Good Evening Family of God!
We come together as a family in prayer in solidarity with our family members who are in the path of Tropical Storm Dorian.
Tonight we make vigil and pray.
Let us be at prayer.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Psalm 46:1
Hear the Word of God to all who truly turn to him.
Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and
I will refresh you. Matthew 11:28
God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,
to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. John 3:16
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the perfect offering for our
sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole
world. 1 John 2:1-2
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
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.
We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." - Thurgood Marshall
From the Arusha Call to Discipleship
Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centred. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
A Collect for Aid against Perils
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love
of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Collect for Protection
O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the
strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We
thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and
humbly ask for your protection through the coming night.
Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who
died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
A Collect for the Presence of Christ
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day
is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and
awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in
Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake
of your love. Amen.
On the Anniversary of a Disaster- Hurricane Harvey hit our family members in Texas two years ago.
God of steadfast love, who led your people through the wilderness: Be with us as we remember [and grieve] . By your grace, lead us in the path of new life, in the company of your saints and angels; through Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Amen.
From the Resistance Prays
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
- Psalm 139: 7-10
God: you are present in all times and places, and you walk with your people. Hold fast all of creation in the path of Tropical Storm Dorian. And then move our hearts to respond. May we be present and may we walk with your people. And God, help us be honest about the United States' responsibility to walk with Puerto Rico. Amen.
Lord, we confess that our government is killing our neighbors in our name. Ignite our souls and indict our consciences, that we will not stand idly by in the face of such evil. And God, comfort and hold families who are already enduring the agony and worry of critical illness, only to be forced now to worry about deportation. Work for healing, and work through us to end systems that deliver death. Amen.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” – Matthew 5:43-48
God who strives in every living being, we give you thanks for people who do the right thing, whether their motives be as we'd choose or not. Give us confidence in our prophetic perspective, but also the humility not to take sides against those who are also trying to do their best. Continue to grant your support to the valiant campaigners for our planet. In the name of your ever-creative Spirit, we pray - Amen.
Isaiah 61:1-3
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.
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
Prayers of Soren Kierkegaard
FOR INWARD PEACE
Calm the waves of this heart, O God; calm its tempests.
Calm yourself, O my soul, so that God is able to rest in you, so that God’s peace may cover you.
Yes, You give us peace, O God, peace that the whole world can never take away.
YOU HEAR OUR CRY
Great is Your kingdom, O You who bears the weight of the stars and governs the forces of the world.
Numberless are those who have life through You, yet You hear the cry of all creatures. You hear the cry of all without confusing their voices and without playing favorites. You hear not only the voice of one who is responsible for many others. You hear not only the voice of one who prays for dear ones. No, You also hear the most miserable, the most abandoned, the most solitary person—in the desert, in the multitude.
If the forgotten one has become unknown in the crowd, having ceased to be anything more than a number on a list, You remember the person and the name. If in the thick shadows of dread, in the prey of terrible thoughts, we are abandoned, abandoned almost by the language we speak, still You would not have forgotten us. You would understand our language, You who hears the cry of all. You find a way to us which is prompter than light and more constant than the stars.
WORKS OF LOVE
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
O God,
You from whom all love comes;
You who holds back nothing but gives Yourself in love;
You who are love, so the lovers are only what they are through being
in You?
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
You who manifests what love is,
You who reminds us to love as we are loved;
You who are everywhere present and never without the works of love,
the acts of love?
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
O Love Eternal?
WE BELONG TO YOU
O God, when at times our strength is taken from us, when sorrow overcomes us like a kind of fog in which our vision is plunged as into a dark night; when our hearts do tremble with our loss: then teach us and strengthen the conviction in our hearts that in death, no less than in life, we belong to You.
YOU ARE NEAR
We are grateful that You are present everywhere, O God. You are near should anyone call upon You from a bed of sickness, or cry out in great need upon the sea. All are drawn to seek You, the Friend of the thankful, the Consolation of the weak, the Refuge of the anxious, the Confidante of the suffering as You count their tears, the Comfort of the dying. We are grateful that You give Your gifts to everyone who needs them.
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.
Romans 8:31-39
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Almighty God, giver of all good things, we thank You for the natural majesty and beauty of this land. They restore us, though we often destroy them. Heal us.
We thank You for the great resources of this nation. They make us rich, though we often exploit them. Forgive us.
We thank You for the women and the men who have made this country strong. They are models for us, though we often fall short of them. Inspire us.
We thank You for the torch of liberty which has been lit in this land. It has drawn people here from every nation, though we have often hidden from its sight. Enlighten us.
We thank You for the faith we have inherited in all its rich variety. It sustains our life, though we have been faithless again and again. Renew us.
Strengthen our efforts to carry on the good work here begun; to lessen the ignorance and poverty and crime; and ever to give thanks to You, our Great Companion in the struggle for fullness of life.
-Caroline Rose
Psalm 139:1-17
1 Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places *
and are acquainted with all my ways.
3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
4 You press upon me behind and before *
and lay your hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
6 Where can I go then from your Spirit? *
where can I flee from your presence?
7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; *
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
8 If I take the wings of the morning *
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
9 Even there your hand will lead me *
and your right hand hold me fast.
10 If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, *
and the light around me turn to night,”
11 Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day; *
darkness and light to you are both alike.
12 For you yourself created my inmost parts; *
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
13 I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
14 My body was not hidden from you, *
while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
15 Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;
all of them were written in your book; *
they were fashioned day by day,
when as yet there was none of them.
16 How deep I find your thoughts, O God! *
how great is the sum of them!
17 If I were to count them, they would be more in number
than the sand; *
to count them all, my life span would need to
be like yours.
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.
GREAT GOD, WE SUMMON YOU
Great Spirit, who dwells in every object, every person and every place: we summon You from the far places into our present awareness.
God of the North, Who gives wings to the waters of the air and rolls out the snowstorm covering the earth with silver carpet: temper us with toughness to withstand the biting blizzard.
God of the East and of the red sun’s rising, brace us that we neither neglect our gifts nor lose in laziness the hopes each day affords.
God of the South Whose warm breath of compassion dissolves our fears and meets our hatreds: teach us that they who are truly strong are also kind.
God of the West and of the sunset, bless us with knowledge of the freedom which follows the well disciplined life.
God of the earth beneath our feet, storer of unreckoned resources: we would give thanks unceasingly for Your great bounty.
Great God within, may we be aware of the goodness of the gift of life and be worthy of its priceless privilege.
Plains Indian Prayer
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all
consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.
Psalm 20:1-6
1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, *
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from his holy place *
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings *
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your heart’s desire *
and prosper all your plans.
5 We will shout for joy at your victory
and triumph in the Name of our God; *
may the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; *
he will answer him out of his holy heaven,
with the victorious strength of his right hand.
LITANY OF LOVE-Prayers for Today: Services for Congregational Worship
O God, the source of all being and all joy, let Your blessings be upon us, and fill us with Your love. From all jealousy and envy, from all unkindness, from offense given or taken, from unrighteous anger and an impatient spirit, from a hard and unforgiving temper, and from evilspeaking, O God, deliver us.
From all ambition and greed which bring want and distress to multitudes and debase the bodies and souls of many, shutting from them the fullness of life, O God, deliver us.
From an unquiet and discontented spirit, from despondency and gloom, from doubts of Your boundless love, and from forgetfulness of the manifold goods of life, O God, deliver us.
Inspire in us that spirit which suffers long and is kind; which envies not; boasts not itself, is not puffed up; which does not behave unseemly, and seeks not its own. Grant us to be filled with the fullness of Your spirit.
Quicken in us that charity which is not easily provoked, which thinks no evil, which rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; which bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; the charity which never fails; That so by Your grace we may establish good will upon the earth.
O God, the Father and Mother of us all, who has breathed Your own spirit into Your children and made us to be one with each other as members of Your household: enable us to make Your house a refuge for every wounded spirit, a home for every aspiring soul. Amid diversities of knowledge and of faith, may we be one in spirit, in affection, and in devotion to You.
A Song of the Spirit
Revelation 22:12-17
“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord,
“and bringing my reward with me, *
to give to everyone according to their deeds.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, *
the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, *
and may enter the city through the gates.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *
with this testimony for all the churches.
“I am the root and the offspring of David, *
I am the bright morning star.”
“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *
“Come!” let each hearer reply!
Come forward, you who are thirsty, *
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.
John 6:47-51
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
FOR RELEASE FROM FEAR- Prayers for Today: Francis Greenwood Peabody
Almighty God, whose laws are our guide and whose love brings us peace of mind, we turn to You from the perplexities and uncertainties which daily beset us, and pray for relief from disquieting fears. We are bewildered by the confusions of the world; despondency paralyzes our power; our decisions falter under the strain of self-distrust; and our hearts fail from fear.
Restore to our lives the sanity and courage they sorely need. Lead our anxious hearts to the deeper meaning of experience, so our trust in You expels our infidelity toward life, and tranquillity conquers our restlessness because You have given us the spirit not of disabling fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
FOR A SENSE OF PROPORTION
Amid the confusing multiplicity of our desires, we pray for a finer sense of proportion in the judgment of our problems and our plans. A multitude of details hide our view of the larger purposes of life; misunderstandings cloud the day with foolish animosity; we cherish our grievances and waste our friendships; we see things not as they are but as we wish them to be.
Deliver us from these ills of disproportion, that our small concerns may not hide from view the light of Your eternal power and that anxiety about trifles may be conquered by our commitment to the True and Beautiful and Good. Show us the excellence in others which we have failed to see. Turn us from our own needs to the larger world of public affairs. Save us from narrow and provincial views. Restore to us a fresh sense of proportion, so the incidental may not hide the eternal or the vexing problems of the day not destroy our own peace of mind.
SEEKERS
As seekers after the truth, we confess the hesitancy and inconstancy which hinder us in our search. That which we find is often unwelcome and uncomfortable; we evade the truth and reassure ourselves by self-deception, clinging to old familiar errors or cherishing the lie in the soul. The problems of our time are bewildering; we take refuge in evasion and indifference. Speak then, O God, to our fugitive souls, to renew both our candor and our courage.
AN EVENING PRAYER
Abide with us, O searching and chastening Spirit of the living God, for it is evening, and the day is far spent. May the shadow of Your presence shelter us from the haste and fret of the day, and the sense of Your tranquilizing guidance give us peace and rest. From all the follies and blunders of the day; from its wandering desires and its unjust judgments; from any sense of grievance or any word of blame which blotted the fair hours, good God, deliver us. May the perplexing problems and petty cares of the day relax their grasp, and the meaning of life shine through the gathering dusk like the watching stars. Lift our minds to the vision of the permanent; rescue our will from the illusions of the day’s gain or loss; that the pressure of routine may not crush the life of the spirit; or the gain of the world become the loss of the soul. May we rest tonight in the protecting shadow of Your love, and wake with new courage and hope to fulfill the duties of another day.
TOWARD WORTHIER LIVES
Eternal God, our strength, we recall blunders which blot our past; our hasty judgments and foolish pride; and the low ambitions for ourselves or for the world which have misled us. We have done what we ought not to have done, and have left undone that which we ought to have done. We lay before You faults which haunt our memories: duties undone and opportunities missed; friendships neglected and passion unrestrained. May we leave these behind and press forward to the worthier life that lies ahead.
COURAGE
O God, we are grateful for the great adventure of living. We pray not for immunity from risks but for courage to face them. We pray not to be saved out of the world but to ally ourselves with the saviors of the world. Give us courage to face facts without evasion or self-deception. Give us strength, amidst the perplexities of life, that we may experience the exhilaration of constructive conflict and the joy of victory. Arm us for the campaign of life with unperturbed faith, unconquered hope, and the tranquil courage born of love.
FOR A QUIET MIND
Wearied by the haste and waste of the day, we turn to You, the Source of our peace and strength, and pray for the gift of a quiet mind. Transient troubles of the day crowd upon us; we are provoked to irritating words; petty decisions disquiet our temper and dissipate our strength. Lift us up from this slough of despond to firm ground, that duty may be rescued from perplexity and work be unsevered from tranquillity. We do not pray that life be less demanding but only that we may not lose poise, and that, in the events of each passing day, we may serve You with a quiet mind.
FOR THE GREAT ADVENTURE
We whose lives are burdened by indecision pray for courage to face life as a great adventure. We are tempted to be satisfied with a life sheltered from risks. We distrust our dreams lest they prove illusory; we yield ourselves to the prudential way of life. Waken us, O God, from this lethargy of the spirit, and give us the will to live dangerously.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those
who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Second Song of Isaiah Quaerite Dominum
Isaiah 55:6-11
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
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 10:11-16
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
A Song of Christ’s Goodness
Anselm of Canterbury
Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead, *
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.
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.
Hymn
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.
The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.
Lord,
it is night.
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Let us imagine- A guided meditation that transforms into prayers
Now let us begin our virtual transformation into the least of these and those affected by Tropical Storm Dorian:
Let us imagine that we are wearing raggedy clothing and cannot look at another person in the eye.
Let us imagine that we are having to find places where food is distributed.
Let us imagine having to live as a transient and be cited for illegal camping.
Let us imagine being denied help just because we have a visible drug addiction and mental illness and that the church you have selected to go to has a nervous volunteer who shoos you away.
Let us imagine that we are outcasts and that the government you rely on for help is distant and thinks that we are lazy.
Let us imagine that we are homeless LGBTQ youth and persons who haven't a place to go because family members have disowned you.
Let us imagine that we have come to this country by any means necessary(illegally) in order to find a better life and that all our money goes to pay off the coyote who brought you here is in reality a brutal human trafficker.
Let us imagine that we are wearing raggedy clothing and cannot look at another person in the eye.
Let us imagine that we are having to find places where food is distributed.
Let us imagine having to live as a transient and be cited for illegal camping.
Let us imagine being denied help just because we have a visible drug addiction and mental illness and that the church you have selected to go to has a nervous volunteer who shoos you away.
Let us imagine that we are outcasts and that the government you rely on for help is distant and thinks that we are lazy.
Let us imagine that we are homeless LGBTQ youth and persons who haven't a place to go because family members have disowned you.
Let us imagine that we have come to this country by any means necessary(illegally) in order to find a better life and that all our money goes to pay off the coyote who brought you here is in reality a brutal human trafficker.
Let us imagine that we are invisible and cower in the dark corners of buildings who are afraid to seek help and dig in dumpsters for food and that because we have a mental illness cannot go to shelters.
Let us imagine that we haven't anywhere to lay our heads and we are experiencing severe weather.
Let us imagine being discriminated against because of our lack of knowing how to speak and read English.
Let us imagine that we do not have sufficient medical, dental, vision, and mental health care and have to resort to using ERs.
Let us imagine being urban refugees with families seeking food, clothing, and shelter.
Let us imagine if only .....
Let us pray our responses to the above.
God we pray for all who are seeking warm clothing and the courage to look family members in the eye.
God we pray that we may have courage to share from our abundance food and clothing. We give thanks for Food banks and clothing distribution centers.
God we pray for shelters to meet the needs of all people and that housing may be built for our homeless and housing insufficient family members.
God we pray for all who are mentally ill and in need of assistance from our government and social service agencies.
God we pray that our churches may be responsive and educate our personnel how to treat and care for homeless and indigent people. May our churches be a place of sanctuary.
God we pray for safety for our LGBTQ youth and especially the many cultures where being LGBTQ isn't safe and we are shunned by living authentically.
God we pray for all who come to this country by any means necessary(illegally) and that we may welcome the strangers and help them out of dangerous situations. May we have courage to love our neighbors and the strangers in our midst.
God we pray this night for all the invisible ones who are living like true outcasts and on the the extreme margins of society.
God we pray for all who are lacking sufficient shelter due to severe weather and natural disaster.
God we pray for our family members who are urban refugees who live in cars and on the streets we remember our poor families who do not have access to food, clothing, and shelter.
God we pray that we may imagine, pray, and then act by showing each of us compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy.
God we pray for good medical care for our family members who lack insurance and are financially unable to pay for good care. We give thanks for Medicaid and social programs designed to help them.
God give us the courage to stand up and fight against injustice, bigotry, hatred, terror, racism, inequality and all things that seek to divide your family.
God we lift up our own prayers _____________________
God we give thanks and lift up these our prayers and petitions in the name of Jesus who taught us to love, wander like a homeless hippie, and care for the least of these. Amen.
Tonight we light our single candle in loving memory and in conscious knowledge of all the marginalized. We pray for the living and the departed ones whose names we do not know but you know O, God Amen.
Diversity is what makes unity possible, especially with love in our hearts! #RespectTheDignityOfEveryHumanBeing!
Matthew 5:1-12New 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
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.
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.
Christ Has No Body by Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
To God the Creator,
who loved us first and gave this world to be our home,
to God the Redeemer,
who loves us and by dying and rising
pioneered the way of freedom,
to God the Sanctifier,
who spreads the divine love in our hearts,
be praise and glory for time and for eternity.
To God the Creator,
who loved us first and gave this world to be our home,
to God the Redeemer,
who loves us and by dying and rising
pioneered the way of freedom,
to God the Sanctifier,
who spreads the divine love in our hearts,
be praise and glory for time and for eternity.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to
generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
+++++
Good Night Family of Love! Let us join together in a circle of healing and pray for those affected by Tropical Storm Dorian, Racism, isms, obias, and all forms of violence and terror. I love you! I give thanks to God for this time when we come together as a family and community this night and always.
With love and prayers,
Sara
Resources:
Prayers of Power and Prayers for Today-Harvard Square Library
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Various Occasions NRSV
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship
New Zealand Prayer Book
Quote sites for The Beatitudes and Christ Has No Body
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