Walk With me on Our Journey: What being a family means during crisis! What is God calling us to do? This is an Ubuntu Season!

Good Evening Family of Love!

Happy Wisdom Wednesday! This is a time when we all need to recognize that we are family! Being family requires us in all circumstances to toss away all forms of division, isms, obias etc., that cause us great grief and estrangement. Coming together is crucial! God is calling us to do the following:
Realize our intersectionality and interconnectedness!
Stop hoarding!
Don't be afraid!
Love one another.
Serve and love the least of these.
Commit to The Matthew 25 Pledge: I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.

Take time to check in on our family members.

Find out what is needed by social service agencies in our community.

Challenge ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and see God and Christ in each other even when they may be our enemies.

Take steps to help all of our immigrant and refugee populations.

Love one another.

Seek out the lonely and the lost.

Wash our hands!

If you are sick stay home!

Reduce our carbon footprints.

Prepare for emergencies as recommended by our communities, churches, and trustworthy professionals.

Reach out to community organizations and find out how we can help.

Limit our activities and bank our energy (Spoon Theory)

These are just a small list, the rest is up to you and God.

Love one another!

Follow these guidelines: CDC -Covid-19 and this Coronavirus Myths Explored

++++

Tonight we ponder what the words family and friendship mean with these quotes!

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~ Desmond Tutu

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart" ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." ~ Jim Rohn

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." ~ Henri Nouwen

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people." ~ Nhat Hanh

"When you ask God for a gift, Be thankful if he sends, Not diamonds, pearls or riches, but the love of real true friends." ~ Helen Steiner Rice

"I sustain myself with the love of family." ~ Maya Angelou

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"There's no vocabulary For love within a family, love that's lived in But not looked at, love within the light of which All else is seen, the love within which All other love finds speech. This love is silent." ~ T. S. Eliot

"A true friend is the one who holds your hand and touches your heart." ~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers." ~ Maya Angelou

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." ~ Albert Camus

"The God who existed before any religion counts on you to make the oneness of the human family known and celebrated." ~ Desmond Tutu

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." ~ Helen Keller

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." ~ Frederick Buechner

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you." ~ A. A. Milne

"God's dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion." ~ Desmond Tutu

"A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself." ~ Jim Morrison

"A sense of concern for others gives our lives meaning; it is the root of all human happiness" ~ Dalai Lama

"Friends are relatives you make for yourself." ~ Eustache Deschamps

"Peace in society depends upon peace in the family." ~ Saint Augustine

"Friends share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand." ~ Henri Nouwen

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." ~ Richard Bach

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." ~ Walter Winchell

"Family, nature and health all go together." ~ Olivia Newton-John

"We need to strengthen such inner values as contentment, patience and tolerance, as well as compassion for others. Keeping in mind that it is expressions of affection rather than money and power that attract real friends, compassion is the key to ensuring our own well-being." ~ Dalai Lama

"Cherish your friends and family as if your life depended on it. Because it does." ~ Ann Richards

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

A few final quotes from Fred Rogers!

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." ~ Fred Rogers

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world." ~ Fred Rogers

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes." ~ Fred Rogers

"Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered . . . just one kind word to another person." ~ Fred Rogers

"All I know to do is to light the candle that has been given to me." ~ Fred Rogers

Biblical quotes about family :

1 John 4:19
19 We love because he first loved us.

1 Timothy 5:8
8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Acts 10:2
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Ephesians 6:4
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Exodus 20:12
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Proverbs 22:6
6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Joshua 24:15
15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Proverbs 6:20
20 My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Ephesians 6:1-2
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—

Before we open our time of vigil and worship, let us ponder this:

"All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are....Ten seconds of silence." ~ Fred Rogers

Joseph Barth: A Grace

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

Blessed be the God of our salvation: Who bears our burdens and forgives our sins.

Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

If we claim to be sinless, we are self-deceived, and strangers to the truth. If we confess our sins God is just, and may be trusted to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from every kind of wrong. 1 John 1:8, 9

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

Create in me a clean heart O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Jesus said: ‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread, will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ John 6:51

We do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains a single grain; but, if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. John 12:24

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

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

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

I LAY BEFORE YOU - Howard Thurman

The concern which I lay bare before You today is:

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me— I would seek the root or cause of such disaffection, and with the illumination of Your mind, O God, to understand it.

I give myself to Your scrutiny that, whatever there may be in me that is responsible for what has happened, I will acknowledge.

Where I have wronged or given offense deliberately or without intention, I seek a face-to-face forgiveness.

What I can undo I am willing to try; what I cannot undo, with that I seek to make my peace.

How to do these things, what techniques to use, with what spirit— for these I need and seek Your wisdom and strength, O God.

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me, I lay bare before You.

STRENGTH -Anonymous

God of our days and our nights, brace us and hearten us as we face our daily duties. In our hours of weariness and discouragement, You save us from self-pity. In our moments of achievement, You keep us un assuming and humble. So may we worthily fulfill our tasks and meet the duties of our day.

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.

THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES - Anonymous

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.

God and Creator of us all we pray and light our candles this night at a time where we are finding ourselves sorely divided one from another by a myriad of circumstances. We pray that we may start to learn from each other and place our egos and the need to be right at the door. We pray that we may use gentle speech and kind actions when we meet someone who differs from us. We pray that we may lovingly enfold them in our arms and extend to them radical hospitality and welcome. We pray that we may continually beat the weaponry of hate into ploughshares and turn the spears of division into pruning hooks and that we may grow into a peace-filled and loving world. We pray this night for all who are enduring any kind of pain that they may be comforted and that we may lovingly respond to their needs. We pray and ask this night for forgiveness of any action or word we have done or spoken this day and that we may turn away and repent of the wrongs we have done. We pray that we may spread God's light of love, peace, and learning to this world and that we may be beacons of hope, joy, love, and peace. We pray that we may follow Jesus and imitate him by being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful) and show the world that we are carried aloft by the Holy Spirit's Love Energy and that our Hearts and heart homes may be enlarged and that truly we may become one family of God and Love and brothers and sisters one to another. Amen.

Or this

God, we light our candles tonight and pray that we may become the loving and welcoming family of Love/God. We pray for our family members who haven't received warm welcomes in their lives, families, places of work, and worship. We pray that we may become kind to all of your children at any time of the day or night. We pray that we may encircle all of humanity with a warm prayer quilt of welcome and Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy. We pray for peace in this fragile and broken world. We pray that we may listen with kind and non judgmental ears as we welcome our new family members who have been strangers to us and now becoming friends. God lead and show us how to be kind, loving, and welcoming in all that we do each and everyday. Help us always to remember that The Light of Christ in Me Recognizes the Light of Christ in you. Amen.

Lancelot Andrewes: Be All To All

We bring before You, O God:
the cries of the weary,
the pains of the distressed,
the tears of the tragedies of life,
the anxious hours of the insecure,
the restlessness of the refugees,
the hunger of the oppressed.
Dear God, be near to each.
Helper of the helpless,
Hope of the homeless,
The Strength of those tossed with tempests,
The Haven of those who sail:
Be all to all.
Be within us, to strengthen us;
without us, to keep us;
above us, to inspire us;
beneath us, to uphold us;
before us, to direct us;
behind us , to propel us;
around us, to sustain us.
Be all to all in present need.

God our healer, whose mercy is like a refining fire: by the lovingkindness
of Jesus, heal us and those for whom we pray; that
being renewed by you, we may witness your wholeness to our
broken world; through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Spirit.
Amen.

or this

Gracious God, we commend to your loving care all who suffer,
especially those who come [here] seeking your healing grace [for
themselves or others]. Give them patience and hope in their distress;
strengthen and uphold them in mind and body; and grant,
by your intervention, that all your people may be made whole
according to your desire, through Jesus Christ, in the power of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Prayer by St. Therese:

Dear Father,

My heart and mind are flooded with fears.
Sometimes I am paralyzed, I feel unable to go on.
These fears are overwhelming, they remain with me day and night.

Yet I hold onto your truth.
You have told us not to fear, for you have overcome the world.

So I cling to you, I trust in your promises, that you will never fail me, never forsake me.

In moments of such crippling fear,
I choose to hold your hand.
I know you have experienced the most fearful places,
I know that you have risen again.

In you, all promises meet and new life begins.
You are my Savior,
I hide in you,
Protected by your love,
And sheltered by your grace.
My Father.

Amen.

From the Resistance Prays

“The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”
- Psalm 27

God, give us courage. Keep us safe. Heal those who are sick. Remind us that your call to us is to turn to you and to dwell in you. Help us seek your beauty, even when we are afraid. Amen.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage,[a] he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

-Matthew 20: 1-15

Life Giving God, we are holding fast to our faith in times that feel more and more uncertain as each day passes. Remind us that you are present with us — that you have been to the depths and you walk with us there. That your love encompasses every person and holds each one dear — regardless of political party, economic situation, job status, or beliefs. As we continue to make decisions in these uncertain days, remind us that we should seek to match our priorities to your values, not those of only a few of our fellow humans. You are with us in the long haul. And we are blessed to feel your love and hear your guidance. Amen.

+++++FOR PEOPLE CRITICALLY ILL,
OR FACING GREAT UNCERTAINTY (ANZPB)
God of the present moment,
God who in Jesus stills the storm
and soothes the frantic heart;
bring hope and courage to N
as s/he/they
wait/s in uncertainty.
Bring hope that you will make her/him/them the equal
of whatever lies ahead.
Bring her/him/them courage to endure what cannot be avoided,
for your will is health and wholeness;
you are God, and we need you.

FOR PEOPLE IN SEVERE PAIN (ANZPB)
Jesus, you knew pain,
you knew the loneliness, the weakness
and the degradation it brings;
you knew the agony.
Jesus, your suffering is the only hope,
the only reconciliation for those who suffer.
Be with N as s/he grapples with the pain s/he suffers now.
Be a promise to him/her
that this present suffering will cease;
be the hand that s/he can hold;
be present, Saviour, for we need you now.

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 (Metis Aboriginal Ministries)

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.

For Caregivers and Others in Support of the Sick
Lover of souls, we bless your Holy Name for all who are called to
mediate your grace to those who are sick or infirm. Sustain them
by your Holy Spirit, that they may bring your loving-kindness to
those in pain, fear, and confusion; that in bearing one another’s
burdens they may follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
or this

Compassionate God, support and strengthen all those who reach
out in love, concern, and prayer for the sick and distressed. In
their acts of compassion, may they know that they are your
instruments. In their concerns and fears may they know your
peace. In their prayer may they know your steadfast love. May
they not grow weary or faint-hearted, for your mercy’s sake.
Amen.

For Those Who Are Sick and Those Who Minister to Them

Gracious God, source of life and health: Jesus came to our
disordered world to make your people whole. Send your Spirit on
those who are sick and all who minister to them; that when the
sick enter your peace, they may offer thanks to your Great Name;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

For Health Care Providers
Give your blessing, gracious God, to those whom you have called
to the study and practice of the arts of healing, and the prevention
of disease and pain. Give them the wisdom of your Holy Spirit,
that through their work the health of our community may be
advanced and your creation glorified; through your Son Jesus
Christ. Amen.

For Emergency Workers
God our strong deliverer: when those charged with the urgent
mediation of your healing power feel overwhelmed by the numbers
of the suffering, uphold them in their fatigue and banish their
despair. Let them see with your eyes, so they may know all their
patients as precious. Give comfort, and renew their energy and
compassion, for the sake of Jesus in whom is our life and our
hope. Amen.

Psalm 121
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills;*
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,*
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved*
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel*
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The LORD himself watches over you;*
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day,*
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;*
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in,*
from this time forth for evermore.

Psalm 103 :1-5
Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
Of David.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Isaiah 49:14-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.

A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7, 9
I called to you, O God, out of my distress, and you answered me; *
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, *
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and billows passed over me.
Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; *
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?”
The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; *
weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots
of the mountains.
I went down to the land beneath the earth, *
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O God, *
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; *
what I have vowed I will pay, for deliverance belongs to the Lord!

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.

A Song of Christ’s Goodness
Anselm of Canterbury
Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead, *
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.

Matthew 5:1-10 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Sermon on the Mount
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth 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 shall be comforted.

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

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

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

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

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

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

A Song of the True Motherhood
Julian of Norwich
God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love

Today's additional lessons from the Eucharistic Lectionary:
Psalm 31:9–16

In te, Domine, speravi

9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.
10 For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.
13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.
14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. *
I have said, "You are my God.
15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me."

Jeremiah 18:1–11,18–20

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah—for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us bring charges against him, and let us not heed any of his words.”
Give heed to me, O Lord,
and listen to what my adversaries say!
Is evil a recompense for good?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
to speak good for them,
to turn away your wrath from them.

Matthew 20:17–28

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

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.

Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servants, and give your power of healing to those who minister to their needs, that those (or N., or NN.) for whom our prayers are offered may be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

God of grace and glory, you create and sustain the universe in majesty and beauty: We thank you for all in whom you have planted the desire to know your creation and to explore your work and wisdom. Lead us, like them, to understand better the wonder and mystery of creation; through Christ your eternal Word, through whom all things were made. Amen.

Collect of the Day

O God, you so loved the world that you gave your only- begotten Son to reconcile earth with heaven: Grant that we, loving you above all things, may love our friends in you, and our enemies for your sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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.

For the Poor and the Neglected

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you

all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us

to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,

and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those

who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow

into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for

our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Oppressed

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this

land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as

their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to

eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those

who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law

and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of

us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; 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.

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 Social Justice

Almighty God, who created us in your 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 the Diversity of Races and Cultures

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.

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: Prayers

PRAY FOR PEACE

Let us pray for the peace of the world: for diplomats and rulers that they may have wisdom and courage to improve international relationships by finding effective ways to reconcile people of different races, colors, conditions, and creeds; …
Silence
Let us pray for men, women, and children the world over that they may have justice and freedom, and live in security and peace…
Silence
Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of war: for the injured and the disabled,for the mentally distressed, for those whose faith in God and humanity has been weakened or destroyed…
Silence
Let us pray for the homeless and refugees, for those who are hungry, for all who have lost their livelihood and security…
Silence
Let us pray for those who mourn their dead, for those who have lost husband or wife, children or parents…
Silence
We pray for the peace of the world.

A LITANY OF HOPE
Fountain of Hope within each breath and body;
Divine Deliverer from deepest loneliness, despair;
Source of eternal strength and inspiration:
Be our God, our living God.

As You are Truth beyond all rigid prejudice:
Grant us to share Your free mind’s open search.

As You are good beyond all selfish striving:
Grant us to share Your joy in giving love.

As You are Beauty known beyond our turmoil:
Grant us a vision of Your radiance unexcelled.

As You are free, with urge toward healthy growing:
Grant us to rise toward the unattained.

Where there is sorrow, may we bring comfort;
Where there is sickness, health;
Where there is false fear, trust;
Where there is conflict, courage;
Where there is envy, appreciation;
Where there is needless war, peace.

Source of eternal strength and inspiration:
Be our rock, our dayspring, and our joy.

MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE -Francis of Assisi

God, 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.
Great Friend,
May I 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.

Diann Neu: Blessed Be Our Hands

Blessed be the work of our hands.

Blessed be these hands that touch life.

Blessed be these hands that nurture creativity.

Blessed be these hands that hold pain.

Blessed be these hands that embrace with passion.

Blessed be these hands that tend gardens.

Blessed bed these hands that close in anger.

Blessed be these hands that plant new seeds.

Blessed be these hands that harvest ripe fields.

Blessed be these hands that clean, wash, mop, scrub.

Blessed be these hands that become knotty with age.

Blessed be these hands that wrinkle and scar from doing justice.

Blessed are these hands that reach out and are received.

Blessed are these hands that hold the promise of the future.

Blessed be the works of our hands and hearts.

FOR WORLD NEIGHBORLINESS -Peter Marshall

O God, we pray for a broader vision of the needs of humanity, and a deeper compassion to fill those needs; for a planting of the seeds of concern for all humanity in our hearts; for a tapping of the wells of generosity.

May we live together as people who have been forgiven a great debt.

May we be gentle, walking softly with one another.

May we be understanding, lest we shall add to the world’s sorrow or cause to flow needless tears.

May we be as anxious for the rights of others as we are for our own.

May we be as eager to forgive as we are to seek forgiveness.

May we know no barriers of creed or race or sex, that our love may be like Yours—a love that sees all people as Your children and our kin.

May we be ministers of humanity.

Prayers for the Tender Souls

We pray this night for our mental health professionals and all of our mentally ill family members who have fallen through the cracks.

We pray for better early interventions for those with mental illnesses and that everyone will be able to listen for their unspoken cries for help.

We pray for the marginalized who feel outcast. May we lovingly bring them into the circle and show them how You love us.

We pray for all of our Family members who have PTSD that they may receive care and the necessary services that will help them prosper and live productive lives.

We pray for our homeless family members who live outdoors. We pray that there may be adequate shelters and a variety of places to live that will meet their needs. We pray that we may be sensitive to their needs when we see them as we walk, shop, and are in our cars.

We pray for the safety of all the vulnerable members of our society.

We pray for better gun laws that will both protect our family members in our community and the persons who aren't suitable gun owners.

We pray that all churches may be truly sanctuaries for everyone and that there won't be a litmus test required to belong. We pray that all faith leaders will give the least of these the the security and feeling that they are loved, accepted, and that their dignity is respected regardless of who they are. Help everyone know who they are and whose they are!

We pray that there may be social service ministries in our urban centers that are non-threatening and available 24/7/365. May we be guided to think outside the box and minister to our family members who need these services.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform and that families may be kept together.
We pray for all of our medical professionals who work in the ER this night and those who work in the Mortuary and Hospice ministries.

We pray for an end to violence against women and children.

God help us to be better at listening, watching, and being family to those who are different that ourselves.
May we see you in their eyes and love them as you love us.

God we lift up these our prayers and the prayers that we have been requested to pray this day to you !
Amen.

Let us pray and read Matthew 25:31-46

The Judgment 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. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then 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; 35 for 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, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then 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? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And 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,[a] you did it to me.’ 41 Then 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; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I 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.’ 44 Then 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?’ 45 Then 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.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Tonight I ask us all to take the Matthew 25 Pledge again and again until poverty at home and abroad is vanquished. Here is the pledge.