Good morning.
Today is Tuesday,
February 23rd,
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 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 16 through 23.
It was because Jesus did things like this on the Sabbath that the temple authorities began to persecute him.
Jesus said to them,
Abba,
God,
Is working right now,
And I am at work as well.
Because of this,
The temple authorities were even more determined to kill him.
Not only was he breaking the Sabbath,
But worse still,
He was speaking of God as Abba,
That is,
Father,
Thereby making their relationship one of intimacy and equality.
This was Jesus' answer.
The truth of the matter is,
The only begotten can do nothing alone but can only follow Abba,
God's example.
For whatever Abba does,
The only begotten does and does in the same way.
For Abba,
God,
Loves the only begotten and teaches the only begotten by example.
And God will show the only begotten even greater works than you've seen,
Works that will astonish you.
Indeed,
Just as Abba,
God,
Raises the dead and gives them life,
So the only begotten gives life to anyone at will.
For Abba,
God,
Judges no one having entrusted all judgment to the only begotten so that all may honor the only begotten as they honor Abba,
God.
Whoever doesn't honor the only begotten dishonors the one who sent the only begotten,
Abba,
God.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Come quickly and set us free.
On Tuesdays we pray for our friends,
So I invite you now to let your imagination rest on your friends or a friend in particular,
Whoever is on your heart today,
And lift your friend before God in this moment of silence.
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 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.
