Join us in making vigil and praying! Nothing more, nothing less!

Dear Family Members!

We make vigil and pray! Nothing more, nothing less!

We pray and remember Kristallnacht that happened 80 years ago!

We speak the names of those who where killed at the Borderline Bar and Grill Shooting!

 Sean Adler, Cody Coffman, Blake Dingman, Jake Dunham, Sgt. Ron Helus, Alaina Housley, Daniel Manrique, Justin Meek, Kristina Morisette, Telemachus Orfanos, Noel Sparks, and Mark Meza
We pray for the communities in California where there are horrendous wildfires. 

We pray for all of our family members who have been evacuated. For those who have died, lost property, livelihoods, and peace of mind.

 We pray and give thanks for emergency workers, aid agencies, and all who are ministering to everyone's needs. 

We pray for all who must travel dangerous roads.

Let us light a single virtual candle for each of the victims of the Borderline Bar and Grille shooting,as we speak their names and hold them safely in our hearts.




"IF YOU SPEAK MY NAME, I WILL LIVE FOREVER."

We speak the name of Thousand Oaks Victims

We speak the name of Sean Adler

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of Cody Coffman

This beloved child of God will live forever.

 We speak the name of  Blake Dingman

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of Sgt. Ron Helus

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of  Alaina Housley,

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of  Daniel Manrique

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of  Justin Meek

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of Kristina Morisette

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We speak the name of Telemachus Orfanos

This beloved child of God will live forever

We speak the name of Noel Sparks

This beloved child of God will live forever

We speak the name of Mark Meza

This beloved child of God will live forever.

We pray the unknown names of all those who have lost their lives in acts of gun violence, wildfire, and tragedies too numerous to number.

We light one final candle in love, memory, and unity as we enter into a time of prayer and scriptural readings.

Let us spend time in silent reflection and in the presence of God.

Our sentences to ponder this night!

The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

2 In my heart I know that my redeemer lives,

and at last will stand upon the earth;

and from my flesh I shall look on God

whom I shall see with my own eyes,

I myself and no other. Job 19:25-26

3 Call to remembrance, O Lord, your tender care

and the unfailing love

which you have shown from of old.

  Do not remember the sins and offences of my youth:

but according to your mercy

remember me, Lord, in your goodness.

  You O Lord are upright and good

therefore you show the path to those who go astray.

  You guide the humble to do what is right,

and those who are gentle you teach your way.

  All your ways are loving and sure

to those who keep your covenant

and your commandments. Psalm 25:5-9

4 God is our refuge and strength:

a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

5 You are full of compassion and mercy:

slow to anger and rich in kindness.

  You will not always be chiding:

nor do you keep your anger for ever.

  You have not dealt with us according to our sins:

nor punished us according to our wickedness.

  For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so great is your mercy over those who fear you.

  As far as the east is from the west,

so far have you put away our sins from us.

  As parents have compassion on their children,

so do you Lord have compassion on those who fear you.

  For you know what we are made of:

you remember that we are but dust.

  Our days are like the grass:

we flourish like a flower of the field.

  But as soon as the wind goes over it, it is gone:

and its place shall know it no more.

  But your merciful goodness O Lord

extends for ever toward those who fear you,

and your righteousness to children’s children,

  when they are true to your covenant

and remember to keep your commandments. Psalm 103:8-18

6 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

God’s mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

your faithfulness, O Lord, is great. Lamentations 3:22-23

7 How blest are the sorrowful;

they shall find consolation. Matthew 5:4

8 Jesus said, ‘Set your troubled hearts at rest.

Trust in God always; trust also in me.

  There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house;

if it were not so I should have told you;

for I am going there on purpose to prepare a place for you.

And if I go to prepare a place for you,

I shall come again and receive you to myself,

  so that where I am, you may be also;

and my way there is known to you.

  I am the way; I am the truth and I am the life;

no one comes to the Father except by me.’ John 14:1-4,6

9 No one of us lives,

and equally no one of us dies,

for self alone.

If we live, we live for the Lord;

and if we die, we die for the Lord.

This is why Christ died and came to life again,

to establish his lordship over dead and living. Romans 14:7-9

10 No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived,

what has been prepared for those who love God. 1 Corinthians 2:9

11 Blessèd is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whose great mercy

we have been born anew into a living hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

12 The Lamb who is at the heart of the throne

will be their shepherd and will guide them

to the springs of the water of life;

and God will wipe all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:1

130 De profundis

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins

Job 14:7-13

⁷ ‘For there is hope for a tree,
   if it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
   and that its shoots will not cease. 
⁸ Though its root grows old in the earth,
   and its stump dies in the ground, 
⁹ yet at the scent of water it will bud
   and put forth branches like a young plant. 
¹⁰ But mortals die, and are laid low;
   humans expire, and where are they? 
¹¹ As waters fail from a lake,
   and a river wastes away and dries up, 
¹² so mortals lie down and do not rise again;
   until the heavens are no more, they will not awake
   or be roused out of their sleep. 
¹³ O that you would hide me in Sheol,
   that you would conceal me until your wrath is past,
   that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

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.

80 Qui regis Israel

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Revelation 21:1-7

21Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home^* of God is among mortals.
He will dwell^* with them;
they will be his peoples,^*
and God himself will be with them;^* 
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ ⁶Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. ⁷Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

For Peace


Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

Luke 6:20-26

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God. 
²¹ ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
   for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.

22 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you^* on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 
²⁴ ‘But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have received your consolation. 
²⁵ ‘Woe to you who are full now,
   for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
   for you will mourn and weep.

26 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And now let us turn to the memorial service for Kristallnacht. 

                  MEMORIAL SERVICE: THE NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS
                                      NOVEMBER 9, 1938

                          Council of Christians and Jews, New South Wales, Australia

Schindler's List Theme

Leader:

On the evening of November 9, 1938, the German Government unleashed a pogrom against the Jews, burning down synagogues and smashing the glass fronts of Jewish shops in Berlin and all big cities in Germany and Austria. The pogrom was allegedly in retaliation for the assassination of a German diplomat at the German Embassy in Paris by the 17-year old Herschel Grynszpan.

To describe it, the Nazis coined the phrase Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass. On that night 91 Jews were killed, 30.000 Jews sent to Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg concentration camps. 5.000 Jewish shops were looted, 191 synagogues attacked, bonfires made of Torah scrolls, prayer books and volumes of Jewish history, philosophy and poetry. This action was a signal event whose importance in the history of the Shoah or Holocaust, as it is also called, is that it represents the shift from mass arrest and terror to mass murder. From the time of Kristallnacht onwards, the momentum of the Holocaust gathered force and led to the wholesale persecution and the killing of six million Jews including one and a half million children.

The Night of Broken Glass was crucial in the movement towards the Final Solution, a systematic programme of genocide, which was designed to annihilate every Jew in Europe. Soon would be added the deaths of millions of civilians, service men and women and partisans during WW II.

Let us pray the words of the Morning Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

MORNING PRAYER

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.

Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

and ponder this:

"I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me.” 

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

 Believe

I believe in the sun
though it is late in rising.
I believe in love,
though it is absent
I believe in God
though he is silent...

(Translated from the French by Hilda Schiff. Text from an unsigned inscription found on the wall
of a cave in Cologne where Jews had been hiding, p.184)

I Believe

Leader:

We remember a night of darkness and fear that swept the heartland of Christian Europe like a scourge. We remember those who were persecuted. Jews for being Jews. We remember those who spoke out, brave souls who tried to save a world.

And we remember the silence! How many stood aside, mute and unconcerned forgetting the divine command: "You shall not stand idle while your neighbour bleeds."

For the sin of silence,
For the sin of indifference,
For the secret complicity of the neutral,
For the closing of borders,
For the washing of hands from blame,
For the crime of forgetfulness,
For the sin of meaningless rhetoric,

Let there be no forgetfulness before the Throne of Glory, and let memory startle us at any moment, when we lie down and when we rise up. Let us remember and never forget.

Leader: Let us now remember as we are able, in silence.

(At the end of 2 minutes of silence, glass will be broken)
All:

God in Heaven we remember.
We remember the Night of Broken Glass.
We remember the burning of synagogues.
We remember the looting of schools.
We remember the destruction of orphanages.
We remember the arrests, the deportations, the deaths.
Leader:

God in Heaven we pray. We pray that with the breaking of this glass, our hearts may be broken in love and reconciliation. We pray that with the burning of the synagogues we too might burn with commitment to ensure that this never happens again. We pray that with the looting of schools, we too are pillaged of false pride and nameless fear, so that we might stand up for our neighbour. We pray that with the destruction of orphanages, hatred and oppression may be forever destroyed and the innocent be protected. We pray that those who suffered might teach us the enormity of silence in the face of injustice. God in Heaven, hear us we pray.

Kaddish

(The Kaddish is the Jewish prayer which is recited during the period of mourning and on every anniversary of a deceased member of a Jewish family or community. It prays that God may establish His kingdom of peace in the world.)

Yitgadal veyitkadash shemay rabba (Amen), b’alma div’ra chirutay veyamlich malchutay bechayechon uv’yomechon uv’chayay di chol bet Yisrael, ba’agala uviz’man kariv- v’imru Amen. Yehay shemay rabba mevorach l’alam ul’almay almaya.

Yitbarach veyishtabach veyitpa’ar veyitromam veyitnasay veyit’hadar veyitalay veyit’halal shemay di kudsha - Berich Hu- l’ayla min kol birchaata veshiratat tushbechata venechemata di amiran b’alma-v’imru Amen. Yehay shelama rabba min shemaya vechayim alaynu v’al kol Yisrael-v’imru Amen.

Osay shalom bimromav hu ya’aseh shalom v’al kol Yisrael-v’imru Amen.

Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which he has created according to his will. May he establish his kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire house of Israel, speedily and soon: and say Amen. May his great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honoured, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be he beyond all the blessings and hymns, praised and consolation that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel: and say, Amen. He who creates peace in his celestial heights, may he create peace for us and for all Israel: and say, Amen. Choral Items
Leader:

Let us pray that we will be people of compassion who will make a space for the other.
All:

We share the world"s horror at the tragic loss of life resulting from terrorism in Thousand Oaks California and other parts of the world. Together we mourn for the victims and grieve with those whose loss is so great. As people of faith we pray for peace and call on world leaders to respond by seeking justice, not revenge. May the God of peace protect us all.

Shofar: The shofar is sounded

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.

Prayer to end Genocide
By: Education for Justice

O Lord, we cry to you, with deep pain in our hearts and souls.
Our hearts ache, because of genocide caused by
the lust for power,
cruel hatred for others,
because of their race, religion or physical differences.
God of all, the heavens weep, the winds whisper
through this great world you have created.
We hear and feel the weeping in our own souls.
Open our eyes and cleanse our souls
that we may always remember the awful injustices.
How long, O God, will we look with empty souls and eyes, how long?
The answer, "Until you feel my pain for all my children."
We cry in shame. Forgive us Lord.
Amen.

Holy God, G_D, Allah, Creator of the world and God of Many names  who made us in you image and likeness we pray this night and light our candles in memory and witness to all who have died in any genocide our world has ever known. We light our candles and remember the Women's holocaust in the Middle Ages, The Native Americans who walked the Trail of Tears and were killed by viruses brought to the New World, We pray for the Armenians who perished and The Great Holocaust that took the lives of 6,000,000 million Jews and others. We pray for the victims of modern day genocides in this era of terrorism and ethnic cleansing. We pray that we may look upon these our brothers and sisters who perished as a reminder of how easy it is to go down the slippery slope of hate, terror, fear, vengeance, and bigotry. We pray for peace in this fragile and broken world that we may be peace makers and truth tellers to our family members who do not know the history of these atrocities. We pray this night that we may stop the hate and new apartheid systems that infect the world. We pray that we may be compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful. Let us always remember and never forget.

Jesus (God, G_d)help us to remember who our neighbor is by praying for our family members below.

Those who died in any genocide. 

Women

Men

Children

Enemies

Refugees, immigrants of any kind

Caregivers

Those who don't share your political or religious beliefs

LGBTQ family members 

Elderly

Family members with whom we are estranged

Everyone

The sick and the suffering

The mentally ill and memory challenged

Those living with H.I. V./ A.I.D.S

Everyone

Those who have caused you harm or abused you

Those who hate you or you hate ( Not acceptable)

Those who have forgiven you and those whom you have forgiven

Everyone

Those who do not share the same ethnicity or race as you

Political prisoners

Prisoners of war

Those who cause terror, violence, bullying, and do unspeakable things. 

Everyone

Jews

Christians

Muslims

Buddhists

Hindus

All faith communities 

Everyone

Indigenous peoples

Victims of Human Trafficking

Everyone

Cancer patients, 

Chronically ill

The disabled 

The poor

The homeless

The hungry

 The lonely,

The lost,

The unemployed

The farm worker

Everyone

The misunderstood

The learning disabled

The marginalized

The invisible ones

The least of these

Everyone

The family of nations and all the peoples God's world

Jesus  (God, G_d) we pray for all of our family members nearby,stranger, and enemy and in particular those mentioned about that we may love one another as you have loved us . May we strive to be better at loving, accepting, and including everyone. We know that in  Your world all means all and not some. May we continue to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you to the end of our days and beyond. Amen.

We pray for peace within ourselves, our nation, the troubled places of the world especially in  Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria, the Middle East (Israel, The Palestinian Authority-Gaza, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan), African countries (Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Darfur, South Sudan, The Sudan), Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, The United States, Chechnya,  Afghanistan, Pakistan, The Ukraine, Central America, South America, and all other places in the world where there is violence, inequality, injustice, tribal discord, and sectarian violence.

The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

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

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

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

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement

O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that
thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servant for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember him, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish his soul with patience, comfort him with a sense of
thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon him, and give
him peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive them

that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

for ever and ever.   Amen.

For the Diversity of Races and Cultures

O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you

for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world.

Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and

show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until

our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all

your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

Let God be etched into our hearts and all of our family members as we pray!

God we thank you for etching us in you and you in us. 

God etch in us love that will last eternally and love that will uplift and sustain us all our earthly lives long.

God etch in our hearts the willingness to help the least of these our family members.

God etch in our minds the knowledge that we don't have anything to fear but to meet with courage that will make us the resilient children you made us to be.

God etch in those who govern the knowledge that their responsibility is to govern with a holy blindfold  on see everyone on an equal and just footing. 

God etch in the lives and hearts of our family members in their inner beings that they matter and aren't invisible.

God etch in the lives of our family members who are grieving losses of any kind that they may feel your loving arms and compassionate strength around them and that we may with you become their soft places to fall. 

God etch in the world peace that will prevail and that violence and war may be no more.

God we pray these our prayers that and concern that are etched in our hearts in our hearts daily as we lay them at the feet of Jesus to take care of them. May we never be afraid to ask and pray and lay our burdens on God who is loving and compassionate.  Amen.

Now I say to you in conclusion,

life is hard,

at times as hard as crucible steel. (Mmm)

It has its bleak and difficult moments.

Like the ever-flowing waters of the river,

life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. (Yeah)

Like the ever-changing cycle of the seasons,

life has the soothing warmth of its summers

and the piercing chill of its winters. (Yeah)

But if one will hold on,

he will discover that God walks with him, (Yeah. Well)

and that God is able (Yeah) to lift you from the fatigue of despair

to the buoyancy of hope

and transform dark and desolate valleys

into sunlit paths of inner peace. (Mmm)

eulogy for the martyred children - Martin Luther King jr. - 1963

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence

during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence

during the bright and sunny days,

for then we can share that which we have

with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence

during the Holy Days, for then we are able

to celebrate you and our families

and our friends.

For those who have no voice,

we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy,

we ask you to pour your love out

in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain,

we ask you to bathe them

in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask

you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed,

we ask you to shower upon them

the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless

sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the

world that which we need most—Peace.

prayer - Maya Angelou

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.

We light yet another candle and pray 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 to sing the words of  "Light One Candle"

LIGHT ONE CANDLE

Peter Yarrow

Light one candle for the Maccabee children

With thanks that their light didn't die

Light one candle for the pain they endured

When their right to exist was denied

Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice

Justice and freedom demand

But light one candle for the wisdom to know

When the peacemaker's time is at hand

chorus:

Don't let the light go out!

It's lasted for so many years!

Don't let the light go out!

Let it shine through our love and our tears.

Light one candle for the strength that we need

To never become our own foe

And light one candle for those who are suffering

Pain we learned so long ago

Light one candle for all we believe in

That anger not tear us apart

And light one candle to bind us together

With peace as the song in our hearts

(chorus)

What is the memory that's valued so highly

That we keep it alive in that flame?

What's the commitment to those who have died

That we cry out they've not died in vain?

We have come this far always believing

That justice would somehow prevail

This is the burden, this is the promise

This is why we will not fail!

(chorus)

Don't let the light go out!

Don't let the light go out!

Don't let the light go out!

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

A Song of God’s Love

1 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.

Lord, take me where You want me to go;

Let me meet who You want me to meet;

Tell me what You want me to say; and

Keep me out of your way.

Father Mychal Judge - FDNY - died 9/11/01

St. Teresa's Bookmark

Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

++

Let us see one another through eyes

enlightened by understanding and compassion.

Release us from judgment so we can receive the stories

of our sisters and brothers with respect and attention.

Open our hearts to the cries of a suffering world

and the healing melodies of peace and justice for all creation. 

Empower us to be instruments of justice

and equality everywhere.

prayer for everyday for all creation

Collectively authored by the Millionth Circle Initiative,

5th World Conference on Women & Circle Connections.

+++

Christ has no body- St. Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.

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.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to
generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21

May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be well.

May I be peaceful and at ease.

May I be happy.

ancient - tibetan buddhist - meditation

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)

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

gaelic blessing

See also Under a Dark Star by Fiona Macleod.

+++

A final thought before our nightly rite of Compline from the Northumbria Community!

Simple joys are holy

If you want your dream to be
Take your time, go slowly
Do few things but do them well
Heartfelt work grows purely
If you want to live life free
Take your, time go slowly
Do few things but do them well
Heartfelt work grows purely

Day by day, stone by stone
Build your secret slowly
Day by day, you’ll grow too
You’ll know heaven’s glory

If you want to live life free
Take your time go slowly
If you want your dream to be
Take your time, go slowly

‘Little Church’ (Donovan Leitch)

Friday – The Boisil Compline

Boisil, Prior of Melrose Abbey, died in 661. Bede described him as a ‘priest of great virtue and prophetic spirit.’ Boisil, on his first meeting with Cuthbert, who was to be his pupil, exclaimed, ‘Behold, the servant of the Lord!’ – recognizing the call of God on the young man’s life.If this Compline is being used in a group setting the * notation indicates a change of reader; words in bold are said all together; words in bold italic are said by each person in turn; and + indicates where you might make the sign of the cross.

+ (silently)

* O Lord, You will keep us safe
and protect us forever.

I am placing my soul and my body
in Thy safe keeping this night, O God,
in Thy safe keeping, O Jesus Christ,
in Thy safe keeping, O Spirit of perfect truth.
The Three who would defend my cause
be keeping me this night from harm.

* I call on You, O God,
for You will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

* Show the wonder of Your great love,
You who save by Your right hand
those who take refuge in You from their foes.

* Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Lighten my darkness, Lord.
Let the light of Your presence
dispel the shadows of night.

* Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
each day and each night.

* Save us, Lord, while we are awake,
guard us while we are asleep;
that, awake, we may watch with Christ,
and, asleep, may rest in His peace.

God with me protecting,
the Lord with me directing,
the Spirit with me strengthening
for ever and for evermore.

* In the name of the Father precious,
and of the Spirit of healing balm.
In the name of the Lord Jesus,
I lay me down to rest.

The peace of all peace
be mine this night
+ in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

+++++

Good Night Loved Ones! I love you!  Don't forget to prepare for our retreat weekend. Tomorrow we learn about making our homes a place of sanctuary. Take time to check on your neighbors and loved ones. 

Peace, love, prayers, and God's blessings!

Sara

Resources:

Satucket Lectionary

Metis Ministries

Enriching Our Worship

Book of Common Prayer

YouTube

All other portions are cited above.