Monday, June 8, 2020

A time to reflect upon the Beatitudes!



Good Evening Dear Ones!

Happy  Monday. It has been very windy here today and my kitchen had an invasion of ants and that calls for an easy time of worship  and meditation. Tonight our task is to count our blessings and meditate upon the Beatitudes and ponder these quotes. 

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing." ~ Camille Pissarro

"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

"Pity the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." ~ Don Marquis

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another." ~ George Eliot

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul" ~ Harold S. Kushner

"Serving others prepares you to lead others." ~ Jim George

"The beatitudes say, "Blessed are the poor". They don't say, "Blessed are those who care for the poor."" ~ Henri Nouwen

"Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth." ~ Shirley Chisholm

"Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and won with thanks." ~ Thomas Goodwin

"The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people." ~ Woodrow Wilson


"Blessed are those who give without remembering and take without forgetting." ~ Elizabeth Bibesco

"Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs 
of those who would be affected by it" ~ Marian Anderson

"Reflect upon your present blessings" ~ Charles Dickens

"Serving others breaks you free from the shackles of self and self-absorption that choke out the joy of living." ~ James Hunter

"Sometimes in order to help He makes us cry
Happy the eye that sheds tears for His sake
Fortunate the heart that burns for His sake
Laughter always follow tears
Blessed are those who understand
Life blossoms wherever water flows
Where tears are shed divine mercy is shown" ~ Rumi

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. [...] You only need a heart full of grace." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Jesus didn't say, 'Blessed are those who care for the poor.' He said, 'Blessed are we where we are poor, where we are broken.' It is there that God loves us deeply and pulls us into deeper communion with himself." ~ Henri Nouwen

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." ~ Maya Angelou

"Blessed are those with a voice." ~ Mamoru Oshii

Come let us worship.

Stay with us, Christ, for it is evening.
Make your Church bright with your radiance.

Joseph Barth: A Grace

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

From the Arusha Call to Discipleship:

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centred. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke of the great things God had done. Acts 2:4, 11

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Romans 5:5

The wind blows where it wills and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from or where it is going; so it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8

The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

You Lord are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name. Leave us not. Jeremiah 14:9

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.

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.

Let us light our candles and be at prayer. Tonight let us pray the Beatitudes and Prayer of St.Francis. Before we do this let us pray for peace in the world and an end to violence and terror. Let us remember the people throughout the world who in the last week have been victimized by terror all over the world.  We pray for an end to gun violence and for sensible laws to protect God's children. Let us remember that if we lay down all our weaponry of hate and that includes our voices we will be on the way to safety and learning to love our neighbors who are our family members too.

The  Beatitudes 
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10

The Prayer of 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




Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge.




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 (Metis Aboriginal Ministries)
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. 
From The Resistance Prays

"Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear." - Ephesians 4:29

“I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter.; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” - Matthew 12:36-37
++

Lord, consider what has become of your people; 
take notice of the injustices.
The property of black businesses has been destroyed 
by those that incite violence.
Too many black children have become fatherless; 
their mothers have become widows. 
They cannot even drink clean water in Flint, 
and even though they work hard in a world that claims to love them, 
they cannot progress.
The police have been at their necks; 
your people are worn out and have no rest.
They held out their hands to those with power who claimed they would help, 
but none came.
Their fathers and black men are gone, 
and they are burdened with white people’s guilt and legacy. 
Lord, do not forget your people; 
do not abandon your children.
Instead, usher in a new day where systems of equity and justice reign, 
and that black lives matter is believed in the hearts of all across the nation.
Amen. 




121 Levavi oculos

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?

2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;

5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.

8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Everything Has Its Time
3 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.
The God-Given Task
9 What gain have the workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live;




Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

A Disillusioned View of Life

7A good name is better than precious ointment,
   and the day of death, than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
   than to go to the house of feasting;
for this is the end of everyone,
   and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
   for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
   but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
   than to hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
   so is the laughter of fools;
   this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise foolish,
   and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;
   the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not be quick to anger,
   for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’
   For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance,
   an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
   and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.
13 Consider the work of God;
   who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14 On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.


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.


1 Kings 17:1-6

Elijah Predicts a Drought

17Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe* in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ 2The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3‘Go from here and turn eastwards, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ 5So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi.

A Song of God’s Love
1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, *
for love is of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, *
for God is Love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us, *
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through Jesus Christ.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *
and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.
Beloved, since God loved us so much, *
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us, *
and God’s love will be perfected in us.


Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes

5When Jesus* saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

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

4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely* on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


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.



A variation of the Lord's Prayer 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.

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

For Social Justice

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


For the Diversity of Races and Cultures

O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you
for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and
show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until
our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all
your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Unsettling force:

We’re a new unsettling force
And we are powerful a new
unsettling force
And we’re here, we’re a new
unsettling force
For liberation and we’ve got nothing
to lose but our chains
And we’ve got nothing
to lose but our chains
Luke Nephew



Lancelot Andrewes: Be All To All

We bring before You, O God:
the cries of the weary,
the pains of the distressed,
the tears of the tragedies of life,
the anxious hours of the insecure,
the restlessness of the refugees,
the hunger of the oppressed.
Dear God, be near to each.
Helper of the helpless,
Hope of the homeless,
The Strength of those tossed with tempests,
The Haven of those who sail:
Be all to all.
Be within us, to strengthen us;
without us, to keep us;
above us, to inspire us;
beneath us, to uphold us;
before us, to direct us;
behind us , to propel us;
around us, to sustain us.
Be all to all in present need.


God our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and
strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray to you faithfully
and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus, who
with you and the Holy Spirit lives for ever and ever. Amen.
(source: Veronese Sacramentary)

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!


O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the
angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in
danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and
grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection
and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our
Savior. Amen.

John Haynes Holmes: The Voice of God

Your voice, O God, is calling
Its summons unto all;
As once You spoke in Zion,
So now we hear You call:
Whom shall I send to succor
My people in their need?
Whom shall I send to loosen
The bonds of shame and greed?
I hear my people crying
In cot and mine and slum;
No field or mart is silent,
No city street is dumb.
I see my people falling
In darkness and despair.
Whom shall I send to shatter
The fetters which they bear?
We heed, O God, Your summons,
And answer: Here are we!
Send us upon Your errand!
Let us Your servants be!
Our strength is dust and ashes,
Our years a passing hour;
But You can use our weakness
To magnify our power.
From ease and plenty save us,
From pride of place absolve;
Purge us of low desire,
Lift us to high resolve.
Take us and make us holy,
Teach us Your will and way;
Speak, and behold we answer!
Command, and we obey!


Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored
us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may
love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts,
through Christ our Savior. Amen.
(source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom)

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.



Peter Marshall- FOR WORLD NEIGHBORLINESS

O God, we pray for a broader vision of the needs of humanity, and a deeper compassion to fill those needs; for a planting of the seeds of concern for all humanity in our hearts; for a tapping of the wells of generosity.

May we live together as people who have been forgiven a great debt.

May we be gentle, walking softly with one another.

May we be understanding, lest we shall add to the world’s sorrow or cause to flow needless tears.

May we be as anxious for the rights of others as we are for our own.

May we be as eager to forgive as we are to seek forgiveness.

May we know no barriers of creed or race or sex, that our love may be like Yours—a love that sees all people as Your children and our kin.

May we be ministers of humanity.


Prayer set A
Jesus banish our doubts so that we may believe and know that you not only rose from the dead but entered into our forgiven hearts with love. May our hearts and heart homes be ever widened to include the ability to love more and more fully.

Jesus take away our fears that bind us so that we may be ever drawn more closely to you.

Jesus, give us the strength and courage to speak for the voiceless and invisible.

Jesus, we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing. We pray especially for_____

Jesus, we pray for those who are facing many struggles this week that they may find peace, joy, hope,love, and a spirit of calm.

Jesus, we pray for our family members who are in need of prayer  especially for ____________

Jesus, keep our hearts open to new possibilities and new lives and new loves.

Jesus, banish all those who have hardness of heart and who do not know how to love family members who differ from themselves.

Jesus help us when we need to be focused and not distracted this week. Give us energy and banish fatigue.

Jesus we pray for all those who have chronic illnesses of body, mind, and spirit.

Jesus we lift up these our prayers to you in your most holy name. Amen.
Prayer Set B
God our creator help us to find the necessary endurance in our lives to live,love,  move, and just be.

God we pray for all of your children who are ill that they may find the courage to stay the course and be patient patients.  May they find strength in their weakness.

God we pray for all of our family members who are in need of courage to leave abusive and dangerous situations.

God we pray that our faith in you may never falter and that our faith may blossom from that tiny mustard seed.

God we pray that we may become resilient in all aspects of our lives.

God we pray for our family members who live in war torn ,violence prone and areas affected by natural disasters  in the world that there may be peace and healing.

God we pray for all who mourn that they may have the endurance to grieve, Courage to take each day one at a time, faith to know that things will get better, and resiliency to bounce back slowly from sadness and adversity.

God we pray for all of our family members who are involved in athletic events that they may have the physical and mental endurance to participate.

God we pray this night for the least of these, give them endurance to survive, courage to find services, faith in you, and resiliency with you to find  a new life path and safe living conditions.

God we pray that there may be an end to hate, fear, doubt , and injustice.

God we thank you for giving us endurance, courage, faith, and resiliency. May we all learn how to have each of these in our own lives.

God we lift up our own prayers and thanksgivings in the name of Jesus your Son who had endurance, courage, faith, and resiliency. Amen. 
Prayer Set C

God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who have little and who have more than enough that we may share from our abundance lovingly with great mercy and kindness.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray this night for our family members who have not learned  your message of  Love and inclusion.

God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who are feeling lost and alone without any support. May we rise up and go to them and show and give them love abundantly to the brim and overflowing.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for peace in this your fragile world that love and peace may encircle those places where violence, war, hate, and division pervade the lives of our family members who find themselves defenseless.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who are in need of healing and grace. May we with you lovingly help them with love and from our heart-home's abundance.

God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who mourn and those who have entered into the Thin Places.

God of Love and Abundance, we add our prayers and thanksgivings with love from the depths of our heart homes and pray on behalf of all those who have asked us for our prayers remembering _____________

God of Love and Abundance, we lift these our prayers in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.


Bonus prayers from a blog written a long time ago.

[Today was a better day in the mood department. No post holiday blues to let me down. Boy that is a relief.] I began thinking about love and what it means to me. We all have our definitions but I want to share with you what it means to me:
God is love and Love is God.
Love is family.
Love has not limits or boundaries.
Love is eternal
You are love my dear family of  Love!
 Love is the energy that makes our lives richer and more full.
Love is always renewing itself like an artesian well.
Love is always is always giving and receiving simultaneously.
Love always is in the act of forgiving and being forgiven.
Love sustains.
Love casts out fear, hate, and is the antidote to violence
Love puts our self first and last.
Love is the energy that powers our heart homes.
Love unties and doesn't divide.
Love makes peace within and peace with out.
Love heals, binds up wounds, frees the minds of captives, gives shelters to the homeless and refugee.
Love transcends time and space. Love is where Heaven abides!
Love puts a smile on our faces and on the face of others.
Love is a gift that doesn't require refunds or exchanges.
Love makes us a forever family that may never be broken.
Love does make sacrifices for the good of all.
Love challenges us to be our best.
Love is always freeing not claustrophobic.
Love means never to have to say goodbye.
Love is always expanding never contracting.
*Love wears a mask, social distances, and stays home and saves lives during Covid-19.
*Love loves all people.
*Love is Anti-Racist.
Love accepts and is always calling us to be authentically who we are.
Love is warm, exciting, passionate, and intimate.
Love is a Gift from God that we Give Back to God, and We give each other and ourselves.
Love is many more things but it would take all night for this blog to be written.

Now in the silence of our meditation time what does love mean to you?  Here is tonight's meditation  and listening music: Ubi Caritas -Durufle
Ubi Caritas - Hurd
Ubi Caritas-Taize


Let us now pray to God who is Love.

God of Love we pray that in this year to come we may practice random acts of kindness and love radically and more fully than we ever have before.

God of Love we pray that we may love one another not half-heartedly but fully and with out  fear.

God of Love we  pray for the healing of divisions throughout our land in war-torn nations. May love and peace prevail in this your fragile and broken world.

God of Love we pray for the healing of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. We remember _______ and all of our family members and those who have asked us to pray for.

God of Love we pray for all those who are homeless, hungry, and have nowhere to lay their heads in this cold weather. May they have courage to seek shelter and the many warming centers that are available. Protect them and keep them safe from harm.

God of Love we pray for all pets and all animals who aren't being protected from the cold weather. May the owners of their pets show loving concern for their fluffy family members.

God of Love we pray for justice, universal human rights and the courage to lovingly respond to those who are voiceless and need us to speak truth to power.

God of Love be with our family members who grieve losses that are new and those that are ongoing.
Give us compassionate hearts to love them through dark times and show them the light of your love.

God of Love we pray for all of our family members who live in the Thin Places where eternal joy and light are to be found.

God of Love we pray for all our family members who have children returning to school this week and those who have a little while longer to wait.

God of Love we pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members remembering children, elderly, differently-abled, those with memory disorders.

God of Love we pray for all our family members who are awaiting surgery and who are hospitalized.

God of Love we pray for ___________________________

God of Love we give thanks for______________________

God of Love we celebrate____________________________

God of Love we remember___________________________

We lay these our prayers at the feet of Jesus who is Love incarnate and in His Most Holy Name. Amen.


And these prayers for good Measure:


Let us pray that we all may be well and healthy in body, mind and spirit!


God and giver of life and health return our bodies, minds, and spirits to wholeness and may we be healed of any and all illness.
May we all be well and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

God and giver of life and health return our country and the nations of the world to the state of peace and unity so that we all may be one with you O God.
May we all be well and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

God and giver of life and health we pray for all who are our most vulnerable family members who are homeless, hungry, and ill-clad. We pray that they may be safe from the elements tonight.
May we all be all be well and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

God and giver of life and health we pray for all who are dying and who have died this day that they leave this world in joy, warmth, and in your loving and sustaining arms.
May we all see death as the return to our souls to the stars and Thin Places. and be truly well and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

God and giver of life and health we pray especially for_________________________
Mat we all be well and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

God and giver of life and health we pray and give thanks for your Love and mercy that sustains us each nano-second that we live, move, and just be.

God and give of life and health sustain and give respite to all caregivers that they may not be afflicted with great stress and illness.
May we all be well and healthy, in body, mind, and spirit.

Jesus as you are the Great and Glorious Physician we offer these our prayers in your most holy name. Amen.

Today's wishes:

My wish for you is to know that you matter and are precious gifts. I love you!

This evening's wish is that we treat all God's children with love, respect, dignity and protection from harm.

Have you told our family members that you love them today? Have I told you that I love you today? 

I LOVE YOU!


Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always.
Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)


Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Take time to journal your journey and write down your blessings. 

Peace, love, and blessings!

Sara

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Resources

A to Z quotes
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Book of Common Prayer
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
Prayers of Power
Enriching Our Worship 1
Satucket Lectionary
Walk With Me On Our Journey
YouTube

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