Good Evening Dear Ones !

Happy Self-Care Saturday! Today was a cold but wonderful day at the NAACP Black History Celebration. We had rain showers and a big family reunion with all of the wonderful organizations who had tables and information! Tonight we are going to try to keep this relatively short because we have clocks and smoke alarms's batteries to change! We continue on with this weekend's retreat themes: reconciliation and forgiveness. So let's get to it.

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"You never so touch the ocean of God's love as when you forgive and love your enemies." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." ~ Lewis B. Smedes

"The Jesus I follow is the peacemaker, is one who says forgive your enemies, who worries about the poor, who worries about the poorest of the poor instead of the richest of the rich." ~ Frederick Buechner

"If you take the 'love your enemy' out of Christianity, you've 'unChristianed' the Christian faith." ~ Miroslav Volf

"There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him, but in order to love the enemy you must not do it... The Greek language has another word [for love]. It calls it agape. Agape is more than romantic love. Agape is more than friendship. Agape is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men. Agape is an overflowing love, a spontaneous love, which seeks nothing in return. And theologians would say that it is the love of God operating in the human heart. When you rise to love on this level you love all men, not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, not because they are worthful to you, but you love all men because God loves them. And you rise to the noble heights of loving the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. And I think this is what Jesus means when he says, “Love your enemies.”" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

"And God said, Love your enemy, & I obeyed Him & loved myself." ~ Khalil Gibran

"What is perfection in love? Love your enemies in such a way that you would desire to make them your brothers ... For so did He love, Who hanging on the Cross, said "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)" ~ Saint Augustine

"Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"It takes quite a spine to turn the other cheek. It takes phenomenal fortitude to love your enemy. It takes firm resolve to pray for those who persecute you. (with reference to Matthew 5)" ~ Rob Bell

"Grow a garden, give food away, resist the temptation to give into hate, change it up and try peacemaking for once, love your neighbor, love your enemy." ~ Tripp York

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Let us make vigil and pray.

Joseph Barth: A Grace

We give thanks for Being;
We give thanks for being here;
We give thanks for being here together.

Call to Worship

Kneel in prayer to the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth

takes its name;

that out of the treasures of glory

God may grant us strength and power

through the Spirit in our inmost being;

that Christ, through faith,

may dwell in our hearts in love.

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

Examine me O God and know my heart, test me and discover my thoughts, and lead me in the way everlasting.Psalm 139:23,24

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

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

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

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

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and those who are afraid are not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother or sister, that person is a liar; for those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:18-20

Jesus said: “If any of you would come after me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19

God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and
in truth. John 4:24

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for thse who abuse you. Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful as your father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you; for the measure you give will be the measure you receive. From Luke 6:27-38

According to the riches of God’s glory, may you be strengthened with the might through the Holy Spirit in your inner being, and may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

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.

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

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

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

THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES

Lest we forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest we forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest we forget You, the God of our fore bears who is our God also:

We light this candle of remembrance.

For the hope of a better world, in which righteousness and peace shall prevail among the people of the earth, and to create which is the task of the generations in which we stand, as well as for the courage and faith we shall need if we are to carry on this unfinished work:

We light this candle of consecration.

May the flame upon the altar of free faith shine in our hearts al ways, reminding us of the dark places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in every moment of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.

Waldemar Argow: For Wisdom

Everliving Source of us all,
May we find wisdom this day;
May we come to understand—
that we without You are a well without water;
that a person without friends is a tree without branches;
that words without deeds are a cry no one can hear;
that knowing without feeling is a head without a body;
that strength without tenderness is a darkness where no light shines;
that life without love is a desert where no rain falls.
May the wisdom we find this day make us wiser in the days ahead:
Wise enough to be ourselves and to try to understand ourselves as best we may;
Wise enough to be the master of our moods;
Wise enough to find in the buffeting and shocks of life a discipline that will make us stronger than we were before.
May the varied experiences of each day increase our store of wisdom.
May our fellowship with one another, and with You, increase our treasury of love.

From Industrial Christian Fellowship!

Those who work with the vulnerable in our society
Our tender and compassionate God, in Jesus you give us a picture of your own vulnerability. You come to us as a refugee escaping violence, as a stranger with no place to call home, as a common criminal condemned to die. You discard power and authority to be alongside those who experience brokenness and need. So we pray for all those who today live out that same commitment to being with, and offering help to, those in our communities who are most vulnerable. Give perseverance, encouragement and wisdom to the many voluntary and paid workers who seek to assist those who are caught up in addictive habits, whose minds are deeply disturbed, who feel they have reached the limits of their own endurance, whose lives are blighted by frailty, loneliness and fear. And may our whole society learn that the measure of its worth is in the care it shows for those who are the weakest members. Amen.

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From The Resistance Prays!
Nonetheless, those who were in distress won’t be exhausted. At an earlier time, God cursed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but later God glorified the way of the sea, the far side of Jordan, and the Galilee of the nations.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
You have made the nation great;
you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest,
as those who divide plunder rejoice.
As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them,
the staff on their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.
Because every boot of the thundering warriors,
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned, fuel for the fire.
A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Patent, Prince of Peace.
There will be vast authority and endless peace
for David’s throne and for his kingdom,
establishing and sustaining it
with justice and righteousness
now and forever.

-Isaiah 9:1-7

God of light,
you opened our eyes to your will.
Now open our eyes to the injustices
of those in power in our country.
Empower us to be proactive in your name
so the least of these would know justice,
and the tyrants who pervert your Word
and will
and who hide information from your people
would be brought into the light
for all to know the truth.
Amen.

“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” -Jeremiah 31:15 NIV

“May you find your own deep truth. Promise yourself, whether or not others understand, you will always be true and faithful to your own deepest self.

May you honor the generations upon generations of women who have walked this way before you, who have shared your feelings and fears…and kept walking, through whatever lay ahead of them.

May God surround you, hear your tears and cries of protest.

May God give you deep solace and sacred rest.”

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-Adapted from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, a broad-based, national, interfaith movement that brings the moral force of religion to protect and advance reproductive health, choice, rights and justice through education, prophetic witness, pastoral presence and advocacy.

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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

"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

"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.

Confession of Need

Let us confess our need for God’s healing grace.

Silence

Compassionate God,
we confess our weaknesses and our need for your
strengthening touch.
We confess that some illnesses stem from our own fault,
while others are beyond our control.
We turn to you, source of life,
and ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ
for the gifts of true healing and life in you. Amen.

May the God of love visit us in our times of trial and weakness,
and raise us to newness of life, through Jesus Christ, in the
power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Psalm 119:1–8

Aleph: Beati immaculati

1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees *
and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, *
but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, *
that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, *
when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *
when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; *
do not utterly forsake me.

Deuteronomy 26:16–19

This very day the Lord your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances; so observe them diligently with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you have obtained the Lord’s agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him. Today the Lord has obtained your agreement: to be his treasured people, as he promised you, and to keep his commandments; for him to set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honor; and for you to be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

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.

Matthew 5:43–48

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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.

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.

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, by your Word you marvelously carry out the work of reconciliation: Grant that in our Lenten fast we may be devoted to you with all our hearts, and united with one another in prayer and holy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For Peace
Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquillity your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

For Social Justice

Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

For Social Service

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.

For Prophetic Witness in Society

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.

Reconciliation and Forgiveness

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.
For the 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.

For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love

our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:

deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in

your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Times of Conflict

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us,

in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront

one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work

together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who Influence Public Opinion

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many

voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where

many listen and write what many read; that they may do their

part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and

its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Arthur Foote II

FOR COURAGE

O God whom we know but long to know better, You who are the depth of our own being and the mysterious Other whom we encounter:

Ours is a prayer for courage, the courage to be ourselves; the courage to face reality, to accept the uncertainty of the future and the fact of our mortality. May we have the courage to doubt and the courage to doubt our doubts. When our lives are like a house of cards that threatens to collapse, grant us strength to step into the dark singing a bold song of trust in You.

Ours is a prayer for self-acceptance. Increase our hunger to know the truth, the whole truth about ourselves; for we know we cannot defeat the evil in us so long as we pretend it is not there. Unmask our hidden hostilities. Teach us to recognize our forbidden desires. Help us to accept our whole selves.

Ours is a prayer for love. We pray to be more able to love, to give love as well as to receive it. May our confession of how critical and judgmental we are be a first step on our journey toward becoming white corpuscles fighting the infections of prejudice and hatred which threaten our whole world.

To our spoken words of prayer, we add the unspoken desires and longings of our hearts to find You, the Source of all good that causes us to pray for courage, for self-acceptance, and for love.

The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace

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

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.

The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3–12

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)

Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)

Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10

LITANY OF LOVE-From Harvard Square Prayers for Today

O God, the source of all being and all joy, let Your blessings be upon us, and fill us with Your love. From all jealousy and envy, from all unkindness, from offense given or taken, from unrighteous anger and an impatient spirit, from a hard and unforgiving temper, and from evilspeaking, O God, deliver us.

From all ambition and greed which bring want and distress to multitudes and debase the bodies and souls of many, shutting from them the fullness of life, O God, deliver us.

From an unquiet and discontented spirit, from despondency and gloom, from doubts of Your boundless love, and from forgetfulness of the manifold goods of life, O God, deliver us.

Inspire in us that spirit which suffers long and is kind; which envies not; boasts not itself, is not puffed up; which does not behave unseemly, and seeks not its own. Grant us to be filled with the fullness of Your spirit.

Quicken in us that charity which is not easily provoked, which thinks no evil, which rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; which bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; the charity which never fails; That so by Your grace we may establish good will upon the earth.

O God, the Father and Mother of us all, who has breathed Your own spirit into Your children and made us to be one with each other as members of Your household: enable us to make Your house a refuge for every wounded spirit, a home for every aspiring soul. Amid diversities of knowledge and of faith, may we be one in spirit, in affection, and in devotion to You.

Lord,

it is night.

The night is for stillness.

Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.

What has been done has been done;

what has not been done has not been done;

let it be.

The night is dark.

Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives

rest in you.

The night is quiet.

Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,

all dear to us,

and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.

Let us look expectantly to a new day,

new joys,

new possibilities.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Intercession Set I

God give us the strength to face our wilderness journeys in life and listen to you with ears of the heart.

God give us the courage to love all our family members Animal, vegetable, and mineral that we see each day on our journey through the wilderness.

God we pray for an end to all kinds of temptations that draw us away from you and the holy.

God we pray and give thanks to you for the good times we encounter during these wilderness periods.

God we pray for our family members who are struggling and finding themselves in times of hardship, loss, and uncertainty.

God we pray for peace in our hearts, bodies, minds and spirits when we are in fallow and wilderness times of our lives.

God we pray for the protection of the environment, for clean air, for clean water, desert sands, forests, and wherever all the creatures you have made dwell.

God we pray for an end to the violence, the terror, all forms of hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. May we sow seeds of compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy and may we learn from you the skills to be brought together as one precious family of the world.

God we pray for_____________________

God we lift up these our prayers this night to you. Amen.

Or these:

God we thank you for this time in the wilderness and our time of finding out more about who whose we are.

God we pray for all the times we are given wilderness journeys and see them as a time of growth in our relationship with you.

God we pray for peace and especially the peace which comes from being able to be on retreat with you.

God we pray for all who need times of respite and renewal.

God, We pray for all who are in discernment and seeking their new life paths.

God we pray for all of our vulnerable family members who are in need.

God we pray for an end of all violence and terror and that peace may prevail upon earth.

God we pray for the courage to speak truth to power and be a voice for the voiceless ones.

God we pray for all of our family members nearby and far away.

God we pray for the elderly, children, and the least of these.

God we pray and give thanks for__________________________

God we pray that we may continue to feel the enlivening and empowering work of the Holy Spirit with in us and that we may carry God's love, light, and mercy to the world.

God we lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus your son. Amen.

Let us close our worship with these breathing exercises of Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing Exercises with Thich Nhat Hanh

“*Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath.
Breathing out, I know this is my out-breath.*

It's very simple, but very effective. When we bring our attention to our in-breath and our out-breath, we stop thinking of the past; we stop thinking of the future; and we begin to come home to ourselves...Don't think this practice doesn't apply to you. If we don't go home to ourselves, we can't be at our best and serve the world in the best way... Our quality of being is the foundation for the quality of our actions.

*Breathing in, I'm aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of my whole body.*

Breathing mindfully brings us back to our bodies. We have to acknowledge our bodies first because tension and suffering accumulate in the body. Breathing in this way, we create a kind of family reunion between mind and body. The mind becomes an embodied mind.
...We can't do our best if we don't know to release the tension and pain in ourselves.

*Breathing in, I'm aware of the tension in my body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of the tension in my body.*

When we look at the suffering around us, at poverty, violence, or climate change, we may want to solve these things immediately. We want to do something. But to do something effectively and ethically, we need to be our best selves in order to be able to handle the suffering...
*Breathing in, I am aware of a painful feeling arising.
Breathing out, I release the painful feeling.*

This is a nonviolent and gentle way to help our bodies release tension and pain. It is possible to practice mindful breathing in order to produce a feeling of joy, a feeling of happiness. When we are well-nourished and know how to create joy, then we are strong enough to handle the deep pain within ourselves and the world.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society

Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts, through Christ our Savior. Amen. (source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom)

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

― Teresa of Ávila

Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be in us the life that draws us to God. Amen. (source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual [London: Mowbray, 1961], p. 29, adapted)

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 827)

Blessing, light, and glory surround us
and scatter the darkness of the long and lonely night.
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Let us stay here a little longer and ponder the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 25:

Don't forget we have our scriptural focus this week from Matthew 25:

I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.

Here is an elongated version of Matthew 25:

Matthew 25:31-46
The Judgement of the Nations

31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

and conclude our time of making vigil with this:

Isaiah 61 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Good News of Deliverance

61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and release to the prisoners;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—

to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,

foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;

6 but you shall be called priests of the Lord,

you shall be named ministers of our God;

you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,

and in their riches you shall glory.

7 Because their[a] shame was double,

and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot,

therefore they shall possess a double portion;

everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 For I the Lord love justice,

I hate robbery and wrongdoing;[b]

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

Or this:

Isaiah 58:1-12

58Shout out, do not hold back!

Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Announce to my people their rebellion,

to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet day after day they seek me

and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practised righteousness

and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgements,

they delight to draw near to God.

3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?

Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,

and oppress all your workers.

4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight

and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today

will not make your voice heard on high.

5 Is such the fast that I choose,

a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,

and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator* shall go before you,

the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

10 if you offer your food to the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

and your gloom be like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually,

and satisfy your needs in parched places,

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters never fail.

12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to live in.

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May we all be blessed tonight to take our rest and know that we are together in prayer, quiet, and purpose. I love you.

Remember these Prayers

This week's featured prayers for us to hold in our hearts are these:

Max Coots: A Harvest of People

Let us give thanks for a bounty of people:

For generous friends, with smiles as bright as their blossoms.
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us that we’ve had them.
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn; and the others as plain as potatoes and as good for you.
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as endless as zucchini, and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you through the winter.
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time.
For young friends, who wind around like tendrils and hold us.

We give thanks for friends now gone, like gardens past that have been harvested, but who fed us in their times that we might live.

Stephen H. Fritchman: To All Who Toil

Spirit of Truth and Love within our living hearts, we pledge our faithfulness to all who toil that we may eat our bread. We rejoice in human power to shape the stuff of earth into things of usefulness and beauty. May our hands and minds add their portion to the common treasure of a world more fair. We would find our place among the workers of humanity, proud of honest labor done, and rest deserved, and wages earned. We would pay our tribute to the task well done of tailor, teacher, carpenter, and nurse; of surgeon, painter, sailor, chemist, housewife, typist, farmer and chef; and for all of those whose work is little known and rarely seen, yet daily given, that our lives may be far happier and safe. May this be a time of kinship among the toilers of every race and clime.

Fred Gillis: Meditation on Many Places

We come from many places seeking a center for our lives, a sense of wholeness.
We come from dry places where the words and the knowledge seem broken into brittle fragments that do not cohere.
We come from overfilled places where information abounds, but there is no real understanding.
We come from hard places where feelings are dulled, hollow places where meanings seem empty.
Now, at this time of quiet reflection, we come to be emptied and filled with life’s Spirit that flows in and among us and through the world.
Empty us of the clatter and confusion, the information we thought all-sufficient.
Quiet our minds; center our spirits; ground our being.
Enable us to find Your power that is already within us, power for love, creativity, hope.
Open our eyes to the sustenance that already surrounds and up holds us.
Help us to see the miracle of life in each moment and each cubic inch of space offering a gift of opportunity.
May our minds be open to wisdom, our spirits open to grace.

FORGIVE OUR NATION
O God, forgive our rich nation where small babies die of cold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where small children suffer from hunger quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation where toddlers and school children die from guns sold quite legally.
O God, forgive our rich nation that lets the rich continue to get more at the expense of the poor quite legally.
O God, help us never to confuse what is quite legal with what is just and right in Your sight.

– Marian Wright Edelman

Many of these prayers are hard to pray but necessary during the Lenten Season. May our hearts and minds be open and seek to become co-healers and change makers with God.

With Love, Peace, and Blessings ,

Sara

Here is a bonus on how to take action;

This is the day that God has called us to stop the hate and all the negativity and reunite with each other as family members and yes that includes our enemies. Everyone is a beloved child of God.

How do we do this and what are the rules of the road?

As Maria says in "The Sound of Music" "Let's start from the very beginning!"

We must seek common ground and question our words, deeds, and thoughts towards each other . This is called self-examination!

We must recognize the holy in all people, places, places of worship, and in God's Cathedral of life.

We must walk like Jesus walked, Talk like Jesus talked, Love like Jesus loved. Forgive like Jesus Forgave.

We need to get a mirror and look at ourselves and see who God sees and who God made.

We need to look at ourselves and tell ourselves this "I love you!'

We need to begin to reacquaint ourselves with our family members and seek to not be estranged.

We need to show love for one another with generosity and care.

We need to begin to stop the hate and violence towards all our family members who differ from us.

We need to be practitioners of social justice, civil disobedience, and peaceful non-violent protest without fear and whenever necessary.

We need to model ourselves after God and Jesus and engage in radical love and hospitality towards everyone.

We need to choose our words and actions rightly.

We need to stop politicizing events such as 9/11 and come together as one.

We must sow seeds of Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy.

We must strive to respect the dignity of every human being.

We must strive to make peace and show those who do not know how to make peace the right way with love, justice, mercy, and humility.

We must learn to be one with one another without spite and without malice.
We must love!

Help us as we remember and pray that these are necessary concepts as we go forward every year from this commemoration.

#WordsDeedsandThoughtsMatter

#LoveIsTheWay

#EveryoneIsABelovedChildOfGod

#RespectTheDignityOfEveryHumanBeing
#WeMustStriveToBeEmpathetic

#WalkTheWalkThatJesusWalked

#CallEachOthersBadBehaviorOut

We continue to use our toolkit during Lent :

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

Creation Care

Dio Cal- Climate

sustainislandhome.org

EPPN Civil Discourse -Advocacy Resources

EPPN Civil Discourse Curriculum

Sojourners

A Response to a State of Emergency: A Constitutional Threat Compounds Our Moral Crisis

A National Call to Prayer, Fasting, and Action

ReclaimingJesus.org

Reclaiming Jesus Video

Reclaiming Jesus-A Call to Prayer Fasting and Action

Reclaiming Jesus:A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis