Today is Monday,
October 26th,
2020.
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.
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 jumps out at you and let your heart respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
You order your kingdom with justice and establish the world in peace.
Our scripture reading today is Ephesians 3 verses 1 through 9.
For I,
Paul,
A prisoner of Christ Jesus,
For the sake of the Gentiles,
Am sure that you have heard of God's grace,
Of which I was made a steward on your behalf.
This mystery,
As I have briefly described it,
Was given to me by revelation.
When you read this,
You can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
Which was unknown to the people of former ages,
But is now revealed by the Spirit to the holy apostles and prophets.
That mystery is that the Gentiles are heirs,
As are we,
Members of the body,
As are we,
And partakers in the promise of Jesus the Messiah through the good news,
As are we.
I became a minister of the good news by the gift of divine grace given me through the working of God's power.
To me,
The least of all believers was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten all people on the mysterious design for ages,
On the mysterious design which for ages was hidden in God,
The creator of all.
Please repeat these words.
You order your kingdom with justice and establish the world in peace.
On Mondays,
We pray for the world,
We remember that God loves the world.
So I invite you now in whatever way you conceive of the world to hold the world before God.
And as you image yourself holding the world before God without diagnosing the world's complicated needs,
We're trying to tell God what God needs to do.
Simply hold the world before God and hear these words of blessing spoken over this beloved world.
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.
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.
Lord,
Within your community we are strengthened to persevere,
Empowered to proclaim your truth and shaped to wait on you.
Teach us anew what we can learn from other faithful brothers and sisters who serve you in their particular ways of worship and proclamation.
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.
So in peace.
