truth

Trinity Sunday John 16:12-15 – The Spirit of Truth Comes

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John 16:12-15

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
  • Notice what needs to be set aside to make room for you to embrace truth today.
  • As you set this distraction aside, invite God to share a new truth to you today.
  • Embrace this truth and listen to the message truth has for you.
  • Resist any judgment or criticism that arises in you.  Truth is spoken in love.  Be gentle with yourself.  Any truth that comes without love is false.
  • Be open to embrace the truth that is spoken in love.
  • 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 16, 2019, Trinity Sunday Year C

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8:1-9
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

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

Pentecost – John 14:8-17 – I Do Not Give to You as the World Gives

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John 14:8-17 (25-27)

8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

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.”

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
  • Bring your attention to a place in you that needs to be reminded of the Fruit of the Spirit.
  • Hear the words, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
  • Linger with these words.
  • What peace arises in you?
  • Hear the words again, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
  • How does this invitation to peace bristle with the ways of the world?
  • Hear the words, “I do not give to you as the world gives.”
  • What is Jesus giving you that the world cannot give you?
  • Hear the words, “Do not be afraid.”
  • What fear are you invited to let go?
  • What peace will you embrace?
  • 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 20, 2018, the Day of Pentecost Year B

Acts 2:1-21
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:24-34,35b
Romans 8:22-27
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2018  The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD.

John 15:26-27, 16:4B-15 – When he comes he will guide you into all the truth

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JOHN 15:26-27, 16:4B-15

26“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:4b”I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me;10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
  • How do you experience the Holy Spirit today: The breath of life? The water of baptism?  The fire of Pentecost?  The greening of new growth?
  • Focus on the way you experience the Holy Spirit today.
  • Allow the breath to fill you or the water to shower you or the fire to open you or the new growth to stretch you.
  • Why are you in this place?
  • What does God want to show you?
  • How is the Holy Spirit been guiding you?
  • What truth is being revealed to you?
  • Remain open to the truth today.
  • 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 20, 2018, the Day of Pentecost Year B

Acts 2:1-21
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:24-34,35b
Romans 8:22-27
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2018  The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD.

1 John 5:1-6 – Love the children of God

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1 JOHN 5:1-6

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
  • You are a child of God.  You are beloved.
  • Make a list of the ways God loves you.
  • Read back over the list.  What is missing?
  • How do you desire God to love you?
  • Your neighbor is a child of God. Your neighbor is beloved.
  • Make a list of the ways God loves your neighbor.
  • Read back over the list.  What is missing?
  • How do you desire God to love your neighbor?
  • The world is made of the children of God.  All the children of the world are beloved.
  • Make a list of the ways God loves the children of the world.
  • Read back over the list.  What is missing?
  • How do you desire God to love the children of the world?
  • Go back over your lists.  What do you notice?
  • Is there a message for you from God?
  • Is there a call to action?
  • 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 6, 2012, the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year B

Acts 10:44-48
Psalm 98:1-9
1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2018 The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD.

1 John 3:16-24 – Let us love in truth and action…

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1 JOHN 3:16-24

16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
  • Breathe intentionally a deep belly breath.  Relax your shoulders.  Let your belly button extend toward the far wall.  Then let go and push out anything you need to let go.  Continue to breathe this deeply.
  • Inhale love………….Exhale hatred.
  • Inhale peace………..Exhale fracture.
  • Inhale hope………….Exhale disbelief.
  • Continue to breathe and accept God’s love.
  • Remember a time someone gave their life for you.
  • Go back to that time and place.  Reenter the experience as much as you can.  What do you see? hear? smell? taste? feel?
  • What did you need?
  • How did this person give you life?
  • How did this person give you love?
  • What was your response?
  • From this side of the experience, where did you see Christ?
  • What is God’s message for you?
  • As you go about your day and see a brother or sister in need of love, will you give life?  Or will you refuse?
  • Be open to those who need life and love.
  • 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, April 22, 2012, the Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)

Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23:1-6
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings (c) 2018 The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD

John 15:26-27, 16:4B-15 – When he comes he will guide you into all the truth

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JOHN 15:26-27, 16:4B-15

26“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:4b”I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me;10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

  • Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
  • Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
  • How do you experience the Holy Spirit today: The breath of life? The water of baptism?  The fire of Pentecost?  The greening of new growth?
  • Focus on the way you experience the Holy Spirit today.
  • Allow the breath to fill you or the water to shower you or the fire to open you or the new growth to stretch you.
  • Why are you in this place?
  • What does God want to show you?
  • How is the Holy Spirit been guiding you?
  • What truth is being revealed to you?
  • Remain open to the truth today.
  • 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 27, 2012, the Day of Pentecost Year B

Acts 2:1-21
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:24-34,35b
Romans 8:22-27
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD.