Walk With me on Our Journey: Let us meditate upon the words martyr and righteous as we remember the Martyrs of the Sudans

Good Evening Beloved Community!

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! Today we remember the The Martyrs of the Sudans in our readings. We will ponder what the words martyrs and righteous mean. But first we meditate upon those two words:

"The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

"I believe you know Jesus said "a doctor doesn't come to the healthy, but the sick, and it's not the righteous but the sinners that I've come for," so I think that that's the scandal of God's love and grace that no one is beyond redemption, and we can see that all through scripture, you know." ~ Shane Claiborne

"The path of those who preach love, and not hatred, is not easy. They often have to wear a crown of thorns." ~ Nelson Mandela

"Learned arguments do not make a man holy and righteous, whereas a good life makes him dear to God." ~ Thomas a Kempis

"When you are in the temple, remember that you are in the living presence of the Lord God, that you stand before His face, before His eyes, in the living presence of the Mother of God, of the holy angels, and of the first-born of the Church - that is, our forefathers, the prophets, Apostles, hierarchs, martyrs, reverend Fathers, the righteous, and all the saints. Always have the remembrance and consciousness of this when you are in the temple, and stand with devotion, taking part willingly and with all your heart in the Divine service." ~ John of Kronstadt

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." ~ Solomon

"All spiritual journeys are martyrdoms" ~ Jean Cocteau

"May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true. May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay forever young." ~ Bob Dylan

"All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves." ~ Jean Vanier

"People united in pursuit of a righteous cause are unstoppable" ~ Desmond Tutu

"It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr." ~ Saint Augustine

"We have a God-given commission, but it is not a commission to be self-righteous know-it-alls- quite the contrary. Our work in God's world begins with the acknowledgment that we are not God, and that our most bitter rivals are made in God's image." ~ John C. Danforth

"Let us all be brave enough to die the death of a martyr, but let no one lust for martyrdom." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"A puritan is a person who pours righteous indignation into the wrong things." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

"What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet..." ~ Robert Kennedy

"People who think of God as a warrior may become warriors themselves, whether in a Christian crusade, a Muslim jihad, or an apocalyptically oriented militia. People who think of God as righteous are likely to emphasize righteousness themselves, just as those who think of God as compassionate are likely to emphasize compassion. People who think God is angry at the world are likely to be angry at the world themselves." ~ Marcus Borg

"The whole life of Christ was a continual Passion; others die martyrs but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha even in Bethlehem, where he was born; for to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as his cross at last. His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas day and his Good Friday are but the evening and morning of one and the same day. And as even his birth is his death, so every action and passage that manifests Christ to us is his birth, for Epiphany is manifestation." ~ John Donne

"A righteous person is one who lives for the next generation." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"We don't know how God chooses martyrs. We do know that they give us the most precious gift they possess - their very lives." ~ Cesar Chavez

"The lips of the righteous teach many, but fools die for want of wisdom." ~ Bob Marley

"Venerate the martyrs, praise, love, proclaim, honor them. But worship the God of the martyrs." ~ Saint Augustine

"When a man really gives up trying to make something out of himself - a saint, or a converted sinner, or a churchman (a so-called clerical somebody), a righteous or unrighteous man,...and throws himself into the arms of God...then he wakes with Christ in Gethsemane. That is faith, that is metanoia and it is thus that he becomes a man and Christian." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Come let us worship.

Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who have not set their minds on falsehood, or sworn and deceitful oath, shall receive blessing from the Lord and recompense from God their saviour. Psalm 24:4,

Those who want to save their life will lose it; but those who lose their life for the sake of Christ and the gospel will save it.Mark 8:35

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. Ephesians 5:2a

Blessed are those who have suffered for the cause of right, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:10

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together

with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19

Christ Jesus, being found in human form, humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8

Jesus said: “If any of you would come after me, deny yourself
and take up your cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

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

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.

A Song of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.
The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,
But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God

"We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." ~ Thurgood Marshall

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 116:10-17
10 How shall I repay the Lord *
for all the good things he has done for me?

11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.
12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in the presence of all his people.

13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *
is the death of his servants.

14 O Lord, I am your servant; *
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.

15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in the presence of all his people,

17 In the courts of the Lord's house, *
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

Wisdom 3:1-9

The Destiny of the Righteous
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 Judith

Judith 16:13-16

I will sing a new song to my God, *

for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.

Let the whole creation serve you, *

for you spoke and all things came into being.

You sent your breath and it formed them, *

no one is able to resist your voice.

Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, *

rocks melt like wax at your presence.

But to those who fear you, *

you continue to show mercy.

No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, *

but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.

Hebrews 10:32-39

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. 35Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. 36For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37For yet

‘in a very little while,

the one who is coming will come and will not delay;

38 but my righteous one will live by faith.

My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.’

39But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

A Song of Our True Nature

Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *

our trespasses and our humiliations.

Christ also revealed his blessed power, *

his blessed wisdom and love.

He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *

he raises us in spirit

and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.

God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;

God is the true father and mother of natures.

We are all bound to God by nature, *

and we are all bound to God by grace.

And this grace is for all the world, *

because it is our precious mother, Christ.

For this fair nature was prepared by Christ

for the honor and nobility of all, *

and for the joy and bliss of salvation

Matthew 24:9-14

Persecutions Foretold

9 ‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10Then many will fall away,* and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this good news* of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

A Song to the Lamb Dignus es

Revelation 4:11;5:9-10,13

Splendor and honor and royal power *

are yours by right, O God Most High,

For you created everything that is, *

and by your will they were created and have their being;

And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *

for with your blood you have redeemed for God,

From every family, language, people, and nation, *

a royal priesthood to serve our God.

And so, to the One who sits upon the throne, *

and to Christ the Lamb,

Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *

for ever and for evermore.

O God, steadfast in the midst of persecution, by your providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: As the martyrs of the Sudan refused to abandon Christ even in the face of torture and death, and so by their sacrifice brought forth a plentiful harvest, may we, too, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of Von Ogden Vogt

ACT OF AFFIRMATION

We believe in You, O God, the life of all that is: sovereign in wisdom, goodness and power; and working everywhere for justice and peace and love.

We believe in the ideal of human life which reveals itself as love of You and love of humankind.

We believe in the growth of Your kingdom on earth, and that our loyalty to truth, to righteousness, and to other human beings, is the measure of our desire for its coming.

We believe that the living and the dead are in Your hands, O God, and that underneath both are Your everlasting arms.

By all our experience; in health and in sickness; in joy and in sorrow; in every circumstance and in every place, O God, our Father and Mother Eternal:

Teach us and lead us ever nearer to You.

LITANY OF GRATEFULNESS

Let us join in grateful praise for the goods of life that are ours. With the voices and hearts of the children of humanity, with seers and prophets, with those whose craftmanship is their song, with all who find in human service their joy made full;

We lift up our hearts in gratitude and praise.

In life; its adventures, risks and prizes; in the strength of the soul that overcomes all dangers;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In tasks that are hard; in work well done; in the skill of our hands; in experience, judgment, decision;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In knowledge; in joining fact to fact; in seeing truth in its beauty;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In health; in sickness that has passed away; in sorrows that have not visited us; in temptations that did not tarry at our door; in fears that turned to triumph;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In the faces of those we love; in the eyes that look kindly upon us even when we fail; in those with whom we are at rest;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In those who, though dead, yet speak, the known and the unknown, the great and the lowly, by whose lives we are enabled to live;

We rejoice and will rejoice forevermore. Let the work of our hands declare the gladness of our hearts, and kindly deeds speak forth the gratitude within.

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.

Diann Neu: Blessed Be Our Hands

Blessed be the work of our hands.

Blessed be these hands that touch life.

Blessed be these hands that nurture creativity.

Blessed be these hands that hold pain.

Blessed be these hands that embrace with passion.

Blessed be these hands that tend gardens.

Blessed bed these hands that close in anger.

Blessed be these hands that plant new seeds.

Blessed be these hands that harvest ripe fields.

Blessed be these hands that clean, wash, mop, scrub.

Blessed be these hands that become knotty with age.

Blessed be these hands that wrinkle and scar from doing justice.

Blessed are these hands that reach out and are received.

Blessed are these hands that hold the promise of the future.

Blessed be the works of our hands and hearts.

God we pray this night for all who are in fragile and tender situations. We remember all of your children who are refugees, captives, victims of any kind of violence and abuse, the mentally ill and memory challenged. We remember all of our family members who see to harm that they may be led out of the need to do so.
Gather us in O God ,as your beloved children.

God we pray this night for all who travel that they may be protected. Help us to be mindful as we drive and bike. Make us mindful of all who walk and carry heavy loads.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for peace, justice, mercy, equality, and inclusion in our cities, states, country, and nations of the world.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for all who are grieving losses of any kind and that we may lovingly respond to their needs.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for all who are transitioning into life eternal and those who have made the journey today. Give us courage to lovingly honor their passing and celebrate their lives in the way we live, move and just be.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially__________________
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we lift up with thanksgiving our many blessings that you have lovingly bestowed upon us remembering______________
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we lift up our prayers in the name of Jesus . Amen.

Matthew 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “[b]Blessed are the [c]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 [d]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.

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

― Teresa of Ávila

Optional Prayers

May we be at prayer and find our lives this night being transfixed, transformed, and transfigured into new bodies, minds, and spirits, and that we are new wine skins.

Jesus, we thank you that on the day of Your Transfiguration that your chosen apostles became witnesses this event in your life. May we all witness to Your goodness, love, and mercy.

Jesus, transform our lives that we may serve you in both words and in deeds. May our words and deeds transform the lives of all the least of these our family members.

Jesus, may we always have our minds, hearts, and spirits transfixed and focused on You.

Jesus, plant in our hearts seeds of love, joy, hope, peace, mercy, and grace that we may live our lives ever fixed on you and the work you are calling us to do.

Jesus, may peace prevail upon earth and that the world may be transfigured into one united family of love, mercy, justice, and service.

Jesus, heal and calm all those who are awaiting surgery, have major illnesses, and all those who have any illness of the body, mind, and spirit.

Jesus, We give thanks for all caregivers and pray that they may receive the self-care they need/

Jesus, we pray for anything or anyone who is on our heart and in our mind remembering especially____________

Jesus. give us the courage every day to be transfixed, transformed, and transfigured when we need to make changes in our lives.

Jesus, we pray for all who mourn losses of any kind. May we show love and compassion.

Jesus, we offer these our prayers to you in Your. Name. Amen.

++++

Let us pray,

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