Let's talk about memes that heal and memes that hurt!

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Good Evening Dear Ones!

Happy Wonderful and Wonder-Filled Wednesday! How is everyone? It's that time of the week where we begin to start our weekly wind down and preparation for our weekend retreat. Today I want to talk about memes that heal and memes that hurt. FB, Twitter, and Instagram are rife with all kinds of memes and some of them are specifically designed to hurt the least of these and incite people to hate, joke around and spread malicious lies and rumors.  Don't be fooled that when you share these kind of memes you aren't hurting anyone! You are hurting someone more importantly you are hurting God. Remember whatever you post  is just like doing it to the least of these and I hope you remember the rest. If not here it is:

Remember clicking a mouse is the same as acting. Remember Retweeting and Posting is the same as acting either positively or negatively. 

We should seek out memes that heal and comfort and give strength and honor and love one another. We should seek out memes that educate each other into seeing various issues with new eyes and hearts. These past few days I have seen some real doozies that have been pointed towards people who are transgender and Muslim. When I see many of these memes I fact check just as I do with a lot of articles. I give thanks for having wonderful friends who I can turn to as my council of advice to seek out the truth. Most of the time I take these offbeat memes that are designed to hurt and cause great insult at face value and consider the source of the sharer. Here is where we need to be more intentional and be actively seeking to to God's will and loving our neighbor and being peacemakers. Memes these days are mean. Let's take the mean out of memes and begin to really think before we post, share, and speak,  and ask ourselves this:

This week I ask each of us to take stock and be careful what we post and who it is directed towards. If you must share it select and change your settings. If you have a group who shares the same views as you do message them in a group message. Yes I know it is true that you can post anything you like on your wall but we must be sensitive and as followers of Jesus we must walk the walk and talk the talk and not forget that we are to be about loving our neighbors, loving our enemies, and be in peacemakers. It is just that simple ! Or is it? Tonight we are going to pray and use our words that are designed to heal and be loving.

God we come to you this night to light our candles and use words and thoughts that heal and are loving in acts of prayer and comfort. We pray this night for our family members who have chosen to use words that hurt and bully. We pray that they may be led to right speech and turn away from hate words and bigotry and be transformed by words of love and light. We pray that we ourselves may be conscious of what we say, post, and write. We pray that we may be on our loving and best behavior towards our family members in social media and off. We pray that we may respect the dignity of all humankind and that we ma seek to know and love each other more fully and without fear. We pray that we may instill in our family members throughout the world by our words and actions a sense of CALM (compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy). We pray that our words may light up the world in loving speech, justice, for the benefit of family members who differ from us, and as beacons that will promote equality and equity for all. We light our candles tonight as a symbol of speaking truth to power and as a means to carry the light of Christ into the world' where there is darkness. Let us remember these words" The light of Christ in me, Recognizes the Light of Christ in you!" Let us be lights to this fragile and broken world with our loving words, actions, and hearts. Amen.

 Let us us this time tonight to be at prayer and pray for courage to be the Light, be a Voice, be a Peacemaker, Be a Child of God, Be the one who speaks up when someone won't. 

Let us spend time in silence and prepare ourselves to be God's voice in a broken world. 

God of justice we pray that we may have courage to speak truth to power.

God of compassion we pray that we may love others not just in our words but in our deeds.

God of kindness we pray that we may use our voices to heal, comfort, and lovingly support.

God of peace we pray that we may use our voices as your beloved children to make peace and not wage war in this world.

God of all people, we pray that we may be the voices who seek to protect and serve the most vulnerable of our family members.

God of justice we pray that we may we have the courage to Stand Up, Step up, and Speak Up for all of your children who need us to act and not be silent. 

God of Love we pray that we may use the Love Energy that is within our Heart Homes to be your Light to the world. May we shine your light in dark places so that our family members may see and be guided away from the darkness that infects our world.

God of healing we pray that we may seek to use our voices to heal and not harm.

God of creation we pray that we may use our voices to speak for good conservation practices to heal and renew the face of the earth and respect all living things in your Cathedral of Live.

God of diversity, we pray that we may be voices of unity and that we may seek to come to know one another and respect the dignity of all beings.

God and creator of us all may we seek to follow the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist and speak, love, act, and pray and be mindful of the needs and concerns of others this day and always! 

God we offer our own voices in prayer and thanksgiving remembering____________________.

We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd whose voice we hear and who calls us all by our names. Amen. 

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Prayer to St. Isidore of Seville the Patron St. of the Internet! (Catholic prayers)

Almighty and etenal God who has created us in thine image and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee that through the intercession of Saint Isidore, bishop and doctor, during our jounreys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter. Father we ask you this, through Christ our Lord. Amen

Today's selections from the BCP.


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.

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.

For Social Justice

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience

O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he
was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer
for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them
from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them
from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from
despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be
cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus
Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.

For our Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth;
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you ! May you rest gentle and be awakened in joyful renewal to be ready for Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! I  give God thanks for you each and every day. 


With love,hope, joy, and peace,

Sara