An invitation to go off the grid and enjoy refreshing sleep.

Good Evening All!

Happy Tuesday! I can't believe that it is almost bed time. I know I'm going to need it. I didn't sleep at all well last evening. I'm inviting us all to go off the grid early tonight and enjoy refreshing sleep and silence. So let us begin by meditating upon these quotes having to do with sleep.

"Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom." ~ Francis Bacon

"Sleep is the best meditation." ~ Dalai Lama

"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep." ~ Walt Disney

"Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"God gave us sleep to remind us we are not him." ~ Charles Spurgeon

"Go to sleep in peace. God is awake." ~ Victor Hugo

"To sleep is an act of faith." ~ Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

"Sleep in the bliss of God." ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

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Come let us worship.

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for thse who abuse you. Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 
Be merciful as your father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 
Give and it will be given to you; for the measure you give will be the measure you receive. From Luke 6:27-38

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

Joseph Barth: A Grace

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


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.

Hymn

Hail, gladdening Light, of God’s pure glory poured, 
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest, 
Holiest of holies, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest, 
The lights of evening round us shine, 
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung, 
With undefilèd tongue, 
Son of our God, Giver of life, alone! 
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

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.

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.

47 Omnes gentes, plaudite

1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
shout to God with a cry of joy.

2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared; *
he is the great King over all the earth.

3 He subdues the peoples under us, *
and the nations under our feet.

4 He chooses our inheritance for us, *
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

5 God has gone up with a shout, *
the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7 For God is King of all the earth; *
sing praises with all your skill.

8 God reigns over the nations; *
God sits upon his holy throne.

9 The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
with the people of the God of Abraham.

10 The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
and he is highly exalted.
 
48 Magnus Dominus
1 Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; *
in the city of our God is his holy hill.

2 Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the
hill of Zion, *
the very center of the world and the city of the great King.

3 God is in her citadels; *
he is known to be her sure refuge.

4 Behold, the kings of the earth assembled *
and marched forward together.

5 They looked and were astounded; *
they retreated and fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there; *
they writhed like a woman in childbirth,
like ships of the sea when the east wind shatters them.

7 As we have heard, so have we seen,
in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; *
God has established her for ever.

8 We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O God, *
in the midst of your temple.

9 Your praise, like your Name, O God, reaches to
the world's end; *
your right hand is full of justice.

10 Let Mount Zion be glad
and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments.

11 Make the circuit of Zion;
walk round about her; *
count the number of her towers.
12 Consider well her bulwarks;
examine her strongholds; *
that you may tell those who come after.

13 This God is our God for ever and ever; *
he shall be our guide for evermore.

Wisdom 3:1-9

3But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them. 
² In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster, 
³ and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace. 
⁴ For though in the sight of others they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality. 
⁵ Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; 
⁶ like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them. 
⁷ In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble. 
⁸ They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever. 
⁹ Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,
and he watches over his elect.^* 

A Song of the Wilderness

Isaiah 35:1-7,10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *

the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

It shall blossom abundantly, *

and rejoice with joy and singing.

They shall see the glory of the Lord, *

the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weary hands, *

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *

Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *

and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.

Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *

and streams in the desert;

The burning sand shall become a pool *

and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *

with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Colossians 1:15-23

The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in* him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in* him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled* in his fleshly body* through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— 23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

A Song of the Spirit

Revelation 22:12-17

“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord,

“and bringing my reward with me, *

to give to everyone according to their deeds.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, *

the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,

that they may have the right to the tree of life, *

and may enter the city through the gates.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *

with this testimony for all the churches.

“I am the root and the offspring of David, *

I am the bright morning star.”

“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *

“Come!” let each hearer reply!

Come forward, you who are thirsty, *

let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.

Luke 6:12-26
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. ¹³And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:¹⁴Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Blessings and Woes


20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

‘Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God. 
²¹ ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
   for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.

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

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

The Song of Mary Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *

for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *

from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm *

and scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones *

and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things *

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *

for you have remembered your promise of mercy,

The promise made to our forebears, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

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EVENING PRAYER -Walter Rauschenbusch

O God, we praise You for the night and for sleep. Release our limbs of toil. Smooth our brow of care. Grant us a refreshing draught of forgetfulness. Comfort those who toss on a bed of pain, or whose nerves crave sleep and find it not. Save them from despondent thoughts in the darkness. May they learn to lean on Your all-pervading life and love so, their souls may grow tranquil and their bodies may rest.

Howard Thurman Prayers

I LAY BEFORE YOU

The concern which I lay bare before You today is:

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me— I would seek the root or cause of such disaffection, and with the illumination of Your mind, O God, to understand it.

I give myself to Your scrutiny that, whatever there may be in me that is responsible for what has happened, I will acknowledge.

Where I have wronged or given offense deliberately or without intention, I seek a face-to-face forgiveness.

What I can undo I am willing to try; what I cannot undo, with that I seek to make my peace.

How to do these things, what techniques to use, with what spirit— for these I need and seek Your wisdom and strength, O God.

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me, I lay bare before You.

OUR LITTLE LIVES

Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!

The quietness in Your temple of silence again and again rebuffs us:

For some there is no discipline to hold them steady in the waiting,

And the minds reject the noiseless invasion of Your spirit.

For some there is no will to offer what is central in the thoughts—

The confusion is so manifest, there is no starting place to take hold.

For some the evils of the world tear down all concentrations

And scatter the focus of the high resolves.

We do not know how to do what we know to do.

We do not know how to be what we know to be.

Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!

Pour out upon us whatever our spirits need of shock, of life, of release

That we may find strength for these days—

Courage and hope for tomorrow.

In confidence we rest in Your sustaining grace

Which makes possible triumph in defeat, gain in loss, and love in hate.

We rejoice this day to say:

Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!

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In the Evening

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep

this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.

Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying,

soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all

for your love’s sake. Amen.

For the Sleepless

Holy and Blessed One, shine on N., who lies sleepless. Illumine

her/his spirit and give her/him rest in you, so that she/he may

recognize you as the true God who brings us out of darkness into

our eternal light. Amen.

For Rest

O God our refuge and strength: in this place of unrelenting light

and noise, enfold N. in your holy darkness and silence, that

she/he may rest secure under the shadow of your wings. Amen.

For Survivors of Abuse and Violence

Holy One, you do not distance yourself from the pain of your

people, but in Jesus bear that pain with us and bless all who suffer

at others’ hands. Hallow our flesh and all creation; with your

cleansing love bring healing and strength to N.; and by your

justice, lift her/him up, that in the body you have given her/him,

she/he may again rejoice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In Times of Personal Distress

Lord Christ, you came into the world as one of us, and suffered

as we do. As we go through the trials of life, help us to realize

that you are with us at all times and in all things; that we have

no secrets from you; and that your loving grace enfolds us for

eternity. In the security of your embrace we pray. Amen.

For us to pray for ourselves.

For Sleep

O heavenly Father, you give your children sleep for the refreshing

of soul and body: Grant me this gift, I pray; keep me in that

perfect peace which you have promised to those whose minds are

fixed on you; and give me such a sense of your presence, that in

the hours of silence I may enjoy the blessed assurance of your

love; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

A Child’s Prayer

Jesus, our Redeemer, Good Shepherd of the sheep, you carry the

lambs in your arms. I place myself in your loving care. Stop my

pain, give me help and strength, and raise me up to a life of joy.

Hear me, I pray, for your dear Name’s sake. Amen.

For the Sleepless

Holy and Blessed One: shine on me as I lie sleepless. Illumine my

spirit and give me rest in you, so that I may recognize you as the

true God who brings us out of darkness into our eternal light.

Amen.

For Rest

O God my refuge and strength: in this place of unrelenting light

and noise, enfold me in your holy darkness and silence, that I

may rest secure under the shadow of your wings. Amen

Prayers to God who is the Heart Healer

God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our hearts if they are hurting in any way whole and healed from anxiety, fear, distress, and broken.

God you who are the heart healer of us all,heal the brokeness of  your fragile world and that peace may prevail.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, heal our bodies, minds, and spirits and all of our family members who are ill. Give us courage and strength to meet each day with joy and hope.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, take from us every root of bitterness and division that we may all be one.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we have courage to live authentically into our truth as the beautiful children you have made us to be in your image and likeness. 

God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you as we become and are the voices for the voiceless and speak truth to power.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our bodies strong so that we may serve you and follow where you lead.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we  pray for _______________ and give thanks for____________ for ourselves and on behalf of others.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for those who are in mourning and pre-grieving  may we lovingly respond with compassion.

God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for all who are dying and who have died today that they may have a gentle transition into the Thin Places.

Jesus, accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen.

(Alternative form of the Lord's Prayer as found in the 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.

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

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

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

5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

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

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

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

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

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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.

 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.

The Wisdom of God

the Love of God

and the Grace of God

strengthen us

to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,

in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

(source: Celtic)

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in

believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 15:13

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Good Night Dear Ones rest gentle knowing that God loves you and I do too.

Peace, Love, Prayers, and God's blessings!

Sara

Resources:

A to Z Quotes

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Enriching Our Worship 1 and 2

Prayers of Power

Satucket Lectionary Page

Walk With Me On Our Journey