Good Evening Dear Ones!
Happy Mother's Day and the Fifth Sunday of Easter! Usually Mother's Day is a happy celebration but this year we find ourselves in a time of pandemic and dis-ease. Our emotions are all over the map and we don't know which way to turn. Well maybe we need to turn and look at today's Gospel reading from John. Jesus gives us the road map. Some times following Jesus isn't always easy because when we read the lesson from Acts we know that it can be risky and as followers we must be willing to give up our lives to Jesus in Love, Service, and what we think our lives should be. Giving up our lives may even means becoming martyrs (sacrificing our physical selves by dying in the cause of Christ). Stephen who was stoned in our lesson from Acts gave all and also was a deacon and proto-martyr. If you aren't sure what that means let us look at his bio: STEPHEN DEACON AND PROTOMARTYR (26 DEC NT)
Tonight let us remember all who are mourning losses and especially mothers who have lost their children by acts of violence, Covid-19, death by suicide, or any other means.
Come let us worship.
Joseph Barth: A Grace
We give thanks for Being;
We give thanks for being here;
We give thanks for being here together.
Set your minds on things that are above, and not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Alleluia.Colossians 3:2, 3
Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.1 Corinthians 5:7, 8
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Come and eat’; and he took bread, and gave it to them. Alleluia.John 21:12, 13
The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia.Luke 24:35 (adapted)
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 15:57
All you who have been baptised have been clothed with Christ. Alleluia.Galatians 3:27
He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in
his arms, and carry them in his bosom. Isaiah 40:11
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting
arms. Deuteronomy 33:27
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. Isaiah 66:13a
When Israel was a child, I loved him.... it was I who taught
Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms…. I led them
with...bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to
their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them. Hosea 11:1a, 3, 4
For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears.... But you, O
Lord, reign for ever; your throne endures to all generations.
Lamentations 1: 16a; 5:19
Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them;
for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.
Matthew 19:14
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:17
Stephen said, ‘I can see heaven open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.’ Acts 7:56
God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and
in truth. John 4:24
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 6:8
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Jesus said: “If any of you would come after me, deny yourself
and
take up your cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34
If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has
passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:17,
NRSV
‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life,’ says the Lord. ‘No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14:6
Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, being dead to sin, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
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 Ecce nunc
Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, *
you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; *
the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge.
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.
A Song of True Motherhood
Julian of Norwich
God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.
Julian of Norwich
Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *
our trespasses and our humiliations.
Christ also revealed his blessed power, *
his blessed wisdom and love.
He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *
he raises us in spirit
and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.
God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;
*
God is the true father and mother of natures.
We are all bound to God by nature, *
and we are all bound to God by grace.
And this grace is for all the world, *
because it is our precious mother, Christ.
For this fair nature was prepared by Christ
for the honor and nobility of all, *
and for the joy and bliss of salvation.
From The Resistance Prays!
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids...."
Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament. "Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares."
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:17-18, 20-21, 23-24
Mother God,
We admit and acknowledge this country’s original and enduring sins of racism and white supremacy. We pray for complete repentance. Show us a path toward reparation, God of Repair and Mercy.
We pray for the wisdom and strength to bring healing and justice, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
We pray for an end to white supremacy, an end to racist policing, an end to the ransom system that is cash bail.
With mothers who mourn this day, we mourn.
With the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, we mourn.
With the mother of Breonna Taylor, we mourn.
With the mother of Sean Reed, we mourn.
With Tamir’s mother, Trayvon’s mother, Sandra’s mother, we mourn.
We mourn with you, God, the mother of us all.
+++
Amen.
For those who mourn.
Merciful God, you grant to children an abundant entrance into
your kingdom. In your compassion, comfort those who mourn
for N., and grant us grace to conform our lives to her/his innocence
and faith, that at length, united with her/him, we may
stand in your presence in the fullness of joy; for the sake of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
For a Child Who Dies by Violence
Loving God, Jesus gathered your little ones in his arms and
blessed them. Have pity on those who mourn for_____, an innocent
slaughtered by the violence of our fallen world. Be with us as we
struggle with the mysteries of life and death; in our pain, bring
your comfort, and in our sorrow, bring your hope and your
promise of new life, in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.
Child Dead by Suicide
Out of the depths we cry to you, merciful God, for your child N.,
dead by her/his own hand. Meet our confusion with your peace,
our anger with forgiveness, our guilt with mercy, and our sorrow
with consolation. Help us acknowledge the mystery that our lives
are hid with Christ in you, whose compassion is over all whom
you have made. Amen.
For One Who has Killed
Holy God, we lift into the light of your justice N. [the one] who
has taken the life of your child N. Where our hearts are stone
return to us hearts of flesh; that grief may not swallow us up, but
new life find us through Jesus the crucified, with whom we are
raised by your power. Amen.
Christ our Passover Pascha nostrum
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, *
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
31 In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
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."
Acts 7:55-60
55But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.*
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.
1 Peter 2:2-10
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built* into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him* will not be put to shame.’
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner’,
8and
‘A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,* in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
A Song of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.
The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,
But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God.
John 14:1-14
Jesus the Way to the Father
14‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe* in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?* 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.’* 5Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ 6Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know* my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
8 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ 9Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me* for anything, I will do it.
We Praise You, O God Te Deum laudamus
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
all creation worships you,
the Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you took our flesh to set us free
you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come to be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
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.
Various Collects from the Book of Common Prayer and A New Zealand Prayer Book
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of 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 a Person in Trouble or Bereavement
O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that
thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servant for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember him, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish his soul with patience, comfort him with a sense of
thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon him, and give
him peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On Sunday
O God our King, by the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
on the first day of the week, you conquered sin, put death to
flight, and gave us the hope of everlasting life: Redeem all
our days by this victory; forgive our sins, banish our fears,
make us bold to praise you and to do your will; and steel us
to wait for the consummation of your kingdom on the last
great Day; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Saints and Faithful Departed
We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, for all your servants
and witnesses of time past: for Abraham, the father of believers,
and Sarah his wife; for Moses, the lawgiver, and Aaron, the
priest; for Miriam and Joshua, Deborah and Gideon, and
Samuel with Hannah his mother; for Isaiah and all the prophets;
for Mary, the mother of our Lord; for Peter and Paul and all
the apostles; for Mary and Martha, and Mary Magdalene; for
Stephen, the first martyr, and all the martyrs and saints in
every age and in every land. In your mercy, O Lord our God,
give us, as you gave to them, the hope of salvation and the
promise of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the
first-born of many from the dead. Amen.
O God, the King of saints, we praise and glorify your holy
Name for all your servants who have finished their course in
your faith and fear: for the blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy
patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all your
other righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we
pray that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their
prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through
the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God,
your Son Jesus Christ
is the way, the truth and the life for all creation;
grant us grace to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Here are the Lessons from the Eucharistic Lectionary for the Feast of St. Stephen (December 26)
An optional read and comparison.
31 In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, *
and I put my trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; *
for you have seen my affliction;
you know my distress.
8 You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; *
you have set my feet in an open place.
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."
17 Lord, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; *
rather, let the wicked be put to shame;
let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against
the righteous, *
haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt.
19 How great is your goodness, O Lord!
which you have laid up for those who fear you; *
which you have done in the sight of all
for those who put their trust in you.
20 You hide them in the covert of your presence from those
who slander them; *
you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord! *
for he has shown me the wonders of his love in a
besieged city.
22 Yet I said in my alarm,
"I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes." *
Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty
when I cried out to you.
23 Love the Lord, all you who worship him; *
the Lord protects the faithful,
but repays to the full those who act haughtily.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, *
all you who wait for the Lord.
Jeremiah 26:1-9,12-15
Jeremiah’s Prophecies in the Temple
26At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. 3It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. 4You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently—though you have not heeded— 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.
7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, “This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant”?’ And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, ‘It is the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.’
Acts 6:8-7:2,51-60
The Arrest of Stephen
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. 10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit* with which he spoke. 11Then they secretly instigated some men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ 12They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13They set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth* will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.’ 15And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Speech to the Council
7Then the high priest asked him, ‘Are these things so?’ 2And Stephen replied:
‘Brothers* and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
51 ‘You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. 52Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. 53You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.’
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.* 55But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.*
Matthew 23:34-39
34Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
The Lament over Jerusalem
37 ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38See, your house is left to you, desolate.* 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand: where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
Merciful God, give us grace, in all our sufferings for the truth
to follow the example
of your martyr Stephen,
that we also may look to him who was crucified
and pray for those who persecute us;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.
Jesus,
your glory is not in power alone
but even more in suffering and death;
may Stephen’s vision
crown our resolution and keep us true;
for the glory of your holy name.
Amen.
Here are the Daily Office Readings for his feast day if you so desire
2 Chronicles 24:17-22;
Acts 6:1-7
PM: Psalm 118;
Wisdom 4:7-15;
Acts 7:59-8:8
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Tonight's Featured Prayers are from Prayers of Power from Harvard Square Library
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.
D. H. Lawrence: Pax
All that matters is to be at one with You, the living God;
to be a creature in Your house, O God of Life!
Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.
Sleeping on the hearth of the living world,
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of You, the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of a master, a mistress sitting on the board
in their own and greater being,
in the house of life.
FOR ALL PEOPLE -Reinhold Niebuhr
O God, we pray for all sorts and conditions of people:
For all who toil in the burden and heat of the day, that they may en joy the rewards of their industry, that they may not be defrauded of their due, and that we may never cease to be mindful of our debt to them for making our life tolerable;
For those in authority, who have power over others, that they may not use it for selfish advantage but be guided to do justice and to love mercy.
For those who have been worsted in the battles of life, whether by the inhumanity of others, their own limitations, or the fickleness of fortune, that they may contend against injustice without bitterness, and learn how to accept what cannot be altered, with patience;
For the rulers of nations that they may promote peace among the peoples and establish justice in our common life.
For the teachers and ministers of Your power, for artists, scientists and interpreters of the spiritual life, that they may not corrupt the truth to which they are committed;
For prophets and seers who awaken us from our sloth, that they may hold their torches high in a world darkened by prejudice.
O God, who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us the grace to understand how our lives depend upon one another and our responsibilities to You.
Theodore Parker: Prayers
OUR FATHER AND OUR MOTHER
Creating and Protecting Power, our Father and our Mother, we lift up our psalm of thanksgiving to You. You hold the world in Your arms of love. It sings thanksgiving to You every morning, evening and noon. We praise You for Your blessings. We desire to be deeply conscious of Your presence, which fills all time, which occupies all space. We would know You as You are.
We thank You for the happiness that attends us in our daily life, for the joys of our daily work, for the success which You give to the labor of our hands. We thank You for the plain and common household joys of life, for the satisfactions of friendship, for the blessedness of love in all the dear relationships of life.
We thank You that amid hopes that so often deceive us, amid expec tations that fail and perish, we have still our faith in You. In our sorrow and sadness we look up to You, and when mortal friends fail us, and the urn that held our treasured joys is broken into fragments, and the wine of life is scattered at our feet, O God, we rejoice to know that You understand our lot. We thank You that You hold each one of us, yes, all Your children and the universe itself, as a mother folds her baby to her bosom.
THE HIGHER GOOD
Dear God, I will not ask for wealth or fame,
Though once they would have joyed my carnal sense;
I shudder not to bear a hated name,
Wanting all wealth, myself my sole defense,
But give me, God, eyes to behold the truth,
A seeing sense that knows the eternal right;
A heart with pity filled and gentlest ruth;
A robust faith that makes all darkness light;
Give me power to labor for humankind;
Make me the mouth of such as cannot speak;
Eyes let me be to the groping and the blind;
A conscience to the base; and to the weak,
Let me be hands and feet; and to the foolish, mind;
And lead still farther on such as Your kingdom seek.
FATHER AND MOTHER OF ALL
Eternal One, I bathe my soul in Your infinity.
Transcendent God! Yet, ever immanent in all that is, I flee to You, and seek repose and soothing in my Mother’s breast. From all this dusty world, You will not lose a molecule of earth or spark of light. Father and Mother of all things that are, I flee to You, and in Your arms find rest; My God! I thank You for Your love.
OPEN OUR INNER EYES
Eternal One whose presence fills all space and occupies all time, who has a dwelling-place in every humble heart that trusts in You: we bless Your for Your loving-kindness, knowing that You love us better even than the mothers who have borne us. We thank You this day for the broad great world beneath our feet, for these wondrous heavens above our heads which mightily You sow with starry seeds; for the rivers as they roll and the ocean as it ebbs and floods. O God, they tell us of Yourpower; they talk of Your wisdom; they charm us with tidings of Your love.
A greater revelation is Your still small voice, which whispers in our soul that all this magnificence is but a drop of You, a little sparklet that has fallen from Your presence, O Central Fire and Radiant Light of all. The outward things are but a whisper of Your wisdom.
O God, open our inner eyes that we may see You as You are and serve You with our daily life. Arm us for the duty which You give us to do, every day’s work in its own day. May duty be supreme over desire and our daily life be beautiful, one continual sacrament to You.
INFINITE MOTHER, INFINITE FATHER
Infinite Mother, the parent of our bodies and our souls: We know You always have us in Your care and that You cradle the world beneath Your eye; we would be conscious of Your presence with us.
Infinite Father, we thank You for this great human world added to this earth and air and sea. We thank You for the mighty capacities You have given us for thought and toil, for beauty and for duty. We thank You for this soul of ours whereby we know You, our Father and our Mother, and have serene delight in Your continual presence and Your love. We thank You that when we wander from Your ways, Your love forsakes usnot but reaches out to bring the wanderer back home wiser and better. We thank You that we may live noble lives, that we may become whole.
OUR DAILY LIVES
Infinite Presence who lives and move and has Your being in all that is above us and around us and underneath us: we remember that it is in You that we also live and move and have our being. Conscious of Your presence, we would look on our daily lives, that the murmur of our busi ness, the roar of the street and the jar of the noisy world, may mingle in the prayer of our aspiration and hymn of gratitude. May the meditations of our hearts draw us nearer to You, always above us and about us andwithin.
When we are weak and poor and foolish, may we remember the Source of all strength and all wisdom and all riches; and when we grow strong and rich, wise and good, may we never forget our duty to the poor, the weak, the foolish, but love others as we love ourselves.
We pray that in every emergency of our lives, we may be faithful to the duty which the day demands , doing what must be done, bearing what must be borne, and so growing greater from our toil and our suffer ings, till we transfigure ourselves into noble images of humanity.
YOU BIND TOGETHER THE AGES
Living God who fills the world and yet is not far from any one of us, we would join ourselves to You, and warm and freshen our spirit in the sunlight of Your coun tenance, and come away strengthened and made whole.
We thank Your for the little children, whose coming foretells that progress kingdom of righteousness which is ever at our doors, waiting to be revealed; giving joy to many a father’s and mother’s heart.
We thank You for the power of youth, for its green promise, its glad foretelling, and its abundant hope. We thank You for the strength of manhood and wom anhood, into whose hands You commit the family, the community, the nation and the world.
We bless You for the old age which crowns the head with silver honors, the fruit of long and experienced life, and enriches the ear with wisdom which babyhood knew not, which Youth could not comprehend, and only long-continued maturity could make perfect.
O God, we thank You that You bind together the ages of infancy and Youth, adulthood and old age by the sweet ties of family and social love.
Almighty Power, All-knowing Wisdom, we thank You for Yourself and for Your arms around this dusty world.
THANK YOU
Perpetual Presence, always near to us, may the fire of our gratitude be kindled and our souls flame up towards You.
We thank You for the world of matter under our feet, over our head, and about us on every side.
We thank You for the bread we eat, for the garments we put on, for the houses which hold us, for the sleep which all night slides into our bones, bringing strength to the weary and health to the sick.
We thank You for the vast gifts which You have bestowed upon us, for these bodies so wonderfully made, for the ever-questioning mind which hungers for truth and beauty, for the vision of You held by Your children of every age and every land.
We thank You for great philosophers and prophets and poets who have gathered justice and taught love as well as for the billions of unre membered men and women who in their common callings were faithful to the light which shone upon them, and we rejoice in the heritage which their toil has won and bequeathed to us.
O God, our Father and our Mother, may we know You as You are, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
TO JOIN THE HUMAN RACE
O God, may we join the human race in daring to live in the prophetic spirit: seeking inspiration like the seers and sages of this and other lands, judging the past as they, acting on the present like them, envisioning a new and nobler era of the spirit.
May our doctrines and forms fit the soul as the limbs fit the body: growing out of it, growing with it.
May we have communities for the whole person: truth for the mind, good works for the hands, love for the heart; and for the soul that aspiring after perfection, that unfaltering faith in life, which like lightning in the clouds, shines brightest when elsewhere it is most dark.
+++++
LITANY OF LOVE
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 offence given or taken, from unrighteous anger and an impatient spirit, from a hard and unforgiving temper, and from evil-speaking,
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 fulness 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; vaunted not itself, is not puffed up; which does not behave unseemly, and seeks not its own.
Grant us to be filled with the fulness 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.
++++
Services of Religion: Free Nation and Free World
God, who has made us one nation out of many peoples, amid our diversities of race and tradition, unite us in a common love of freedom and in a high ambition for our national life.
Continue in us the pioneering spirit which led our fathers across the estranging sea and up held them in the wilderness.
Deepen in the people of this land a devotion to the common commonweal, so that we may open new doors of hope to the neglected and oppressed; cleanse our hearts from the greed which preys upon others; and deliver our politics from corruption.
Help us to establish this land in righteousness.
Endue with the spirit of wisdom those entrusted with authority, that there may be peace within our borders, and that we may stand among the nations of the earth an example of justice and a power of good will.
Let Your peace, O God, rule in all our hearts.
To every council where nations bring their hopes and fears, grant wisdom and mutual understanding, that distrust and hatred may be diminished, and a common law of justice be established.
Let peace, O God, prevail throughout the earth.
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.
D. H. Lawrence: Pax
All that matters is to be at one with You, the living God;
to be a creature in Your house, O God of Life!
Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.
Sleeping on the hearth of the living world,
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of You, the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of a master, a mistress sitting on the board
in their own and greater being,
in the house of life.
FOR ALL PEOPLE -Reinhold Niebuhr
O God, we pray for all sorts and conditions of people:
For all who toil in the burden and heat of the day, that they may en joy the rewards of their industry, that they may not be defrauded of their due, and that we may never cease to be mindful of our debt to them for making our life tolerable;
For those in authority, who have power over others, that they may not use it for selfish advantage but be guided to do justice and to love mercy.
For those who have been worsted in the battles of life, whether by the inhumanity of others, their own limitations, or the fickleness of fortune, that they may contend against injustice without bitterness, and learn how to accept what cannot be altered, with patience;
For the rulers of nations that they may promote peace among the peoples and establish justice in our common life.
For the teachers and ministers of Your power, for artists, scientists and interpreters of the spiritual life, that they may not corrupt the truth to which they are committed;
For prophets and seers who awaken us from our sloth, that they may hold their torches high in a world darkened by prejudice.
O God, who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us the grace to understand how our lives depend upon one another and our responsibilities to You.
Theodore Parker: Prayers
OUR FATHER AND OUR MOTHER
Creating and Protecting Power, our Father and our Mother, we lift up our psalm of thanksgiving to You. You hold the world in Your arms of love. It sings thanksgiving to You every morning, evening and noon. We praise You for Your blessings. We desire to be deeply conscious of Your presence, which fills all time, which occupies all space. We would know You as You are.
We thank You for the happiness that attends us in our daily life, for the joys of our daily work, for the success which You give to the labor of our hands. We thank You for the plain and common household joys of life, for the satisfactions of friendship, for the blessedness of love in all the dear relationships of life.
We thank You that amid hopes that so often deceive us, amid expec tations that fail and perish, we have still our faith in You. In our sorrow and sadness we look up to You, and when mortal friends fail us, and the urn that held our treasured joys is broken into fragments, and the wine of life is scattered at our feet, O God, we rejoice to know that You understand our lot. We thank You that You hold each one of us, yes, all Your children and the universe itself, as a mother folds her baby to her bosom.
THE HIGHER GOOD
Dear God, I will not ask for wealth or fame,
Though once they would have joyed my carnal sense;
I shudder not to bear a hated name,
Wanting all wealth, myself my sole defense,
But give me, God, eyes to behold the truth,
A seeing sense that knows the eternal right;
A heart with pity filled and gentlest ruth;
A robust faith that makes all darkness light;
Give me power to labor for humankind;
Make me the mouth of such as cannot speak;
Eyes let me be to the groping and the blind;
A conscience to the base; and to the weak,
Let me be hands and feet; and to the foolish, mind;
And lead still farther on such as Your kingdom seek.
FATHER AND MOTHER OF ALL
Eternal One, I bathe my soul in Your infinity.
Transcendent God! Yet, ever immanent in all that is, I flee to You, and seek repose and soothing in my Mother’s breast. From all this dusty world, You will not lose a molecule of earth or spark of light. Father and Mother of all things that are, I flee to You, and in Your arms find rest; My God! I thank You for Your love.
OPEN OUR INNER EYES
Eternal One whose presence fills all space and occupies all time, who has a dwelling-place in every humble heart that trusts in You: we bless Your for Your loving-kindness, knowing that You love us better even than the mothers who have borne us. We thank You this day for the broad great world beneath our feet, for these wondrous heavens above our heads which mightily You sow with starry seeds; for the rivers as they roll and the ocean as it ebbs and floods. O God, they tell us of Yourpower; they talk of Your wisdom; they charm us with tidings of Your love.
A greater revelation is Your still small voice, which whispers in our soul that all this magnificence is but a drop of You, a little sparklet that has fallen from Your presence, O Central Fire and Radiant Light of all. The outward things are but a whisper of Your wisdom.
O God, open our inner eyes that we may see You as You are and serve You with our daily life. Arm us for the duty which You give us to do, every day’s work in its own day. May duty be supreme over desire and our daily life be beautiful, one continual sacrament to You.
INFINITE MOTHER, INFINITE FATHER
Infinite Mother, the parent of our bodies and our souls: We know You always have us in Your care and that You cradle the world beneath Your eye; we would be conscious of Your presence with us.
Infinite Father, we thank You for this great human world added to this earth and air and sea. We thank You for the mighty capacities You have given us for thought and toil, for beauty and for duty. We thank You for this soul of ours whereby we know You, our Father and our Mother, and have serene delight in Your continual presence and Your love. We thank You that when we wander from Your ways, Your love forsakes usnot but reaches out to bring the wanderer back home wiser and better. We thank You that we may live noble lives, that we may become whole.
OUR DAILY LIVES
Infinite Presence who lives and move and has Your being in all that is above us and around us and underneath us: we remember that it is in You that we also live and move and have our being. Conscious of Your presence, we would look on our daily lives, that the murmur of our busi ness, the roar of the street and the jar of the noisy world, may mingle in the prayer of our aspiration and hymn of gratitude. May the meditations of our hearts draw us nearer to You, always above us and about us andwithin.
When we are weak and poor and foolish, may we remember the Source of all strength and all wisdom and all riches; and when we grow strong and rich, wise and good, may we never forget our duty to the poor, the weak, the foolish, but love others as we love ourselves.
We pray that in every emergency of our lives, we may be faithful to the duty which the day demands , doing what must be done, bearing what must be borne, and so growing greater from our toil and our suffer ings, till we transfigure ourselves into noble images of humanity.
YOU BIND TOGETHER THE AGES
Living God who fills the world and yet is not far from any one of us, we would join ourselves to You, and warm and freshen our spirit in the sunlight of Your coun tenance, and come away strengthened and made whole.
We thank Your for the little children, whose coming foretells that progress kingdom of righteousness which is ever at our doors, waiting to be revealed; giving joy to many a father’s and mother’s heart.
We thank You for the power of youth, for its green promise, its glad foretelling, and its abundant hope. We thank You for the strength of manhood and wom anhood, into whose hands You commit the family, the community, the nation and the world.
We bless You for the old age which crowns the head with silver honors, the fruit of long and experienced life, and enriches the ear with wisdom which babyhood knew not, which Youth could not comprehend, and only long-continued maturity could make perfect.
O God, we thank You that You bind together the ages of infancy and Youth, adulthood and old age by the sweet ties of family and social love.
Almighty Power, All-knowing Wisdom, we thank You for Yourself and for Your arms around this dusty world.
THANK YOU
Perpetual Presence, always near to us, may the fire of our gratitude be kindled and our souls flame up towards You.
We thank You for the world of matter under our feet, over our head, and about us on every side.
We thank You for the bread we eat, for the garments we put on, for the houses which hold us, for the sleep which all night slides into our bones, bringing strength to the weary and health to the sick.
We thank You for the vast gifts which You have bestowed upon us, for these bodies so wonderfully made, for the ever-questioning mind which hungers for truth and beauty, for the vision of You held by Your children of every age and every land.
We thank You for great philosophers and prophets and poets who have gathered justice and taught love as well as for the billions of unre membered men and women who in their common callings were faithful to the light which shone upon them, and we rejoice in the heritage which their toil has won and bequeathed to us.
O God, our Father and our Mother, may we know You as You are, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
TO JOIN THE HUMAN RACE
O God, may we join the human race in daring to live in the prophetic spirit: seeking inspiration like the seers and sages of this and other lands, judging the past as they, acting on the present like them, envisioning a new and nobler era of the spirit.
May our doctrines and forms fit the soul as the limbs fit the body: growing out of it, growing with it.
May we have communities for the whole person: truth for the mind, good works for the hands, love for the heart; and for the soul that aspiring after perfection, that unfaltering faith in life, which like lightning in the clouds, shines brightest when elsewhere it is most dark.
+++++
LITANY OF LOVE
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 offence given or taken, from unrighteous anger and an impatient spirit, from a hard and unforgiving temper, and from evil-speaking,
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 fulness 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; vaunted not itself, is not puffed up; which does not behave unseemly, and seeks not its own.
Grant us to be filled with the fulness 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.
++++
Services of Religion: Free Nation and Free World
God, who has made us one nation out of many peoples, amid our diversities of race and tradition, unite us in a common love of freedom and in a high ambition for our national life.
Continue in us the pioneering spirit which led our fathers across the estranging sea and up held them in the wilderness.
Deepen in the people of this land a devotion to the common commonweal, so that we may open new doors of hope to the neglected and oppressed; cleanse our hearts from the greed which preys upon others; and deliver our politics from corruption.
Help us to establish this land in righteousness.
Endue with the spirit of wisdom those entrusted with authority, that there may be peace within our borders, and that we may stand among the nations of the earth an example of justice and a power of good will.
Let Your peace, O God, rule in all our hearts.
To every council where nations bring their hopes and fears, grant wisdom and mutual understanding, that distrust and hatred may be diminished, and a common law of justice be established.
Let peace, O God, prevail throughout the earth.
Prayer for People Facing Great Uncertainty
God of the present moment,
God who in Jesus stills the storm
and soothes the frantic heart;
bring hope and courage to all
who wait or work in uncertainty.
Bring hope that you will make them the equal
of whatever lies ahead.
Bring them courage to endure what cannot be avoided,
for your will is health and wholeness;
you are God, and we need you.
Amen.
Taken from A New Zealand Prayer Book—He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa’ (adapted)
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those
who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I desire to offer you
praise and thanksgiving as I proclaim your resurrection.
I love you above all things, and long for you in my soul.
Since I cannot receive you in the Sacrament of your Body
and Blood, come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and
strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me
never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you
in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
Let us light our unity candle and pray the words of 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.
For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience
O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he
was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer
for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them
from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them
from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from
despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be
cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus
Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.
For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
God we reach out too our diverse family and remember that we are family even if we don't look the same, practice the same faith, or speak the same language.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. 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
Gracious God We thank you for:O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he
was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer
for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them
from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them
from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from
despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be
cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus
Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.
For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
God we reach out too our diverse family and remember that we are family even if we don't look the same, practice the same faith, or speak the same language.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. 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
You and that you created us in love and in your image and likeness.
Your mercy and giving us many second and beyond chances to start over.
Courage and resiliency that make us stronger and able to meet the challenges of life.
For all things that are living from the largest Sequoia to the tiniest microbe.
For all of our family members nearby and far away.
For all the abundance that You give us each and every day.
For minds to think and the courage and drive to think outside the box.
For our enemies and haters that give us the resolve to love and care more fervently and more lovingly.
For illnesses that allow us to become authentically ourselves with greater peace of mind.
For our loved ones who now reside in the Thin Places in eternal Joy.
For our many mentors who have helped us on our life's journey.
For care givers who take time to care and may we remember and give thanks for all of us who are care givers. .
For making all of us your children so that we may be made peacemakers.
Gracious God we Thank you for Everything and yes even your and life's interruptions ! It's a good thing God for you are good ! All the time.
We thank you Jesus and we say and pray Amen.
Or these!
“Be the heart of a network of global citizens
Be a bridge for dialogue between civilizations
Be a beacon lighting the way to a century
of life”
~ Daisaku Ikeda
God of abundance, joy, and love we offer our bodies, minds, and spirits into your loving care this night. As we pray let us be mindful of the needs of our family members and pray for their well being.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all our family members who have had surgery or any procedure today that they may be on their way to good health and accept your healing.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all refugees, captives, prisoners, victims of domestic violence and abuse. Bring them out of danger and into freedom and safety.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all who are grieving that they may feel your loving and sustaining grace during grief's long journey.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all of our family members who are struggling that they may be comforted and relieved from their present situation.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all nations that they may use common sense and compassion when governing their residents. We pray for peace and and end to violence, war, and cruelty.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all who have asked us for prayer and the many who are on our daily prayer heart and prayer list. Please add your own prayers and thanksgivings here.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over our heart homes and may we love more and more to the brim and overflowing.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy,watch over all who post and tweet in cyber-space that hate may be quelled and a place of love, dignity and respect may reign.
God of Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy, help us to see your Gospel messages everywhere we go. Help us to see them and follow your son Jesus and model our lives and show love and mercy to your fragile and broken world.
Keep our eyes keen, our hearts open, and our spirits empowered to be engaged in your world for the betterment of all our family members. May we reflect your compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy to all. We pray that the me generation will be replaced with the we generation.
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, these are our prayers accept them with love, mercy, and grace. Amen.
In your presence O God, we come together as one family of love. Give us courage to lay down the weaponry of hate and find common ground.
In your presence O God, take all the gunk in our lives that prevent us from truly serving you and the least of these.
In your presence O God, give us courage to discern where you are sending us and help us to respond accordingly with "Here I am send me"!
In your presence O God, make us truly the Beloved Community intent upon serving you and our family members with CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy)
In your presence O God, help us to stand fast and ready to speak truth to power and seek out ways to be the change you want to see in the world.
In your presence O God, may we feel and know your love for us so that we may serve others. In your presence O God, we offer these our prayers________________________________
In your presence O God we lift up these our prayers to you in the name of your only begotten Son Jesus. Amen.
We close our vigil with these prayers:
The Woke Prayers of St. Francis
Help us O God to be woke! Woke as your peacemakers, change makers, heart changers, and love energy bringers!
Woke to the hatred so that we may sow seeds of love. Woke to the injury so that we may heal the hurt and cease the harm.
Woke to the divisiveness that we may be eager to heal and unite as one neighborhood and family.
Woke to uncertainty that will lead us to be renewed in faith.
Woke to the despair of all our neighbors so that we may sow seeds of radical hope, love, hospitality, and inclusion.
Woke to the knowledge that we are God's beloved children.
Woke to sing the words of We are One in The Spirit Peter Scholte
1-
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
Chorus
And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our Love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.
-2-
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
Chorus
-3-
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
Chorus
-3-
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the News
that God is in our land.
Help us to be woke enough not to think of ourselves being the comforted, help us be the comforters and wounded healers.
Help not to be know it alls and be woke to understand what is plaguing our inner beings, neighbors, neighborhoods, the least of these, our family members.
God wake us up to be Woke to your agape love so that we may love everything that you have made.
Wake us to be Woke to Radical Love, Hospitality, and inclusion.
Help us to know that being truly woke means being open to radical and random acts of kindness and giving. Where the giver is given and receives much by acts of giving.
Help us to be woke enough to forgive and then find ourselves being actually forgiven
God Wake us Up to Be Woke to know that death isn't the end but only the beginning of a new birth in your heavenly Kindom. Amen and let it be so!
O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
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)
In the Evening
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows
lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is
hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done.
Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest,
and peace at the last. Amen.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Bonus quotes on Mothers:
"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see." ~ Pope Paul VI
"Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do" ~ George Bernard Shaw
"The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing." ~ Luther Standing Bear
"The best place to cry is on a mother's arms." ~ Jodi Picoult
"Motherhood is priced Of God, at price no man may dare To lessen or misunderstand." ~ Helen Hunt Jackson
"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." ~ William Makepeace Thackeray
"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." ~ Erich Fromm
"Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers." ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Though motherhood is the most important of all the professions - requiring more knowledge than any other department in human affairs - there was no attention given to preparation for this office." ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
"You only need a heart full of grace" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do" ~ George Bernard Shaw
"The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing." ~ Luther Standing Bear
"The best place to cry is on a mother's arms." ~ Jodi Picoult
"Motherhood is priced Of God, at price no man may dare To lessen or misunderstand." ~ Helen Hunt Jackson
"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." ~ William Makepeace Thackeray
"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." ~ Erich Fromm
"Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers." ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Though motherhood is the most important of all the professions - requiring more knowledge than any other department in human affairs - there was no attention given to preparation for this office." ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
"You only need a heart full of grace" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
+++
Good Night Beloved Community! I love you! Have a blessed rest tonight.
Peace, love prayers, and God's blessings.
Sara
Resources:
A to Z quotes
A New Zealand Prayer Book.
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship 1 and 2
Prayers of Power
Satucket Lectionary
Walk With Me On Our Journey
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