Countdown to Lent 2019: 7 days away! What are you going to pick up and lay down?
Good Evening Dear Family!
Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! I hope everyone is well and ready for our Pre-Lenten retreat weekend that will begin tomorrow. Tonight we are going to go into a time of reflection as we begin to ease out of the season of Epiphany. This season of epiphany has given me a period of aha moments where I have had to learn again how to love, trust, be patient, and yes even let go of things I do not understand in order to be a team player. Sometimes getting along with people even for me can be difficult but I try to keep being a follower of Jesus upper most in my mind and deeds. Circle time has taught me that hurt people, hurt people and that is something I am ever being reminded of. So dear family what have been your aha moments this Epiphany season? Take time to reflect and journal tonight. Let us return to our mindfulness favorite as we begin our worship time together.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Here are a few quotes from George Herbert to ponder:
"Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing... a grateful heart!" ~ George Herbert
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Here are a few quotes from George Herbert to ponder:
"Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing... a grateful heart!" ~ George Herbert
"Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night." ~ George Herbert
"He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass." ~ George Herbert
"A gentle heart is tied with an easy thread." ~ George Herbert
"God sees hearts as we see faces." ~ George Herbert
"Where there is peace, God is." ~ George Herbert
"Take the gentle path." ~ George Herbert
Come let us worship.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and those who are afraid are not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother or sister, that person is a liar; for those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:18-20
Light of the World Phos hilaron
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
IN LAK’ECH
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.
Luis Valdez
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.
Let us light our candles, meditate, and be at prayer!
Psalm 119
He Legem pone
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, *
and I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; *
I shall keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me go in the path of your commandments, *
for that is my desire.
36 Incline my heart to your decrees *
and not to unjust gain.
37 Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; *
give me life in your ways.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, *
which you make to those who fear you.
39 Turn away the reproach which I dread, *
because your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for your commandments; *
in your righteousness preserve my life.
Proverbs 9:1-6
9Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
4 ‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
To those without sense she says,
5 ‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Lay aside immaturity,* and live,
and walk in the way of insight.’
A Song of Judith
Judith 16:13-16
I will sing a new song to my God, *
for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.
Let the whole creation serve you, *
for you spoke and all things came into being.
You sent your breath and it formed them, *
no one is able to resist your voice.
Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, *
rocks melt like wax at your presence.
But to those who fear you, *
you continue to show mercy.
No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, *
but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.
Romans 15:30-33
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
A Song of Our True Nature
Julian of Norwich
Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *
our trespasses and our humiliations.
Christ also revealed his blessed power, *
his blessed wisdom and love.
He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *
he raises us in spirit
and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.
God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;
*
God is the true father and mother of natures.
We are all bound to God by nature, *
and we are all bound to God by grace.
And this grace is for all the world, *
because it is our precious mother, Christ.
For this fair nature was prepared by Christ
for the honor and nobility of all, *
and for the joy and bliss of salvation.
Luke 4:14-21
14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Anna Julia Haywood Cooper with the love of learning and the skill of teaching: Enlighten us more and more through the discipline of learning, and deepen our commitment to the education of all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I LAY BEFORE YOU - Howard Thurman
The concern which I lay bare before You today is:
Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me— I would seek the root or cause of such disaffection, and with the illumination of Your mind, O God, to understand it.
I give myself to Your scrutiny that, whatever there may be in me that is responsible for what has happened, I will acknowledge.
Where I have wronged or given offense deliberately or without intention, I seek a face-to-face forgiveness.
What I can undo I am willing to try; what I cannot undo, with that I seek to make my peace.
How to do these things, what techniques to use, with what spirit— for these I need and seek Your wisdom and strength, O God.
Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me, I lay bare before You.
OUR LITTLE LIVES
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
The quietness in Your temple of silence again and again rebuffs us:
For some there is no discipline to hold them steady in the waiting,
And the minds reject the noiseless invasion of Your spirit.
For some there is no will to offer what is central in the thoughts—
The confusion is so manifest, there is no starting place to take hold.
For some the evils of the world tear down all concentrations
And scatter the focus of the high resolves.
We do not know how to do what we know to do.
We do not know how to be what we know to be.
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Pour out upon us whatever our spirits need of shock, of life, of release
That we may find strength for these days—
Courage and hope for tomorrow.
In confidence we rest in Your sustaining grace
Which makes possible triumph in defeat, gain in loss, and love in hate.
We rejoice this day to say:
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
The quietness in Your temple of silence again and again rebuffs us:
For some there is no discipline to hold them steady in the waiting,
And the minds reject the noiseless invasion of Your spirit.
For some there is no will to offer what is central in the thoughts—
The confusion is so manifest, there is no starting place to take hold.
For some the evils of the world tear down all concentrations
And scatter the focus of the high resolves.
We do not know how to do what we know to do.
We do not know how to be what we know to be.
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Pour out upon us whatever our spirits need of shock, of life, of release
That we may find strength for these days—
Courage and hope for tomorrow.
In confidence we rest in Your sustaining grace
Which makes possible triumph in defeat, gain in loss, and love in hate.
We rejoice this day to say:
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Prayers from Enriching Our Worship interspersed with other prayers.
Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts, through Christ our Savior. Amen. (source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom)
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
― Teresa of Ávila
Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be in us the life that draws us to God. Amen. (source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual [London: Mowbray, 1961], p. 29, adapted)
God we pray for all of us who will be entering into the season of Lent next week, may we be ready to hear the the words of Ash Wednesday and to "Remember that we are dust!"
God we pray for all the clergy who are in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. May they find time for their own observances.
God we pray for peace in your world an that violence and terror may vanish and be given over to love, compassion, and holy healing of your Cathedral of life.
God take away all hard heartedness and bitterness that we may sew seeds of love and hope.
God give us this time to be a human chrysalis and prepare our hearts and spirits for new life at Easter.
God we pray for the healing of bodies, minds, and spirits and memories so that we will be able to find ourselves healthy again.
God we pray for those who are newly born and those who have entered the Thin Places this day. Help us to celebrate life in all its glory.
God we pray for the least of these who find themselves in severe and unsafe living conditions.
Help us O God to mindful of the needs of others this day and always.
We add our additional prayers and thanksgivings now before you remembering especially_____________ All this we ask in Jesus' most holy name. Amen.
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Today's wish is that we remember that we are all connected and that is something to be grateful for and celebrate!
Christ be within us to keep us,
beside us to guard,
before us to lead,
behind us to protect,
beneath us to support,
above us to bless.
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Tidbits from the Northumbria Community!
Today’s Meditation
In the present moment
Hurry is an unpleasant thing in itself, but also very unpleasant for whoever is around it. Some people came into my room and rushed in and rushed out and even when they were there they were not there – they were in the moment ahead or the moment behind. Some people who came in just for a moment were all there, completely in that moment.
Live from day to day, just from day to day. If you do so, you worry less and live more richly. If you let yourself be absorbed completely, if you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Tomorrow's saint of the day!
David (?-588) March 1st
It is said that the birth of David (Dewi in Welsh) was foretold by an angel thirty years before it took place, both to his father, Sant, a man of the royal house, and to Patrick (see March 17th) in Ireland. His mother, Non, also of noble birth, was a great beauty. Sant seeing her on his travels, was enflamed with passion for her and forced her to lie with him. The local ruler threatened to kill the child at birth, but when that day came a violent storm arose, and Non fled for shelter to a chapel by a holy well. The lightning flooded the area with brilliant light, protecting both Non and her baby.
David went on to become a monk, inspired by the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and founded ten monasteries, mostly in Wales. His main monastery was at Menevia, the present-day St. David’s in Pembrokeshire. He also founded the abbey at Glastonbury. He advocated an austere life, but his monks embraced it with willing hearts. No-one was allowed to join them unless they waited at the door for ten days, bearing hostile treatment; if the candidate was patient through all of this, then he was welcomed warmly. The monks’ food was mainly bread, vegetables, salt and water, and it is said that David taught them to grow leeks. Long hours were spent in silence, prayer and worship, and heavy manual labour. David declared that the brothers should work so hard that their only desire was to love one another, and that there should be no conversation beyond what was necessary.
A story arose about the time when David was asked to speak at the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi. The bishops could not make themselves heard above the noise of the great crowds, in spite of making a large heap of garments to stand on. David came reluctantly, laid a small cloth on the ground and stood on it. Immediately the ground beneath it rose up to form a hill, giving him a vantage point from which to speak to the people. As he spoke a dove, representing wisdom, came and landed on his shoulder. Although it is very unlikely that the events happened in this way, the story is an indication of the extent to which David’s wisdom was revered
Lord Jesus, You taught us to love one another as You loved us. So may we work for the Father as You also worked. Teach us the value of simplicity, humility, patience and silence. Grant us Your wisdom and help us to bring You praise in all that we do. Amen.
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Good Night All! I love you and give thanks to God for you this day and always!
When you awaken tomorrow don't forget to say Rabbit Rabbit! :)
Love and blessings!
Sara
Resources
Sojourners
ReclaimingJesus.org
Matthew25Pledge.com
Watch this space as we join the Good Book Club and read Romans for the season of Epiphany!
Today:
ROMANS 15:30-33
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Tomorrow:
Romans 16:1-7
Personal Greetings
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia,my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
Forward Movement - Romans 101
A to Z Quotes
Book of Occasional Services
Northumbria Community
Enjoy perusing these sites.
Today's Readings from Satucket Lectionary Page
Daily:
Eucharistic:
Saint of the Day:
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Anna Julia Haywood Cooper with the love of learning and the skill of teaching: Enlighten us more and more through the discipline of learning, and deepen our commitment to the education of all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Proverbs 9:1-6
Tomorrow's Readings:
Daily:
Eucharistic:
Psalm 119:17-24
Saint of the Day:
Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the Gospel of Christ, we may, with him, praise you both here on earth and also in your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship 1 and 2
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
