Month: May 2019

John 17:20-26 – You Loved Me Before the Foundation of the World

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A stellar nursery of about 3,000 stars called Westerlund 2 located about 20,000 light-years from the planet earth in the constellation Carina is shown in this undated NASA handout taken by the Hubble Space Telescope released April 23, 2015. REUTERS/NASA/Handout via Reuters

John 17:20-26

20“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to Holy Love, the unity of the Word.
  • Feel the presence of Holy Love showering you with love, compassion, peace.
  • Rest in Holy Love, the way God loved you before the foundation of the world.
  • Let your lens widen as far as you can see Holy Love.
  • Notice how you are one with the world as you are one with God.
  • Feel the presence of Holy Love showering you and the universe with love, compassion, peace.
  • Rest in Holy love, the way God loved you and the universe before the foundation of the world.
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 2, the Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97:1-12
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 – The Water of Life as a Gift

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Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

12“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.”

16“It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

20The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to a place in you that is waiting for God to show up.
  • Go and sit by the water noticing how your thirst desires to be quenched.
  • Drink the water as the gift that God intends it to be.
  • Come, Lord Jesus!
  • Bring your attention to a place in the world that is waiting for God to show up.
  • Go and sit by the water noticing how the world’s thirst desires to be quenched.
  • Drink the water as the gift that God intends it to be.
  • Come, Lord Jesus!
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 2, the Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97:1-12
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.

Psalm 97:1-12 – Light Dawns for the Righteous

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Psalm 97:1-12

1The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;

let the many coastlands be glad!

2Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3Fire goes before him,

and consumes his adversaries on every side.

4His lightnings light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

5The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

and all the peoples behold his glory.

7All worshipers of images are put to shame,

those who make their boast in worthless idols;

all gods bow down before him.

8Zion hears and is glad,

and the towns of Judah rejoice,

because of your judgments, O God.

9For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10The LORD loves those who hate evil;

he guards the lives of his faithful;

he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

11Light dawns for the righteous,

and joy for the upright in heart.

12Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,

and give thanks to his holy name!

  • Light a candle to remember God’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to the unrighteousness and injustice in you.
  • Invite God into these places.
  • How will you turn toward God to follow God’s foundations of righteousness and justice?
  • Being gentle with yourself, let go of any self judgment.
  • Rest in God’s loving arms.
  • Bring your attention to the unrighteousness and injustice in your neighbor.
  • Invite God into these places.
  • How will you pray for neighbors to turn toward God to follow God’s foundations of righteousness and justice?
  • Being gentle with your neighbor, let go of any judgment you desire to project on your neighbor.
  • Rest in God’s loving arms.
  • Bring your attention to the unrighteousness and injustice in the world.
  • Invite God into these places.
  • How will you pray the world will turn toward God to follow God’s foundations of righteousness and justice?
  • Being gentle with the world, let go of any judgment you desire to project on the world.
  • Rest in God’s loving arms.
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 2, the Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97:1-12
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.

Acts 16:16-34 – Do Not Harm Yourself, for We Are All Here

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Acts 16:16-34

16One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” 18She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to a time when you were unrighteously imprisoned.
  • How did you treat the ones guarding the unrighteous belief?
  • With grace, see love for the prisoners and for the guards.
  • Bring your attention to a place you are unrighteously imprisoned today.
  • How are you treating the ones with the unrighteous belief?
  • How do you pray for their eyes to be opened.
  • Notice how God will set you free.
  • How will you stay and tend the guards?
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 2, the Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97:1-12
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.

John 5:1-9 – Do You Want to Be Made Well?

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John 5:1-9

1After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3In these lay many invalids-blind, lame, and paralyzed. 4, 5One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to the part of you that is ill, blind, lame, and paralyzed.
  • Sit lovingly and gently with this part of you.
  • Listen to what this part of you has to say to you, to God, to the world.
  • Imagine Jesus walking up to you and asking you, “Do you want to be made well”?
  • Be honest.  What do you say?
  • Imagine Jesus saying to you, “Stand up, take up your mat and walk.”
  • These words are healing words.
  • How do you respond?
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, May 26, the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67:1-7
Revelation 21:10, 21:22-22:5
John 14:23-29
John 5:1-9

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.

 

John 14:23-29 – The Advocate Will Teach You Everything and Remind You

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John 14:23-29

23Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

25“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to the Breath.
  • The Breath is sent to you.
  • Hear Christ say, “My peace I leave with you.”
  • Hear Christ say,  “My peace I give to you.”
  • Hear the Breath say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
  • Hear the Breath say, “Do not let them be afraid.”
  • Notice how the Breath desires to come to you.
  • Sit in the peace of the Breath.
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received. Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, May 26, the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67:1-7
Revelation 21:10, 21:22-22:5
John 14:23-29
John 5:1-9

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2019 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASD.