Walk With me on Our Journey: It's Wisdom Wednesday! Today's wisdom is on Stewardship. Rogation Day III

Good Evening All!

Happy Wisdom Wednesday. Today's wisdom is on stewardship. Let us journal our journey and meditate on the word stewardship. If you want you may Google the word and look up the synonyms and antonyms in a thesaurus. After doing our journal work let us take time to ponder these quotes on stewardship.

"You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

"Take care of yourself - you never know when the world will need you." ~ Hillel the Elder

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." ~ John Bunyan

"Every person, every place and every action is qualified by this association with the unconditional; it penetrates every moment of daily life and sanctifies it: "The Universe is God's sanctuary. Every work day is a day of the Lord, every supper is a Lord's supper, every work a fulfillment of the divine task, every joy a joy in God. In all preliminary concerns, ultimate concern is present, consecrating them."" ~ Paul Tillich

"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare." ~ C. S. Lewis

"The future of our fragile, beautiful planet home is in our hands. As God's family, we are stewards of God's creation. We can be wantonly irresponsible, or we can be caring and compassionate. God says, "I have set before you life and death... Choose life."" ~ Desmond Tutu

"We discover too late that we have turned a blind eye to the extinction of a species that is essential to the balance of life in a particular context. Or we discover too late that the importation of a foreign life-form, animal or vegetable, has upset local ecosystems, damaging soil or neighbouring life-forms. We discover that we have come near the end of supplies-of fossil-fuels for example -on which we have built immense structures of routine expectation." ~ Rowan Williams

"... there are not two realities, but only one reality, and that is the reality of God, which has become manifest in the Christ event/redemption and creation." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Genesis 1...was designed to reflect God, both to reflect God back to God in worship and to reflect God into the rest of creation in stewardship." ~ N. T. Wright

"In losing stewardship we lose fellowship; we become outcasts from the great neighborhood of creation." ~ Wendell Berry

"Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe." ~ Dogen

"We punish the body and strip the earth. And we do it in pursuit of a so-called holiness that smacks of the bogus, that denies the gifts of God, that makes us marauders on the earth." ~ Joan D. Chittister

"Christ is the clue to all that is." ~ Lesslie Newbigin

"Not to give to those in need what is to you superfluous is akin to fraud." ~ Saint Augustine

"Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost." ~ Ignatius of Loyola

"Our age is one in which usefulness is thought to be the chief merit of nature; in which the attainment of power, the utilization of its resources is taken to be the chief purpose of man in God's creation. Man has indeed become primarily a tool-making animal, and the world is now a gigantic tool box for the satisfaction of his needs." ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

"The time of reckoning will at length arrive. And when finally summoned to the bar of God, to give an account of our stewardship, what plea can we have to urge in our defense, if we remain willingly, and obstinately ignorant of the way which leads to life, with such transcendent means of knowing it, and such urgent motives to its pursuit?" ~ William Wilberforce

"Judaism calls for us to honor the rhythm of human life, the demands of the human community around us, the call of the divine order as the filter and scale for the decisions that drive our own small lives. We do not rule the universe, Judaism reminds us. God does. We are not its standard or its norms. We are only its keepers, its agents, its stewards. To do right by the universe at large is the measure of a happiness framed with the entire cosmos in mind but lived in microcosms across time." ~ Joan D. Chittister

"The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations." ~ Pope John Paul II

"Nature is cruel but we don't have to be" ~ Temple Grandin

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.

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be stil.
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 stil.
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 stil.
Be.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

1 Peter 4:10
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Acts 20:35
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Colossians 3:23
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

1 Corinthians 4:1-2
1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Do not ask anxiously, What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What shall we wear? The whole world runs after such things. Set your heart and mind on God’s commonwealth and justice first, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow. Today has enough problems of its own; tomorrow can look after itself. Matthew 6:31-34

Anselm: We Bring Our Troubles

We bring before You, O God:
The troubles and perils of people and nations,
The sighings of the sick,
The sorrows of the bereaved,
The necessities of strangers,
The helplessness of the weak,
The despondency of the weary,
The failing powers of any age.
May each of us draw as near to You
As You are near to each of us.

We begin with the Litany of Peace from the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh

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.

+++
THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES -Anonymous

Lest we forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest we forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest we forget You, the God of our fore bears who is our God also:

We light this candle of remembrance.

For the hope of a better world, in which righteousness and peace shall prevail among the people of the earth, and to create which is the task of the generations in which we stand, as well as for the courage and faith we shall need if we are to carry on this unfinished work:

We light this candle of consecration.

May the flame upon the altar of free faith shine in our hearts al ways, reminding us of the dark places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in every moment of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.

Light of the World Phos hilaron

Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

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
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.

A PERSONAL INVOCATION -Augustine

O Love of God, descend into my heart;
Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling,
And scatter there Your cheerful beams.
Dwell in the soul that longs to be Your temple;
Water that barren soil overrun with weeds and briars
And lost for lack of cultivating.
Make it fruitful with Your dew.
Come, dear Refreshment of those who languish;
Come, Star and Guide of those who sail amidst tempests.
You are the Haven of the tossed and shipwrecked.
Come now, Glory and Crown of the living,
As well as the Safeguard of the dying.
Come, Sacred Spirit;
Come, and fit me to receive You.

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 104:25-37

25 O LORD, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

26 Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.

27 There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.

28 All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.

29 You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.

31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.

32 May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; *
may the LORD rejoice in all his works.

33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.

34 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.

35 May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the LORD.

36 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, *
and the wicked be no more.

37 Bless the LORD, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!

Job 38:1-11,16-18

The Lord Answers Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb?—
9 when I made the clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and prescribed bounds for it,
and set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?

16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea,

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?

Declare, if you know all this.

Beacon Song and Service Book: The Work of the World

Wondrous giver of all things, this world is full of Your riches. We thank You for the splendor of nature and for Your bountiful provision for our human needs. May we not waste Your gifts nor needlessly ignore the welfare of others in our use of them. We seek to do our part in the work of the world, and so enter into fellowship with all who toil and all who create. We would recognize the right of every human being to share in what You give. We would help to make our planet a true home for all of Your children, where each may have an equal opportunity both for work and for the rewards of work.

1 Timothy 6:7-10,17-19

7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that[a] we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

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!

Luke 12:13-21 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

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.

III. For stewardship of creation

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the

needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for

your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the

account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards

of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with

you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever

and ever. Amen.

Waldemar Argow: For Wisdom

Everliving Source of us all,

May we find wisdom this day;

May we come to understand—

that we without You are a well without water;

that a person without friends is a tree without branches;

that words without deeds are a cry no one can hear;

that knowing without feeling is a head without a body;

that strength without tenderness is a darkness where no light shines;

that life without love is a desert where no rain falls.

May the wisdom we find this day make us wiser in the days ahead:

Wise enough to be ourselves and to try to understand ourselves as best we may;

Wise enough to be the master of our moods;

Wise enough to find in the buffeting and shocks of life a discipline that will make us stronger than we were before.

May the varied experiences of each day increase our store of wisdom.

May our fellowship with one another, and with You, increase our treasury of love.

Max Gaebler: Great Spirit

Great Spirit, the Life of all our being, the Light of all our seeing, the Strength of all our striving, the Love of all our living: we rejoice that You are invisible, yet You are round about all of us and in each of us. We would open every window of our being to the intaking and outgiving of Your breath of life, until each one of us is born anew, filled with Your mighty and mysterious presence.

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly receiving good things from your hand, may always give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ursula M. Niebuhr: For the Day of Light

O God, who has placed us in a world You and we constantly create, we give thanks as we work and as we pray. We praise You for the day of light and life, for the night which brings rest and sleep, and for the ordered course of nature, seedtime and harvest. We bless You for the joy of children and the wisdom of the old. We thank You for the love of God and people which shines forth in commonplace lives, and above all for the vision of You in silent meditation, in fellowship, in the sacrament of the shared life, and in prayer. We praise Your name now and forever more.

God of creation, we thank you for all that you have made and called good: Grant that we may rightly serve and conserve the earth, and live at peace with all your creatures; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, in whom you are reconciling the whole world to yourself. Amen.

Marguerite Harmon Bro: For Trees

We thank You for trees, O God. We thank You for the trees of our childhood in whose shade we played and read and dreamed. We thank You for special trees which will always stand large in our memory be cause they became our trees. We thank You for great stretches of trees which make the forests, drawing sustenance from Your bounties of sun and water, earth and air, even as we draw strength from them.

God of grace and glory, you create and sustain the universe in majesty and beauty: We thank you for all in whom you have planted the desire to know your creation and to explore your work and wisdom. Lead us, like them, to understand better the wonder and mystery of creation; through Christ your eternal Word, through whom all things were made. Amen.

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.

II. For Commerce and Industry

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life

shared our toil and hallowed our labor: Be present with your

people where they work; make those who carry on the industries

and commerce of this land responsive to your will; and give

to us all a pride in what we do, and a just return for our labor;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with

you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for

ever. Amen.

I. For fruitful seasons

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray

that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our

use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper

all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly

receiving good things from your hand, may always give you

thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

For Knowledge of God's Creation

Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with

all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and

the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we

probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know

you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your

eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Conservation of Natural Resources

Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,

you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom

and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one

may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet

to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Harvest of Lands and Waters

O gracious Father, who openest thine hand and fillest all

things living with plenteousness: Bless the lands and waters,

and multiply the harvests of the world; let thy Spirit go

forth, that it may renew the face of the earth; show thy

loving-kindness, that our land may give her increase; and

save us from selfish use of what thou givest, that men and

women everywhere may give thee thanks; through Christ

our Lord. Amen.

For the Right Use of God's Gifts

Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we

possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our

substance, and, remembering the account which we must one

day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Agriculture

Almighty God, we thank you for making the earth fruitful, so

that it might produce what is needed for life: Bless those who

work in the fields; give us seasonable weather; and grant that

we may all share the fruits of the earth, rejoicing in your

goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Industrial Christian Fellowship

This week's prayer Focus

Those who work in the provision of utilities

All seeing God, we turn on our taps, switch on the light and take for granted the energy, clean water and communications that have become part of our everyday lives. We tend only to notice the army of people that make it happen when things go wrong, and can easily forget the dangers they face as they travel to remote and hostile places, face blizzard and storm to restore broken lines, and constantly strive to meet our ever increasing demand while seeking to protect the earth’s fragile resources. We realise too that there are many places in the world where the services that we consider essential are still a distant dream. May we always be grateful for that which we have, use it responsibly and show due appreciation to those who provide it. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

PRAYER OF THE FARM WORKERS’ STRUGGLE

Show me the suffering of the most miserable;

So I will know my people’s plight.

Free me to pray for others;

For you are present in every person.

Help me take responsibility for my own life;

So that I can be free at last.

Grant me courage to serve others;

For in service there is" true life.

Give me honesty and patience;

So that I can work with other workers.

Bring forth song and celebration;

So that the Spirit will be alive among us.

Let the Spirit flourish anti grow;

So that we will never tire of the struggle.

Let us remember those who have died for justice;

For they have given us life.

Help us love even those who hate us;

So we can change the world.

Amen.

Written by Cesar E. Chavez, UFW Founder (1927-1993)

Cesar E. Chavez Foundation 1741 s. Harvard Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90006

213-733-6346 e-mail <chavezfdtn@igc.apc

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive them

that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.

Here is the setting 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.

Everything Has Its Time

From Ecclesiastes 33 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your

truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be

in us the life that draws us to God. Amen.

(source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual [London: Mowbray, 1961], p. 29,

adapted)

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

Christ Has No Body. by Teresa of Avila.

Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks. Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

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

believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 15:1

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to

generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.

Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21

Before we close our time together let us add these:

Let us engage in a time of silence. Please get out your timers and set them for 20 minutes.

After the period of 20 minutes of mindfulness and our eyes being closed let us use this format for our time of prayer and breathing:

First breathe in the Holy Spirit and let your lungs expand with love and energy.

Exhale love and feel empowered with compassion and mercy.

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.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for peace in our hearts and in the world that all of our family members may be empowered to be peace makers and your children.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for all those who have lost loved ones in the latest acts of terror. May we rise with the Holy Spirit's power and do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O God and give voice to the voiceless!

Inhale the Holy Spirit, exhale love!

God we pray for an end to hatred, violence, division and terror from all who use these things against all your beloved children and the least of these. May their hearts be turned to love and live the true words of the Gospel and not the Gospel of Hate.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

God we pray for all who died and those who mourn. Let those who mourn and those who have entered and are entering the Thin Places feel your gentle Spirit's love, compassion, and grace enfolding them.

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

We add our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances this night especially for________________

Inhale the Holy Spirit , exhale love!

Come Jesus! Come empower us! Receive these our prayers in your Name ! Amen.

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.

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.

And a bonus!

The Woke Prayers of St. Francis

Help us O God to be woke!

Woke as your peacemakers, change makers, heart changers, and love energy bringers!

Woke to the hatred so that we may sow seeds of love.

Woke to the injury so that we may heal the hurt and cease the harm.

Woke to the divisiveness that we may be eager to heal and unite as one neighborhood and family.

Woke to uncertainty that will lead us to be renewed in faith.

Woke to the despair of all our neighbors so that we may sow seeds of radical hope, love, hospitality, and inclusion.

Woke to the darkness so that we may carry God's light and sing "This little light of mine" to a fragile and broken world. Remembering it is God's light that shines within us with God's image aplenty.

Let us be woke and sing "This Little Light of Mine!"

This little light of mine

I'm going to let it shine

Oh, this little light of mine

I'm going to let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm going to let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Ev'ry where I go

I'm going to let it shine

Oh, ev'ry where I go

I'm going to let it shine

Ev'ry where I go

I'm going to let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

All in my house

I'm going to let it shine

Oh, all in my house

I'm going to let it shine

All in my house

I'm going to let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

'm not going to make it shine

I'm just going to let it shine

I'm not going to make it shine

I'm just going to let it shine

I'm not going to make it shine

I'm just going to let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Out in the dark

I'm going to let it shine

Oh, out in the dark

I'm going to let it shine

Out in the dark

I'm going to let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Let us be woke to add our own extra lyrics.

+++

Out on our prayer walk

We're going to let it shine

Oh, Out on our prayer walk

We're going to let it shine

Out on our prayer walk

We're going to let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

others suggestions:

Neighborhood

Pilgrim's way

Holy Ground

Cathedral of Life

Help us to be woke enough not to think of ourselves being the comforted, help us be the comforters and wounded healers.

Help not to be know it alls and be woke to understand what is plaguing our inner beings, neighbors, neighborhoods, the least of these, our family members.

God wake us up to be Woke to your agape love so that we may love everything that you have made. Wake us to be Woke to Radical Love, Hospitality, and inclusion.

Help us to know that being truly woke means being open to radical and random acts of kindness and giving. Where the giver is given and receives much by acts of giving.

Help us to be woke enough to forgive and then find ourselves being actually forgiven

God Wake us Up to Be Woke to know that death isn't the end but only the beginning of a new birth in your heavenly Kindom. Amen and let it be so!

Let us pray,

God wake us up out of the silences that make us complicit viewers as violence and hatred surrounds.