Today is Saturday,
February 6,
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 Lamb of God.
You take away the sins of the world.
Our reading today is John 1,
Verses 43 through 51.
The next day,
After Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee,
He met Philip and said,
Follow me.
Philip came from Bethsaida,
The same town as Andrew and Peter.
Philip sought out Nathanael and said to him,
We found the one that Moses spoke of in the law,
The one about whom the prophets wrote,
Jesus of Nazareth,
Son of Mary and Joseph.
From Nazareth,
Said Nathanael,
Can anything good come from Nazareth?
Come and see,
Replied Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him,
He remarked,
This one is a real Israelite.
There is no guile in him.
How do you know me?
Nathanael asked him.
Jesus answered,
Before Philip even went to call you while you were sitting under the fig tree,
I saw you.
Rabbi said,
Nathanael,
You are God's own.
You're the ruler of Israel.
Jesus said,
Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree,
You will see much greater things than that?
Jesus went on to tell them,
The truth of the matter is,
You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the chosen one.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus you are the Lamb of God.
You take away the sins of the world.
I invite you now in this moment to hold someone before the Lord.
You can repeat the person's name over and over or just hold the person silently in your mind.
Don't worry about diagnosing anyone's needs or telling God what to do.
Just lift up someone before God in this space.
As we pray these words,
May the light of Christ go before you and behind you,
Beneath you and above you,
On your right and on your left,
When you rise and when you lie down.
May the light of Christ be with you.
May the light of Christ be in you.
May the love of God go before you and behind you,
Beneath you and above you,
On your right and on your left,
When you rise and when you lie down.
May the love of God be with you.
May the love of God be in you.
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.
And now my friends,
May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
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.
