Good Afternoon or Early Evening Beloved Community!
Happy You Matter Monday! Remember our old Walk With Me On Our Journey Days of the Week? We will be using them from time to time to help us refocus as we need to. I'm sitting in my living room writing this blog to mix things up a bit. Today,as I began deciding what lessons we were going to meditate upon it was a no brainer that I wanted to choose the lessons from our Eucharistic Lectionary. The lessons from Matthew 25 was a beacon that shined brightly like a neon sign as a good reminder and is Lenten in its tone and message. So here we are again taking the Matthew 25 Pledge that should be posted everywhere in our homes, cars, purses, etc as a reminder of God's marching orders for all of us during this season of Lent and beyond. So here is the Matthew 25 Pledge that we will be using for this week's scriptural and social justice focus:
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
This is what we are called to do as the Beloved Community. Today in place of our regular canticles we will be using prayers from Prayers of Power from the Harvard Square Library. They should be familiar to you and are becoming ingrained in your hearts by now. So let us begin with our mindfulness exercises:
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
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.
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.
Be.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
Joseph Barth: A Grace
We give thanks for Being;
We give thanks for being here;
We give thanks for being here together.
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Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that God is Love.
Be still and know that You are Love.
Be sill and know that I Am Love.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Slowly inhale.
Hold.
Slowly exhale
Pause. Count to 10.
Breathing Exercises with Thich Nhat Hanh
“*Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath.
Breathing out, I know this is my out-breath.*
It's very simple, but very effective. When we bring our attention to our in-breath and our out-breath, we stop thinking of the past; we stop thinking of the future; and we begin to come home to ourselves...Don't think this practice doesn't apply to you. If we don't go home to ourselves, we can't be at our best and serve the world in the best way... Our quality of being is the foundation for the quality of our actions.
*Breathing in, I'm aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of my whole body.*
Breathing mindfully brings us back to our bodies. We have to acknowledge our bodies first because tension and suffering accumulate in the body. Breathing in this way, we create a kind of family reunion between mind and body. The mind becomes an embodied mind.
...We can't do our best if we don't know to release the tension and pain in ourselves.
*Breathing in, I'm aware of the tension in my body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of the tension in my body.*
When we look at the suffering around us, at poverty, violence, or climate change, we may want to solve these things immediately. We want to do something. But to do something effectively and ethically, we need to be our best selves in order to be able to handle the suffering...
*Breathing in, I am aware of a painful feeling arising.
Breathing out, I release the painful feeling.*
This is a nonviolent and gentle way to help our bodies release tension and pain. It is possible to practice mindful breathing in order to produce a feeling of joy, a feeling of happiness. When we are well-nourished and know how to create joy, then we are strong enough to handle the deep pain within ourselves and the world.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace
As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.
Come let us worship:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful
and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. I John 1:8, 9
Examine me O God and know my heart, test me and discover my thoughts, and lead me in the way everlasting.Psalm 139:23,24
Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord
your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
Joel 2:13
I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him,
"Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son." Luke 15:18, 19
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, because
we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice
of the Lord our God by following his laws which he set
before us. Daniel 9:9, 10
Jesus said, "If anyone will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and those who are afraid are not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother or sister, that person is a liar; for those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:18-20
According to the riches of God’s glory, may you be strengthened with the might through the Holy Spirit in your inner being, and may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with the fulness of God.Ephesians 3:16-19
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In peace we come to you this night with our prayers and make vigil for those who are hungry, homeless, ill clad. We especially remember the people of Somalia who are dying from famine and disease.
THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES (Anonymous)
Lest we forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest we forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest we forget You, the God of our fore bears who is our God also:
We light this candle of remembrance.
For the hope of a better world, in which righteousness and peace shall prevail among the people of the earth, and to create which is the task of the generations in which we stand, as well as for the courage and faith we shall need if we are to carry on this unfinished work:
We light this candle of consecration.
May the flame upon the altar of free faith shine in our hearts al ways, reminding us of the dark places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in every moment of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.
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.
Psalm 134
We your servants bless you, O God,
as we stand by night in your house.
We lift up our hands towards the holy place,
and give you thanks and praise.
Bless us from all places where you dwell,
O God, creator of the heavens and the earth.
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 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
"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." - Henri Nouwen
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.
Confession of Need
Let us confess our need for God’s healing grace.
Silence
Compassionate God,
we confess our weaknesses and our need for your
strengthening touch.
We confess that some illnesses stem from our own fault,
while others are beyond our control.
We turn to you, source of life,
and ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ
for the gifts of true healing and life in you. Amen.
May the God of love visit us in our times of trial and weakness,
and raise us to newness of life, through Jesus Christ, in the
power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning; our salvation in time of distress.Isaiah 33:2
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.2 Timothy 1:7
Karle Wilson Baker: Pronouns
O God, You said,
“Say, ‘We’”;
But I shook my head,
Hid my hands tight behind my back, and said,
Stubbornly,
“I.”
Again You said,
“Say, ‘We’”;
But I looked upon them, grimy and all awry.
Myself in those twisted shapes? Ah, no!
Distastefully I turned my head away,
Persisting,
“They.”
Again You said,
“Say, ‘We’”;
And I
At last,
Richer by a hoard
Of years,
Looked in their eyes and found the heavy word
That bent my neck and bowed my head:
Like a shamed school child then I mumbled low,
“We, O God.”
Psalm 19:7-14
7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and revives the soul; *
the testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8 The statutes of the Lord are just
and rejoice the heart; *
the commandment of the Lord is clear
and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean
and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey,
than honey in the comb.
11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends? *
cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; *
then shall I be whole and sound,
and innocent of a great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, *
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18
19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
11 You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer* among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood* of your neighbour: I am the Lord.
17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
FOR WORLD NEIGHBORLINESS (Peter Marshall)
O God, we pray for a broader vision of the needs of humanity, and a deeper compassion to fill those needs; for a planting of the seeds of concern for all humanity in our hearts; for a tapping of the wells of generosity.
May we live together as people who have been forgiven a great debt.
May we be gentle, walking softly with one another.
May we be understanding, lest we shall add to the world’s sorrow or cause to flow needless tears.
May we be as anxious for the rights of others as we are for our own.
May we be as eager to forgive as we are to seek forgiveness.
May we know no barriers of creed or race or sex, that our love may be like Yours—a love that sees all people as Your children and our kin.
May we be ministers of humanity.
Matthew 25:31-46
The Judgement of the Nations
31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
Diann Neu: Blessed Be Our Hands
Blessed be the work of our hands.
Blessed be these hands that touch life.
Blessed be these hands that nurture creativity.
Blessed be these hands that hold pain.
Blessed be these hands that embrace with passion.
Blessed be these hands that tend gardens.
Blessed bed these hands that close in anger.
Blessed be these hands that plant new seeds.
Blessed be these hands that harvest ripe fields.
Blessed be these hands that clean, wash, mop, scrub.
Blessed be these hands that become knotty with age.
Blessed be these hands that wrinkle and scar from doing justice.
Blessed are these hands that reach out and are received.
Blessed are these hands that hold the promise of the future.
Blessed be the works of our hands and hearts.
Prayer for Joy in God’s Creation O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 814)
HEALING AFTER PAIN (Prayers by Vivian T. Pomeroy)
O God our undying hope, we thank You for the warmth which steals back into our hearts after a while;
for the healing which comes to wounded bodies and spirits through time;
for the blessed fact that the flood of pain does not last forever and for the incredible bliss when the tide begins to ebb;
for the cheerfulness which breaks into our dark dungeon and strikes off our fetters when least expected, we know not how;
for the strange sadness which haunts our brightest hours because our hearts are made for a joy deeper than happiness;
for the insurgent courage which lifts its head above past mistakes and worse, and affirms its right to try again;
for the golden thread of valor and good will never quite lost in the tragic wanderings of men and nations;
for the labors of those who have sown that others may reap;
for the dear kindness of those who see us as we once were.
We thank You, God of our little faith, our greater hope, and above all our faltering love, which can never fail because it is more Yours than ours.
WEEK PAST AND WEEK BEGINNING
O God, we bring before You at this hour the life we have lived in the week that is past.
We thank You for everything we were able to do and found good in the doing.
We thank You for duties which were not so welcome when they ap peared, but left us glad that we had done them.
We thank You for the friends we knew we could trust; for persons who made us glad to have met them; and for all the workers who main tained the fabric of the world.
We thank You for little victories won over ourselves; for all the words well spoken, and for things wisely left unsaid.
O God, we bring before You at this hour the week now beginning, and our hopes for it.
If there are things left undone which reproach us, may we have a steadfast mind to do them.
If there are things we ought to finish, may we turn to them again.
But may we not be downcast because there are some things we shall never finish, inasmuch as they are so great.
May we not become slothful because time is long; may we not become feverish because time is short.
May the past be our benediction, and the future be our challenge.
May we lift up our strength to greet each day, and may Your song be with us in the night.
FROM THE HEART
O God, we thank You for life, and for all it holds of happiness and work and play and risk and courage and beauty.
We thank You for all the adventures of the mind whereby we pursue what is true, grapple with difficult problems, and share a little in the vast heritage of man’s knowledge.
We thank You for the firmness of reasonable people in refusing to follow extremists; but we also thank You for the pioneers of advancing thought in science, art, and religion.
We thank You for all heroic souls who shame our cowardice; for all sympathetic souls who communicate encouragement; for all human souls, seldom wearing haloes, who kindle our desire to be really good.
We thank You for friendship and the faces of those who, when we fail, help to bring us back to our bravest selves again.
We thank You for the exchange of gifts, for letters to and from those we love, for the sparkle of a pleasant wit, for the refreshment of unforced laughter, and for the song remembered for the singer’s sake.
Above all, we thank You for Your call to be ourselves at our best, without miserably trying to be somebody else. So may we grow in the strength to make the best of things, trusting You that they will make the best of us.
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From the Industrial Christian Fellowship the organization that Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy worked for: This is this week's prayer focus!
This week's prayer Focus
Those who work with animals
Caring God, when You called Yourself Good Shepherd, You reminded us that those who tend the creatures of your making have much to teach us about watching over one another; you commended to us a model of leadership that stands against those who would seek to control and lord over others; and gave dignity to a profession that many chose to despise. Caring for animals so often requires that we follow the course and processes of nature, and so remind us that we are not controllers of our own destiny but live under Your Sovereignty. So we pray for those who care for animals; in our world of convenience food, may we not forget the processes by which it Is made available and whether animals are raised for our sustenance or our pleasure, may those who care for them act responsibly, remembering that theirs is the task of caring for part of your creation. AMEN
Making a Difference
A Prayer which explores the impact of being a Christian in the workplace
A Prayer which explores the impact of being a Christian in the workplace
Loving God
You have called us to be salt and light;
Beacons of hope,
And agents of change.
You have called us to be leaven,
Working in the hidden places
To make pleasant and light,
What would otherwise be unpalatable.
In my working life
May I be known
Not only for the person I am
But the difference that I make
May my faith not be the thing
that separates me from others,
But rather that which binds me to them
Compelling me to journey with them
In every shade of life’s experience.
And as we offer our working lives
As a living sacrifice to you,
Inhabit our praise we pray
That workshop and office tower,
Boardroom and factory floor
May be transformed by your presence;
Made manifest
Through the everyday endeavours of Your people
AMEN
You have called us to be salt and light;
Beacons of hope,
And agents of change.
You have called us to be leaven,
Working in the hidden places
To make pleasant and light,
What would otherwise be unpalatable.
In my working life
May I be known
Not only for the person I am
But the difference that I make
May my faith not be the thing
that separates me from others,
But rather that which binds me to them
Compelling me to journey with them
In every shade of life’s experience.
And as we offer our working lives
As a living sacrifice to you,
Inhabit our praise we pray
That workshop and office tower,
Boardroom and factory floor
May be transformed by your presence;
Made manifest
Through the everyday endeavours of Your people
AMEN
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As we close our worship this night we pray,
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.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
or the alternative form from A New Zealand Prayer Book.
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:
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.
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.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
Intercession Set I
God give us the strength to face our wilderness journeys in life and listen to you with ears of the heart.
God give us the courage to love all our family members Animal, vegetable, and mineral that we see each day on our journey through the wilderness.
God we pray for an end to all kinds of temptations that draw us away from you and the holy.
God we pray and give thanks to you for the good times we encounter during these wilderness periods.
God we pray for our family members who are struggling and finding themselves in times of hardship, loss, and uncertainty.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, bodies, minds and spirits when we are in fallow and wilderness times of our lives.
God we pray for the protection of the environment, for clean air, for clean water, desert sands, forests, and wherever all the creatures you have made dwell.
God we pray for an end to the violence, the terror, all forms of hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. May we sow seeds of compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy and may we learn from you the skills to be brought together as one precious family of the world.
God we pray for_____________________
God we lift up these our prayers this night to you. Amen.
Or these:
As we close our worship this night we remember these prayers.
O God, by your Word you marvelously carry out the work of reconciliation: Grant that in our Lenten fast we may be devoted to you with all our hearts, and united with one another in prayer and holy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
God give us the courage to love all our family members Animal, vegetable, and mineral that we see each day on our journey through the wilderness.
God we pray for an end to all kinds of temptations that draw us away from you and the holy.
God we pray and give thanks to you for the good times we encounter during these wilderness periods.
God we pray for our family members who are struggling and finding themselves in times of hardship, loss, and uncertainty.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, bodies, minds and spirits when we are in fallow and wilderness times of our lives.
God we pray for the protection of the environment, for clean air, for clean water, desert sands, forests, and wherever all the creatures you have made dwell.
God we pray for an end to the violence, the terror, all forms of hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. May we sow seeds of compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy and may we learn from you the skills to be brought together as one precious family of the world.
God we pray for_____________________
God we lift up these our prayers this night to you. Amen.
Or these:
God we thank you for this time in the wilderness and our time of finding out more about who whose we are.
God we pray for all the times we are given wilderness journeys and see them as a time of growth in our relationship with you.
God we pray for peace and especially the peace which comes from being able to be on retreat with you.
God we pray for all who need times of respite and renewal.
God, We pray for all who are in discernment and seeking their new life paths.
God we pray for all of our vulnerable family members who are in need.
God we pray for an end of all violence and terror and that peace may prevail upon earth.
God we pray for the courage to speak truth to power and be a voice for the voiceless ones.
God we pray for all of our family members nearby and far away.
God we pray for the elderly, children, and the least of these.
God we pray and give thanks for__________________________
God we pray that we may continue to feel the enlivening and empowering work of the Holy Spirit with in us and that we may carry God's love, light, and mercy to the world.
God we lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus your son . Amen.
As we close our worship this night we remember these prayers.
O God, by your Word you marvelously carry out the work of reconciliation: Grant that in our Lenten fast we may be devoted to you with all our hearts, and united with one another in prayer and holy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3–12
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10
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.
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.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, creator of the changes of day and night, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent, bestowing upon us occasions of song in the evening. As you have protected us in the day that is past, so be with us in the coming night; keep us from every sin, every evil, and every fear; for you are our light and salvation, and the strength of our life. To you be glory for endless ages. Amen.
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
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.
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
Closing Prayer
Creating and life-giving God, you have placed us in communities of people and in connection with all of life.
Help us to be aware of your presence in the natural world around us, and to commit ourselves to caring for
all of life on this fragile earth, our island home. Let us love and support one another in the shared work of
caring for the environment, that others in generations to come may always see your handiwork in the sky,
land, and water. In the name of the one through whom all things came into being, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Creation Care)
God bless us and keep us,
God’s face shine on us and be gracious to us,
and give us light and peace.
God’s face shine on us and be gracious to us,
and give us light and peace.
++++
Have a wonderful evening Beloved Community! I love you!
This week's featured prayers for us to hold in our hearts are these:
Max Coots: A Harvest of People
Let us give thanks for a bounty of people:
For generous friends, with smiles as bright as their blossoms.
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us that we’ve had them.
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn; and the others as plain as potatoes and as good for you.
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as endless as zucchini, and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you through the winter.
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time.
For young friends, who wind around like tendrils and hold us.
We give thanks for friends now gone, like gardens past that have been harvested, but who fed us in their times that we might live.
Stephen H. Fritchman: To All Who Toil
Spirit of Truth and Love within our living hearts, we pledge our faithfulness to all who toil that we may eat our bread. We rejoice in human power to shape the stuff of earth into things of usefulness and beauty. May our hands and minds add their portion to the common treasure of a world more fair. We would find our place among the workers of humanity, proud of honest labor done, and rest deserved, and wages earned. We would pay our tribute to the task well done of tailor, teacher, carpenter, and nurse; of surgeon, painter, sailor, chemist, housewife, typist, farmer and chef; and for all of those whose work is little known and rarely seen, yet daily given, that our lives may be far happier and safe. May this be a time of kinship among the toilers of every race and clime.
Fred Gillis: Meditation on Many Places
We come from many places seeking a center for our lives, a sense of wholeness.
We come from dry places where the words and the knowledge seem broken into brittle fragments that do not cohere.
We come from overfilled places where information abounds, but there is no real understanding.
We come from hard places where feelings are dulled, hollow places where meanings seem empty.
Now, at this time of quiet reflection, we come to be emptied and filled with life’s Spirit that flows in and among us and through the world.
Empty us of the clatter and confusion, the information we thought all-sufficient.
Quiet our minds; center our spirits; ground our being.
Enable us to find Your power that is already within us, power for love, creativity, hope.
Open our eyes to the sustenance that already surrounds and up holds us.
Help us to see the miracle of life in each moment and each cubic inch of space offering a gift of opportunity.
May our minds be open to wisdom, our spirits open to grace.
FORGIVE OUR NATION
O God, forgive our rich nation where small babies die of cold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where small children suffer from hunger quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where toddlers and school children die from guns sold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation that lets the rich continue to get more at the expense of the poor quite legally.
O God, help us never to confuse what is quite legal with what is just and right in Your sight.
– Marian Wright Edelman
Let us give thanks for a bounty of people:
For generous friends, with smiles as bright as their blossoms.
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us that we’ve had them.
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn; and the others as plain as potatoes and as good for you.
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as endless as zucchini, and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you through the winter.
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time.
For young friends, who wind around like tendrils and hold us.
We give thanks for friends now gone, like gardens past that have been harvested, but who fed us in their times that we might live.
Stephen H. Fritchman: To All Who Toil
Spirit of Truth and Love within our living hearts, we pledge our faithfulness to all who toil that we may eat our bread. We rejoice in human power to shape the stuff of earth into things of usefulness and beauty. May our hands and minds add their portion to the common treasure of a world more fair. We would find our place among the workers of humanity, proud of honest labor done, and rest deserved, and wages earned. We would pay our tribute to the task well done of tailor, teacher, carpenter, and nurse; of surgeon, painter, sailor, chemist, housewife, typist, farmer and chef; and for all of those whose work is little known and rarely seen, yet daily given, that our lives may be far happier and safe. May this be a time of kinship among the toilers of every race and clime.
Fred Gillis: Meditation on Many Places
We come from many places seeking a center for our lives, a sense of wholeness.
We come from dry places where the words and the knowledge seem broken into brittle fragments that do not cohere.
We come from overfilled places where information abounds, but there is no real understanding.
We come from hard places where feelings are dulled, hollow places where meanings seem empty.
Now, at this time of quiet reflection, we come to be emptied and filled with life’s Spirit that flows in and among us and through the world.
Empty us of the clatter and confusion, the information we thought all-sufficient.
Quiet our minds; center our spirits; ground our being.
Enable us to find Your power that is already within us, power for love, creativity, hope.
Open our eyes to the sustenance that already surrounds and up holds us.
Help us to see the miracle of life in each moment and each cubic inch of space offering a gift of opportunity.
May our minds be open to wisdom, our spirits open to grace.
FORGIVE OUR NATION
O God, forgive our rich nation where small babies die of cold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where small children suffer from hunger quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where toddlers and school children die from guns sold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation that lets the rich continue to get more at the expense of the poor quite legally.
O God, help us never to confuse what is quite legal with what is just and right in Your sight.
– Marian Wright Edelman
Many of these prayers are hard to pray but necessary during the Lenten Season. May our hearts and minds be open and seek to become co-healers and change makers with God.
Peace, love, and prayers,
Sara
Resources and Homework
Today's homework as we begin to work towards being good stewards of God's Cathedral of Life:
I challenge everyone whose church has Lenten Soup Suppers to bring your own cup, bowl, soup spoon,knife and maybe a cloth napkin every week and beyond. NO MORE SINGLE USE PRODUCTS.
Purchase metal soup spoons!
Beginning tomorrow and throughout the week please use Meditation 2. Please click on the link below.
Do you know how to be an effective recycler?
Did you go without a plastic straw today?
Consider how you can save money by going car free and reducing your carbon footprint.
Consider how you can reduce your dependence upon single use plastic.
Learn about: Industrial Christian Fellowship
During the season of Lent we will be returning to our meditation and mindfulness exercises so that we may calm our hearts and spirits and practice self-emptying. The quotes to ponder will be placed in the resources section with homework questions throughout the week. This is a time to journal our journey.
We continue to use our toolkit during Lent :
Worry Free Sabbath (Jar, Journal, Box) Work
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Bible of your choice or explore the different versions or translations with BibleGateway.com
Community resource directory
Church or social justice newsletter
Episcopal Church -Lenten Resources 2019
Sacred Ground -Episcopal Church
Sojourners
ReclaimingJesus.org
Matthew25Pledge.com
Watch this space as we join the Good Book Club and read Romans for the season of Epiphany!
This week’s Rule reflection
We embrace the vulnerability of being TEACHABLE expressed in a willingness to be ACOUNTABLE TO OTHERS in ordering our ways and our heart in order to effect change
Psalm 57
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Mark 10:42-45
A to Z Quotes
Book of Occasional Services
Northumbria Community Tidbits
This week’s Rule reflection
We embrace the vulnerability of being TEACHABLE expressed in a willingness to be ACOUNTABLE TO OTHERS in ordering our ways and our heart in order to effect change
Enjoy perusing these sites.
Today's Readings!
Daily:
Eucharistic:
Tomorrow's Readings:
Daily:
Eucharistic:
Saints of the Day:
Almighty and merciful God, who raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in your Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that your people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Mark 10:42-45
Gregory the Great Quotes:
"You don't climb a mountain in leaps and bounds, but by taking it slowly." ~ Pope Gregory I
"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist." ~ Pope Gregory I
"Have confidence in the compassion of our Creator. Reflect well on what you are now doing, and keep before you the things you have done. Lift up your eyes to the overflowing compassion of heaven, and while He waits for you, draw near in tears to our merciful Judge. Having before your mind that He is a Just Judge, do not take your sins lightly; and having also in mind that He is compassionate, do not despair. The God-Man gives man confidence before God." ~ Pope Gregory I
"We make Idols of our concepts, but Wisdom is born of wonder" ~ Pope Gregory I
"You cannot acquire the gift of peace if by your anger you destroy the peace of the Lord." ~ Pope Gregory I
"We ascend to the heights of contemplation by the steps of action." ~ Pope Gregory I
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship 1 and 2
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
About:
From the Northumbria Community:
Today marks the beginning of Lent, the period of forty days (excluding Sundays) when Christians remember the forty day fast of our Lord Jesus in the desert, before starting His earthly ministry. We also seek to participate in that fast by some degree of self-denial. As a token of this, some churches hold the custom of making ashes from the palm crosses of the previous year and, in the Ash Wednesday service, marking the foreheads of participants with ash. As a sign that this is also a period of penitence, many churches also remove items that are colourful or ornate, or they cover them over with cloths of a drab or purple colour, both of which signify penitence.
Lent is also the period of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, when we will remember the arrest, trial and death of Jesus, and His resurrection. In the days when new Christians were baptised on Easter Day, Lent was a period of preparation for baptism, of learning what the faith is all about. For many it is still a time of study, learning and sharing insights with fellow Christians.
Some of the Sundays during Lent have a particular significance. The Fourth Sunday in Lent is kept in Britain as Mothering Sunday (commercially referred to as ‘Mothers’ Day’). This derives from the time when people would return to the original church which had planted their own (the ‘mother church’) for a great celebration, and is linked with servants in great houses being given this Sunday off to visit their families and show their appreciation to their mothers.The Fifth Sunday is Passion Sunday and the Sixth Palm Sunday (see separate entries), the Sunday which begins Holy Week (again see separate entry).
The suggested prayer is based on a hymn by John Samuel Bewley Monsell, who lived in the 19th century:
I am hungering and thirsting for You, my Lord – feed me with Yourself, the living bread that came down from heaven. I travel over rough paths in my life – guide me, help me and refresh me with Your love. The desert still opens out ahead of me – living water, rise up within me for ever and ever. Amen.
I am hungering and thirsting for You, my Lord – feed me with Yourself, the living bread that came down from heaven. I travel over rough paths in my life – guide me, help me and refresh me with Your love. The desert still opens out ahead of me – living water, rise up within me for ever and ever. Amen.
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