Good morning.
Today is Friday,
March 5th,
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.
Find 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 respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Where would we go apart from you?
You have the words of eternal life.
Our scripture today is John 7,
Verses 1 through 9.
After this,
Jesus walked through Galilee.
He had decided not to travel to Judea because the temple authorities were trying to kill him.
As the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles approached,
Jesus' sisters and brothers said to him,
Why not leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples there can also see the works you do.
Those destined for public life don't do things in secret.
Since you're working these miracles,
Let the whole world know.
For even his own siblings didn't believe in him.
Jesus answered,
Now is not the right time for me,
But for you any time is right.
The world can't hate you,
But it hates me because I testify that its ways are evil.
Go up to the feast yourself.
I am not going to this feast because my time is not yet come.
Having said this,
He stayed in Galilee.
Please repeat these words.
Where would we go apart from you?
You have the words of eternal life.
On Fridays,
We follow Jesus' instruction and pray for our enemies.
You may think of someone immediately when you think of who your enemy is,
But you may not.
So I invite you to picture someone that you have a hard time loving.
Perhaps this is someone that you desperately want to love,
But it's hard for whatever reason.
And I invite you now in this space to hold that person before God.
And we will pray together for these people.
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 Lot 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.
Jesus,
You are the bread of life.
Give us this bread so that we may never go hungry.
Show us how to work for the food that endures for eternal life.
The food that comes only from you.
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.
