Good Evening Dear Ones!
Happy Wisdom Wednesday! Today is our 18th day of Celtic Advent and The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. We honor and remember the life of John Brown who was an abolitionist of great renown. We come down to #earth on day's like this. When you read and meditate upon the quotes of John Brown you will know what I mean. This is a time of lament,reckoning, and reconciliation in preparation for a new year to come. So let us begin.by praying the words of "Amazing Grace" by John Newton.
1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
2 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
6 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.
Let us ponder these quotes by John Brown and #earth
"Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervours, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills." ~ John Brown
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"These men are all talk; What is needed is action - action!" ~ John Brown
"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle." ~ Nhat Hanh
"I want you to understand that I respect the rights of the poorest and weakest of colored people, oppressed by the slave system, just as much as I do those of the most wealthy and powerful. That is the idea that has moved me, and that alone." ~ John Brown
"The earth is what we all have in common." ~ Wendell Berry
"Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!" ~ John Brown
"The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." ~ Chief Seattle
"Whereas, Slavery, throughout its entire existence in the United States is none other than a most barbarous, unprovoked, and unjustifiable War of one portion of its citizens upon another portion; the only conditions of which are perpetual imprisonment, and hopeless servitude or absolute extermination; in utter disregard and violation of those eternal and self-evident truths set forth in our Declaration of Independence." ~ John Brown
"Be gentle with the earth." ~ Dalai Lama
"The same eye cannot both look up to heaven and down to earth." ~ John Brown
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children." ~ Crazy Horse
Come let us worship.
Opening Sentences:
Through Jesus let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of lips that acknowledge God’s name. Hebrews 13:15
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (adapted)
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11
When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun. 2 Corinthians 5:17
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
Now let us Light Our Candles and be at prayer.
The Light of Christ in me Recognizes the Light of Christ in you!"
I hold holy space for you during this time of prayer, vigil, and meditation.
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.
God let us light our candles to pray that we may love radically with open hearts, open souls, open spirits, and open minds. Let our love be seen not only in words but deeds. Let our lives show the love that you have given us daily without fear. God let your love be the measuring stick from which we may guide ourselves to do better when we fall short in loving all of our family members. God help us to love with words that have deep and abiding meaning that will build up and not tear down. Give us the courage to support our family members who desire to love and live openly as beloved children of God. God help us to know that Love truly is Love without condition and needs to be celebrated daily in many and exciting ways. God help us to love radically in the service of others and with enough Love Energy to set the world ablaze with enlivened and joyful hearts. We pray these our prayers in the name of God and in the name of Love who is God. Amen
Let us light our 18th candle and make vigil and pray for all of our family members who do not have time to take time off from work to rest and pray. We pray for all who are farmworkers who labor in the fields during stormy times. We pray for the homeless. We Stop. We Look. We Listen. We Make vigil and Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray!
IN LAK’ECH
Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.
Luis Valdez
A Smudging Prayer
Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.
Confession of Need
Let us confess our need for God’s healing grace.
Silence
Compassionate God,
we confess our weaknesses and our need for your
strengthening touch.
We confess that some illnesses stem from our own fault,
while others are beyond our control.
We turn to you, source of life,
and ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ
for the gifts of true healing and life in you. Amen.
May the God of love visit us in our times of trial and weakness,
and raise us to newness of life, through Jesus Christ, in the
power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road
although I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust You always,
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton
So let's engage in "The Peace Be Stills" and then come together in a healing and loving circle and hold sacred space for each other.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God is with us.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God is with us.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God is with us.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God dwells in you
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God dwells in you.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God dwells in you.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God lives within me
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
God lives within me.
An Irish Prayer
As I arise today,
may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God speak for me.
May the hand of God protect me,
the way of God lie before me,
the shield of God defend me,
the host of God save me.
May Christ shield me today.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen
Hymn before meditating and reading of the lessons:
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.
Psalm 23
The Divine Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;*
3 he restores my soul.*
He leads me in right paths*
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,*
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely* goodness and mercy* shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.*
The Song of Hannah
1 Samuel 2:1-8
My heart exults in you, O God; *
my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, *
for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *
Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, *
those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *
while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *
gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; *
and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers *
and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s *
on which the whole earth is founded.
Isaiah 25:6-9
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8 he will swallow up death for ever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
A Song of Pilgrimage Priusquam errarem
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16,20b-22
Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.
Matthew 15:29-39
Jesus Cures Many People
29 After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, 31so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’ 33The disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ 34Jesus asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ 35Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.*
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said. From A New Zealand Prayer Book
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Or
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.
Hymn
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give thine 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 thy love's sake. Amen.
God of all goodness, come into our heart this night and stay with us when the night is dark and the day is ending.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, help us to Lovingly Respond to the needs all of us your Children who are the least of these.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, may give the gift or presence to all who are mourning any loss.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, we pray that we may lovingly care for your Cathedral of Life and each other.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, we pray for all who are dying and have died today may they enter or have entered the Thin Places with joy and peace.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other while we are living and when are in the Thin Places and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, take away all fears, hate, and dis-ease that keeps us from being united as your family of love.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, give us courage to speak truth to power and the strength to fight injustice anywhere and be a voice for the voiceless.
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness, we offer our additional prayers remembering especially_______________
Let us shine your vesper light to each other and reflect your loving image to one another.
God of all goodness we lift up our prayers in the name of your only son Jesus the Christ, our redeemer, brother, and friend. Amen.
For Prophetic Witness in Society
Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Social Justice
Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day- Channing Moore Williams
O God, who in your providence called Channing Moore Williams to the ministry of this church and gave him the gifts and the perseverance to preach the Gospel in new lands: Inspire us, by his example and prayers, to commit our talents to your service, confident that you uphold those whom you call; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Collects (ANZPB)
God of hope,
when Christ your Son appears
may he not find us asleep or idle,
but active in his service and ready.
Come, O come Emmanuel,
you are the way, the truth and the life;
you are the true vine and the bread of life.
Come, living Saviour,
come to your world which waits for you.
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
so that when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
First Sunday of Advent (BCP)
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.
The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 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.
Let us spend time in silence and prepare ourselves to be God's voice in a broken world.
God of justice we pray that we may have courage to speak truth to power.
God of compassion we pray that we may love others not just in our words but in our deeds.
God of kindness we pray that we may use our voices to heal, comfort, and lovingly support.
God of peace we pray that we may use our voices as your beloved children to make peace and not wage war in this world.
God of all people, we pray that we may be the voices who seek to protect and serve the most vulnerable of our family members.
God of justice we pray that we may we have the courage to Stand Up, Step up, and Speak Up for all of your children who need us to act and not be silent.
God of Love we pray that we may use the Love Energy that is within our Heart Homes to be your Light to the world. May we shine your light in dark places so that our family members may see and be guided away from the darkness that infects our world.
God of healing we pray that we may seek to use our voices to heal and not harm.
God of creation we pray that we may use our voices to speak for good conservation practices to heal and renew the face of the earth and respect all living things in your Cathedral of Live.
God of diversity, we pray that we may be voices of unity and that we may seek to come to know one another and respect the dignity of all beings.
God and creator of us all may we seek to follow the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist and speak, love, act, and pray and be mindful of the needs and concerns of others this day and always!
God we offer our own voices in prayer and thanksgiving remembering____________________.
We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd whose voice we hear and who calls us all by our names. Amen.
++++++++++
Christ Has No Body.
by Teresa of Avila.
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks. Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Blessing, light, and glory surround us
and scatter the darkness of the long and lonely night.
The Song of Simeon Nunc Dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)
+++
Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Have a blessed night and time of reflection in the silencer of your sacred space.
With hope, joy, peace, and love,
Sara
Resources
Satucket Lectionary Page-
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship
Quote sites for prayers
Northumbria Community
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Bonus Prayers
Prayers of Hope
Let us pray!
God of Hope, as we enter fully into the Fall and Winter Months may we be given lenses that show us many things and where you would have us go, and what we are to become. Help us to lay down our worries and fears so that we may wait, watch, pray, and listen to you with open ears, hearts, and spirits.
God of Hope we pray for all of our family members who are in need of hope when they feel hopeless. Help us to bring hope to Your fragile and broken world.
God of Hope we pray for all our family members who are forced to live on the streets and out of doors during the cold weather. We pray that they may find sheltered areas from the winds, cold, rain, and snow. We pray that there may be homeless shelters and warming centers that will meet their needs as we know that one shelter type doesn't fit all.
God of Hope, we pray for our littlest family members who are in children's hospitals and PICU that they may be healed and be able to enjoy the holidays with their families.
God of Hope, we pray for all those who are dying and have died today that they may feel your loving presence and give them hope as they enter the Thin Places.
God of Hope, show us how to help creatively without having to write a check.
God of Hope, we pray for peace in your fragile and broken world. May we truly be blessed as peacemakers and find ourselves as your children.
God of Hope, we pray for all caregivers that they my find rest and respite.
God of Hope, we thank you for the gift of rain. May we continue to have more rain to refresh, replenish, and renew your drought parched earth.
God of Hope, help us to see You in all of our Family of Love's faces and that we may act accordingly and love, honor, and respect each other.
God of Hope, help us to love more fully, care more deeply, comfort with more compassion, and be more accepting and inclusive of all our family members.
God of Hope help us to console and comfort all who mourn at any stage of grief. Give us courage not to let any of our family members fall through the cracks.
God of Hope, we pray this night for all refugees, captives, political prisoners, victims of violence and abuse of any kind, victims of human trafficking and slavery.
God of Hope, we pray for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially______________
God of Hope, we offer our thanksgivings remembering especially______________________
God of Hope, we offer these our prayers and thanksgivings in the name of your only begotten son Jesus. Amen.
Or these prayers!
Now let us take time to pray to the loving and merciful God who made us and speaks to us gently and lovingly to our hearts,minds, and spirits every minute that we live, move, and just be!
God speak to our troubled minds and spirits as we prepare for our night's rest. We pray that we may take time to rest and pray more fully and in the knowledge that you are holding us and our family members in your arms that are loving and merciful.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits, and this world that you have created. We pray especially for unity where there is deep division. We pray that we may become truly peacemakers and learn what it is to make peace at all levels of our being.
God we pray for all of our family members who are ill in body, mind, and spirit that they may be healed. We remember this day_____________________
God we pray for all of our family members who have died and are transitioning into new lives in the Thin Places and Eternal Life and Joy.
God we pray for all who are struggling to find meaning and new life paths by life's wrinkly twists and turns.
God we pray for all who are being affected by severe weather remembering especially the people in the path of Matthew and all other places in our nation and throughout the world.
God we pray for all refugees, captives, victims of violence and abuse, and terror.
God we pray that we may love, include, and never treat anyone as invisible and give everyone a sense of belonging.
God of all Goodness we lift up these our prayers in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Waiting for God
A reading from Henri Nouwen
Most of us think of waiting as something very passive, a hopeless state determined by events totally out of our hands. The bus is late? You cannot do anything about it, so you have to sit there and just wait. It is not difficult to understand the irritation people feel when somebody says, ‘Just wait’. Words like that seem to push us into passivity.
But there is none of this passivity in scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. That’s the secret. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed has been planted, that something has begun. Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, who believes that this moment is the moment.
A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. Impatient people are always expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else and therefore want to go elsewhere. The moment is empty. But patient people dare to stay where they are. Patient living means to live actively in the present and wait there. Waiting, then, is not passive. It involves nurturing the moment, as a mother nurtures the child that is growing in her. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were very present to the moment. That is why they could hear the angel. They were alert, attentive to the voice that spoke to them and said, ‘Don't be afraid. Something is happening to you. Pay attention.’
But there is more. Waiting is open-ended Open-ended waiting is hard for us because we tend to wait for something very concrete, for something that we wish to have. Much of our waiting is filled with wishes: ‘I wish that I would have a job. I wish that the weather would be better. I wish that the pain would go.’ We are full of wishes, and our waiting easily gets entangled in those wishes. For this reason, a lot of our waiting is not open-ended. Instead, our waiting is a way of controlling the future. We want the future to go in a very specific direction, and if this does not happen we are disappointed and can even slip into despair. That is why we have such a hard time waiting: we want to do the things that will make the desired events take place. Here we can see how wishes tend to be connected with fears.
But Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were not filled with wishes. They were filled with hope. Hope is something very different. Hope is trusting that something will be fulfilled, but fulfilled according to the promises and not just according to our wishes. Therefore, hope is always open-ended.
I have found it very important in my own life to let go of my wishes and start hoping. It was only when I was willing to let go of wishes that something really new, something beyond my own expectations could happen to me. Just imagine what Mary was actually saying in the words, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord... let what you have said be done to me’ (Luke 1:38). She was saying, ‘I don’t know what this all means, but I trust that good things will happen.’ She trusted so deeply that her waiting was open to all possibilities. And she did not want to control them. She believed that when she listened carefully, she could trust what was going to happen.
To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our own imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God moulds us according to God's love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy, or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control.
Watch for the Light :
Readings for Advent and Christmas. – Farmington, PA : The Plough Publishing House, 2001. – (from the reading for 28 November)
A reading from Oscar Romero.
God comes, and his ways are near to us. God saves in history. Each person’s life, each one’s history, is the meeting place to which God comes. How satisfying to know one need not go to the desert to meet him, need not go to some particular spot in the world. God is in your own heart. * * *
Who will put a prophet’s eloquence into my words to shake from their inertia all those who kneel before the riches of the earth – who would like gold, money, lands, power, political life to be their everlasting gods? All that is going to end. There will remain only the satisfaction of having been, in regard to money or political life, a person faithful to God’s will. One must learn to manage the relative and transitory things of earth according to his will, not make them absolutes. There is only one absolute: he who awaits us in the heaven that will not pass away. Oscar Romero, 10 December, 1978
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Let us be at prayer:
Gracious and loving Father and Mother God and Creator of the Universe and the nurturing parent of us all may we take this time to be present with you and quiet our hearts and minds as we take time in this oasis of prayer.
God we have been given many prayer requests from our family members and we pray for ourselves as well. May we boldly ask and graciously have time to be in conversation with you as we pray for:
Your children of all ages who are ill and suffering .We remember especially babies who are ill and their parents who stay with them.
We pray for all our family members and their children who are waiting patiently with them when they are hospitalized.
We pray for all those who are suffering addictions of any kind may they find the courage to become sober and go into the proper rehab facility for treatment.
We pray for all of us who have cancer and that when we have bad weeks we may lay low and rest and when we have good weeks we may have energy to work, play, and do tasks and at the same time honor what you and our bodies are telling us.
We pray for all who are in transition and looking for work may they find patience to wait and may they find the employment they are seeking.
We pray for all who are going or are on pilgrimage to the many sacred places in this world. May they travel safe and feel your presence with them in every step.
We pray for all who travel and may they be safe and secure and that your presence will surround them as they go.
We pray for all who are dying and who have died remembering also our family pets.
We pray for all those who have gone missing and are featured in Amber Alerts, We especially remember all victims of human trafficking and the Missing Girls in Nigeria #BringBackOurGirls.
We pray for peace and justice in the world. We pray for an end to all the violence, oppression, injustices, and that dignity, respect, equality, and acceptance will roll down like justice. We pray that we may continue to Do Justly, Love mercy, and Walk Humbly with our God.
We pray for rain in the drought parched areas of our country and in the world.
May we take time for our personal prayers and reflection and put on the timer for what ever time you choose.
Please add prayers, thanksgivings, remembrances, and any kind of things that you are celebrating.
Please add:
Those with mental illnesses
Alzheimer's and dementia patients and their family members and caregivers.
Caregivers
Those who are ill and those who are trying to work while ill.
For our medical professionals.
For our troops and law enforcement personnel.
EMTS and Firemen
For people seeking employment and new life paths
Clergy, religious leaders of all faith communities and the people they serve and pastorally care for. We pray especially those who are discerning vocations to ministry and for courage to accept and follow God's Call to wherever it leads.
To be good stewards of our environment and natural resources. May we learn to be good a conservation.
God we lift up these our prayers to you and ask in the name of your Son Jesus. Amen.
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