Good morning.
Today is Monday,
April 12,
2021.
O Lord,
Let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The three in one,
Creator,
Redeemer,
And sustainer.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now,
And will be forever.
Amen.
Come,
Let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Remind yourself that you are in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on a word or a phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart,
And let your heart simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus,
You are the resurrection and the life.
Lord,
We believe.
Help our unbelief.
Our reading today is James 1,
Verses 1 through 12.
From James,
A servant of God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ,
To the 12 tribes of the diaspora.
Greetings.
Think of it as pure joy,
My sisters and brothers,
Whenever you face trials of any sort.
You understand that your faith is put to the test only to make you patient.
But patience,
Too,
Has its practical results.
It's to make you fully mature and lacking in nothing.
If you lack wisdom,
Ask for it from God,
Who gives generously and ungrudgingly to all.
And it will be given to you.
But you must ask in faith,
Never doubting,
For the doubter is like the surf tossed and driven by the wind.
People like this must not expect to receive anything from God,
For they are devious and erratic in all they do.
Let sisters and brothers who are in humble circumstances take pride in their high position,
And let rich people take pride in their loneliness,
For they will disappear like the flowers of the field.
When the sun comes up with its scorching heat and parches the meadow,
The flowers wither and the meadow's loveliness disappears.
Just so will the rich people wither away amid their many concerns.
Blessed are those who persevere under trial.
Once their worth has been proven,
They will receive the crown of life that God has promised to all who are faithful.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus,
You are the resurrection and the life.
Lord,
We believe,
Help our unbelief.
Let us pray for each other.
Oh God,
With faces touched by the light of a new day and hearts warmed by prayer and praise,
We come before you to pray for the needs of our world.
Into the light of Easter morning we raise those who are sick,
Those who are afraid,
Those who are isolated and lonely,
Those who are homeless,
And those who are hungry.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.
Into the light of Easter morning we bring the suffering of our global community.
We hold in our hearts the pain that continues for individuals and families and communities.
May the light of Christ shine upon all who are suffering.
And into the light of Easter morning we bring ourselves,
Our fears,
Our struggles,
Our overwhelm and our confusion,
Our exhaustion.
May the light of Christ shine upon us.
We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.
Our Father which art in heaven,
Eternal God,
Earth maker,
Pain bearer,
Life giver,
Source of all that is and all that shall be.
Not only Father but Mother of us all.
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another forgive us.
In times of temptation and test strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love now and forever.
Amen.
Glorious Lord of life we praise you that by the mighty resurrection of your son you have delivered us from sin and death and made your whole creation new.
Grant that we who celebrate with joy Christ's rising from the dead may be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness.
For he lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever.
Amen.
And now my friends may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you this week.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Go in peace.
