Liturgy
Dear Lord,
The winds of this world
Pull at our faith
Rooted in your mysterious love.
The fire of our anger burns,
Our lightning bolt judgements meant to keep us safe,
Starve us from each other.
The quicker we act,
The safer we feel,
But the farther we’re swept away from you.
Guide us back to your slow and steady Grace,
Heal our hearts so we may better serve your Kingdom.
Dear Lord,
If we meet you in the quiet eye of a storm,
How will you steer us safe to the other side?
How do we trust the kind of love we cannot see?
Our doubts grow larger
Like shadows in candlelight,
The farther we wonder from your table.
Call us back in,
Show us the work of your love,
We are not perfect but we are ready.
We pray this in the name of Our Mother, The Creator,
Jesus Christ, her Sacred Son,
And the Holy Ghost, the Winds from Heaven,
Amen.
(Vox Prayer Team)
Scripture
We invite you to hear from the book of James 1:17-27
22 But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive
themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are
like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at
themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and
persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be
blessed in their doing. 26 If any think they are religious and do not bridle
their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: to care for orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.
Homily & Reflection
Podcast: The Embodied Practice of the Way of Christ
How might our posture of listening facilitate a healthier practice of faith?
What does a more freeing and sustainable practice of faith look like for us?
How is our practice of faith being guided by the most vulnerable around us?
Resources
Book: This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley
Benediction
Fellow children of God,
Beloved Kin,
No matter where this week takes you,
Leave here knowing you belong to a Love older than time.
We belong to a flock of wanderers, orphans,
Skeptics, and widowed hearts.
Through Christ, we belong to each other.
Our work requires mountains of toil ahead,
And we are ready for the climb.
Our souls crave curiosity and mystery,
We are capable of pursuing the truth in between.
We are strong enough to soften
The edges around our hearts,
Brave enough to pause in silence,
And wait.
We trust the Lord will illuminate the path forward.
Leave here braced by the Grace of our Creator,
The Love of our Savior,
And the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
(Vox Prayer Team)
[Photo by William Krause]