1 John 3:18 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
Good Evening Beloved Community!
Tonight's task is to discern our role in community during these dangerous and confusing times. It takes us back to the Gifts of the Spirit and knowing that each gift God gives us is as prized as the gift our siblings have been given. When God called me to write this blog, I never knew where this would take me and the many beloved ones this blog would reach. I have accepted this call with deep humility and gratitude. God is calling us out of the box and out into the community to do many things that are outside of our comfort zone. It is time to answer God's clarion call to speak out and act for the good of all of humanity and creation at such a time as this. How do we do this? We do it by looking where we live, move, and just be. We start locally and then move outwards. Just like the pebbles in the pond. Each of our communities have certain needs that need to be addressed. Here is a partial list:
First Question: Who are your local leaders? City, School Boards, Special Districts etc.
Educating ourselves on good charities in our communities. Charity Navigator .Not all charities and community service agencies spend our money wisely.
Become educated on who actually is financing things you buy, or are buying off your leaders or institutions within your community.
Learning to live well in a diverse community without fear.
Loving one's neighbor.
Houselessness
Food Insecurity
Immigration Education
Gun Violence Prevention
Environmental problems.
Loneliness
Mental Health
Senior Citizen Care
Caregiving Respite.
Being a Trusted Communicator for the 2020 Census
Registering non-voters.
Attend Town Halls, Community forums
Get to know what is on the agendas of your municipalities and counties, etc.
++++++
The above list can go on and on! Whatever is germane to your community do that. The one thing that has helped me since the 2016 election was to find groups where I can learn how to be a better activist at the grassroots level. This is my Community CV not to mention my active life in my faith community.
NAACP
SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice)
CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice)
SBCAN
Allies for Immigration Justice
Women's March of Santa Maria Valley
North County Coalition
Restorative California
Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley
League of Women Voters of Santa Maria Valley/Observer's Corps Director
Women's Suffrage Celebration Coalition
Stakeholder :
Census 2020
Homelessness 101
+++
None of you have to do as many of these as I do but I find comfort in groups that have become my extended family. I suggest that you find at least one to help you become an engaged person not just by posting on Facebook or Twitter. It's feet on the pavement time, voices either spoken or written, lend your help to those filling out the Census (2020 it will be a digital census- computers are needed) and help register voters. If you can't march write your local governmental leader. That is all for tonight, more in the days to come. Tonight we meditate on these quotes on community!
"Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community." ~ Nelson Mandela
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Only by restoring the broken connections can we be healed. Connection is health. And what our society does its best to disguise from us is how ordinary, how commonly attainable, health is. We lose our health -- and create profitable diseases and dependencies -- by failing to see the direct connections between living and eating, eating and working, working and loving." ~ Wendell Berry
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"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
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"We clasp the hands of those who go before us, and the hands of those who come after us; we enter the little circle of each other's arms, and the larger circle of lovers whose hands are joined in a dance, and the larger circle of all creatures, passing in and out of life, who move also in a dance, to a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it except in fragments." ~ Wendell Berry
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals." ~ Jean Vanier
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other's lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves." ~ Wendell Berry
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community." ~ Dorothy Day
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"If you want peace, work for justice." ~ Pope Paul VI
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Not everyone is your brother or sister in the faith, but everyone is your neighbor, and you must love your neighbor." ~ Timothy Keller
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"In the Spirit which draws us into honest engagement with one another, including those who may be very different from us in various ways, God calls us to wake up and learn how to love and respect one another, period." ~ Carter Heyward
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"If you join a fight for social justice you may win or lose, but just by being part of the struggle, you win, and your life will be better for it." ~ Howard Zinn
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other's welfare, social justice can never be attained." ~ Helen Keller
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Be the change you want to see." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Read
Pause
Reflect
Pray
Come let us worship!
Because in every age you have called brave souls to proclaim righteousness for the transformation of the world, that all may welcome the coming of your holy reign.
We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which
We pray for suffering animals everywhere,
for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation,
intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping,
training for entertainment, abusive pet owners,
and all other forms of exploitation
such as overloading and overworking pack animals,
bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.
We pray for an end to cruelty,
whether to humans or other animals,
for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving
and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.
We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us,
and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.
prayer for world peace - dr. jane goodall
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.
A Prayer When Lighting A Candle
O Blessed Lord, accept this burning candle as a sign of my faith and love for you.
Like this candle, I am ready to be used in your service, without asking why and to what purpose.
Even as this candle, I wish to stand in your presence to be consumed in the light and warmth of
your love.
Please hear my prayer and, if it be your will, grant my petition.
Above all, make me loyal and faithful to you in all circumstances of my life.
Amen.
(www.stanthonysparish.com)
Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting (August 4)
The “Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting” has been updated to include two more mass shootings that took the lives of 32 precious children of God in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio within a single 24-hour period.
We offer this litany, once again, with the reminder that one does not pray in lieu of summoning political courage, but in preparation for doing so. Bishops United Against Gun Violence invite you to join in this litany and our commitment to take action so that our country can be freed from the epidemic of gun violence.
Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting
God of peace, we remember all those who have died in incidents of mass gun violence in this nation’s public and private spaces.
Six dead at the Wisconsin Sikh Temple.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twelve dead at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-eight dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead at Santa Monica College, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seven dead at a Hialeah, Florida apartment complex.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at the Washington Navy Yard.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at Fort Hood, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seven dead in Isla Vista, near UC Santa Barbara.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Marysville Pilchuck High School in Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Nine dead at Emanuel AME in Charleston, South Carolina.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Sixteen dead at a San Bernardino, California office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead at Umpqua Community College, Oregon.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Hesston, Kansas office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at a Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania backyard party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Fifty dead at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead in Fresno, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Eight dead in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at an Eaton Township, Pennsylvania supermarket.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Nine dead at a Plano, Texas football-watching party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Fifty-nine dead at a Las Vegas, Nevada concert.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-seven dead at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seventeen dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at the Veterans Home in Yountville, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Nashville, Tennessee Waffle House.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead at Santa Fe High School, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at the Capital Gazette Newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at the Fifth Third Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Rite Aid distribution center in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Eleven dead at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at a bank in Sebring, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at their homes in Ascension and Livingston parishes, Louisiana.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a home in Clinton, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead in Solon Township, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-two dead at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead in the Oregon District of downtown Dayton, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
All those who have died in any incident of gun violence.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
For survivors of gun violence.
Grant them comfort and healing.
Hear us, Lord.
For those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Grant them peace.
Hear us, Lord.
For those first responders who care for victims of gun violence.
Protect and strengthen them.
Hear us, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Vigil I
God we pray that we may live lives that will transform us into the children you'd have us be.
God we pray that we may become your peacemakers so that we may help transform this broken, fragile, and divided world.
God we pray that many of our family members may be raised up to be positive transforming leaders in the nations of the world.
God we pray that every day we live, move, and just be may be moments of self-transformation.
God we pray that we may seek ways to help transform our cities into places of sanctuary and safety.
God we pray that with your help we may seek to do justice, love, mercy and walk humbly with you and transform the lives of our family members who are voiceless and live on the margins.
God we pray that society may be transformed into a place where all human needs are met, human rights may be afforded to all, and our family members who have hardness of heart may be transformed into loving and kind human beings willing to extend a gracious hand to help in times of need.
God we pray that as we awaken from tonight's slumber we may be transformed into new beings willing to give lovingly of ourselves.
God we thank you that by the gift of your son Jesus we were transformed and as new beings we lift up these our prayers in His most Holy Name. Amen.
God we make vigil tonight for the healing of ourselves, our families, and the planet. Give us the courage to accept your healing and pray for the healing of others. Help us to pray with kind words, healing words, and loving words. Let us enter in holy silence as we make this vigil for healing.
Heal our bodies O God.
Heal our minds O God.
Heal our spirits O God.
Heal our hearts O God.
Heal our emotions O God.
Heal our fears O God.
Heal our lives O God.
Heal everyone and everything that lives on this planet O God.
Heal the Nations O God.
Heal divisions wherever we are O God.
Heal the world of hatred, racism, bigotry, abuse, white supremacy, terror, and all isms and obias O God.
Heal what ever is on our hearts during this vigil time and help us to pray and set it free and make us whole O God.
Heal_____________________ O God.
Hear our Prayers, and Heal us O God.
Healer of My Soul - John Michael Talbot
― Teresa of Ávila
146 Lauda, anima mea
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
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.
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near;* therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
Mark 10:42-52
42So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 49Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher,* let me see again.’ 52Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
God of compassion, you have reconciled us in Jesus Christ who is our peace: Enable us to live as Jesus lived, breaking down walls of hostility and healing enmity. Give us grace to make peace with those from whom we are divided, that, forgiven and forgiving, we may ever be one in Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns for ever, one holy and undivided Trinity. Amen.
Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Pause
Reflect
Pray
Come let us worship!
Because in every age you have called brave souls to proclaim righteousness for the transformation of the world, that all may welcome the coming of your holy reign.
Let us begin with the Be Stills.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am..
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP)
You Lord are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name. Leave us not.Jeremiah 14::9
You Lord are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name. Leave us not.Jeremiah 14::9
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.Philippians 4:6
When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun.2 Corinthians 5:17
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19
Love one another,
for love is of God,
and whoever loves is born of God and knows God.
Spirit of God, search our hearts.
We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which
we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times
keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings
and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with
generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature
and control our greed for material things, knowing that
our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being
for who he is, for who she is,
reaching to the spirit that is within,
knowing the power of each individual to change the world.
We pray for social justice,
for the alleviation of the crippling poverty
that condemns millions of people around the world
to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving,
who are condemned to homelessness, slave labor, and prostitution,
and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture
even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war,
for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places
through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.
We pray for suffering animals everywhere,
for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation,
intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping,
training for entertainment, abusive pet owners,
and all other forms of exploitation
such as overloading and overworking pack animals,
bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.
We pray for an end to cruelty,
whether to humans or other animals,
for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving
and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.
We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us,
and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.
prayer for world peace - dr. jane goodall
Let us go to the central candle and light ours from it.
As we light our candles let us begin with the prayers for candlelighting.
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.
A Prayer When Lighting A Candle
O Blessed Lord, accept this burning candle as a sign of my faith and love for you.
Like this candle, I am ready to be used in your service, without asking why and to what purpose.
Even as this candle, I wish to stand in your presence to be consumed in the light and warmth of
your love.
Please hear my prayer and, if it be your will, grant my petition.
Above all, make me loyal and faithful to you in all circumstances of my life.
Amen.
(www.stanthonysparish.com)
Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting (August 4)
The “Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting” has been updated to include two more mass shootings that took the lives of 32 precious children of God in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio within a single 24-hour period.
We offer this litany, once again, with the reminder that one does not pray in lieu of summoning political courage, but in preparation for doing so. Bishops United Against Gun Violence invite you to join in this litany and our commitment to take action so that our country can be freed from the epidemic of gun violence.
Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting
God of peace, we remember all those who have died in incidents of mass gun violence in this nation’s public and private spaces.
Six dead at the Wisconsin Sikh Temple.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twelve dead at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-eight dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead at Santa Monica College, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seven dead at a Hialeah, Florida apartment complex.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at the Washington Navy Yard.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at Fort Hood, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seven dead in Isla Vista, near UC Santa Barbara.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Marysville Pilchuck High School in Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Nine dead at Emanuel AME in Charleston, South Carolina.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Sixteen dead at a San Bernardino, California office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead at Umpqua Community College, Oregon.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Hesston, Kansas office.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at a Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania backyard party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Fifty dead at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead in Fresno, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Eight dead in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at an Eaton Township, Pennsylvania supermarket.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Nine dead at a Plano, Texas football-watching party.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Fifty-nine dead at a Las Vegas, Nevada concert.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-seven dead at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Seventeen dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at the Veterans Home in Yountville, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Nashville, Tennessee Waffle House.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead at Santa Fe High School, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at the Capital Gazette Newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at the Fifth Third Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a Rite Aid distribution center in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Eleven dead at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at a bank in Sebring, Florida.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Five dead at their homes in Ascension and Livingston parishes, Louisiana.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Six dead at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at a home in Clinton, Mississippi.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead in Solon Township, Michigan.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Thirteen dead at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Four dead at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Twenty-two dead at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Ten dead in the Oregon District of downtown Dayton, Ohio.
Give to the departed eternal rest
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
All those who have died in any incident of gun violence.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
For survivors of gun violence.
Grant them comfort and healing.
Hear us, Lord.
For those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Grant them peace.
Hear us, Lord.
For those first responders who care for victims of gun violence.
Protect and strengthen them.
Hear us, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
IN LAK’ECH
Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.
Luis Valdez
A Smudging Prayer
Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.
"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
"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.
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.
+++
Vigil I
God we pray that we may live lives that will transform us into the children you'd have us be.
God we pray that we may become your peacemakers so that we may help transform this broken, fragile, and divided world.
God we pray that many of our family members may be raised up to be positive transforming leaders in the nations of the world.
God we pray that every day we live, move, and just be may be moments of self-transformation.
God we pray that we may seek ways to help transform our cities into places of sanctuary and safety.
God we pray that with your help we may seek to do justice, love, mercy and walk humbly with you and transform the lives of our family members who are voiceless and live on the margins.
God we pray that society may be transformed into a place where all human needs are met, human rights may be afforded to all, and our family members who have hardness of heart may be transformed into loving and kind human beings willing to extend a gracious hand to help in times of need.
God we pray that as we awaken from tonight's slumber we may be transformed into new beings willing to give lovingly of ourselves.
God we thank you that by the gift of your son Jesus we were transformed and as new beings we lift up these our prayers in His most Holy Name. Amen.
God we make vigil tonight for the healing of ourselves, our families, and the planet. Give us the courage to accept your healing and pray for the healing of others. Help us to pray with kind words, healing words, and loving words. Let us enter in holy silence as we make this vigil for healing.
Heal our bodies O God.
Heal our minds O God.
Heal our spirits O God.
Heal our hearts O God.
Heal our emotions O God.
Heal our fears O God.
Heal our lives O God.
Heal everyone and everything that lives on this planet O God.
Heal the Nations O God.
Heal divisions wherever we are O God.
Heal the world of hatred, racism, bigotry, abuse, white supremacy, terror, and all isms and obias O God.
Heal what ever is on our hearts during this vigil time and help us to pray and set it free and make us whole O God.
Heal_____________________ O God.
Hear our Prayers, and Heal us O God.
Healer of My Soul - John Michael Talbot
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
― Teresa of Ávila
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.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I 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.
146 Lauda, anima mea
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
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.
Zechariah 8:3-12,16-17
3Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts shall be called the holy mountain. 4Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6Thus says theLord of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lordof hosts? 7Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; 8and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong—you that have recently been hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets who were present when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of hosts. 10For before those days there were no wages for people or for animals, nor was there any safety from the foe for those who went out or came in, and I set them all against one another. 11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts. 12For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 16These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgements that are true and make for peace, 17do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord.
7 The end of all things is near;* therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
Mark 10:42-52
42So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 49Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher,* let me see again.’ 52Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
God of compassion, you have reconciled us in Jesus Christ who is our peace: Enable us to live as Jesus lived, breaking down walls of hostility and healing enmity. Give us grace to make peace with those from whom we are divided, that, forgiven and forgiving, we may ever be one in Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns for ever, one holy and undivided Trinity. Amen.
Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
God we come to you this night seeking the healing of wounds!
We light another candle and place it in the sand bowl as an acknowledgement of our misusing of words and deeds towards our family members. We acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness.
We ask for forgiveness.
We pray for a change of mind, heart, and mien.
We seek re-union with you and our family members.
We accept our responsibility for our actions.
We atone for our actions.
We begin again.
We strive for justice and respect the dignity of every person you have made in your image and likeness.
We light another candle in the same manner as an acknowledgment of our corporate and communal failures that have divided us.
We pray for forgiveness and reconciliation.
We pray for the building of bridges and tearing down the walls of division.
We pray for a coming together as one human family seeking to do what is best for all of us and not some of us.
We pray for an end to premeditated discrimination, hatred, and inequality and violence.
We pray for an end to the gimme,gimme, gimme society in which we live so that we may learn how to share and help us to be one in fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in our prayer and worship time.
We pray for an end to what is dividing us personally remembering___________
Pray for the whole human family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (p. 815) BCP
We light our third and final candle in prayer and healing of wounds too deep for words.
We pray for an end to centuries old divisions that are man made and not of God.
We pray for an end to the hatreds that keep us from knowing God and each other more fully with Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and mercy.
We pray for an end to all forms of abuse that harm all of God's Children.
We pray for an end to inequality in all of its divisive forms.
We pray for all things that divide us from God and each other.
An optional prayer time with the Litany of Healing and other prayers.
From the BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES - A Public Service of Healing
O God of peace, you have taught us that in returning and
rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be
our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to
your presence, where we may be still and know that you are
God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the
Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of Healing
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our
prayers.
The People audibly name those for whom they are interceding.
A Person appointed then leads the Litany
God the Father, your will for all people is health and
salvation;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord
God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might
have it more abundantly;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your
presence;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have
our being;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured,
or disabled, that they may be made whole;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are
lonely, anxious, or despondent, a knowledge of your will
and an awareness of your presence;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional
distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the
suffering, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and
patience;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, and uphold by
the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are
bereaved;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in
our lives, in our nation, and in the world;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
You are the Lord who does wonders:
You have declared your power among the peoples.
With you, O Lord, is the well of life:
And in your light we see light.
Hear us, O Lord of life:
Heal us, and make us whole.
Let us pray.
+++++++
Let us now pray to God who is Love.
God of Love we pray that in this year to come we may practice random acts of kindness and love radically and more fully than we ever have before.
God of Love we pray that we may not hate, troll, bully, snipe, or be mean in social media and elsewhere.
God of Love we pray that we may practice being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)
God of Love help us to use right behavior and manners with one another keeping kindness and love uppermost in our minds.
God of Love we pray that we may love one another not half-heartedly but fully and with out fear.
God of Love we pray for the healing of divisions throughout our land in war-torn nations. May love and peace prevail in this your fragile and broken world.
God of Love we pray for the healing of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. We remember ______________________ and all of our family members and those who have asked us to pray for.
God of Love we pray for all those who are homeless, hungry, and have nowhere to lay their heads in this cold weather. May they have courage to seek shelter and the many warming centers that are available. Protect them and keep them safe from harm.
God of Love we pray for all pets and all animals who aren't being protected from the cold weather. May the owners of their pets show loving concern for their fluffy family members.
God of Love we pray for justice, universal human rights and the courage to lovingly respond to those who are voiceless and need us to speak truth to power.
God of Love be with our family members who grieve losses that are new and those that are ongoing.
Give us compassionate hearts to love them through dark times and show them the light of your love.
God of Love we pray for all of our family members who live in the Thin Places where eternal joy and light are to be found.
God of Love we pray for all our family members who have children in school who are struggling to fit in and be accepted. We pray for those who have learning disabilities and have trouble learning and concentrating. We pray for patient teachers and parents.
God of Love we pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members remembering children, elderly, differently-abled, those with memory disorders.
God of Love we pray for all our family members who are awaiting surgery and who are hospitalized.
God of Love we pray for ___________________________
God of Love we give thanks for______________________
God of Love we celebrate____________________________
God of Love we pray that in this year to come we may practice random acts of kindness and love radically and more fully than we ever have before.
God of Love we pray that we may not hate, troll, bully, snipe, or be mean in social media and elsewhere.
God of Love we pray that we may practice being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)
God of Love help us to use right behavior and manners with one another keeping kindness and love uppermost in our minds.
God of Love we pray that we may love one another not half-heartedly but fully and with out fear.
God of Love we pray for the healing of divisions throughout our land in war-torn nations. May love and peace prevail in this your fragile and broken world.
God of Love we pray for the healing of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. We remember ______________________ and all of our family members and those who have asked us to pray for.
God of Love we pray for all those who are homeless, hungry, and have nowhere to lay their heads in this cold weather. May they have courage to seek shelter and the many warming centers that are available. Protect them and keep them safe from harm.
God of Love we pray for all pets and all animals who aren't being protected from the cold weather. May the owners of their pets show loving concern for their fluffy family members.
God of Love we pray for justice, universal human rights and the courage to lovingly respond to those who are voiceless and need us to speak truth to power.
God of Love be with our family members who grieve losses that are new and those that are ongoing.
Give us compassionate hearts to love them through dark times and show them the light of your love.
God of Love we pray for all of our family members who live in the Thin Places where eternal joy and light are to be found.
God of Love we pray for all our family members who have children in school who are struggling to fit in and be accepted. We pray for those who have learning disabilities and have trouble learning and concentrating. We pray for patient teachers and parents.
God of Love we pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members remembering children, elderly, differently-abled, those with memory disorders.
God of Love we pray for all our family members who are awaiting surgery and who are hospitalized.
God of Love we give thanks for______________________
God of Love we celebrate____________________________
God of Love we remember___________________________
We lay these our prayers at the feet of Jesus who is Love incarnate and in His Most Holy Name. Amen.
We lay these our prayers at the feet of Jesus who is Love incarnate and in His Most Holy Name. Amen.
God bless us and keep us,
God’s face shine on us and be gracious to us,
and give us light and peace.
++++
I wish you all a blessed and peaceful night dear ones. I love you all and give thanks to God for you each and every day.
With love, hope, peace, joy, kindness, Love Energy abounding from my heart home to yours,
Sara
With love, hope, peace, joy, kindness, Love Energy abounding from my heart home to yours,
Sara
Resources:
Enriching Our Worship
Satucket Lectionary
Book of Common Prayer
Bible Gateway
Quote sites for other prayers
YouTube
Walk With Me On Our Journey.
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
Bonus Prayers
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 knowledge that we are God's beloved children. Help us to be woke enough to know that God has made us in God's image and we are all in God's hands
Let us be woke and sing He's Got the Whole World In His Hands!
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He's got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He's got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the rivers and the mountains in His hands,
He's got the oceans and the seas in His hands,
He's got you and he's got me in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got everybody here in His hands,
He's got everybody there in His hands,
He's got everybody everywhere in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
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!
Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The settings of the Lord's Prayer 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 the alternative form.
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.
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you
for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and
show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until
our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all
your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP)
For the Beauty of the Earth
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of
earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains,
and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers.
We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may
safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue
to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation,
to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP)
Dear Jesus may we become transformed and transfigured to do your will and that we may walk as children of the light.
Jesus, may we always be able to feel your presence wherever we are and may we always recognize Your gentle tap on our shoulder or butterfly in the stomach or a joy-filled heart.
Jesus, feed us each day with the Bread of Heaven and may we drink from the Waters of Eternal life that continually hydrates us.
Jesus, may we continually have our eyes fixed on you and follow the path that you have set for us in our daily life.
Jesus, may we see you in all of our family members who may not be the ones we have met yet. We pray for all refugees, strangers, captives. political prisoners, those who seek to divide, those who hate, those who are not able to see or move past the phobias, and isms.
Jesus, we pray for peace in the world where there seems to be a lack of it. We pray for peace in Your homeland and wherever there is a lack of peace.
Jesus, may we ever be grateful for all the blessings of this life an give thanks with an overflowing heart.
Jesus, we pray for________________
Jesus, help us to have each other's backs and love more fully each and every breath that we take.
Jesus, help us to be your hands, feet, voices, in the world to serve and help heal the least of these.
May we always remember those who have lost loved ones and that we may come to their aid with love, compassion, and comfort.
We lay these our prayers at the feet of Jesus the Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
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