Walk With me on Our Journey: An Evening meditating on the words of Jim Fowler and Gregory of Nazianzus!

Good Evening Dear Siblings of the Earth and of God!

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! Today we give thanks for the lives of Jim Fowler who helped us enjoy the television program Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and made nature and animals cool. We also remember our saint of the day Gregory of Nazianzus. We have the privilege of meditating upon their words and learning that we are intersectional beings. So let us begin with this prayer:

Albert Schweitzer: For Animals

We pray today, O God, for our friends, the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for animals that are over-worked, under-fed, and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars; for any that are lost or deserted or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We pray for them all; and for those who deal with them, we hope for a heart of compassion, gentle hands, and kindly words. We would be true friends to animals.

Let us meditate upon the words of Jim Fowler and Gregory of Nazianzus.

"The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans." ~ Jim Fowler

"May God preserve me from being rich while they are indigent, from enjoying robust health if I do not try to cure their diseases, from eating good food, clothing myself well and resting in my home if I do not share with them a piece of my bread and give them, in the measure of my abilities, part of my clothes and if I do not welcome them into my home" ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"The most powerful argument of all for saving open space is economics; in most states, tourism is the number two industry." ~ Jim Fowler

"The quicker we humans learn that saving open space and wildlife is critical to our welfare and quality of life, maybe we'll start thinking of doing something about it." ~ Jim Fowler

"Christ is born: glorify Him. Christ comes from heaven: go out to meet Him. Christ descends to earth: let us be raised on high." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"Imagination is a powerful force underlying all knowing" ~ Jim Fowler

"To all earth's creatures God has given the broad earth, the springs, the rivers and the forests, giving the air to the birds, and the waters to those who live in water, giving abundantly to all the basic needs of life, not as a private possession, not restricted by law, not divided by boundaries, but as common to all, amply and in rich measure." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"The biggest challenge is how to affect public attitudes and make people care." ~ Jim Fowler

"Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"Sooner or later we've got to tie the saving of the natural world to our own public welfare." ~ Jim Fowler

"Remember God more often than you breathe." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"How we treat the earth basically effects our social welfare and our national security." ~ Jim Fowler

"We are not made for ourselves alone, we are made for the good of all our fellow creatures." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

"The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans. Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature." ~ Jim Fowler

"Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus

Come let us worship.
Joseph Barth: A Grace

We give thanks for Being;
We give thanks for being here;
We give thanks for being here together.

THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES

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.

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

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

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

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

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.

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.

Psalm 66:14-18

14 Come and listen, all you who fear God, *
and I will tell you what he has done for me.
15 I called out to him with my mouth, *
and his praise was on my tongue.

16 If I had found evil in my heart, *
the Lord would not have heard me;

17 But in truth God has heard me; *
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

18 Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, *
nor withheld his love from me.

Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south^* to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) ²⁷So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ ³⁰So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ³¹He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. ³²Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
   and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
     so he does not open his mouth.
³³ In his humiliation justice was denied him.
   Who can describe his generation?
     For his life is taken away from the earth.’
³⁴The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ ³⁵Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’^* ³⁸He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip^* baptized him. ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Wisdom 7:7-12

7 Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me;

I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

8 I preferred her to sceptres and thrones,

and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her.

9 Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem,

because all gold is but a little sand in her sight,

and silver will be accounted as clay before her.

10 I loved her more than health and beauty,

and I chose to have her rather than light,

because her radiance never ceases.

11 All good things came to me along with her,

and in her hands uncounted wealth.

12 I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom leads them;

but I did not know that she was their mother.

John 6:44-51

44No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

Thomas Stearns Eliot: Chorus X

O Light Invisible, we praise You!

Too bright for mortal vision.

O Greater Light, we praise You for the less;

The eastern light our spires touch at morning,

The light that slants upon our western doors at evening,

The twilight over stagnant pools at batflight,

Moon light and star light, owl and moth light,

Glow-worm glowlight on a grassblade.

O Light Invisible, we worship You!

We thank You for the lights that we have kindled,

The light of altar and of sanctuary;

Small lights of those who meditate at midnight

And lights directed through the colored panes of windows

And light reflected from the polished stone,

The gilded carven wood, the colored fresco.

Our gaze is submarine, our eyes look upward

And see the light that fractures through unquiet water.

We see the light but see not whence it comes.

O Light Invisible, we glorify You!

In our rhythm of earthly life, we tire of light.

We are glad when the day ends, when the play ends; and ecstasy is too much pain.

We are children quickly tired: children who are up in the night and fall asleep as the rocket is fired; and the day is long for work or play.

We tire of distraction or concentration, we sleep and are glad to sleep,

Controlled by the rhythm of blood and the day and the night and the seasons.

And we must extinguish the candle, put out the light and relight it;

Forever must quench, forever relight the flame.

Therefore we thank You for our little light, that is dappled with shad ow.

We thank You who has moved us to building, to finding, to forming at the ends of our fingers and beams of our eyes.

And when we have built an altar to the Invisible Light, we may set thereon the little lights for which our bodily vision is made.

And we thank You that darkness reminds us of light.

O Light Invisible, we give You thanks for Your great glory!

John 8:25-32

25They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all?* 26I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ 27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he,* and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. 29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ 30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’

Francis of Assisi

THE CANTICLE OF THE SUN

O Most High, Almighty God: to You belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing.

Praise be to You with all Your creatures: and especially our broth er the sun, who brings us the day and who brings us the light. Fair is he and shining with a very great splendor: O God, to us he signifies You.

Praise be to You for our sister the moon, and for the stars which You have set clear and lovely in the heavens.

Praise be to You for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all weather, by which You uphold in life all creatures.

Praise be to You for our sister water, who is very serviceable unto us, and humble and precious and clean.

Praise be to You for our brother fire, through whom You give light in the darkness; and he is bright and pleasant, and very mighty and strong.

Praise be to You for our mother, the earth, which sustains us and keeps us, and brings forth diverse fruits, and flowers of many colors, and grass.

Praise be to You for all those who pardon one another for love’s sake, and who endure weakness and tribulation.

Blessed are they who peaceably shall endure, for You, O Most High, shall give them a crown.

Praise be to You for our sister the death of the body, from whom no one escapes.

We praise and bless and give thanks to You, O God, and serve You with great humility.

MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE

God, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

Great Friend,

May I 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.

A Hymn by St. Gregory Nazianzus

O all-transcendent God what other name describes Thee?

What words can sing Thy praises?

No word at all denotes Thee. What mind can probe Thy secret?

No mind at all can grasp Thee. Alone beyond the power of speech, all men can speak of springs from Thee. Alone beyond the power of thought, all men can think of stems from Thee.

All things proclaim Thee - things that can speak, things that cannot. All things revere Thee - things that have reason, things that have none. The whole world's longing and pain mingle about Thee.

All things breathe Thee a prayer, a silent hymn of Thy own composing. All that exists Thee uphold, all things in concert move to Thy orders.

Thou art the end of all that is, Thou art one, Thou art all; Thou art none of the things that are, Thou art not a part and not the whole.

All names are at Thy disposal; how shall I name Thee, the only unnamable? What mind's affinities with heaven can pierce the veils above the clouds?

Mercy, all-transcendent God, what other name describes Thee?

Almighty God, who has revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like your bishop Gregory of Nazianzus, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

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.

Now at this evening hour- Gregory of Nazianzus

Now at this evening hour,

O Thou, my Christ, to Thee,

Thou Word of God, Eternal Light,

All grateful praises be.

From Thee the Spirit comes,

Third beam of peerless light,

And in Thyself one glorious orb

The triple rays unite.

Thy word and wisdom Thou

To lighten man hast given,

That he the splendour might reflect

That shines superb in heaven;

And having light within,

Might see Thine image bright,

And daily rise, till he himself

Is altogether light.

Hymns of the Greek Church, 1900

The settings of the Lord's Prayer from A New Zealand Prayer Book.

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen.

or the alternative form.

Eternal Spirit,

Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

Source of all that is and that shall be,

Father and Mother of us all,

Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!

The way of your justice be followed by the peoples

of the world!

Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!

Your commonwealth of peace and freedom

sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.

In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.

In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.

From trials too great to endure, spare us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,

now and forever. Amen.

Let us pray,

God we pray for peace on the earth and in our hearts this day.

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray for an end to hatred, bigotry and abuse and all forms of violence.

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing especially those whose names we speak now_____________

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray for all of our family members who are in grief.Let them feel your calming and abiding presence and your gentle arms embracing them.

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray for______________________

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we give thanks for_________________

Hear us when we give thanks to you O God.

God we pray for the least of these may we serve each one of our family members as if we are serving and loving you and each other.

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray that we may be CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we pray that all nations will be at peace and all their peoples may find justice, peace, equality, safety, and universal human rights.

Hear us when we pray O God.

God we remember those precious ones who have died and entered the Thin Places remembering especially ____________________. Let Light Perpetual Shine upon them.

Hear us when we pray O God.

Prayer of Gregory of Nazianzus

O All-Transcendent God

…..(and what other name could describe you?),

what words can hymn Your praises?

…..No word does You justice.

What mind can probe Your secret?

…..No mind can encompass You.

You are alone beyond the power of speech,

yet all that we speak stems from You.

You are alone beyond the power of thought,

yet all that we can conceive springs from You.

All things proclaim You,

those endowed with reason and those bereft of it.

All the expectation and pain of the world coalesces in You.

All things utter a prayer to You, a silent hymn composed by You.

You sustain everything that exists,

and all things move together to Your orders.

You are the goal of all that exists.

You are one and You are all,

yet You are none of the things that exist,

neither a part nor the whole.

You can avail Yourself of any name;

how shall I call You, the only unnameable?

All-transcendent God!

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ Has No Body

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” Teresa of Avila

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)

Good Night Dearly Loved Ones! I love you! Have a blessed and restful night!

Let us pray and breathe before we rest:

God let our spirits be renewed this night and that we may rest and awaken to serve and worship God on the morrow.

Inhale the Holy Spirit, exhale love!

God we pray for all those who are ill that they may be healed that they may feel God's healing and life giving spirit.