Good morning.
Today is Wednesday,
November 18th,
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 sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Remind yourself that you're in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Simply let yourself notice any word or phrase that catches your attention,
And then let your heart respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Hide us,
Your anxious children,
Under the shadow of your wing.
Our scripture is Psalm 20,
Verses 6 through 9.
Now I know that the Lord saves the anointed,
Answering from holy heaven with saving power.
Some trust in political power,
Some in military might,
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
With only human resources,
They fall,
But we have risen and we stand firm.
Save us,
Lord our ruler.
Answer when we call.
Please repeat these words.
Hide us,
Your anxious children,
Under the shadow of your wing.
On Wednesdays,
We pray for our communities,
So I invite you now to hold your community before God.
Don't worry about diagnosing the needs in your community,
As I'm sure they are quite complex.
Just hold your community before God,
Knowing that God knows your community so much better than you do and loves your community more than you can possibly imagine.
And as you hold your community before God,
Hear these words of blessing.
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.
Thank you,
Lord,
For the many ways you watch over and protect us in the course of the day.
As you shelter us,
Show us also how to provide physical and spiritual shelter for those we encounter today.
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.
