Walk With me on Our Journey: Resting and reflecting require endurance! Part II of our Retreat Weekend!

Good Evening Dear Ones!

Happy Self-Care Saturday! As we spend time resting and reflecting, it is necessary to know that endurance plays a major role in doing these things. Enduring means staying the course and yes even risking one's life in the service of others. For today's Feast day we are commemorating are The Martyrs of the Sudans. Let us ponder these quotes and keep it simple in our time of worship.

"Endurance is patience concentrated." ~ Thomas Carlyle

"If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." ~ Kathrine Switzer

"Out of suffering comes the serious mind; out of salvation, the grateful heart; out of endurance, fortitude; out of deliverance faith. Patient endurance attends to all things." ~ Teresa of Avila

"There is nothing love cannot face; there is limit to its faith, its hope and endurance." ~ Paul the Apostle
"If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose." ~ Frederick Douglass

"God tries his votaries through and through but never beyond endurance. He gives them strength enough to go through the ordeal he prescribes for them." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light." ~ John of the Cross

"There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"He that endures is not overcome." ~ George Herbert

"God never changes; Patient endurance Attains to all things; Who God possesses In nothing is wanting; Alone God suffices." ~ Teresa of Avila

"Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal high priest himself, the Son of God Jesus Christ, build you up in faith and truth and in all gentleness and in all freedom from anger and forbearance and steadfastness and patient endurance and purity." ~ Polycarp

"God enters through the wound." ~ Carl Jung

1 Thessalonians 1:3
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

Romans 5:4
and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

James 1:3
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Romans 5:3
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

Romans 15:4
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Revelation 14:12
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

Romans 15:5
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

Hebrews 10:36
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

James 1:4
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Colossians 1:11
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously

Luke 21:19
By your endurance you will gain your lives.

2 Timothy 3:10
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

Revelation 2:19
‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

Hebrews 6:12
so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

1 Corinthians 13:7
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 Peter 1:6
and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

James 5:11
We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Romans 2:7
to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

1 Timothy 6:11
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Revelation 1:9
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

2 Peter 1:5
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

Ephesians 6:18
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Matthew 24:13
But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

2 Peter 1:7
Verse Concepts
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

Revelation 13:10
If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

James 1:12
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Revelation 2:2
‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;

2 Corinthians 6:4
but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,

Luke 8:15
But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

James 1:2
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

Lamentations 3:18
So I say, “My strength has perished,
And so has my hope from the Lord.”

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

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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

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

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

Alleluia. Christ is risen. O come let us worship. Alleluia.

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.

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

"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

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.

Psalm 116:10-17

10 How shall I repay the Lord *
for all the good things he has done for me?

11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in the presence of all his people.

13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *
is the death of his servants.

14 O Lord, I am your servant; *
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.

15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in the presence of all his people,

17 In the courts of the Lord's house, *
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

Wisdom 3:1-9

The Destiny of the Righteous

3But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
3 and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.
4 For though in the sight of others they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.
5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
6 like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them.
7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.
8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever.
9 Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,
and he watches over his elect.*

A Song of Pilgrimage Priusquam errarem
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16,20b-22

Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.

Hebrews 10:32-39

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. 35Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. 36For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37For yet
‘in a very little while,
the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith.
My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.’
39But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

The Song of Mary Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Matthew 24:9-14

9 ‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10Then many will fall away,* and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this good news* of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

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.

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 (Settings 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.

(Alternative form of the Lord's Prayer as found in the New Zealand Prayer Book.)
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.

O God, steadfast in the midst of persecution, by your providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: As the martyrs of the Sudan refused to abandon Christ even in the face of torture and death, and so by their sacrifice brought forth a plentiful harvest, may we, too, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of Von Ogden Vogt

ACT OF AFFIRMATION

We believe in You, O God, the life of all that is: sovereign in wisdom, goodness and power; and working everywhere for justice and peace and love.

We believe in the ideal of human life which reveals itself as love of You and love of humankind.

We believe in the growth of Your kingdom on earth, and that our loyalty to truth, to righteousness, and to other human beings, is the measure of our desire for its coming.

We believe that the living and the dead are in Your hands, O God, and that underneath both are Your everlasting arms.

By all our experience; in health and in sickness; in joy and in sorrow; in every circumstance and in every place, O God, our Father and Mother Eternal:

Teach us and lead us ever nearer to You.

LITANY OF GRATEFULNESS

Let us join in grateful praise for the goods of life that are ours. With the voices and hearts of the children of humanity, with seers and prophets, with those whose craftmanship is their song, with all who find in human service their joy made full;

We lift up our hearts in gratitude and praise.

In life; its adventures, risks and prizes; in the strength of the soul that overcomes all dangers;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In tasks that are hard; in work well done; in the skill of our hands; in experience, judgment, decision;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In knowledge; in joining fact to fact; in seeing truth in its beauty;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In health; in sickness that has passed away; in sorrows that have not visited us; in temptations that did not tarry at our door; in fears that turned to triumph;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In the faces of those we love; in the eyes that look kindly upon us even when we fail; in those with whom we are at rest;

We rejoice with thanksgiving.

In those who, though dead, yet speak, the known and the unknown, the great and the lowly, by whose lives we are enabled to live;

We rejoice and will rejoice forevermore. Let the work of our hands declare the gladness of our hearts, and kindly deeds speak forth the gratitude within.

The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace

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

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.

God we pray this night for all who are in fragile and tender situations. We remember all of your children who are refugees, captives, victims of any kind of violence and abuse, the mentally ill and memory challenged. We remember all of our family members who see to harm that they may be led out of the need to do so.
Gather us in O God ,as your beloved children.

God we pray this night for all who travel that they may be protected. Help us to be mindful as we drive and bike. Make us mindful of all who walk and carry heavy loads.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for peace, justice, mercy, equality, and inclusion in our cities, states, country, and nations of the world.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for all who are grieving losses of any kind and that we may lovingly respond to their needs.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for all who are transitioning into life eternal and those who have made the journey today. Give us courage to lovingly honor their passing and celebrate their lives in the way we live, move and just be.
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we pray for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially__________________
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

God we lift up with thanksgiving our many blessings that you have lovingly bestowed upon us remembering______________
Gather us in O God, as your beloved children.

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

Matthew 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “[b]Blessed are the [c]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 [d]gentle, 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 of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

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

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

― Teresa of Ávila

Optional Prayers

May we be at prayer and find our lives this night being transfixed, transformed, and transfigured into new bodies, minds, and spirits, and that we are new wine skins.

Jesus, we thank you that on the day of Your Transfiguration that your chosen apostles became witnesses this event in your life. May we all witness to Your goodness, love, and mercy.

Jesus, transform our lives that we may serve you in both words and in deeds. May our words and deeds transform the lives of all the least of these our family members.

Jesus, may we always have our minds, hearts, and spirits transfixed and focused on You.

Jesus, plant in our hearts seeds of love, joy, hope, peace, mercy, and grace that we may live our lives ever fixed on you and the work you are calling us to do.

Jesus, may peace prevail upon earth and that the world may be transfigured into one united family of love, mercy, justice, and service.

Jesus, heal and calm all those who are awaiting surgery, have major illnesses, and all those who have any illness of the body, mind, and spirit.

Jesus, We give thanks for all caregivers and pray that they may receive the self-care they need/

Jesus, we pray for anything or anyone who is on our heart and in our mind remembering especially____________

Jesus. give us the courage every day to be transfixed, transformed, and transfigured when we need to make changes in our lives.

Jesus, we pray for all who mourn losses of any kind. May we show love and compassion.

Jesus, we offer these our prayers to you in Your. Name. Amen.

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Let us pray,

God wake us up out of the silences that make us complicit viewers as violence and hatred surrounds.