Scripture

Matthew 11.25-30

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

"May my heart and soul always find rest in you. Restore my body and soul as I continue doing the work you have planned for me. Though my body is sometimes weak, I can call on you anytime to refresh me. Everything around me is hectic, but with you, there is joy and peace. I am resting in you, O Lord, my savior and deliverer.”
From Shaped by Faith by by Theresa Rowe.

Scripture

Acts 2.14-41

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector. Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly; raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly; restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
Clement of Rome

Scripture

John 13:1-17

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Let me, like Jesus, be a humble servant.
Let me serve from a spirit of compassion.
Let me give of myself, my time, and my resources.
Let me assume the form of a servant, like Jesus.
Let my life be a daily sacrifice, a small picture of the sacrifice Jesus made.
Thank you for the gift of Jesus and his willingness to love the world;
And for his dying, in which he overcame death,
And for his resurrection, in which I am raised to the life of your kingdom.

Scripture

Philippians 2.1-18

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Almighty God, help me see the deeper hope. Help me to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry me, for to live close to you we shall see your hand your purpose your will through all things. May my true hope be You alone. Help me believe and live as if You are enough. Amen.

Scripture

Proverbs 1.20-33

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Creator God, may we see that without your Divine Presence here at the center of our world, and within ourselves, we will be empty. Grace us with your Wisdom. Give to us humility so that our lives may be a meeting place for your Kingdom. Amen.

Scripture

Luke 10.38-42

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

May I carry a little quiet inside me while the world continues in rush and rage fighting and frenzy.
May I carry a little quiet inside me so that the worry and war trouble and tumult do not capture me in their grip. May I tarry in the Son-filled meadow of my heart beside the still waters
where God’s Spirit refreshes and renews. May I carry so much quiet inside me that I have some extra calm to share with others.
Adapted from a prayer from Safiyah Fosua

Scripture

Psalm 19

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Image of God
born of God's breath
vessel of divine Love
after his likeness
dwelling of God
capacity for the infinite
eternally known
chosen of God
home of the Infinite Majesty
abiding in the Son
called from eternity
life in the Lord
temple of the Holy Spirit
branch of Christ
receptacle of the Most High
wellspring of Living Water
heir of the kingdom
the glory of God
abode of the Trinity.
God sings this litany
eternally in his Word.
This is who you are.
a litany of the person
- anonymous trappist monk

Scripture

Hebrews 4.1-13

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

And the world becomes a place of rest. An hour arrives like a guide, and raises our minds above accustomed thoughts. People assemble to welcome the wonder of the seventh day, while the Sabbath sends out its presence over the fields, into our homes, into our hearts. It is a moment of resurrection of the dormant spirit in our souls.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, p 66

Scripture

Acts 17.16-34

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and
nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so
that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, beyond
accents, gender or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our
selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. And let
the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors. Let the
earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the
mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen.
A Prayer for the World, Harold Kushner

Scripture

1 Peter 2.4-25

Time of Reflection and Prayer

Spend time reflecting on what you have read and communing with God.

Benediction

Lord by thy grace, let the poor see us being drawn to Christ and inviting him to enter
their homes and their lives. Let the sick and the suffering find in us true angels of comfort
and consolation. Let the little ones of the streets cling to us because we remind them of
him, the friend of all little ones.
Mother Teresa