Carrying God's Bright Light and Hope to a Fragile and Broken World in gloomy and uncertain times

Good Evening Dear Ones!

It's another gloomy day in May with only a hint of sun. Today was my quasi-Sabbath time and I really needed the rest. As I look out my front window as the sun is slowly going down, I see the tree in my front yard with the pretty yellow flowers. They have a brightness about them and give me hope also they give me allergies but they are worth it. In these days of woe and angst we must lean on God's love that brings brightness and hope to this fragile and broken world. It is in carrying God's light and bringing hope our spirits will be buoyed up for the challenges set before us. This love energy gives us the courage to press on and serve God in the least of these and each other. 
What things in your life give you hope and brightness? This is our journaling task for tonight. So let us begin.



Let us ponder these quotes on hope and brightness.

"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible." ~ Helen Keller

"Those who are called to the table of the Lord must glow with the brightness." ~ John of Capistrano

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." ~ Desmond Tutu

"Love is a place & through this place of love move (with brightness of peace) all places yes is a 
world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds" ~ e. e. cummings

"Hope is passion for what is possible." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are." ~ Saint Augustine

"One can make a day of any size and regulate the rising and setting of his own sun and the brightness of its shining." ~ John Muir

"Hope is patience with the lamp lit." ~ Tertullian

"We see the brightness of a new page where everything yet can happen." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope." ~ Barack Obama

""Genius is divine perseverance." Divine patience I believe he originally used, perseverance is better in my opinion. Genius I cannot claim nor even extra brightness but perseverance all can have." ~ Woodrow Wilson

"Where there is discord may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. Where there is despair, may we bring hope." ~ Francis of Assisi

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars." ~ Og Mandino

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Grace comes into the soul as the morning sun into the world: there is first a dawning, then a mean light, and at last the sun in his excellent brightness." ~ Thomas Adams

"The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope." ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

"Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation for which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare. And when this cup You give is filled to brimming with bitter suffering, hard to understand, we take it thankfully and without trembling, out of so good and so beloved a hand. Yet when again in this same world You give us the joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun, we shall remember all the days we lived through, and our whole life shall then be Yours alone." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." ~ Maya Angelou

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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.

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.

Set your minds on things that are above, and not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Alleluia. Colossians 3:2, 3

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 baptized have been clothed with Christ. Alleluia. Galatians 3:27

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.

Now let us pause and take time in silence and engage in the "Be Stills" and Breathing exercises and light our candles and make vigil and pray.

Let us inhale deeply and exhale slowly.

Let us pause.

Let us say the following.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be Still and Know that I am.
Be Still and Know.
Be Still.
Be.

Vigil prayer:

God of light, love, and peace we light our candles this night for all who find themselves in dark places and uncertain times. We pray for our families who find themselves estranged from their blood families who don't know how to reach out in love when a diagnosis of a life threatening disease has been made. We pray for peace in this world that light and love may shine into the war torn areas and areas where terror, fear, bullying, bigotry and abuse are a daily occurrence. We pray that we may learn how to be family to our enemies, haters, and those who differ from us. We pray that we may always seek to acknowledge the best in ourselves when it is most difficult. Help us we pray that we may show great faith when all we feel is doubt and despair around us. May we seek to be your children and loving families each and every day. Take away from us all bitterness and diversity when ever we feel frustrated, discouraged, and upset due to other people's actions that seek to trigger the worst in us. We light our candles O God and shine your light and love into the world.  Let us light 4 virtual candles that will remind us of our calling to be CALM. 
We light our first candle, the candle of Compassion.
We light our second candle, the candle of Acceptance.
We light our third candle, the candle of Love.
We light our fourth candle, the candle of Mercy.

As we light these our candles we pray for calm and remember "The light of Christ in me, recognizes the light of Christ in you!" May we rest this night with our prayers and souls uplifted in to your loving arms O gracious and loving God. Amen.

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.


SLOW US DOWN…YET ALSO

Slow us down, O God. Ease the pounding of our hearts by the quieting of our minds;

Yet also, wake us up. Shake the complacency out of our souls by opening our minds to the cry of the wounded, the refugees wandering without homes, the homeless at home, and the children who starve.

Steady our hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time;

Yet also, quicken our steps with a vision of the urgent action now required to cure the causes of stunted growth, premature death, battered women, and abused children.

Give us, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlast ing hills;

Yet also, alert our eyes not to the comforting illusion of constancy divorced from change, but rather to such sharp reality as deep poverty surrounding us at home and abroad.

Break the tensions of our nerves and muscles with the soothing mu sic of the singing streams;

Yet also, give us, amid the calm days of our years, souls which are prepared to cope with the confusion necessarily occurring amidst new creation in the cities, towns, and the countries of the earth.

Help us to know the magical, restoring power of sleep;

Yet also, break the chains of euphoria deluding us to think that we are acting responsibly when we do no more than listen to music which protects our feet from marching.

Remind us of the fable of the hare and the tortoise, that we may know that there is more to life than increasing its speed;

Yet also, remind us of the fable of the astrologer who fell plumb to the bottom of a well, not seeing his feet while reading the sky.

Slow us down, O God, and inspire us to send our roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values, that we may grow more surely toward the stars;

Yet also, wake us up, so our eyes may see the people around us and our arms may be open to embrace the suffering who cry.

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 the 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 also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Psalm 2:1-2,10-12  
2 Quare fremuerunt gentes?

1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?

2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the Lord and against his Anointed?

[3 "Let us break their yoke," they say; *
"let us cast off their bonds from us."

4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.

5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.

6 "I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion."

7 Let me announce the decree of the Lord: *
he said to me, "You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for
your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.

9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery."]

10 And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Submit to the Lord with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;

12 Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
[13 Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!]

Isaiah 55:11-56:1


11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 


12 For you shall go out in joy,
   and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall burst into song,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
   for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. 

56Thus says the Lord:
   Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
   and my deliverance be revealed. 

A Song of Wisdom Sapientia liberavit
Wisdom 10:15-19,20b-21

Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors *
a holy people and a blameless race.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, *
withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.

To the saints she gave the reward of their labors, *
and led them by a marvelous way;
She was their shelter by day *
and a blaze of stars by night.

She brought them across the Red Sea, *
she led them through mighty waters;
But their enemies she swallowed in the waves *
and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.

And then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name, *
and praised with one voice your protecting hand;
For Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute, *
and gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people

Acts 14:14-17,21-23

14When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15‘Friends,* why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; 17yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.’
21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. 22There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’ 23And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

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.

Mark 4:21-29

21 He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ 24And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’
26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

A Song of Christ’s Goodness
Anselm of Canterbury

Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead, *
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.

Collects from the Book of Common Prayer and A New Zealand Prayer Book

Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Christ, you are risen from the dead.
We are risen with you.
May our life never deny
this eternal life,
this peace and hope and joy.
Praise and glory to the God of life
who is stronger than all kinds of death. Alleluia.

Christ, you are risen with the sun;
you are light in our darkness,
warmth in our cold.
You are peace and hope and joy,
for you went willingly to death.
You turned defeat and failure to victory for all.
You live eternally, and with you live the millions,
living and dead, who trust in you.

May we who in baptism die to sin,
rise again to new life
and find our true place in your living body.
May the new covenant sealed in your blood
through us bring healing and reconciliation
to this wounded world.
Alleluia. You are risen. We are risen with you.
Praise and glory to the living God.

Father,
we have seen with our eyes
and touched with our hands
the bread of life.
Strengthen our faith
that we may grow in love for you and for each other;
through Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

God of  goodness and love, as we sit at your feet this night we take time to give thanks in the peace and quietness of our hearts.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for the lives you have given us and yes even the moments where there are times of darkness that helps prepare us to walk in your light.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for our family members nearby and far away. We thank you even for our enemies and those who wish us harm as lessons that love and peace must be shown, given, and practiced.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for times where our health challenges us to enter into new paths of life and wholeness.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for your son Jesus who modeled for us thanksgiving in the Eucharist. 

God of  goodness and love, we give thanks for all our blessings this day and help us to count them now in the silence of our hearts or aloud if we need to hear them___________________

God of goodness and love, we pray in thanksgiving for all those who come to us for prayer, help, and a soft place in which to fall.

God of goodness and love, we pray  this night for the people of Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, and all the many places where there is violence, natural disaster, and terror. 

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for the least of these who remind us what being a member of your family is all about.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for the elderly, children, and most vulnerable family members who remind us to be caregivers and protectors.

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for all our family members who are transitioning into and who have died and  entered the Thin Places with Joy.

God  of goodness and love, we give thanks this night for ________________________________

God of goodness and love, we give thanks for positive and life giving news.

God of goodness and love we lift up these our prayers and thanksgivings in the name of your son Jesus Christ the Great Physician and Shepherd of  us all! Amen.

Social justice is part of the implication of loving thy neighbor- Francis Perkins

Respond to these petitions with: May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort be with us this night as we pray for peace in this world and that we may live into our baptismal covenant with you and each other.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God  of all comfort may we seek as one family with you to find solutions that will stem the tide of all violence and terror.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort may we seek with you to find our true calling and life path.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!


God of all comfort give us strength to speak out firmly and lovingly for those who haven't any voice.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!


God of all comfort give us all a return to common sense. Take away from us all temptation to fall into a mob and hate mentality.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing of their bodies, minds, and spirits.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort may we be sources of comfort  one to another and listen to you with our heart homes for those who are in need of help and may not be able to name their needs.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!


God of all comfort may we ever be mindful of our family members who are grieving losses and pre- grieving. 

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort we pray for all who have been senselessly murdered for who they are. Grant to them eternal rest.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort may all of us who struggle to live authentically without fear be able to speak and live our truth valiantly and with courage.

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort we pray and give thanks for_________________________

 May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

We lift up these our prayers in the Holy name of Jesus!  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.

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.

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Good Night Family! Remember you are loved, matter, and appreciated. 

A Few prayers from Vivian T. Pomeroy to close our time together!


PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING


God of All Life, we thank You for our lives and for all they hold of happiness and work and play.


We thank You for the morning and evening skies of a land where citizens can speak out. We thank You for friendship, for those who look kindly upon us even when we fail, and who help to bring us back to our bravest selves again.


We thank You for the encouragements of success, for the disciplines of failure, for the spurs of dissatisfaction, and for the creative spirit which can arise from defeat.


We thank You for the healing strength of laughter, for the gentle play of wit, and for rare splendid moments.


We thank You for prized books and music and pictures, which move the heart; for letters from those we love; and for the song long remembered.


We thank You for the freedom which growing older each day gives us, so that we have more big things to care about, and fewer little things about which to cry.


We thank You for common joys of all kinds—the walking to sunlight through the window, the good smell of the earth on rainy days, the gift of sleep after tiring work or sport.


God of All Life, we thank You for this undaunted human life of ours; may we live ever to Your glory.


EVERY DAY


God of the Common Life, we thank You for all the things which are so ordinary that often we do not see that they are better than any marvels. We bless You for the sunrise which never has failed us yet, and for the sundown which softens even the hardest day. We bless You for the vigor with which we turn to our work and for the weariness which prevents us from working all the time. We bless You that every morning we awake from our dreams and every night escape from our realities. We bless You that ever and again some thing we disliked doing has made us strangely glad when we have done it. We have found that routine has a music of its own when we are patient to receive it. We bless You for the people whose love is so constant that they have no need to shout from the housetops. We bless You for all the people who serve us so faithfully that they never will be acclaimed as heroes. We bless You for the unnumbered kindnesses which forbid our despair of a cruel world. We bless You for our bodily health which we scarcely measure until it runs short. May every day bring us happy astonishment at the exceeding value of what is ordinary.


THE ELIXIR


God of the wind and sand, sun and moon, joy and beauty, loneliness and sorrow: we thank You for the magic in our human lives often turning our drabness into gold. We thank You for the wonder of being loved; for the fidelity of friends; for the glad surprise of being forgiven; for the strength to forget what is not worth remembering; for the power to remember things which become more precious as the years go on; for the discovery that in the darkness there are presences which are hidden from us by the light. Touch into living flame again the hearts which have grown weary with the weight of things; and when duty tires, grant us the love which goes gladly all the way.


THE MOMENT


O God, our home and also our long way; our rest and our ongoing courage; our haven and our saving hope, we praise You for this mortal life.


We praise You for the flow of time on which all things pass;


We praise You for the spirit in us greater than the flowing tide;


We praise You that there are grand moments better than a thousand days;


We praise You that in the greatness of life, the hearts of young and old come very close together, and even the distant ones come back.


We praise You that in high moments, when hearts are full, there is Someone to praise.


HEALING AFTER PAIN


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.

Have a peaceful and wonderful rest. I love you bunches!

Love and blessings!

Sara

Resources:

Enriching our worship

Book of Common Prayer

Walk With Me On Our Journey

A New Zealand Prayer Book

A to Z Quotes

Prayers for Today

Prayers of Power

The Northumbria Community

The Industrial Christian Fellowship

This week's prayer Focus from Industrial Christian Fellowship

Those who work in leadership and management

Reigning God, by whose command all things came into being and continue to hold together; wherever we have been given authority and responsibility, help us to use it wisely. When we are subject to the decisions and directives of others, help us to accept their counsel, avoid resentment and accept those structures that are essential to human organisation. When we are called to manage and lead, may we not shrink from the challenge, but be ever aware of those people and situations that are affected by our choices. And may we participate in every management structure of which we are a part, ever aware that it is You who rules over all. AMEN

A few tidbits from the Northumbria Community: 

This week’s Rule reflection

Seek God for yourself don’t get others to do it for you John Skinner

Today's saint!

John the Beloved (1st century) May 6th

May 6th  was the traditional feast day of John until the late Middle Ages. The Celts divided the year into four seasons commencing in November, February, May and August, some marking the start of the year in November, others in May. Christian Celts shared the feast days of the four Gospel evangelists between these seasons, so that one occurs in each [see also notes on Matthew (November 16th), Mark (April 25th) and Luke (October 18th)]. An article about John’s life can be found at December 27th, the day he is normally celebrated today. As with the Eastern church, Celtic Christians valued John’s Gospel above all the others, believing it to have been written by ‘the beloved disciple’, the one who leaned against Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper and who heard the heartbeat of God. This was the teaching that actually lay behind the dispute at the Synod of Whitby in 664. The Celts were more inclined to listen to the teachings they believed to have been passed down from John than those the Western church believed were passed down from Peter, who was given ‘the keys of the Kingdom’ and believed to have been the first Bishop of Rome. Such differences should not be allowed to divide Christians and cause rifts in their fellowship. We may honour one saint.or group of saints above others, but the message of the New Testament is that we should listen to them all and honour them all for Christ’s sake.

Teach us, beloved Saviour, to honour all those who have spread Your message and followed You faithfully. Hold us together as one people, the Body of Christ and show us how to work for reconciliation, peace and the glory of Your name in our world. Amen.