Good morning.
Today is Monday,
February 22nd,
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 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 any word or phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart,
And let your heart respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
Our reading today is John 5,
Verses 1 through 15.
Sometime after this,
There was a Jewish festival and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now in Jerusalem,
Near the sheep gate,
There is a pool with five porticos.
Its Hebrew name is Bethesda.
The place was crowded with sick people,
Those who were blind,
Lame,
Or paralyzed,
Lying there waiting for the water to move.
An angel of God would come down to the pool from time to time to stir up the water.
The first one to step into the water after it had been stirred up would be completely healed.
One person there had been sick for 38 years.
Jesus,
Who knew this person had been sick for a long time,
Said,
Do you want to be healed?
Rabbi,
The sick one answered,
I don't have anyone to put me into the pool once the water has been stirred up.
By the time I get there,
Someone else has gone in ahead of me.
Jesus replied,
Stand up,
Pick up your mat and walk.
The individual was immediately healed and picked up the mat and walked away.
This happened on a Sabbath.
Consequently,
Some of the temple authorities said to the one who had been healed.
It's the Sabbath.
You're not allowed to carry that mat around.
The healed one explained,
But the person who healed me told me,
Pick up your mat and walk.
They asked,
Who is this?
Who told you to pick up your mat and walk?
The healed person had no idea who it was since Jesus had disappeared into the crowd that filled the place.
Later on,
Jesus met the individual in the temple and said,
Remember,
Now that you've been healed,
Give up your sins so that something worse won't overtake you.
The healed one went off and informed the temple authorities that Jesus was the one who had performed the healing.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
On Mondays,
We pray for the world.
We are told in scripture that God created the world and God loves the world and everyone in it.
So I invite you in a silent moment to let your imagination move to the world.
How do you conceive of the world?
Picture the world in your mind and hold the world before God.
Don't worry about diagnosing the complicated needs of the world or telling God what to do.
Simply hold the world before God.
Bless all who call on you,
Almighty God,
From the rising of the sun to its setting by your goodness and riches,
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.
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.
God our Savior,
Jesus our Redeemer,
You hear our cries.
You hear our cries and you heal our bodies and forgive our sins.
Thank you.
Thank you for your love.
May we turn to you over and over again and be healed.
Body,
Mind and spirit.
Amen.
And now my friends,
May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you.
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 my friends.
