Good Evening Beloved Ones!
Today is the First Sunday in Lent. We have many things to see and learn from today's scripture readings. We get to see doves, rainbow, and the voice of God! Yesterday I promised you that I would share why I chose those psalms. I chose them because they had a Gospel and Spiritual feel about them. On Saturday afternoon I attended a Racial Justice Cafe sponsored by Ruby Sales and The Spirit House Project. The special guest was SNCC Alumna Bettie Mae Fikes. Bettie Mae told her story in word and song. She also taught us how to moan in the style of the Freedom Songs of old. Some of the psalms are just those kind of songs.When we read the lessons from Genesis and the Gospel of Mark today let us take time to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually connect with the texts and see if you can write your own song to moan and or give hope. What series of words can you make with the word hope? That is our work for today and tomorrow. So let us begin.
Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still. and know.
Be still.
Be.
Peace be.
Peace.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still. and know.
Be still.
Be.
Peace be.
Peace.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still. and know.
Be still.
Be.
Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Loveyour neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.Mark 1:15
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart O God you will not despise.Psalm 51:17
Create in me a clean heart O God: and renew a right spirit within me.Psalm 51:10
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.Ephesians 4:32
Jesus said: ‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread, will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’John 6:51
We do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.Matthew 4:4
Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains a single grain; but, if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.John 12:24
Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.Galatians 6:14
If we claim to be sinless, we are self-deceived, and strangers to the truth. If we confess our sins God is just, and may be trusted to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from every kind of wrong.1 John 1:8, 9
Light of the World Phos hilaron
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES
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.
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.
"We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." ~ Thurgood Marshall
"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." - Henri Nouwen
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.
God we make vigil tonight for the healing of ourselves, our families, and the planet. Give us the courage to accept your healing and pray for the healing of others. Help us to pray with kind words, healing words, and loving words. Let us enter in holy silence as we make this vigil for healing.
Heal our bodies O God.
Heal our minds O God.
Heal our spirits O God.
Heal our hearts O God.
Heal our emotions O God.
Heal our fears O God.
Heal our lives O God.
Heal everyone and everything that lives on this planet O God.
Heal the Nations O God.
Heal divisions wherever we are O God.
Heal the world of hatred, racism, bigotry, abuse, white supremacy, terror, and all isms and obias O God.
Heal what ever is on our hearts during this vigil time and help us to pray and set it free and make us whole O God.
Heal_____________________ O God.
Hear our Prayers, and Heal us O God.
Psalm 25:1-9
Ad te, Domine, levavi
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you; *
let me not be humiliated,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; *
let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.
4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.
5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *
for they are from everlasting.
6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember me according to your love
and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; *
therefore he teaches sinners in his way.
8 He guides the humble in doing right *
and teaches his way to the lowly.
9 All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Genesis 9:8-17
God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Revelation 4:11;5:9-10,13
Splendor and honor and royal power *
are yours by right, O God Most High,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a royal priesthood to serve our God.
And so, to the One who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore.
A Song of Lamentation
Lamentations 1:12,16; 3:19,22-24,26
Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? *
Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which was brought upon me, *
inflicted by God’s fierce anger.
For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears, *
for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my courage.
Remember my affliction and my bitterness, *
wormwood and gall!
The steadfast love of God never ceases, *
God’s mercies never end.
They are new every morning; *
great is your faithfulness.
“God is my portion,” says my soul, *
“therefore will I hope in God.”
It is good that we should wait quietly *
for the coming of God’s salvation.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
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 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.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
your Son Jesus Christ
fasted forty days in the wilderness;
give us grace to direct our lives
in obedience to your Spirit;
and as you know our weakness
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.
Jesus our only Saviour,
you renounced the way of ease
for the way of truth and life.
Draw us to seek God’s kingdom
whatever the cost,
for the sake of the true treasure in heaven.
Praise and glory to you, Jesus Christ our Saviour,
for you do not call the righteous
but us sinners to repentance.
You draw us away from the easy road
that would lead to our destruction.
You call us instead to seek God’s kingdom,
to strive for what is right,
and to lay up our treasure in heaven.
Faithful God,
in this communion
you increase our faith and hope and love.
Lead us in the path of Christ
who is your Word of life.
God of our pilgrimage,
we have found the living water.
Refresh and sustain us
as we go forth on our journey,
in the name of Jesus Christ.
++++++
Let us all remember that we all need to be like the little children who approached Jesus and he accepted them with open arms. May we all welcome all of our family and friends who are also family with loving, compassionate, and warm loving arms. I wish that I could give each of you a warm and loving embrace of welcome!
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend*. we pray for unity this night and may we never forget that we are to love our friends just as we love you.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend we pray for all who haven't felt the strong and loving bond of friendship.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend we pray for all who are in danger, homeless, hungry, the least of these, refugees, prisoners, captives, and all troops who are currently at war. May we learn that we are to lay down our swords and spears so that wars may cease.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend, we pray for all of those who are suffering mental illness and do not have loving and supporting friends to care and comfort them.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend, We pray for the healing of all who are ill and are recovering from surgery or are hospitalized, May we find it in our hearts to step up as good and faithful friends and visit and comfort them. We pray that they may offer help to their friends when they need it.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend, may we all learn to be accepting and inclusive of all of our family members who may differ from us in any way. May we learn to love with out limits and conditions.
Jesus, our Loving and Compassionate Friend, Help us to make friends with our enemies and the unlovable. Give us the courage to do this and become peacemakers to your broken and fragile world.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend, hold our hands and walk with us on our journey of life and where ever God leads us.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend. We give thanks for all the wonderful memories we share with our family and friends. May we all become keepers of the lore.
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend, we pray for_________________________
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend we Give thanks for_________________________
Jesus our Loving and Compassionate Friend we pray these our prayers and thanksgivings to you In Your Most Holy Name Amen.
* You may replace with your own name for God as you wish.
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
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.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
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 blessing of God, the eternal goodwill of God, the shalom of God, the wildness and the warmth of God, be among us and between us, now and always.
++++
Good Night All! I love you! Take God's Lantern of Love into the world and be the change!
Love and more love,
Sara
Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment