joy that is immense and good,

Unto the ages through infinite ages. 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

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.

15 Domine, quis habitabit?

1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?

2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *
who speaks the truth from his heart.

3 There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend; *
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, *
but he honors those who fear the Lord.

5 He has sworn to do no wrong *
and does not take back his word.

6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

7 Whoever does these things *
shall never be overthrown.

Exodus 19:3-8

3Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’

7 So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

A Song of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 36:24-28
I will take you from among all nations; *
and gather you from all lands to bring you home.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you; *
and purify you from false gods and uncleanness.
A new heart I will give you *
and a new spirit put within you.
I will take the stone heart from your chest *
and give you a heart of flesh.
I will help you walk in my laws *
and cherish my commandments and do them.
You shall be my people, *
and I will be your God.
.
1 Peter 4:7-11

7 The end of all things is near;* therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

A Song of Christ’s Goodness
Anselm of Canterbury
Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead, *
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.

Matthew 16:24-27

The Cross and Self-Denial

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

27 ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.

A Song of Christ’s Humility
Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Song of Mary Magnificat

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.

God we light one candle tonight as we vigil for peace, justice and unity.

Gracious Spirit Come among us in the quietness of this night so that we may hear God's still small voice calling us in love to be a family united in peace, love, and justice.

We pray this night for all earthly creatures and God's Cathedral of life. May we always remember that every living thing is a family member that sustains us.

Gracious Spirit guide us to take care of the least of these and all of our fragile family members.

We pray for all who are ill that we may step up to help give aid and comfort.

Gracious Spirit, bend our ears so that we may listen to our family members' spoken cries for love, help, and acceptance.

We pray for the newly grieving and those who continue to mourn.

Gracious Spirit, we pray for all who are dying and those who have died and have entered the Thin Places today. We pray that your comforting presence and loving arms carried them into the arms of God.

We pray for all who have fallen through the cracks, may we reconnect with them and be mindful of fragile souls who become invisible to us and that we may keep our eyes, hearts, and ears open.

Gracious Spirit, we pray for all those who are discerning vocations and new life paths that they may have courage to change course and say yes to whatever your are calling them to do and to be.

We pray for all refugees, political prisoners, victims of abuse and violence, and those who have died at the hands of their captors.

Gracious Spirit we add our own prayers and those we pray on behalf of others especially__________

We pray lift up all these petitions in Jesus most Holy and Redeeming Name. Amen.

And we add these prayers as well:

We offer our prayers this night in remembrance of all the refugees who have lost their lives today.

We offer our prayers on behalf of all our family members who are struggling to find meaning in their lives.

We offer our prayers to our family members who are ill and in need of healing.

We offer our prayers this night for all of our family members who are transitioning into the Thin Places and those who have died.

We pray for peace in the world and an end to all violence and terror.

We pray that we may become again become sensitive the needs of others.

We pray for those particular concerns that are on our hearts this evening remembering especially_________________

We lift up our thanksgivings to you O Lord ________________________

Accept these our prayers Lord Jesus in your name. Amen.

These may be added:
We pray these words of 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.

God help us we pray that as we make vigil we may feel your loving and abiding presence among us and through us and that we may be truly united as your family of love. Amen.

God help us to commit to each other every day to be mindful that everyone matters.

God help us we pray to commit our lives to the care of all of our family members nearby and far away.

God help us we pray to commit our Love Energy and Heat Homes to making peace on our streets and through out the world.

God help us we pray to commit our care muscles in the care of all our family members and especially the least of these and our many family members who are ill in body, mind, and spirit.

God help us we pray to commit our compassion muscles in lovingly supporting our family members who are grieving and having life struggles.

God help us we pray to commit our energy to be good conservationists of your Cathedral of Life.

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to the fight of injustice, being a voice for the voiceless, and speaking truth to power and letting justice roll down.

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to the inclusion of all human beings into our lives and be fully accepting of them as our brothers and sisters.

God help us we pray to commit our energies in the service of all our family members who are in trouble, danger, escaping tyranny and unsafe nations.

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to protecting all who labor in factory, farm, and everywhere.

God we commit ourselves to you,
God we commit to being Loving towards you, our family members, and ourselves.
God we commit to walk the walk and talk the talk without fear and reservation,
God we commit to speak lovingly towards each other with dignity and respect.
God we commit to get to know our family members from other faith communities as our brothers and sisters.
God we commit to the affirmation that All Lives Matter and All means All and not Some.
God we commit to enter into daily silence and go deeper to the center to be in communion, conversation, and listening with you and hear with our heart homes and with the necessary Love Energy you Give us.

God we add our additional prayers and thanksgivings now remembering especially__________

Accept these our prayers in name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Settings of the Lord's Prayer as found in 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 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.

Be still and hear the whisper of God in the Wind, in the waves, and in our hearts

Be still and hear the whisper of God in the Wind,in the waves.

Be still and hear the whisper of God in the Wind.

Be still and hear the whisper of God.

Be still and hear the whisper.

Be still and hear.

Be still.

Be.

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us

through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole

human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which

infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us

unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and

confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in

your good time, all nations and races may serve you in

harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.(BCP)

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.

As we continue to pray let us pray the words of peace of St. Francis of Assisi

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.

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.

We close our vigil with these prayers:

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. Help us to be woke enough to know that we are Marching in the Light of God as we sing the same song too!

Leader:We are marching in the light of God

Choir:We are marching in the light of God.

Leader:We are marching in the light of God,

Choir:We are marching in the light of God.

[in the light of God]

We are marching... ooh

[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.

[the light of God]

We are marching... ooh

[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.

(Alternative versions of the lyrics may alternate marching with different verbs such as walking, dancing, singing, living, or praying, holding up, or the word "God" for love in a less religious gathering.)

Zulu (original)[

Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos, Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos', Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

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!

Respond to these petitions with: May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort be with us this night as we pray for peace in this world and that we may live into our baptismal covenant with you and each other.