Sacred Journey 11-8-2023

Sacred Journey please stand

Welcome

P:

Call to prayer O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

51:16) bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me…

C: P:

keep watch over my life, for I am faithful.

I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the L ORD.

(Ps 86:1-2) (Ps 116:15)

C: the angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, and delivers them.

P: Create in me a clean heart, O God, C: and renew a right spirit within me.

We sing as we light candles:

(Ps 34:7)

P: C:

(Ps

(Ps 51:10)

Lectio continua—Reader: from Psalm 25 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.

Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!

Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.

Please be seated after you have lighted a candle(s)

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AM: To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.

1: C: 2: C: 3:

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

(Ps 66:16) May your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.

(Ps 67:2) No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly.

C:

O Lord , happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Ps 84:11-12) A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than live in the tents of wickedness.

(Ps 84:10) O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Ps 84:12)

4: C:

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.

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(Ps 66:16) (Ps 84:12)

Reflection

Centering Prayer: preparation

from Matt 25 3

[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all the bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

• How do you think the Kingdom is like 10 virgins—half wise & half foolish? What does Jesus mean here?

- What do you think makes the 5 without oil “foolish”…what sorts of things have they failed to do?

- How could that apply to us?

• Typically in the Bible we might think sharing would be the right choice, but here it’s not…why not?

- What does this say to us?

• In the parable Jesus doesn’t open the door to the latecomers, which is strange and likely not literal; it’s included to make a temporal point…not an eternal one.

- What do you think Jesus’ point is here?

Please stand

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Prayer in the Spirit: AM: Father, I abandon myself into Your hands.

C: Do with me what You will, AM: whatever You do, I will thank You, C: I am ready for all, I accept all.

AM: Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures, C: and I’ll ask nothing else, my Lord.

AM: Into Your hands I commend my spirit; C: I give it to You with all the love of my heart, AM: for I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands C: with a trust beyond all measure, because You are my Father. ~Charles de Foucauld AM: In the shadow of Your wings, I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

C: The Lord is my light, my salvation; whom shall I fear?

AM: The Lord is the refuge of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

C: In the shadow of Your wings, I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

AM: One thing I ask, one thing I seek; to dwell in the presence of my God, and gaze on your holy place.

C: In the shadow of your wings, I will sing your praises, O Lord.

AM: I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

C: O wait for the Lord! ~~Silence~~ P: We join our hearts, & 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.

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Communion

P:

Jesus invites you here as part of the people of God. Come to the table humbly. Come because you love God, and want to love God more. Come because Jesus first loved us, and gave himself for us. Come because you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Come because you want to experience the mystery of God’s grace.

AM: Let us pray: God our Creator, thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ, whose love pursues us our whole life long. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life to us in word and deed, even unto death on a cross. Come Holy Spirit, feed us with your love that we may be filled with power to love God with all our hearts and souls and minds. Amen.

P:

On the night he was handed over, Jesus had a meal with his friends. He took bread and gave thanks to God, he broke it and gave it to his disciples. He said, “Take, eat; this is my body given for you.”

Verse P:

After supper Jesus took a cup of wine; and gave thanks for it. He gave it to his followers and said, “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins."

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C:

We have come to the Lord’s table. May God transform us so we see with Jesus’ eyes, hear with his ears, and speak his words. May we be the body of Christ in the world. Come Lord Jesus!

Verse distribution P: C:

Eternal God, we give you thanks that you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others.

Amen.

P: C:

Go in peace, serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 7

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