Wednesday, March 6, 2019

An Ash Wednesday Evening with lessons, canticles, and prayers!





Count down to Lent 2019! Today is Ash Wednesday!- "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return!"

 Good Evening Family of Love!

 Happy Lent! I have been away from home since 8:55 a.n. until some time after 8:00 p.m. 3 services, 1 Bible Study, and a circle to complete today's orbit around the Sun. I hope everyone has had a little bit of time to meditate upon how you are going to observe this holy season. If you haven't I invite us all to do so in the quiet of our sacred spaces at home. So let us begin with the "Be Stills" and then we will begin our time of worship together.

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

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.

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.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace

As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.

Come let us worship:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth 
is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful 
and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness.    I John 1:8, 9

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord 
your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and 
abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
Joel 2:13

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 
"Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you; I am 
no longer worthy to be called your son."    Luke 15:18, 19

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, because 
we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice 
of the Lord our God by following his laws which he set 
before us.    Daniel 9:9, 10

Jesus said, "If anyone will come after me, let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."    Mark 8:34 

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

Do not ask anxiously, What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What shall we wear? The whole world runs after such things. Set your heart and mind on God’s commonwealth and justice first, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow. Today has enough problems of its own; tomorrow can look after itself. Matthew 6:31-34

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.


Psalm 134
We your servants bless you, O God, 
as we stand by night in your house.

We lift up our hands towards the holy place, 
and give you thanks and praise.

Bless us from all places where you dwell, 
O God, creator of the heavens and the earth.




103 Benedic, anima mea

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and forget not all his benefits.

3 He forgives all your sins *
and heals all your infirmities;

4 He redeems your life from the grave *
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;

5 He satisfies you with good things, *
and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.

6 The Lord executes righteousness *
and judgment for all who are oppressed.

7 He made his ways known to Moses *
and his works to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.

9 He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.

13 As a father cares for his children, *
so does the Lord care for those who fear him.

14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.

15 Our days are like the grass; *
we flourish like a flower of the field;

16 When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
and its place shall know it no more.

17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever
on those who fear him, *
and his righteousness on children's children;

18 On those who keep his covenant *
and remember his commandments and do them.

19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven, *
and his kingship has dominion over all.

20 Bless the Lord, you angels of his,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
and hearken to the voice of his word.

21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, *
you ministers of his who do his will.

22 Bless the Lord, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; *
bless the Lord, O my soul.
  

  A Song of Penitence    Kyrie Pantokrator 
          Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * 
    God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
    and of all their righteous offspring: 
You made the heavens and the earth, * 
    with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence; * 
    they tremble because of your power. 
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * 
    it surpasses all that our minds can fathom. 
O Lord, you are full of compassion, * 
    long-suffering, and abounding in mercy. 
You hold back your hand; * 
    you do not punish as we deserve. 
In your great goodness, Lord, 
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, * 
    that they may repent of their sin and be saved. 
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, * 
    and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness. 
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, * 
    and I know my wickedness only too well. 
Therefore I make this prayer to you: * 
    Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. 
Do not let me perish in my sin, * 
    nor condemn me to the depths of the earth. 
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * 
    and in me you will show forth your goodness. 
Unworthy as I am, you will save me, 
in accordance with your great mercy, * 
    and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life. 
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * 
    and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

Joel 2:1-2,12-17

2Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
   for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— 
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
   a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
   a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
   nor will be again after them
   in ages to come. 


12 Yet even now, says the Lord,
   return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 
13   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
   for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relents from punishing. 
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
   and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain-offering and a drink-offering
   for the Lord, your God? 


15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly; 
16   gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
   assemble the aged;
gather the children,
   even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
   and the bride her canopy. 


17 Between the vestibule and the altar
   let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord,
   and do not make your heritage a mockery,
   a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
   “Where is their God?” ’ 

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.

Isaiah 58:1-12

58Shout out, do not hold back!
   Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
   to the house of Jacob their sins. 
2 Yet day after day they seek me
   and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
   and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
   they delight to draw near to God. 
3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
   Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
   and oppress all your workers. 
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
   and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
   will not make your voice heard on high. 
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
   a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
   and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
   a day acceptable to the Lord? 


6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke? 
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator* shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. 
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. 


If you remove the yoke from among you,
   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
   and your gloom be like the noonday. 
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
   and satisfy your needs in parched places,
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters never fail. 
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
   you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
   the restorer of streets to live in. 

 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.


2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6As we work together with him,* we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
   and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

 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.

Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

6‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
16 ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
19 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust* consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A Song of the Wilderness
Isaiah 35:1-7,10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
It shall blossom abundantly, *
and rejoice with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, *
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands, *
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *
Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *
and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *
and streams in the desert;
The burning sand shall become a pool *
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 814)

Litany of Penitence



Most holy and merciful Father:
We confess to you and to one another,
and to the whole communion of saints
in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault
in thought, word, and deed;
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.


We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
 
We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
 
We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, Lord.
 
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people,
We confess to you, Lord.
 
Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Lord.
 
Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Lord.
 
Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to you, Lord.
 
Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
 
Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.
 
By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.
 
[Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live, has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins. He pardons and absolves all those who truly repent, and with sincere hearts believe his holy Gospel.]

Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

“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 Avila

Let us pray.


God of all goodness help us we pray as we enter this time of going into our own wilderness experience with You, Jesus, and each other. 

God we pray that when temptations befall us we may find ourselves leaning on you for help and that we may know that with you "All things are possible"

God we pray for the least of these who remind us of what it must have been like for the Disciples when they began their early ministry. Help us to gently and humbly,love, care, serve, and protect them wherever they may be.

God we pray for all of us who are experiencing spiritual dry spells that we may find this a time of rest and listening to you with the ears of our hearts and heart homes. 

God we pray for all of our families who may not practice our faith and that they may learn to understand why we do the things we do. We pray that they may find You when they are ready.

God we pray for an end to violence and terror. We pray that peace may prevail upon earth and that we may do in the words of Micah 'Do Justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God".

God we pray for all who are battling illness and who are hospitalized. We pray for our family members who are waiting and sitting vigil beside their loved ones waiting for healing and those who are in wait for their loved ones to transition into the Thin Places.

God we pray for _______________________________

God we give thanks for__________________________

God we pray for sound government in this our nation and in the nations of the world and that a spirit of respect may grow and prosper. Help the politicians to lay down their verbal weaponry and seek only to do good for the people they have been elected to serve. 

God we pray for our youth and that they may not be led into gangs and violence ant they may find positive ways to live their lives. We pray for all those who are parents and who mentor our youth.

God we pray for our cities and towns that they may be protected from violence and hatred.

God we pray that we may have love energy to be enlivened to do your will and show your love and light to your fragile and broken world.

All these prayers we offer and lay them at your feet Lord Jesus. Amen.


Extra passages of scripture for reflection 

Matthew 5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.



ISAIAH 61:1-4 (NRSV)
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.



New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

God Challenges Israel
Micah 6 
What God Requires
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
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?


The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten 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 will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers by Herbert F. Vetter
THE SACRAMENT OF SILENCE

In the silence, O God, You constantly surround our growing life.

We know You in the silence of the healing wound, the muteness of tenderness, the quiet growth within the sleeping child, the unspoken bonds uniting friend and friend, the still intensity of meditation, the soundless splendor of our changing seasons.

We know You in the sacred silence of our bodies: the secret movement of the hidden cells, the noiseless restoration of the tissues’ balance, the unheard ebb and flow within each artery and vein.

We know You in the magic silence of our minds: the mystery of memory, retaining afterimages of childhood, youth, and later years; the miracle of imagination, whereby we behold our visions of the city unattained; the marvel of attention, when the mind is focused to absorption on some needful task.

We know You in the hidden silence of our hearts: the never uttered depths of love between a man and a woman, a teacher and a student, a parent and a child; the art of being altogether for another; the faith restoring fact that someone else is utterly for you.

We know You in the fateful silences of faith. We know You in the sacrament of silence.

TAME MY HEART

Tame my heart, O God.
Trim my illusions.
Subdue these wild desires that lead to nowhere:

The desire to seem much wiser and much better than I am;
The desire to win, win, win, and never lose;
The desire to retreat when life cries for advance.

This is my prayer to You and to myself:
I pray for inward honesty, for disciplines of soul;
I pray that You will shatter my illusions and tame my restless heart.

BENEDICTION

May we forever hope in the possibilities of life;
May we forever share the adventures of ideas;
May we know peace through not expecting the impossible;
May we know joy through helping what is possible come true.

Creating and life-giving God, you have placed us in communities of people and in connection with all of life. Help us to be aware of your presence in the natural world around us, and to commit ourselves to caring for all of life on this fragile earth, our island home. Let us love and support one another in the shared work of caring for the environment, that others in generations to come may always see your handiwork in the sky, land, and water. In the name of the one through whom all things came into being, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)
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Today's homework as we begin to work towards being good stewards of God's Cathedral of Life:
Do you know how  to be an effective recycler?
Did you go without a plastic straw today?
Consider how you can save money by going car free and reducing your carbon footprint.
Consider how you can reduce your dependence upon single use plastic. 
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Good Night Dear Ones! That is all for tonight! I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always!
With Love and Blessings,
Sara
During the season of Lent we will be returning to our meditation and mindfulness exercises so that we may calm our hearts and spirits and practice self-emptying. The quotes to ponder will be placed in the resources section with homework questions throughout the week. This is a time to journal our journey.

We continue to use our toolkit during Lent :

Journal
Worry Free Sabbath (Jar, Journal, Box) Work
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Bible of your choice or explore the different versions or translations with BibleGateway.com
Community resource directory
Church or social justice newsletter
Episcopal Church -Lenten Resources 2019
Sacred Ground -Episcopal Church
Creation Care
Dio Cal- Climate
sustainislandhome.org


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 16:25-27



A to Z Quotes
Book of Occasional Services 

Northumbria Community

Daily:

Ash Wednesday:

AM Psalm 95* & 32, 143; PM Psalm 102, 130 
Jonah 3:1-4:11; Heb. 12:1-14; Luke 18:9-14

Eucharistic:

Psalm 103 or 103:8-14;
Joel 2:1-2,12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10; Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Tomorrow's readings:
Saints of the Day: Perpetua and Felicity
O God, the King of Saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions to make a good confession and encourage one another in the time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily:
AM Psalm 37:1-18; PM Psalm 37:19-42
Deut. 7:6-11; Titus 1:1-16; John 1:29-34

Eucharistic:

Psalm 1
Deut. 30:15-20; Luke 9:18-25

  Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship 1 and 2
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
About:
From the Northumbria Community:

Ash Wednesday

Today marks the beginning of Lent, the period of forty days (excluding Sundays) when Christians remember the forty day fast of our Lord Jesus in the desert, before starting His earthly ministry. We also seek to participate in that fast by some degree of self-denial. As a token of this, some churches hold the custom of making ashes from the palm crosses of the previous year and, in the Ash Wednesday service, marking the foreheads of participants with ash. As a sign that this is also a period of penitence, many churches also remove items that are colourful or ornate, or they cover them over with cloths of a drab or purple colour, both of which signify penitence.
Lent is also the period of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, when we will remember the arrest, trial and death of Jesus, and His resurrection. In the days when new Christians were baptised on Easter Day, Lent was a period of preparation for baptism, of learning what the faith is all about. For many it is still a time of study, learning and sharing insights with fellow Christians.
Some of the Sundays during Lent have a particular significance. The Fourth Sunday in Lent is kept in Britain as Mothering Sunday (commercially referred to as ‘Mothers’ Day’). This derives from the time when people would return to the original church which had planted their own (the ‘mother church’) for a great celebration, and is linked with servants in great houses being given this Sunday off to visit their families and show their appreciation to their mothers.The Fifth Sunday is Passion Sunday and the Sixth Palm Sunday (see separate entries), the Sunday which begins Holy Week (again see separate entry).
The suggested prayer is based on a hymn by John Samuel Bewley Monsell, who lived in the 19th century:
I am hungering and thirsting for You, my Lord – feed me with Yourself, the living bread that came down from heaven. I travel over rough paths in my life – guide me, help me and refresh me with Your love. The desert still opens out ahead of me – living water, rise up within me for ever and ever. Amen.

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