Being known, Breaking Bread, Taking God's mission for us on the road!

Good Evening Beloved Community!

Wow it is Wednesday in Easter Week! I can't believe that a week ago tomorrow was Maundy Thursday. In our Gospel reading from Luke we once again meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Every year we are reminded that Mary Magdalene and Cleopas and his/her walking partner/disciple didn't recognize Jesus right away. Jesus was made known to Mary Magdalene by his calling her name "Mary!"and Cleopas and his/her walking partner/ disciple was made known to them in the "Breaking of the bread!"  Jesus was made known to people after the resurrection using an array of experiential situations. I feel that this was the way Jesus was preparing us to see Him in all people. It is through loving words, deeds, and actions that we make Christ known. It is through feeding the hungriest heart and body by breaking bread together that Jesus is being made known. Finally we must use these actions for the benefit of all by taking the mission God has laid out for us on the road. How will you a a person of faith be Jesus by making Him known? How are you going to break bread with our family members who are different from you? How are you going to take God's mission on the road? These are your journal questions for tonight. Let us begin by pondering these quotes.




Let us ponder these quotes on eating together, communion, and eucharist:

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it." ~ Saint Augustine

"When we come to the table, we shouldn't negotiate right away. We should spend time walking together, eating together, making acquaintance, telling each other about our own suffering, without blame or condemnation. It takes maybe one, two, three weeks to do that. And if communication and understanding are possible, negotiation will be easier. So if I am to organize a peace negotiation, I will organize it in that way." ~ Nhat Hanh

"...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood." ~ Francis of Assisi

"There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. Eating together, breaking bread together, is one of the oldest and most fundamentally unifying of human experiences." ~ Barbara Coloroso

"In the presence of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament we ought to be like the Blessed in heaven before the Divine Essence" ~ Teresa of Avila

"Recognize in this bread what hung on the cross, and in this chalice what flowed from His side... whatever was in many and varied ways announced beforehand in the sacrifices of the Old Testament pertains to this one sacrifice which is revealed in the New Testament." ~ Saint Augustine

"The guest of our soul knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us - that is all He asks." ~ Therese of Lisieux

"'Eat my flesh,' Jesus says, 'and drink my blood.' The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutrients, he delivers over his flesh and pours out his blood, and nothing is lacking for the growth of his children" ~ Clement of Alexandria

"Receive Communion often, very often...there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing." ~ Therese of Lisieux

"I try to rekindle the fire of the Holy Eucharist" ~ Peter Julian Eymard

"Bread of the world, in mercy broken,
Wine of the soul, in mercy shed,
By whom the words of life were spoken,
And in whose death our sins are dead:
Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
Look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be Thy feast to us the token
That by Thy grace our souls are fed." ~ Reginald Heber

"If we show the Lord's death at Communion, we must show the Lord's life in the world. If it is a Eucharist on Sunday, it must prove on Monday that it was also a Sacrament." ~ Maltbie Davenport Babcock

"If it is "daily bread," why do you take it once a year? . . . Take daily what is to profit you daily. Live in such a way that you may deserve to receive it daily. He who does not deserve to receive it daily, does not deserve to receive it once a year." ~ Ambrose


"Community cannot take root in a divided life. Long before community assumes external shape and form, it must be present as seed in the undivided self: only as we are in communion with ourselves can we find community with others. Community is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace, the flowing of personal identity and integrity into the world of relationships." ~ Parker J. Palmer

"Jesus rejected hatred because he saw that hatred meant death to the mind, death to the spirit, and death to communion with his Father. He affirmed life; and hatred was the great denial." ~ Howard Thurman

"I am never lonely or discouraged or tired. When you live in constant communion with God, you cannot be lonely. When you perceive the working of God's wonderful plan and know that all good effort bears good fruit, you cannot be discouraged. When you have found inner peace, you are in contact with the source of universal energy and cannot be tired." ~ Peace Pilgrim

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Come let us worship:

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has
passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:17,
NRSV

We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, calling upon
your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 75:1

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God

Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia. 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Come and eat’; and he took bread, and gave it to them. Alleluia. John 21:12, 13

The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia. Luke 24:35 (adapted)

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

All you who have been baptised have been clothed with Christ. Alleluia. Galatians 3:27

Let us light our candles and be at prayer. Tonight let us pray the Beatitudes and Prayer of St.Francis. Before we do this let us pray for peace in the world and an end to violence and terror. Let us remember the people throughout the world who in the last week have been victimized by terror all over the world.  We pray for an end to gun violence and for sensible laws to protect God's children. Let us remember that if we lay down all our weaponry of hate and that includes our voices we will be on the way to safety and learning to love our neighbors who are our family members too.

The  Beatitudes 

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

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen

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 (Metis Aboriginal Ministries)
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. 

Christ our Passover     Pascha nostrum
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *
    therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *
    but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *
    death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *
    but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
    and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, *
    the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
    by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
    so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

97 Dominus regnavit

1 The Lord is King;
let the earth rejoice; *
let the multitude of the isles be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, *
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

3 A fire goes before him *
and burns up his enemies on every side.

4 His lightnings light up the world; *
the earth sees it and is afraid.

5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare his righteousness, *
and all the peoples see his glory.

7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods! *
Bow down before him, all you gods.

8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments, O Lord.

9 For you are the Lord,
most high over all the earth; *
you are exalted far above all gods.

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; *
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, *
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *
and give thanks to his holy Name.

Micah 7:7-15


7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord,
   I will wait for the God of my salvation;
   my God will hear me.


8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy;
   when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
   the Lord will be a light to me.
9 I must bear the indignation of the Lord,
   because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
   and executes judgement for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
   I shall see his vindication.
10 Then my enemy will see,
   and shame will cover her who said to me,
   ‘Where is the Lord your God?’
My eyes will see her downfall;*
   now she will be trodden down
   like the mire of the streets.


11 A day for the building of your walls!
   In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
12 In that day they will come to you
   from Assyria to* Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
   from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13 But the earth will be desolate
   because of its inhabitants,
   for the fruit of their doings.


14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
   the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
   in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
   as in the days of old.
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
   show us* marvellous things.


Psalm 105:1-8

Confitemini Domino

1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.

2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.

3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.

5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.

7 He is the Lord our God; *
his judgments prevail in all the world.

8 He has always been mindful of his covenant, *
the promise he made for a thousand generations.

Acts 3:1-10

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him

Psalm 118:19-24

Confitemini Domino

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
20 "This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 Corinthians 15:29-41

29 Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?

30 And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters,* as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised,
‘Let us eat and drink,
   for tomorrow we die.’
33Do not be deceived:
‘Bad company ruins good morals.’
34Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
35 But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ 36Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.


99 Dominus regnavit

1 The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.

2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.

3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.

4 "O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."

5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.

8 "O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds."

9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.

Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day, the first day of the week, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

115 Non nobis, Domine

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your Name give glory; *
because of your love and because of your faithfulness.

2 Why should the heathen say, *
"Where then is their God?"

3 Our God is in heaven; *
whatever he wills to do he does.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; *
eyes have they, but they cannot see;

6 They have ears but they cannot hear; *
noses, but they cannot smell;

7 They have hands, but they cannot feel;
feet, but they cannot walk; *
they make no sound with their throat.

8 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.

11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord has been mindful of us, and he will bless us; *
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;

13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, *
both small and great together.

14 May the Lord increase you more and more, *
you and your children after you.

15 May you be blessed by the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

16 The heaven of heavens is the Lord's, *
but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.

17 The dead do not praise the Lord, *
nor all those who go down into silence;

18 But we will bless the Lord, *
from this time forth for evermore.
Hallelujah!

John 15:1-11

15‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes* to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed* by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become* my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

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O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Risen Lord Be with us this night and give us courage to feel and know your presence in our lives.

Risen Lord we pray for all of our family members who do not know you yet.

Risen Lord may we always love the least of these our family members.

Risen' Lord we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing of our bodies, minds, and spirits.

Risen Lord come into the hearts of those who are seeking do divide and not unite. We pray for peace  and  that hearts may be turned towards God.

Risen Lord guide all those who are transitioning into the Thin Places may they have a pain free and joyful journey into eternal joy.

Risen Lord help us to comfort all who mourn and give them love and compassion.

Risen Lord we pray for all those in ministry that they are getting rest after Holy Week and Easter Day.

Risen Lord we pray for an end to violence, abuse, and terror.

Risen Lord may we always meet you in the fellowship of breaking bread.

Risen Lord we pray for________________

Risen Lord we give  thanks for________________

Risen Lord we pray these our prayers and thanksgivings in your Name. Amen.


Optional Prayer Sets:
Prayer set A
Jesus banish our doubts so that we may believe and know that you not only rose from the dead but entered into our forgiven hearts with love. May our hearts and heart homes be ever widened to include the ability to love more and more fully.

Jesus take away our fears that bind us so that we may be ever drawn more closely to you.

Jesus, give us the strength and courage to speak for the voiceless and invisible.

Jesus, we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing. We pray especially for_____

Jesus, we pray for those who are facing many struggles this week that they may find peace, joy, hope,love, and a spirit of calm.

Jesus, we pray for our family members who are in need of prayer  especially for ____________

Jesus, keep our hearts open to new possibilities and new lives and new loves.

Jesus, banish all those who have hardness of heart and who do not know how to love family members who differ from themselves.

Jesus help us when we need to be focused and not distracted this week. Give us energy and banish fatigue.

Jesus we pray for all those who have chronic illnesses of body, mind, and spirit.

Jesus we lift up these our prayers to you in your most holy name. Amen.
Prayer Set B
God our creator help us to find the necessary endurance in our lives to live,love,  move, and just be.

God we pray for all of your children who are ill that they may find the courage to stay the course and be patient patients.  May they find strength in their weakness.

God we pray for all of our family members who are in need of courage to leave abusive and dangerous situations.

God we pray that our faith in you may never falter and that our faith may blossom from that tiny mustard seed.

God we pray that we may become resilient in all aspects of our lives.

God we pray for our family members who live in war torn ,violence prone and areas affected by natural disasters  in the world that there may be peace and healing.

God we pray for all who mourn that they may have the endurance to grieve, Courage to take each day one at a time, faith to know that things will get better, and resiliency to bounce back slowly from sadness and adversity.

God we pray for all of our family members who are involved in athletic events that they may have the physical and mental endurance to participate.

God we pray this night for the least of these, give them endurance to survive, courage to find services, faith in you, and resiliency with you to find  a new life path and safe living conditions.

God we pray that there may be an end to hate, fear, doubt , and injustice.

God we thank you for giving us endurance, courage, faith, and resiliency. May we all learn how to have each of these in our own lives.

God we lift up our own prayers and thanksgivings in the name of Jesus your Son who had endurance, courage, faith, and resiliency. Amen. 
Prayer Set C

God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who have little and who have more than enough that we may share from our abundance lovingly with great mercy and kindness.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray this night for our family members who have not learned  your message of  Love and inclusion.

God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who are feeling lost and alone without any support. May we rise up and go to them and show and give them love abundantly to the brim and overflowing.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for peace in this your fragile world that love and peace may encircle those places where violence, war, hate, and division pervade the lives of our family members who find themselves defenseless.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who are in need of healing and grace. May we with you lovingly help them with love and from our heart-home's abundance.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who mourn and those who have entered into the Thin Places.

God of Love and Abundance, we add our prayers and thanksgivings with love from the depths of our heart homes and pray on behalf of all those who have asked us for our prayers remembering _____________

God of Love and Abundance, we lift these our prayers in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

A variation of the Lord's Prayer 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:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.

This week's prayer Focus from Industrial Christian Fellowship.

People who develop and maintain computers and information technology
All knowing God The things that we can do today would have been called miracles just a century ago. At the press of a button we can manipulate computers on the other side of the world; see images and send messages over thousands of miles, perform intricate tasks and process immeasurable amounts of information. And yet our technology also reveals to us that for all of our advances, we are still fallen beings. For the same resources that open gateways of communication and knowledge, have become the portals through which children are exploited, perversion is fuelled, disorder is mobilised and weapons are guided. And so we pray for those who work in technology, we thank you for them and for all the possibilities that their expertise has provided for us. As the horizons of possibility seem to be every stretched, help us to use wisely the abilities it provides, and may we never forget that there is nothing on this earth to discover that you have not placed there. In a world where technology takes an increasingly central place, may we never lose sight of our need for You. In the name of Christ we pray. AMEN

"God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will. Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face." ~ William Cowper

"My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt." ~ Anna Sewell


Joan Goodwin: To The Four Directions

Spirit of the East, spirit of air, of morning and springtime: Be with us as the sun rises, in times of beginning, times of planting. Inspire us with the fresh breath of courage as we go forth into new adventures.

Spirit of the South, spirit of fire, of noontime and summer: Be with us through the heat of the day and help us to be ever growing. Warm us with strength and energy for the work that awaits.

Spirit of the West, spirit of water, of evening and autumn: Be with us as the sun sets, and help us to enjoy a rich harvest. Flow through us with a cooling, healing quietness and bring us peace.

Spirit of the North, spirit of earth, of nighttime and winter: Be with us in the darkness, in the time of gestation. Ground us in the wisdom of the changing seasons as we celebrate the spiraling journey of our lives.

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A. Powell Davies' Prayers

WALLS

Eternal Spirit, life of our minds and breath of our being: strangely do we walk though the days of our years, unseeing, unhearing, inatten tive, though the glory of life is all about us. We wrap ourselves up in the petty and trivial, shutting out life’s promise. We are afraid of life—and its mighty claim upon us—and we wall ourselves in, thinking to be safe.

Break down our walls, O God! Blow upon the barriers we
have built to keep us paltry. Let them all be swept away!

IF WE COME TO YOU

Eternal Spirit, who dwells in the hearts of those who seek You: if we come to You in joy, may we draw strength from the experience; if we come in sorrow, touch us with Your great compassion; if we have lost our way, and the darkness has overtaken us, may the light of Your pres ence appear before us that we may see our path; if we come to You weak and discouraged and know not where to turn, may we recall the resources You have given us. Illumine our minds with a vision of the future’s promise.

DISCOVERY

Eternal Spirit, who gives wisdom, show us how much of what we pray for in the world about us is waiting to be found within ourselves.

PRAYERS

Give us to know, O God, how vain are all our hopes, how empty all our prayers, until we ourselves are ready to fulfill them.

THE FRESHNESS OF CREATION

God of the morning of the world, at the sound of whose voice cre ation wakes and sings, open our hearts to the gladness of the earth. May the freshness of creation cleanse our souls. Forgive us that we go on our way in haste. Lift up our eyes! May we see the wonder all about us, from the most fragile petal on the tiniest of blooms to the miracle of a new blade of grass. We thank You for this revelation of Yourself that never grows old. May the beauty of Your world breathe into our spirits.

BREATHE YET AGAIN

How can we come to You, O God, with hearts that we have closed to one another?

O Holy One, remind us! We are Your children, all, lighted by the same precarious flame. How foolish are our walls of prejudice, our emp ty pride!

O patient God, take pity on us! You who breathed into us the one breath of our common life, breathe yet again, and bring us to our souls’ awakening.

HOW LONG, O GOD?

How long must it be, O God—for our years grow shorter—before we are ready for our duty? All about us are the miseries of human in justice and oppression. When shall we be one with the destitute, the dispossessed, opening our hearts to the downcast and the weary? These are flesh of our flesh, bearing Your image and breathing Your breath within them. They are pilgrims with us, one in hope and yearning. O God, when we pray for a better world, joyous and peaceful, with all its banners bright, help us to see that we ourselves must bring this world to pass, and take us to where our work is waiting for us.

GRATITUDE AND FORTITUDE

In our ever changing world so full of what is wonderful, help us, O God, to accept with gratitude all that gladdens us, and to accept with fortitude all that brings us grief.

May we take time to watch the morning and the evening skies, to look often and long at the marvellous earth and all that lives upon it, to be with heart and soul a friend and neighbor and a part of humankind.

We rejoice in the heritage bequeathed to us from yesterday as we celebrate festivals of faith and hope.

May we be learning always, from all that we see and do, and from all that happens to us;’ and if shadows overtake us, may we not dim within ourselves the light that helps others to live.


EXPECTATIONS

May we remember, O God, that from those to whom much has been given, much is expected.

TIME AND TIMELESSNESS

O God of timeless ages, in whom the past, the present, and the future meet: we bow our heads before the everlasting. Our years come and go swiftly. Soon we children of an hour must give back to You the breath that gave us life. Yet the voice of faith sings in our nighttime. The silence speaks; the darkness glows. Amid the haste, we see the march of desti nies and feel Your presence as our dust is lighted with immortal power.


THE HOPE

O God, when the shame of what we are is upon us, touch us with the hope of our becoming.

PRAY SOFTLY

O God, when we thank You for what is given to us and not to others, let us remember to pray softly, for there will be many who overhear.


The pilgrim prayer – Thomas Merton

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
 I do not see the road ahead of me.
 I cannot know for certain where it will end….
Nor do I really know myself, 
and the fact that I think I am following your will
 does not mean that I am actually doing so.
 But I believe that the desire to please you does 
in fact please you.
 And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
 I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. 
And I know that if I do this,
 You will lead me by the right road, though 
I may know nothing about it.
 Therefore will I trust you always though 
I may seem lost in the shadow of death. 
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, 
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

St. Gildas 5th C Pilgrims’ Prayer

In health may I and all of my companions
Safely arrive with no harm or injury –
May my boat be safe in the waves of the ocean,
My horses safe on the highways of the earth,
Our money safe as we carry it with us
To pay due heed to our poor necessities.
May our enemies fail to do harm to us,
However evil the counsels which inspire them,
In the eternal name of Christ our Master,
May my roads all lie plain before me,
Whether I climb the rugged heights of mountains,
Or descend the hollow depths of valleys,
Or trudge the lengthy roads on open country,
Or struggle through the thickets of dense forest:
May I walk always in straight ways and shining
To longed-for places . . .”


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


Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)

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.
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)

The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)

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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Let us keep walking the pilgrim road and making Jesus known through our words and deeds. 

Love and Blessings!

Sara

Resources:

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Book of Common Prayer

Enriching Our Worship 1

Satucket Lectionary

Lectionary Page

Metis Aboriginal Ministries

A to Z quotes

Prayers of Power