Sacred Journey
Welcome
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all of creation.
C: Amen.
P: With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
C: He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
P: From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because God has done great things for me.
C: Holy is his name.
P: He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, to all who honor him as God.
C: He has shown strength with his arm, and scattered the arrogant and proud.
P: He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.
C: He has =illed the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed.
P: He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised.”
C: Holy is his name
As we light candles:
Lectio continua—Reader: from Psalm 9
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. […]
The LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Hymn of the Evening: minus 5inal verse
Centering Prayer… from Matt 13
Jesus said: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up./ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away./ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them./ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." [Jesus then explained] “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path./ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away./ As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing./ But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
• What sorts of things prevent us from understanding God’s Word? {hard path}
INTERNAL to ourselves…
EXTERNAL to us—in church, especially.…
• What sorts of “troubles” or “persecutions” cause us to fall away? {stoney ground}
How can we clear these stones from our hearts?
• What sorts different priorities draw us away from God? {thorns}
What can we do to weed our hearts/minds from these competitors?
• How can we cultivate our hearts to be better soil?
Final verse of “Your Canopy of Vigil Lights”
Prayer
(Modieied from ACS setting 11)
P: Holy God, you alone are holy, you alone are God.
C: The universe declares your praise:
P: beyond the stars; beneath the sea; within each cell; with every breath.
C: We praise you, O God.
P: Generations bless your faithfulness:
C: through the water; by night and day; across the wilderness;
P: out of exile; into the future.
C: We bless you, O God.
P: We give you thanks for your dear Son:
C: at the heart of human life;
P: near to those who suffer;
C: beside the sinner; among the poor;
P: with us now.
C: We thank you, O God.
L: For God alone my soul waits,
Prayer in the Spirit:
(Adapted from the Center for Contemplative Living)
C: my hope is in him.
L: Jesus says: "Love the Lord your God will all your heart,
C: and with all your soul
L: and with all your mind.
C: This is the =irst and greatest commandment.
L: The second is like it:
C: Love your neighbor as your self."
a moment of Silence
(Psalm 62:6)L: Come, Holy Spirit, Come
C: Ignite within me the living =lame of Your love.
P: Welcome...
L: Welcome….
C: Welcome…
(Matthew 22:37-39)We surrender ourselves to God: letting go of all our needs, desires, compulsions &. the clutter of life
L: I let go of my desire for Power and Control...
C: I release them to you Lord Christ.
L: I let go of my desire for Safety and Security...
C: I release them to you Lord Christ.
Pause
Pause
L: I let go of my desire for Affection and Approval...
C: I release them to you Lord Christ.
Pause
L: I let go of my desire to Change Situations... People... Emotions...
C: I release them to you Lord Christ.
Pause
L: Oh God, Come to my assistance.... Oh Lord, make haste to help me.
C: Thank you Lord Christ for taking these burdens upon yourself at the cross...
L: Thank you for Your Love and Mercy and Grace…
C: I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace this moment as it is.
Silence
P: We join our hearts and lift our voices in prayer as Jesus taught us:
C: 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 forever. Amen.
Communion
P: Gracious God, you bless us with gifts of guidance, new life, growth in grace, and fruitful labor. Accept the eirst fruits of time and toil, eield and orchard we offer here. Bless and multiply these gifts to our nurture and the care of your creation; for the sake of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
Communion Song: repeated
P: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this in memory of me.
song
P: Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in memory of me.
song
P: Remembering his love for us on the way, at the table, and to the end, we proclaim the mystery of faith: C: Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
P: We pray for the gift of your Spirit: in our gathering; within this meal; among your people; throughout the world.
P: Blessing, praise, and thanks to you, holy God, through
Christ Jesus, by your Spirit, in your church, without end.
C: Amen.
P: The holy Three, the holy One increase your hope, strengthen your faith, deepen your love, and ☩ grant you peace.
C: Amen.