 Where two or more are gathered ...
wherever they are gathered: in a building ... in a park ... on Zoom ... or Facebook ... wherever they are gathered in Jesus' name, Christ is there: over them ... under them ... around them ... beside them ... within them ... among them. Wherever two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, Christ is in the midst of them. Let us worship God.
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 Call to Confession
The Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 5:20) Let us confess our sin before God, through God's son, Jesus Christ, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, Pentecost +12, Year A Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" And we answered. We said, "You are the judge, the eternal Master, the King who decides who is in and who is out." Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" And we showed him by judging others, by enslaving the poor, by creating systems that separate one from another. God, forgive us! We have closed our eyes to your gracious outpouring of love, to your compassion and mercy, to your welcome of all. Create in us a new heart, O God, and restore a right spirit within us, that we might know we are your people and you are our God. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen. Assurance of God's Grace We are no longer strangers and aliens, but we are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom we also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. (Ephesians 2:19-22) In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and made whole. Thanks be to God! Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day.  The secret of who God is
is revealed in God's Son, Jesus. Free and complete access to the kingdom of God is available in him, so that nothing exists that stands between God's people and God. In gratitude and praise, let us worship the Lord our God.  Welcome, kingdom-seekers!
Prophets and peacemakers, rejoice and be glad! Salt and light, give glory to God! Saint and sinner, be reconciled. Worship the Lord your God!  Call to Confession
The Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. (Deuteronomy 32:36) Let us confess our sin before God and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, Pentecost +10, Year A Save us, O God, for the waters have come up to our necks. We sink in deep mire, where there is no place for us to safely stand. We have come into deep waters, and the floods sweep over us. We are terrified, Lord! We are terrified of the storm. We are terrified of the ways in which you call us to act out our faith. We are terrified that we are not strong enough to withstand the winds that blow. Forgive us, we pray. In perfect love, cast out our fear, and teach us to train our eyes on you that we may not sink beneath the raging angst of a world that knows not how to deal with changing winds. Assurance of God's Grace Take heart; (Jesus) has overcome the world. (John 16:33) By the power of God, we have been redeemed through Christ crucified and risen again. Thanks be to God! Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day~  You who are battered by the waves of life, come.
You who are sailing against the wind, come. You who are fearful to the point of terror, come. You who are sinking, come. God is near. Come and worship.  Discernment is the practice of holy listening, often as it relates to decision-making. This week's focus passage is the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. There are lots of opportunities to talk about discernment as it relates to this passage:
*How do we know when and where to set boundaries around self-care? (vs. 13-14) *For whom is God calling us to advocate and how? (vs. 15) *To whom should we look for healing and hope? (vs. 13b) *What is God calling us to do to alleviate distress for those around us? (vs. 18) This week, as you wrestle with this passage and with the spiritual practice of discernment, learn to pay attention to your gut and trust it. Perhaps God's Spirit speaks to you through butterflies in your stomach or through tension in your body or through your tears. It took years for my spiritual director to convince me that my tears were not being overly emotional as I had oft been told, but a message from within that something wasn't right. I have learned that paying attention to signs from my body as messages from God that I need to slow down and re-evaluate what is happening in my world and check the messages I am hearing from others or even from myself that dismiss the warning signals in my brain and heart. As you meditate on the questions posted above in relation to what is happening in the world -- or in your personal realm -- do so with acute attention to how your body responds and then engage in conversation with scriptures, with God, and with trusted friends about what you are experiencing to test what you are hearing in your hoy listening practice.  Call to Confession
God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share. Remember what is written about the One who trusts in the Lord: (God) scattered abroad; (God) gave freely to the poor; (God's) righteousness endures throughout the ages. (2 Corinthians 9:8-9) Let us confess our faithlessness before God and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, Pentecost +9, Year A Provider God, forgive us. We challenge you, saying, "Can God fill a table with food in the middle of the desert? Can God provide bread enough to supply God's children?" We doubt you. We question your power. We do not believe you can or will work through us. So we hedge our bets and trust in our own abilities instead. We plant large fields, but our harvests are small. We have food to eat, but not enough to satisfy. We have water to drink, but it is never enough. We have clothes to wear, but they do not keep us warm. We have money in our pockets, but it runs out quickly, as if there were holes in our pockets. The problem is not you, O God. The problem is us. We hoard what we have out of greed and fear instead of sharing with others out of an abundance of faith and blessing. Forgive us, we pray. Grant us courage to give the small gift we have to offer knowing that your capacity to expand that gift to bless so many to full and overflowing is beyond our capacity to begin to understand. Teach us to share with our neighbor in need in the name of love. Assurance of God's Grace The same One who has put seed into the hands of the sower and brought bread to fill our stomachs will provide and multiply the resources (we) invest and produce an abundant harvest from (God's) righteous actions. (We) will be made rich in everything so that (God's) generosity will spill over in every direction. Through us (God's) generosity is at work inspiring praise and thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11) In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day~  Come away from the chaos of every day living.
Come away, you weary and hurting. Come away from the pain of injustice. Come away, you who need to be restored. Come away to a deserted place, and sit at the feet of the teacher ... the healer ... the redeemer ... the Lord. Come and be nourished until you are full. Come, child of God, and worship. Here we are, Lord.
We are kin-dom hunters, searching high and low for the treasure that is hidden ... https://revgalblogpals.org/2020/07/26/sunday-prayer-263/ |
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Julie participated in the 25th Seminar for Certified Zentangle(R) Teacher Training in June, 2019, trained by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. In addition to creating art as a personal spiritual practice, Julie also incorporates the Zentangle(R) method in Prayer Art Retreats in a variety of contexts, including church groups, friend gatherings, and at a local art gallery. Check out the Upcoming Events page for a calendar of events, or use the Contact Us page to inquire about scheduling an event with your group!
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