Good Evening Dear Family of Love,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Sabbath day and that you felt God's presence and love. When was the last time you looked into God's Mirror and seeing ourselves as God sees us? Let us begin to look into God's mirror, not ours, or Hamlet's, Sleeping Beauty's etc. How many of you have faced identity crisis because you felt like you had to fit expectations that were prescribed by cultural, familial, and other confining norms? I'm here to tell you we all need to begin to be the Child of God who was made in the image and likeness of God! There isn't any reason not to. We can continue to either live in the role that we have made up for ourselves for the benefit of others for safety or step out and claim who we are as the beautiful people of God. I know this all too well through my late beloved partner Steve who would be different personas to different audiences just to fit in. This must have had dizzying effects on him. God knows who we are, Jesus knows who we are but, do we know who we are and to whom we belong? Not an easy answer if you have constructed a vast array of personas to fit all the expectations that are safety nets and security blankets. Why am I talking about this? Well it has to do with many things that I will be sharing with you in the coming months as we begin our journey of self-exploration and discovery. This voyage will take us into that special room and into our heart homes where we meet God and ourselves face to face and see who we really are and who we are meant to be. No, I don't think the cancer is back! I choose to celebrate life and celebrate it authentically without fear as the beautiful Child of God who was made in God's image and likeness. More on that later when I'm ready to share. Today's psalm in our lectionary points us to living authentically and yes to loving ourselves: Here is the psalm that we had today and we will meditate upon it this night and in the days and weeks to come:
Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17 Page 794, BCP
Domine, probasti
- 1
- LORD, you have searched me out and known me; *
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
- 2
- You trace my journeys and my resting-places *
and are acquainted with all my ways.
- 3
- Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *
but you, O LORD, know it altogether.
- 4
- You press upon me behind and before *
and lay your hand upon me.
- 5
- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
- 12
- For you yourself created my inmost parts; *
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
- 13
- I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
- 14
- My body was not hidden from you, *
while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
- 15
- Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;
all of them were written in your book; *
they were fashioned day by day,
when as yet there was none of them.
- 16
- How deep I find your thoughts, O God! *
how great is the sum of them!
- 17
- If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; *
to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.
Gracious and Loving God help us to see ourselves as you see us as the beautiful Child of God whom you have made in your image and likeness.
Gracious and Loving God help us to rise up and be your servants and follow wherever you are leading us. May we respond to your call with a resounding Yes!.
Gracious and Loving God, take our fears and make us courageous to stand for Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Universal Human Rights for all of our family members.
Gracious and Loving God, we pray for all who are ill in body, mind, and spirit that they may be healed.
Gracious and loving God take our feet and plant them on the firm foundation of faith and that we may be united as one family under you who are the God who has many names. When you created us in the beginning you knew that your world and your children would be diverse as the stars.
Gracious and loving God we pray for all who are making decisions in their lives for their betterment and the betterment of the world.
Gracious and loving God, watch over our most vulnerable family members this night. Protect them from harm and give them warm shelter from the cold.
Gracious and loving God we pray for peace in your world and that wars and unloving relationships between our enemies may be transformed into Love and Unity.
Gracious and loving God we pray for all who are mourning any loss.
Gracious and loving God we add our prayers and thanksgivings now and those who have requested our prayers especially_________________
Gracious and loving God may we remember to tell our loved ones that they matter and that they are loved as they are, where they are, and who they want to be.
Gracious and Loving God we pray these our prayers in the Name of Jesus who taught us that it was and is ok to live outside the box and color outside the lines and follow him on his Journey as He walks with us on ours. Amen.
Today's wish:
My wish today is that we find grace, beauty, and love in all things and all people.
++++++
Good Night My dear Brothers and Sisters! I love you! Our voyage of self-discovery with God has just begun. Have a blessed night and know that you are loved and that we are here for each other.
I give thanks to God for you this day and always.
A word about prayer requests: When I make the evening request for people who would like us to pray for them or their concerns on Twitter or Facebook please know that they are optional for a reply. If you don't want to submit a prayer request you don't have to. No one is being pressured to do this when I click your name on the nightly Twitter prayer chain. If you want off the prayer chain please let me know. The prayer line is available 24/7/365 and is available to you any time.
I love you all and wish us all a blessed night resting in the grace, love, and beauty of Gods enfolding arms,
Sara
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