Good morning.
Today is Thursday,
March 25th,
2021.
Oh 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 worship and bow down.
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 simply dwell on a word or a phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart and let your heart respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus,
You are the light of the world.
Open our eyes that we might see.
Our reading today is from John,
Chapter 15.
I am the true vine and my Abba,
Father,
Is the vine grower who cuts off every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit,
But prunes the fruitful ones to increase their yield.
You've been pruned already,
Thanks to the word I have spoken to you.
Live on in me as I do in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself apart from the vine,
Neither can you bear fruit apart from me.
I am the vine.
You are the branches.
Those who live in me and I in them will bear abundant fruit,
For apart from me you can do nothing.
Those who don't live in me are like withered,
Rejected branches to be picked up and thrown on the fire and burned.
If you live on in me and my words live on in you,
Ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
My Abba will be glorified if you bear much fruit and thus prove to be my disciples.
As my Abba has loved me,
So I have loved you.
Live on in my love.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus,
You are the light of the world.
Open our eyes that we might see.
I invite you now to hold someone's name before God.
Whoever the Holy Spirit leads your mind to in this space,
Hold before God in prayer.
You can repeat the person's name over and over with your voice or in your mind or just hold this person silently in your heart.
Don't worry about diagnosing the person's need or telling God what to do.
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.
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.
Jesus you are the resurrection and the life.
Lord we believe,
Help our unbelief.
Give us hope,
Give us life.
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.
