As the seasons change Let's take time to do a time of self examination and reflection !

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters!

Happy Self-Care Saturday and the second day of Autumn. This is a perfect time to take stock of where we are as people of God and as human beings. Every season liturgical and climate are good times to get in touch with all that's going on in our inner beings and ask ourselves if we walk the walk and talk the talk? Do we? What needs improvement? What needs to be de-cluttered? Where have I fallen short in being a CALM( Compassionate, Accepting, Loving and Merciful) human being? How judgmental have we become? Remember calling people out for bad behavior and actions that aren't correct is a good thing! Speaking truth to power is what we need to be doing at such a time as this. 
Tonight let us take time and do a short self-examination in the silence of our hearts. 

A good self examination is rooted in our Baptismal Vows ! Let us use the Renewal of Baptismal Vows as found in the Easter Vigil in the Book of Common Prayer.

The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Celebrant Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and
renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?

People I do
.
Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?

People I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers?

People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?

People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?

People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every human being?

People I will, with God’s help.

May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and
bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal
life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.


Let us light our candles and make vigil as we begin afresh and as one family of God and love.

God we pray that this season may be a time of we not me. May we place ourselves in the role  of being servants  where we may be of service to others.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,

pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of life,

and to be glorified through all the worlds.

In Lak 'Ech by Luis Valdez

Tú eres mi otro yo.

You are my other me.

Si te hago daño a ti,

If I do harm to you,

Me hago daño a mi mismo.

I do harm to myself.

Si te amo y respeto,

If I love and respect you,

Me amo y respeto yo.

I love and respect myself.

A Smudging Prayer

Creator,

our Father in heaven,

we come to you as your children.

We confess that we are weak and broken images of you.

We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ.

May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies.

We pray that your Holy Spirit

 will help us to worship in spirit and truth.

We pray in the name of Jesus,

so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you.

Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3The Voice (VOICE)

3 Teacher: For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven:

2     A time to be born, a time to die;
        a time to plant, a time to collect the harvest;
3     A time to kill, a time to heal;
        a time to tear down, a time to build up;
4     A time to cry, a time to laugh;
        a time to mourn, a time to dance;
5     A time to scatter stones, a time to pile them up;
        a time for a warm embrace, a time for keeping your distance;
6     A time to search, a time to give up as lost;
        a time to keep, a time to throw out;
7     A time to tear apart, a time to bind together;
        a time to be quiet, a time to speak up;
8     A time to love, a time to hate;
        a time to go to war, a time to make peace.

9 What good comes to anyone who works so hard, all to gain a few possessions? 10 I have seen the kinds of tasks God has given each of us to do to keep one busy, 11 and I know God has made everything beautiful for its time. God has also placed in our minds a sense of eternity; we look back on the past and ponder over the future, yet we cannot understand the doings of God. 12 I know there is nothing better for us than to be joyful and to do good throughout our lives; 13 to eat and drink and see the good in all of our hard work is a gift from God. 14 I know everything God does endures for all time. Nothing can be added to it; nothing can be taken away from it. We humans can only stand in awe of all God has done. 15 What has been and what is to be—already is. And God holds accountable all the pursuits of humanity.


Psalm 91:9-15

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,

10 There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.

12 They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.

14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

Exodus 1:15-21

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ¹⁶‘When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’ ¹⁷But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?’ ¹⁹The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’²⁰So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

The Song of the Redeemed Magna et mirabilia

Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God,

great deeds are they that you have done, *

surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *

O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,

and sing the praises of your Name? *

for you only are the holy One.

All nations will draw near and fall down before you, *

because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:10-12

10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹²Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

The First Song of Isaiah Ecce, Deus

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *

I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *

and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *

from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *

see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *

and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *

for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

John 4:23-30,39-42

²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ ²⁵The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ ²⁶Jesus said to her, ‘I am he,^* the one who is speaking to you.’

27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ ²⁸Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ²⁹‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,^*can he?’ ³⁰They left the city and were on their way to him.

39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of his word. ⁴²They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

God of liberating power, you raised up your apostle Thecla, who allowed no obstacle or peril to inhibit her from bearing witness to new life in Jesus Christ: Empower courageous evangelists among us, that men and women everywhere may experience the freedom you offer; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

  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.

A litany of Thanksgiving (BCP)

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so

freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and

sky and sea,

We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,

revealing the image of Christ,

We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and

our friends,

We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering

and faithful in adversity,

We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and

promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the

Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

 We pray these intercessions as well.

God of all mercy help us to learn what it means to be merciful and Teach us how we show mercy.

God of all justice help us to learn what it means to be just. Teach and show us how to be just.

God of all humbleness help us to learn what it means to be humble.Teach and show us ho to be humble and enter into humility.

God of all love help us learn to love more fully. Teach and show us how to be more loving.

God of all peace help us learn to be peace makers. Teach and show us how to be peace makers.

God of all joy help us to be joyful and show joy to others.

Help us every day to know that we are praying in the light and love of God.

God of all kindness help us to learn to be kind. Teach and show us how and what it means to be kind.

God of all hopefulness help us to learn how to be hopeful when we feel hopeless.

God of all gentleness help us to learn to be gentle even when we feel like lashing out. Bring us back to that gentle core where we feel your gentleness.

God of all holiness help us to learn how to be holy. Teach us and show us what it means to be holy beings.

God of all patience help us to learn how to be patient. Teach and show us how to be patient.

God help us we pray to enter into a time of prayer for all who have been victims of unnecessary violence, bigotry, hatred, and fear.

God we pray for___________________


God we pray for the least of these who will not have adequate food, clothing, and shelter this weekend. Help us to care for them as you care for us out of your great abundance.


Help us every day to know that we are praying in the light and love of God


God help us to learn how to be practitioners of civil disobedience, peaceful non-violent protest, and social justice. Teach and show us how to do these things with courage, grace, and love.


God we lift up these our prayers to you in your light and love. Amen.

The Song of Simeon- Luke 2:29-32

Nunc Dimittis

1 Lord now you let your servant ′ go in ′ peace:
your ′ word has ′ been ful′filled.
2 My own eyes have ′ seen the · sal′vation:
which you have prepared in the ′ sight of ′ every ′ people,
3† a light to reveal you ′ to the ′ nations:
and the ′ glory · of your ′ people ′ Israel.

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the beginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

Gracious God, 
you have given us much today; 
grant us also a thankful spirit. 
Into your hands we commend ourselves 
and those we love. 
Be with us still, 
and when we take our rest, 
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.

May the God of all grace 
who has called us to eternal glory in Christ,
restore, establish and strengthen us. 
To the one true God be the dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.

+++++

Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Please take your time to reflect and go deeper into your inner being so that you may rest gentle in God's arms. Tomorrow we will add more to our seasonal reflection. 

Peace, love, and in thanksgiving to you all,

Sara

Resources:

Satucket Lectionary for Lessons and our Saint of the Day : Thecla

The New Zealand Prayer Book

The Book of Common Prayer

In Lak 'Ech - Luis Valdez

Metis Aboriginal Ministries- Smudging Prayer

Bonus Resource:

The Acts of Paul and Thecla