Good morning.
Today is Monday,
March 22,
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 bow down and worship.
Let us kneel before the Lord,
Our maker.
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.
Open my ears,
Lord,
That I may hear your loving voice.
Our reading today is John 10,
Verses 22 through 39.
The time came for Hanukkah,
The feast of the dedication in Jerusalem.
It was winter,
And Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon's porch.
When the temple authorities surrounded him and said,
How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you really are the Messiah,
Tell us plainly.
Jesus replied,
I did tell you,
But you don't believe.
The work I do in my Abba's name gives witness in my favor.
But you don't believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice.
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life and they will never be lost.
No one will ever snatch them from my hand.
Abba,
God,
Who gave them to me,
Is greater than anyone.
And no one can steal them from God.
For God and I are one.
With that,
The temple authorities reached again for rocks to stone him.
Jesus protested and said,
I have shown you many good works from God.
For which of these do you stone me?
It's not for any good works that were stoning you,
They replied,
But for blaspheming.
You're human.
You can't make yourself out to be God.
Jesus answered,
Isn't it written in your law?
I said you are gods.
So the law uses the word gods of those whom the word of God of those to whom the word of God was addressed.
And scripture can't be broken.
Yet you say to someone whom Abba,
God,
Has consecrated and sent into the world.
You're blaspheming because I say I am God's only begotten.
If I am not doing Abba,
God's work,
There is no need to believe in me.
But if I am doing God's work,
Even if you don't believe me,
At least believe in the work I do.
Then you'll know for certain that Abba,
God,
Is in me and I am in Abba,
God.
At these words,
They again attempted to arrest Jesus,
But he eluded their grasp.
Please repeat these words.
Open my ears,
Lord,
That I may hear your loving voice.
On Mondays,
We pray for the world.
So I invite you now to picture the world.
Jesus said that God loves the world.
We believe that God created the world,
But we are continually overwhelmed by the problems that we see in the world.
So in this space,
We lift the world to God,
Who is so much greater and bigger and stronger than the world's problems.
So we lift the world before God and rest as we trust in God's love for this beautiful world.
Bless all who call on you,
Almighty God,
From the rising of the sun to its setting.
From your goodness enrich us by your love inspire us.
By your spirit guide us,
By your power protect us.
In your mercy receive us now and always.
We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.
Our Father 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.
With 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.
