Good Evening Dear Family!
Happy you matter Monday! For the past few weeks I have been seeing quite a few people putting fellow family members down because they are participating in acts of civil disobedience and peaceful non-violent protest. Criticizing our family members for doing what is right and also permitted by the laws of this country is a very sad occurrence indeed. As people of faith we have been encouraged by God, the prophets, and Jesus to do this. Yes, we are called to practice civil disobedience by none other than Jesus who cleansed the Temple and turned the tables on the money changers. Jesus wasn't a meek and mild person in this, he was strong and resolute. We need to know that as people of faith we must be strong and resolute too. God is always calling us to rattle cages and speak truth to power as the authentically and beautifully made Children of God. When we practice acts of civil disobedience we are affirming the faith that God is calling us into. It is times like these as never before where we don't get to cower in the corner and be robo people who look uniform. That doesn't help the least of these and yes even ourselves. In order to be the true Children of God we must step out of our comfort zones, get out of our boxes, and color outside the lines in order to affect change within ourselves and in this fragile and broken world. We must take time in our prayers to affect change by using words that are prophetic and justice oriented. It won't be easy but it must be done.
Let us be at prayer and light our candles in the spirit of unity and social justice. Let take time to sing a few protest songs by Peter, Paul, and Mary to get us ready to join together in unity
If I Had a Hammer- Peter, Paul, and Mary
God we come to this night with our hearts and hands open as we light our candles and pray as we in the words of Psalm 141
"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
God may we come to you with a vision clear that this isn't a time of gimme, gimme, gimme or instant expectations but, with hearts full of prayers and thanksgivings not just for ourselves but on behalf of others and this world where there is great need. We pray that with our hands ready to serve you and the least of these we may find this a time of bridge building and peacemaking We pray that with our open hands we may seek to use them as offerings of help, love, giving, and solace and our word for soothing of our souls, soulace. We come to you as we lift up our hands in grateful thanksgiving and praise and that they may rise to the heavens in holy and enthusiastic joy and hope. We pray that we may extend our hands in peace to our enemies and those who hate us and offer to them a sign that we are here to build and not destroy. We lift these our prayers and place them in your loving and healing hands O God. We also present the Light of Christ to each other remembering these words as we close our time of prayer "The Light of Christ in Me recognizes the Light of Christ in You!" We pray these prayers with hands and lights uplifted in Jesus most Holy Name. Amen.
God you have called us to march for our family members who have no voice.
Let our pounding footsteps sound speak the words of justice and liberty for all your children.
God you have called us to picket in front of places where our family members are being denied proper wages, healthcare, educational opportunity and any other cause that divides us.
Let our pickets speak the words along with our feet to ensure justice, liberty, and human rights for all of your children.
God you have called us to sit down and sit in so that our bodies may show others that we have the courage and resolve to stay put and do the necessary work that needs to be done for the good and protection of us all.
Let our bodies while we sit down and sit in be made strong so that when we protest we may show the world what true civil disobedience looks like.
God you have called us to write and circulate petitions to affect change. Help our words to be made clear and that change may come through our words and actions.
Let our words ring clear and that our petition may reach the right places where our voices need to be heard and change may happen.
God you have called us to love radically with our actions not just for today but for tomorrow.
Let our love energy be the empowering force for good and to affect great change in this world and with each other.
God you have called us to go hungry and strike when we want to make a visible sign of how the least of these are going with out and that the pangs of hunger aren't just food related but liberty related.
Let us in the words of the Beatitudes to "Hunger and thirst after righteousness".
God you have called us to afflict the comfortable so that the afflicted may receive comfort.
Let us be the agents of CALM (Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy)
God you have called us to use our gifts of prophesy, peacemaking, writing the wrongs of injustice, and giving of ourselves to be agents of change and your beloved children.
Let us be the lights, voices, hands, and feet in this world and may we never be afraid to practice civil disobedience and be non-violent protesters.
God help us to remember these things. Amen.
God we pray these classic words:
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Magnificat
My soul glorifies the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness; *
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me. *
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age, *
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength *
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones *
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things, *
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant, *
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
Isaiah 2:1-4
The Future House of God
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Micah 6:8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
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A pledge to practice civil disobedience and peaceful non-violent protest when we are called to do so.
God we sit here in the silence listening and waiting to know what you are calling us to do when this world has gone awry and that we no longer know how to be united. We come to you O God and offer our bodies, minds, and spirits in loving and courageous service to be your hands and feet in this world and that when we are called to do so to engage in acts that do not require violence but in prayerful and peaceful non-violent protest. May we courageously petition, sit in and sit down, hunger, march, speak truth to power, picket, and stay the course to affect change in the world without fear and if it should happen to freely give up our lives to the justice system and risk our own lives to spread your God News and Good News to all so that peace may prevail upon earth and that we may finally be united as one people, one family, and one world. We lift up this our pledge to you O God with a conscience and vision clear.
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Good Night dear Ones. I love you! I give Thanks for you this night and always!
With love, peace, and joy,
Sara
Bonus prayersGod of peace and love, we pray that violence may cease and that we may be united as your Family under the banner of love, peace, and inclusion.
God of peace and love, we pray for the people of Ottawa and Canada and for all of our family members who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. We pray that in the coming days that we find out what lead the shooter to this act.
God of peace and love, provide us with the means to become your peacemakers in this your fragile and broken world.
God of peace and love, help us we pray that we may use our voices and writing skills on behalf of our family members who cannot speak and defend themselves.
God of peace, we pray for all who are in hospice and receiving palliative care and that they may be receiving good comfort care.
God of peace, help us to respond to cries of all your children both great and small and that we may lovingly serve them.
God of peace, we pray for all our brothers and sisters around the world who are refugees, captives, and victims of human trafficking that they may be protected and released to return to their homes and families.
God of peace we pray this night for all who have requested our prayers remembering especially___________
God of peace we offer our many thanksgivings, remembrances, and celebrations to your especially for_____________
God of peace help us to learn the truth about the many cultures, customs, and faiths that we may not understand. Give us the grace to love them as you love them.
God of peace we pray for all who are ill and have chronic illnesses. We pray for healing and a return to health if it is possible.
God of Peace may we rest, relax, refresh,and renew our bodies, minds, and spirits this night and that we may awake to do what you are calling us to do and to be.
God of Peace we lift these our prayers in the name of your only son Jesus. Amen.
Or these
Let us pray!
God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael may we find unity with all of our family members in love, mercy, justice and peace.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all the war torn areas of the world and protection for all of our brothers and sisters.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are living with mental illness. We pray that we may reach out and support with love and compassion to them and their caregivers.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for our family members who are ill that they may be healed of their illnesses.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for the least of these and all the wonderful things they bring to this world. We give thanks to God that they are reminders to all of our family members who need to be aware that not everyone is fortunate.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Give us strength to speak truth to power and keep doing it until Justice rolls down
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Take away all of our fears, hate, isolationism, and replace it with trust, love, and unity.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are dying and have died today and entered into the Thin Places with Joy and gladness.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray this night for all who travel that they may safely arrive at their destination.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for ourselves and on behalf of others
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all faith communities and leaders who enrich our lives each day.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We give thanks this night for _______________ and that we may put on an attitude of Gratitude
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray that we will awake refreshed, renewed, and re-created to do the work and service God is calling us to do.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for rain and the cleansing and healing of Your Creation.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We ask these our prayers in Jesus' most Holy Name. Amen.
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