My words at midnight!

Good Evening Dear Family!

I wanted to share with you my words around last midnight that I posted on Facebook they may be harsh but need to be said:

This afternoon while I was handing out the shelf stable lunches at the Faith Factory, I realized that our homeless family members are refugees too. They are always on the move seeking food, clothing, and shelter. Our nation started out as 13 distinct colonies made up of refugees seeking a better life for themselves and to be able to practice their faith freely whatever faith community that was. At the same time we developed a dangerous split personality where we failed to respect the dignity of all our indigenous family members who have been here longer than we will ever know. Thinking about all of this makes it difficult these days to see the dirty and unkind racist attitudes rearing their ugly heads. Yes we still have racism! It hasn't changed. Racism extends to all of our family members who do not share the same color of skin. The Olympics have shown this time and time again. We have a double standard going on. We need to go back to school and learn what it means to walk in the moccasins of our indigenous family members, be crammed into a cramped slave ship with our African-American brothers and sisters, see what it is like to be in the closet with our LGBTQ family members and not be able to love who you want to love, to have to pay dangerous coyotes to bring you into this country illegally in hopes that you can find a job and your family will have a better life, have the courage to pray 5 times a day facing Mecca while wearing a Hijab knowing that covering your head could get you spit upon or much worse,to walk the streets as a transgender youth with fear that you might be killed and even worse be led to take your own life because of being bullied for accepting yourself and identifying yourself as who you really are. My friends we have quite a bit of work to do. Do you know what time it is? It is time to Love one another and stop the hate, stop pointing fingers when you have 3 pointing back at you, and remember yes Sticks and Stones may break my bones and yes words may and will hurt you! There are many other thoughts as well but remember these phrases that I posted last week:

There are six things that the LORD strongly dislikes, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
— Proverbs 6:16–19

One who bears false witness against one's neighbor commits as serious a sin as if one had borne false witness against God, saying that God did not create the world.
— Mechilta to Exodus 20:13

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Let us light our candles and be at prayer. This night let us pray that we may love and be kind to one another.

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 not hate, troll, bully, snipe, or be mean in social media and elsewhere.

God of Love we pray that we may practice being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)

God of Love help us to use right behavior and manners with one another keeping kindness and love uppermost in our minds.

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 all kinds of 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.

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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.

We add these prayers as well:

This night let us continue our prayers using : Our Prayers for our Enemies:

God we share many things in common with our enemies, may we find common ground as we pray this night.

God may we breathe clean air and find ourselves breathing in love and breathing out peace.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God may we eat of the abundance of the fruits of  your Cathedral of Life and break bread together in solidarity.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God may we find rest for our souls and may we rest in the knowledge that you God created us all and made us in your image and likeness. Take away any anxiety and bitterness that keeps us from resting upon our beds. 
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God may we be clothed with peacemakng skills and clothing that will keep us warm.

May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we give thanks for our homes in which we live. We pray that everyone will have a home that safe and filled with warmth and love. We pray especially for those who have become refugees due to wars and violent conflicts. 
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we pray for our families who need our love, patience, and we give thanks for them with loving and sustaining and merciful hearts.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we pray for all of our loved ones especially those who have asked us for our prayers remembering especially____________________________
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we remember your beloved little children that they may be safe from harm and still have a childlike wonder  and awe for the earth and your creation. May we recapture this sense wonder.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God teach us how to be lovers and may we find the holiness in our relationships one to another.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God show us the paths towards peace,justice, mercy, equality, and universal human rights.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we pray for all who mourn that they may be given love, comfort, and compassion.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we pray for all who have died and are dying. We pray especially for those who are dying terrible deaths that they felt your loving presence as they were carried into the Thin Places.
May we love our enemies as we love our neighbors and do good to those who hate us.

God we thank you for this day and as we lift up these our prayers in the name of  your son Jesus. Amen. 

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Good Night Dear Family ! I love you! May you find rest in God's Gentle arms of love and know and feel God's loving presence. I give thanks to God for you this day and always.

Love and peaceful hearts be always yours,

Sara