Good Evening Beloved Community!

Happy Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly without Fretting! Today I took Sabbath for myself. This is a must for all of us. The constant hamster wheel of life doesn't do anything for our bodies, minds, and spirits. God decides what day these Sabbath days are going to be for me. I do not have to decide for myself. So it has been a BFJD (Blanket Fort Jammie Day) Day! When you see this picture on FB you know this is my signal to all that I am being gentle with myself. Isn't the puppy adorable? Any way it is our weekend retreat and I give us all permission to rest, relax, and renew. I encourage us to go outside and enjoy nature. When I was planning this blog and deciding what lessons to use for our time together, I found the lessons from the Daily Office to be wonderful. I'm not going to give you a trailer or preview, that is for you to find out. Be gentle with yourselves.

I found a document from the National Council of Churches that was written in 1908, yes 1908 that was 110 years ago, and it is called the "Social Creed" This addresses Sabbath and Work Life Balance. Please click the link and read it for yourself: 1908 Social Creed also this one entitled A 21st Century Social Creed! These documents are crucial for us as we continue our Season of Prayer and Action.

And so beloved ones let us begin!

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

"God commands you to pray, but forbids you to worry." - John Vianney

"When the heart is pure and simple it cannot help loving, because it has discovered the source of love which is God." - John Vianney

"On this path, it is only the first step that counts." - John Vianney

"Lord, make us mindful of the little things that grow and blossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us." - W. E. B. Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois: Prayer

In these first beginnings of the new life of the world, renew in us the resolution to persist in the good work we have begun. Give us strength of body and strength of mind and the unfaltering determination to carry out that which we know to be good and right. Forgive all wavering in the past service of Thy cause and make us strong to go for ward in spite of the doubts of our friends and our enemies and in spite of our own distrust in ourselves. Out of the death of winter comes ever and again the resurrection of spring: so out of evil bring good, O God, and out of doubt determination. Amen.

W.E.B DuBois: "Give Us Grace"

Give us grace, O God, to dare to do the deed which we well know

cries to be done. Let us not hesitate because of ease, or the

words of men’s mouths, or our own lives. Mighty causes are

calling us—the freeing of women, the training of children, the

putting down of hate and murder and poverty—all these and

more. But they call with voices that mean work and sacrifices

and death. Mercifully grant us, O God, the spirit of Esther, that

we say: I will go unto the King and if I perish, I perish.

W.E.B. Du Bois Thanksgiving Prayer

“Give us thankful hearts, O God, in this the season of Thy Thanksgiving. May we be thankful for health and strength, for sun and rain and peace. Let us seize the day and the opportunity and strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities, and let us ever remember that true gratitude and appreciation shows itself neither in independence nor satisfaction but passes the gift joyfully on in larger and better form. Such gratitude grant us, O Lord. Amen.”–W.E.B. DuBois on Psalm 100

My Country ’Tis of Thee
BY W. E. B. DU BOIS
Of course you have faced the dilemma: it is announced, they all smirk and rise. If they are ultra, they remove their hats and look ecstatic; then they look at you. What shall you do? Noblesse oblige; you cannot be boorish, or ungracious; and too, after all it is your country and you do love its ideals if not all of its realities. Now, then, I have thought of a way out: Arise, gracefully remove your hat, and tilt your head. Then sing as follows, powerfully and with deep unction. They’ll hardly note the little changes and their feelings and your conscience will thus be saved:

My country tis of thee,
Late land of slavery,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my father’s pride
Slept where my mother died,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring!

My native country thee
Land of the slave set free,
Thy fame I love.
I love thy rocks and rills
And o’er thy hate which chills,
My heart with purpose thrills,
To rise above.

Let laments swell the breeze
And wring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song.
Let laggard tongues awake,
Let all who hear partake,
Let Southern silence quake,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God to thee
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing
Soon may our land be bright,
With Freedom’s happy light
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.
W. E. B. Du Bois, “My Country ’Tis of Thee” from Creative Writings by W. E. B Du Bois (KrausThomson Organization Limited, 1985)

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.

God as we prepare our lamps and fill them with oil may we remember that this oil tonight is a holy oil, a holy balm, made to light the way out of darkness and into healing. We light our candles as a symbol of unity, peace, and as your loving family. We pray for the healing of your Cathedral of Life and that we may help you become good conservationists of the abundant gifts you have given us. We pray for the healing of all nations and people that unity and a spirit of familyhood may grow. We pray for the healing of our bodies minds and spirits that we may be made whole so that we may serve you and all our family members nearby and in distant places. We pray for the healing of relationships where violent words and actions have occurred We pray this night that wherever there is division there may be healing and grace. We pray for the healing where injustice, inequality, and human rights are being challenged and in our land and in the other lands where people aren't being treated fairly because of who they are and how God has made them to be.

Or this vigil prayer!

God we pray that we may be wholly yours and that we may hallow this time of vigil by the lighting of a single candle in unity with you, each other, ourselves, and the world that you lovingly created.
God we pray that we may get back to the basics and love you and each other as you have commanded us to do. God help us we pray to return to being the holy family you breathed in us to be. Help us this day to learn what it means to speak words, sentences, and phrases sensitively without hatred or slander. God turn our anger into loving words and deeds in service to your children who are our family members. Light up our hearts and spirits with empowering love energy that we may go forth and spread the good news of the Gospel that Jesus keeps telling us to do and follow. Help us we pray that as we follow Jesus we may not lie fallow, that the words and deeds we hallow may not ring hollow, and that we my be holy not holey. Transform us this day into your Soular* powered people and that we may bring to this world loving and comforting solace and Soulace*!The Love of God in me see the Love of God in you! Amen.

*Soulace is my created word for calming of our souls.
*Soular is my created word meaning that our souls are empowered by the spirit and love energy called Soular power!

If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence be known. W. E. B. Du Bois

Psalm 73 Quam bonus Israel

1 Truly, God is good to Israel, *
to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; *
I had almost tripped and fallen;

3 Because I envied the proud *
and saw the prosperity of the wicked:

4 For they suffer no pain, *
and their bodies are sleek and sound;

5 In the misfortunes of others they have no share; *
they are not afflicted as others are;

6 Therefore they wear their pride like a necklace *
and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.

7 Their iniquity comes from gross minds, *
and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.

8 They scoff and speak maliciously; *
out of their haughtiness they plan oppression.

9 They set their mouths against the heavens, *
and their evil speech runs through the world.

10 And so the people turn to them *
and find in them no fault.

11 They say, "How should God know? *
is there knowledge in the Most High?"

12 So then, these are the wicked; *
always at ease, they increase their wealth.

13 In vain have I kept my heart clean, *
and washed my hands in innocence.

14 I have been afflicted all day long, *
and punished every morning.

15 Had I gone on speaking this way, *
I should have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 When I tried to understand these things, *
it was too hard for me;

17 Until I entered the sanctuary of God *
and discerned the end of the wicked.

18 Surely, you set them in slippery places; *
you cast them down in ruin.

19 Oh, how suddenly do they come to destruction, *
come to an end, and perish from terror!

20 Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord, *
when you arise you will make their image vanish.

21 When my mind became embittered, *
I was sorely wounded in my heart.

22 I was stupid and had no understanding; *
I was like a brute beast in your presence.

23 Yet I am always with you; *
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me by your counsel, *
and afterwards receive me with glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? *
and having you I desire nothing upon earth.

26 Though my flesh and my heart should waste away, *
God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

27 Truly, those who forsake you will perish; *
you destroy all who are unfaithful.

28 But it is good for me to be near God; *
I have made the Lord God my refuge.

29 I will speak of all your works *

in the gates of the city of Zion

The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.”
― W.E.B. Du Bois

Judges 5:1-18

The Song of Deborah

5Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
² ‘When locks are long in Israel,
   when the people offer themselves willingly—
   bless ^* the Lord!

³ ‘Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;
   to the Lord I will sing,
   I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁴ ‘Lord, when you went out from Seir,
   when you marched from the region of Edom,
the earth trembled,
   and the heavens poured,
   the clouds indeed poured water.
⁵ The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
   before the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁶ ‘In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
   in the days of Jael, caravans ceased
   and travellers kept to the byways.
⁷ The peasantry prospered in Israel,
   they grew fat on plunder,
because you arose, Deborah,
   arose as a mother in Israel.
⁸ When new gods were chosen,
   then war was in the gates.
Was shield or spear to be seen
   among forty thousand in Israel?
⁹ My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
   who offered themselves willingly among the people.
   Bless the Lord.

¹⁰ ‘Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys,
   you who sit on rich carpets,^*
   and you who walk by the way.
¹¹ To the sound of musicians^* at the watering-places,
   there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord,
   the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel.

‘Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.

¹² ‘Awake, awake, Deborah!
   Awake, awake, utter a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
   O son of Abinoam.
¹³ Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
   the people of the Lord marched down for him^* against the mighty.
¹⁴ From Ephraim they set out^* into the valley,^*
   following you, Benjamin, with your kin;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
   and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal’s staff;
¹⁵ the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah,
   and Issachar faithful to Barak;
   into the valley they rushed out at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
   there were great searchings of heart.
¹⁶ Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds,
   to hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
   there were great searchings of heart.
¹⁷ Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
   and Dan, why did he abide with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
   settling down by his landings.
¹⁸ Zebulun is a people that scorned death;
   Naphtali too, on the heights of the field.

Lord, make us mindful of the little things that grow and blossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us.

W. E. B. Du Bois

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.

It is the wind and the rain, O God, the cold and the storm that make this earth of yours to blossom and bear its fruit. So in our lives it is storm and stress and hurt and suffering that make real men and women bring the world's work to its highest perfection.
W. E. B. Du Bois

Acts 2:1-21

2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done.

W. E. B. Du Bois

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.

Prayer of W.E.B DuBois

In these first beginnings of the new life of the world, Renew in us the resolution to persist
In the good work we have begun.
Give us strength of body and strength of mind
And the unfaltering determination to carry out
That which we know to be good and right.
Forgive all wavering in the past service of Thy cause And make us strong to go forward
In spite of the doubts of our friends and our enemies And in spite of our own distrust in ourselves.
Out of the death of winter comes ever
And again the resurrection of spring:
So out of evil bring good, O God,
And out of doubt determination. Amen.
(Freethinker/Agnostic)

Matthew 28:1-10

28After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he^* lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead,^* and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Wrapping ourselves in God's Loving arms with our prayers!

Let us visualize ourselves as being in God's loving arms seeking to know God better and feeling God's love encircling us. May we feel the love energy radiating from our heart homes outward to all of our family members around the world.

Let us lovingly pray for all of our family members tonight and consciously know that each one we pray for is a beloved Child of God.