Good Evening Beloved Community!
Happy Saturday! I hope everyone has had a good day. I spent a good portion of my day being updated on immigrant rights here in town. Lots of information and community building. Today I feel as though I have really put in the work of doing social justice work. Not that I'm not actively seeking to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God as in the word of the prophet Micah. When you are alone it is certainly harder but when you are in a group you have a lot more support. I suggest that what ever you are doing in the area of social justice and community work you don't go it alone. So that brings me to our keyword tonight along with our assignment of telling our stories in our journals and that is community. So let us begin!
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead
"A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living." ~ Rudolf Steiner
"We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community." ~ Dorothy Day
"Community living is about having the same rights and choices as everyone else." ~ Ari Ne'eman
"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." ~ Albert Einstein
"Whether the borders that divide us are picket fences or national boundaries, we are all neighbors in a global community." ~ Jimmy Carter
"If you're lucky you find your way into a spiritual community and you start to find the great teachers of all the ages who said the same thing. There's only love, you're made of love." ~ Anne Lamott
"This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in." ~ Theodore Roosevelt
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." ~ Albert Einstein
"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." ~ Booker T. Washington
"Be The Peace You Wish To See In The World!" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time." ~ Marian Wright Edelman
"There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed." ~ Woodrow Wilson
"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." ~ Albert Schweitzer
Come let us worship and pray the lyrics "Glad to Be in the Service" as we begin our sacred time together.
Glad to Be in the Service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
I'm so glad to be in the service
I'm so glad to be in the service
Mighty glad to be in God's service one more time
Now he didn't have to let me live, no
He didn't have to let me live, so
Live to be in the service one more time
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
Well, I'm glad to be in the service
I'm glad to be in the service
I'm glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live, oh no, wowow
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
One more time, one more time
One more time, one more time
Live to be in the service one more time
One more time, one more time
One more time, one more time
Live to be in the service one more time
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service
Glad to be in the service one more time
He didn't have to let me live
He didn't have to let me live
Live to be in the service one more time
Live to be in the service one more time
Live to be in the service one more time
Songwriters: tore w aas
++++++
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19
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.
Dear ones it is time for our Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigil.
Tonight let us light our candles and spend time at the feet of God in the quiet of our rooms and our hearts. Let us pray that we can let go of all the things that are troubling our hearts and minds tonight.
Tonight let us light our candles and spend time at the feet of God in the quiet of our rooms and our hearts. Let us pray that we can let go of all the things that are troubling our hearts and minds tonight.
O God of our journey and daily life pilgrimage guide our footsteps where we should be going each and every day. I will follow you on the route with out fear and anxiety.
O God help us to know when we need to use our wings to take to sky, and fly with your Spirit into the future where you are calling us. May we hear and feel the Holy Spirit give us the nudge to take route and take flight.
O God we pray for those who have been rooted too much in their thoughts, deeds, and beliefs that have led them to bully,hate, and discriminate.
O God we pray that faith may take root in each of us so that we may take route and proclaim Your Good News with love, compassion, and example and with a joyful spirit.
O God may we take root this evening and rest and honor our bodies, minds, and spirits to be able to take route tomorrow and serve you in your kingdom.
Prayers, Thanksgivings, Remembrances, and Celebrations may be added here.
All this we ask in the God who has taken root in us, and set us on the route that leads to life eternal and the springs of eternal life. Amen.
God we light our candles and pray that with your help we may be at peace and our heart homes may become living sanctuaries. We pray that wherever we may be that will become a place of sanctuary and healing. We pray for all who are going through tough times and that healing and solace may be found. We pray for our nation that we may continue to be a place of sanctuary and safe haven for those who are not only life long residents but the strangers in our midst. We pray that we may be a place of welcome, We pray that our neighborhoods will return to a place of unity, love, and sanctuary and understanding. We pray for all people who have died in acts of violence in our neighborhoods that we may continue to speak their names and remember them. We give thanks and pray for our rich and diverse family and neighborhoods that teach us many things about you O God. We pray this night in the words of St. Teresa of Avila:
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.
and this.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing;
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who has God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.
and this.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing;
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who has God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.
God cleanse our heart homes and make them holy sanctuaries fit for you and a place where holy love may grow. We pray that as holy love and love energy grows we may use it to sow seeds of Compassion, Acceptance, Love and Mercy to this fragile and broken world and in service and loving care for the least of these. Amen.
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
Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.
Henri Nouwen
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.
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
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.
I will not die an unlived life,
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise…
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise…
Dawna Markova
We need to be doing leg work for Jesus and be "A new and Unsettling force" In the words of Luke Nephew. Remember the words?
We’re a new unsettling force
And we are powerful a new
unsettling force
And we’re here, we’re a new
unsettling force
For liberation and we’ve got nothing
to lose but our chains
And we’ve got nothing
to lose but our chains
This week our walks are centered around walking into freedom and spreading the God News of Love, Peace, Justice, and Mercy.
LYRICS: AIN'T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME 'ROUND
(Civil Rights Songs )
Aint gonna let nobody
Turn me 'round
Turn me 'round
Aint gonna let nobody
Turn me round
I'm gonna keep on walkin'
Keep on talkin
Marchin into freedom land
[Follow the above pattern for other verses such as:
Aint gonna let (add the name a prominent segregationist or a racist public figure).
Aint gonna let no jailhouse
Aint gonna let no policeman
-snip-
*Notice that the end of the first line allows for improvisation.
God is Love and where true love is,God himself is there!
God is Love and where true love is God himself is.
God is Love and where true love is God
God is Love and where true love is.
God is Love
Be still and know that God is Love.
Be still and know that God is.
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
Ubi Caritas
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ's love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
As we are gathered into one body,
Beware, lest we be divided in mind.
Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,
And may Christ our God be in our midst.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
And may we with the saints also,
See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:
The joy that is immense and good,
Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.
A Prayer of the Four Directions - Chief Seattle
Great Spirit of Love, come to me with the power of the North (white). Make me courageous when the cold wind falls upon me. Give me strength and endurance for everything that is harsh, everything that hurts, everything that makes me squint. Let me move through life ready to take what comes from the north.
Great Life-Giving Spirit, I face the West (black), the direction of sundown. Let me remember everyday that the moment will come when my sun will go down. Never let me forget that I must fade into you. Give me a beautiful color, give me a great sky for setting, so that when it is my time to meet you, I can come with glory.
Great Spirit of Creation, send me the warm and soothing winds from the South (yellow). Comfort me and caress me when I am tired and cold. Unfold me like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. As you give to all the earth your warm, moving wind, give to me, so that I may grow close to you in warmth. Man did not create the web of life, he is but a strand in it. Whatever man does to the web, he does to himself.
Psalm 126 In convertendo
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations, *
"The Lord has done great things for them."
4 The Lord has done great things for us, *
and we are glad indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *
like the watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears *
will reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
Exodus 22:21–27
21 You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. 22You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. 23If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; 24my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.
25 If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. 26If you take your neighbour’s cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun goes down; 27for it may be your neighbour’s only clothing to use as cover; in what else shall that person sleep? And if your neighbour cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.
A Song of Pilgrimage Priusquam errarem
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16,20b-22
Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
13If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,* but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly,* but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
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.
Matthew 10:40–42
40 ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
A Song of True Motherhood
Julian of Norwich
God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.
O God, by your Holy Spirit, you give gifts to your people so that they might faithfully serve your Church and the world: We give you praise for the gifts of perseverance, teaching and wisdom made manifest in your servant, Artemisia Bowden, whom you called far from home for the sake of educating the daughters and granddaughters of former slaves in Texas. We thank you for blessing and prospering her life’s work, and pray that, following her example, we may be ever mindful of the call to serve where you send us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Woke Prayers of St. Francis
Help us O God to be woke!
Woke as your peacemakers, change makers, heart changers, and love energy bringers!
Woke to the hatred so that we may sow seeds of love.
Woke to the injury so that we may heal the hurt and cease the harm.
Woke to the divisiveness that we may be eager to heal and unite as one neighborhood and family.
Woke to uncertainty that will lead us to be renewed in faith.
Woke to the despair of all our neighbors so that we may sow seeds of radical hope, love, hospitality, and inclusion.
Woke to the darkness and those in captivity of any kind, so that we may carry God's light and sing Go Down Moses as a prayer of freedom.
Let us be woke and sing Go Down Moses
1 When Israel was in Egypt's land,
Let my people go,
oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.
Refrain:
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt's land,
tell old Pharaoh: Let my people go.
2 The Lord told Moses what to do,
Let my people go,
to lead the Hebrew children through,
Let my people go. [Refrain]
3 As Israel stood by the waterside,
Let my people go,
at God's command it did divide,
Let my people go. [Refrain]
4 When they had reached the other shore,
Let my people go,
they let the song of triumph soar,
Let my people go. [Refrain]
5 Lord, help us all from bondage flee,
Let my people go,
and let us all in Christ be free,
Let my people go. [Refrain]
Psalter Hymnal, 1987
or the Louis Armstrong Version
Go down Moses way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharaoh to let My people go
When Israel was in Egypt land
Let my people go
Oppressed so hard they could not stand
Let My people go
So the God sayeth, “Go down, Moses way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharaoh to let My people go”
So Moses went to Egypt land
Let My people go
He made old Pharaoh understand
Let My people go
Yes The Lord said, “Go down, Moses way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharaoh to let My people go”
Thus spoke the Lord, bold Moses said
Let My people go
“If not I'll smite your firstborns dead”
Let My people go
God, The Lord said, “Go down, Moses way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharaoh to let My people go”
Help us to be woke enough not to think of ourselves being the comforted, help us be the comforters and wounded healers.
Help not to be know it alls and be woke to understand what is plaguing our inner beings, neighbors, neighborhoods, the least of these, our family members.
God wake us up to be Woke to your agape love so that we may love everything that you have made. Wake us to be Woke to Radical Love, Hospitality, and inclusion.
Help us to know that being truly woke means being open to radical and random acts of kindness and giving. Where the giver is given and receives much by acts of giving.
Help us to be woke enough to forgive and then find ourselves being actually forgiven
God Wake us Up to Be Woke to know that death isn't the end but only the beginning of a new birth in your heavenly Kindom. Amen and let it be so!
Let us pray,
The test of a civilization is in the way that it cares for its helpless members" - Pearl S. Buck
Let us continue to pray using the Matthew 25 Pledge from Sojourners
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God we pray for all who are indigent and need loving care. Help us to lovingly respond to their needs with warm and loving hearts.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God give us courage to ask for help when we need it and not be afraid.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God take away from us any pride of self that keeps us from sharing our truth and being authentic.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God we pray for all who are seeking living wage jobs, affordable housing, and access to nutritious food.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God we pray for all refugees, displaced persons, victims of human trafficking, immigrants seeking asylum and all Your Precious and vulnerable children.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
God help us to remember your words in Matthew 25 as we pray and meditate upon this Gospel Reading using the Message:
The Sheep and the Goats
31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
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.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
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.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said. From A New Zealand Prayer Book
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.
Or
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.
God our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray to you faithfully and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives for ever and ever. Amen. (source: Veronese Sacramentary
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)
A Collect for Peace
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
Our Closing Vigil Prayers
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LOVE REFUGEES AS YOURSELF
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34)
"I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present." - Kofi Annan
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LEAVE FOOD FOR THE POOR AND THE FOREIGNER
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. (Leviticus 19:9-10)
"Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity" - Pope Francis
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
GOD LOVES THE FOREIGNER RESIDING AMONG YOU
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)
"You cross a border and the policeman or the frontier policeman look at you, What are you doing here? Why are you coming? How long will you stay? Well, if I had nearly enough years, I would write a novel about being a refugee." - Elie Wiesel
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
THE SIN OF SODOM: THEY DID NOT HELP THE POOR AND NEEDY
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)
"I've never stopped being a refugee." - Nguyen Viet Thang
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO NOT OPPRESS A FOREIGNER
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. (Exodus 23:9)
"Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO NOT DEPRIVE FOREIGNERS AMONG YOU OF JUSTICE
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:5)
"I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong." - George Washington
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO WHATEVER THE FOREIGNER ASKS OF YOU
“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. (1 Kings 8:41-44)
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." - Emma Lazarus
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LEAVE YOUR DOOR OPEN TO THE TRAVELER
No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler (Job, discussing his devotion to God) (Job 31:32)
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door." - Emma Lazarus
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
INVITE THE STRANGER IN
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:25-36)
"[Let] the poor the needy and oppressed of the Earth, and those who want Land, resort to the fertile lands of our western country, the second land of Promise, and there dwell in peace, fulfilling the first and great commandment." - George Washington
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED BY ONE SPIRIT
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
"A smile is the universal welcome." - Max Eastman
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
"Extend
your arms
in welcome
to the future.
The best
is yet to come!" - Anthony de Mello
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
HAVE MERCY ON YOUR NEIGHBOR
He asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37)
Like the Good Samaritan, may we not be ashamed of touching the wounds of those who suffer, but try to heal them with concrete acts of love.
Pope Francis
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy. Amen.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LOVE REFUGEES AS YOURSELF
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34)
"I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present." - Kofi Annan
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LEAVE FOOD FOR THE POOR AND THE FOREIGNER
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. (Leviticus 19:9-10)
"Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity" - Pope Francis
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
GOD LOVES THE FOREIGNER RESIDING AMONG YOU
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)
"You cross a border and the policeman or the frontier policeman look at you, What are you doing here? Why are you coming? How long will you stay? Well, if I had nearly enough years, I would write a novel about being a refugee." - Elie Wiesel
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
THE SIN OF SODOM: THEY DID NOT HELP THE POOR AND NEEDY
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)
"I've never stopped being a refugee." - Nguyen Viet Thang
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO NOT OPPRESS A FOREIGNER
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. (Exodus 23:9)
"Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO NOT DEPRIVE FOREIGNERS AMONG YOU OF JUSTICE
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:5)
"I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong." - George Washington
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
DO WHATEVER THE FOREIGNER ASKS OF YOU
“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. (1 Kings 8:41-44)
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." - Emma Lazarus
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LEAVE YOUR DOOR OPEN TO THE TRAVELER
No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler (Job, discussing his devotion to God) (Job 31:32)
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door." - Emma Lazarus
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
INVITE THE STRANGER IN
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:25-36)
"[Let] the poor the needy and oppressed of the Earth, and those who want Land, resort to the fertile lands of our western country, the second land of Promise, and there dwell in peace, fulfilling the first and great commandment." - George Washington
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED BY ONE SPIRIT
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
"A smile is the universal welcome." - Max Eastman
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
"Extend
your arms
in welcome
to the future.
The best
is yet to come!" - Anthony de Mello
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy.
HAVE MERCY ON YOUR NEIGHBOR
He asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37)
Like the Good Samaritan, may we not be ashamed of touching the wounds of those who suffer, but try to heal them with concrete acts of love.
Pope Francis
God help us to be faithful to this baptismal promise:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
I will, with God's help.
God give us courage and strength to carry this out in compassion, acceptance love and mercy. Amen.
The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen us
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
Blessing
See that ye be at peace among yourselves, my children,
and love one another.
Follow the example of the wise and good
and God will comfort you and help you,
both in this world
and in the world which is to come.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Good Night Beloved Ones! I love you.
Rest gentle and know that you are loved.
Peace, love, prayers, and God's blessings,
Sara
Bonus Prayers
Tonight's meditative music is this:Johann Pachelbel Chamber Works, London Baroque or this Pachelbel Canon in D one hour version
Holy and merciful God our hearts continue to be heavy with all the saddening and troubling events around your broken and fragile world. May we lean on you and seek your encircling and comforting mercy, peace, and love.
We pray this night for all troubled cities around the world remembering especially _____________ We pray for peace and that all of our family members may be safe and that all this rancor and violence may cease.
We pray for all children who are sick and in the hospital and receiving treatments. We pray also for their parents and the medical teams who care for them.
We pray that we may continue to lay down our burdens, worries, and anxieties and anything else that prevents us from being at peace in body, mind, and spirit.
We pray for all who are near and dear to us and especially those who are on our prayer hearts tonight and on the prayer hearts of our extended family members.
We pray that we may become messengers of God's Good News and that we may be lights of the Gospel to all those who do not know it and to those who may have forgotten what God's Gospel message means.
We pray that we may find our voices to speak truth to power and of the many injustices in our land and around the world.
We pray today for all who are dying and have entered into Heavenly Joy.
We pray for all who are homeless, hungry, refugees, captives, victims of human trafficking, victims of war in our country and around the world, those who seek equality and inclusion, those who long to be able to seek safety from those who hate,harm, bully, and make them feel invisible and insecure.
Gracious and loving God we offer these our prayers in the name of Your only Son Jesus. Amen.
Holy and merciful God our hearts continue to be heavy with all the saddening and troubling events around your broken and fragile world. May we lean on you and seek your encircling and comforting mercy, peace, and love.
We pray this night for all troubled cities around the world remembering especially _____________ We pray for peace and that all of our family members may be safe and that all this rancor and violence may cease.
We pray for all children who are sick and in the hospital and receiving treatments. We pray also for their parents and the medical teams who care for them.
We pray that we may continue to lay down our burdens, worries, and anxieties and anything else that prevents us from being at peace in body, mind, and spirit.
We pray for all who are near and dear to us and especially those who are on our prayer hearts tonight and on the prayer hearts of our extended family members.
We pray that we may become messengers of God's Good News and that we may be lights of the Gospel to all those who do not know it and to those who may have forgotten what God's Gospel message means.
We pray that we may find our voices to speak truth to power and of the many injustices in our land and around the world.
We pray today for all who are dying and have entered into Heavenly Joy.
We pray for all who are homeless, hungry, refugees, captives, victims of human trafficking, victims of war in our country and around the world, those who seek equality and inclusion, those who long to be able to seek safety from those who hate,harm, bully, and make them feel invisible and insecure.
Gracious and loving God we offer these our prayers in the name of Your only Son Jesus. Amen.
Resources
Enriching Our Worship
Book of Common Prayer on Line
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
In Lak 'Ech- Luis Valdez
Walk With Me On Our Journey
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Other Resources as Noted
Oremus Bible Browser
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