Dear Family of Love and God,
Happy Take Care Tuesday. Wow another day at the Faith Factory! For the past two days I have been handing out shelf stable lunches to our homeless and food insecure family members and listening yet again to their stories of struggle. Listening to these stories more and more it has occurred to me that we take a lot of things for granted. We take our homes, clothing, the food we eat. having running water, bathrooms, kitchens, and any thing else we can name. We need to be able to not only not take things for granted but also look to what we can do to bring these things to our family members who lack these very same things we have in our lives every day. One of the ways we need to do this is to be able to ask the many people who are seeking election where they stand on the issues of homelessness, hunger, safe spaces to be outside if they cannot find adequate shelter. Tonight is the perfect time to consider making a list and in the days and weeks to come do research on the following issues and how the candidates measure up to God's call to serve the least of these.
Here are the questions we need to find out from and about the candidates who are standing for election:
Pretend you are giving a press conference and are asking these questions and many others.
What are your plans to combat homelessness in this country, county, and community?
Are you in favor of having laws that make it possible to use left over food and day old veggies and fruit for those who are food insecure?
Are you in favor of breakfast and lunch programs for our youth who are low income?
Do you have a plan for safe facilities for the homeless to use when they aren't near malls, libraries, restaurants etc? These would be day shelters and public restrooms and showers.
Are you in favor of expanding medicaid to the homeless and low income persons who need more health insurance and prevention.
What are your plans for the homeless and hungry mentally ill?
What are your plans for the veterans?
What are your policies and thoughts about caring for our indigenous family members?
What are your views on affordable housing?
What are your views on maintaining and giving women equal pay for equal work.
What are your views on LGBTQIA rights and equality?
Where do you stand on outdoor camping in the down town areas and parks for nightly shelter?
These are questions for us to research and ponder and hopefully find satisfying answers. We must also ask if they are prepared to walk the walk that Jesus and we are walking? People who stand for election and are seeking higher office must be exemplars of this. God doesn't let us off the hook and God wont either.
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God we light our candles tonight in thanksgiving for all the abundance you shower upon us daily!
We pray and give thanks for housing and pray for all of our family members who are lacking sufficient shelter. Help us to fight for affordable housing for our low-income family members and encourage those seeking election to do the same.
We pray and give thanks for the food that we eat and pray for our family members who are food insecure and hungry. Help us to gladly share our left over food and we pray for all the many organizations who provide needed food for our family members.
We pray and give thanks for clothing that we wear and pray that we may share the clothes that we no longer wear to those who do not have any. Help us to be aware of those who need not only clothes but towels, blankets, socks, shoes, and sleeping bags.
We pray and give thanks for all the many aid agencies that come to the aid of all the least of these when we can't. Help us to become volunteers and lift the burdens of these agencies from their shoulders.
We pray this night for all of our family members who are in need of safe places outdoors and especially places to go to the bathroom. Yes we pray for all of our family members who need to be able to respect their bodily functions and use facilities that are private and not out in the open.
We pray that the candidates who are seeking election may be listening with the ear of the heart and walk the walk that Jesus walked and serve the least of these. Amen.
The light of Christ in Me Recognizes the Light of Christ in You!
Let us take time to engage in the Be Stills and Meditate by doing our breathing exercises before we continue our prayer time.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Breathe and imagine God holding you gently in God's loving arms.
Exhale and feel the love energy enlivening the world by your love and light.
Pause.
Repeat.
After you do this time of meditation please choose one or more of these videos from Nooma and Rob Bell for things to think about.
Nooma Breathe -Rob Bell
Nooma - Lump - Rob Bell
Nooma - Dust - Rob Bell
Dear God we come before you in the late night hours seeking rest for our bodies minds and spirits and that we may be able to let go of anything that troubles us.
God we pray for all who work in the late night hours that they may be safe in their places of work.
God keep watch over all who travel and our family members who find themselves out walking or driving in the dark.
God we pray for our family members who are refugees and who find themselves living in poverty.
God we pray for peace within ourselves and in the world. We pray that we may be united in love, mercy, joy, and justice.
God we pray for all who are transitioning from this life on into the next and our family members who have died.
God we celebrate with our family members who are adding another year to their lives and marriages and life's unexpected and joyful celebrations.
God we pray for all or our family members who are living with chronic illnesses, are hospitalized, and have run of the mill illnesses.
God we pray for all our family members who represent the least of these that they may find help, hope, and better living conditions and may be lifted up and not be seen as invisible.
God we pray for__________________________
God we pray these prayers in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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Good Night Dear and Beloved ones! I love you! You matter! You are precious ! You need to take care of yourselves so that God may use you and your gifts to take care of others. I give thanks to God for you this night and always.
With love and blessings abounding,
Sara
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