Blessed Happy Holy Saturday! "Our Parent"

Richards Holy Saturday Posting

I believe that if you click on the link above it should lead you to a post of Richards Daily Meditation for this day.  I love this man of Gods work and pray that he will be one of the greatest impacts on the future of Christ among us.  "Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifices" (Matthew 9:13) and the rest of the post essentially reframes the usual perspective of the Easter season.  Worth the read.

In my chaplaincy volunteer work I quite often pray the Our Father with patients.  It is a good prayer and is one the patients can relate to usually very well.  It can also be a good launching point about prayer to God as well as the power of forgiveness.  Over the years I've seen a fair number of "paraphrased" translations from New Thought, Aramaic, old English, Latin, etc..  Considering the semantic differences out there in the modern world I can see some "validity" in so doing.  The other day I came up with one myself and am quite pleased with the result.  Let me know your thoughts if you wish. 

Oh Loving God, Creator of All within All Universes, Known and Unknown-

Blessed Be Your Names,

May Your Presence Be Acknowledged By All Your Creation As You Desire In Your Holy Domain

Please Give Us Oh Divine Parents All That We Need, To Do Your Will In Our Daily Lives

And Please Forgive Us Our Failures To Do Your Will As We Forgive Others Who Trespass On Us

Lead Us, Stumbling Children That We Are, Not Into Temptation And Deliver Us From Evil

Especially As We Think Too Highly Of Ourselves

Thanks PaPa!



  

And then maybe this one could have some value as well.  Opening our hearts to the Mystery of God!

Oh Blessed Creator of the Universes!
Hallowed be Your Names and Blessed are We to be in Your Creation, And Created in Your Image!
May Your Holy Kingdom be Present in this World as it is in Your Dimension!
Please give Us this Day all that We Need as We, being Christs Body, see the Need in Others!
Transform Us Oh God into that Body of the Church of The Christ!
Forgive Us as We Falter, Oh Divine One, As We Forgive Those who Trespass Against Us!
Please Guide Us, Oh Holy Parents, Away from the Temptations of the Evil One especially manifested as a self absorbed ego ! For Yours Is Our Kingdom Now and Forever As We Rest In Your Glory!

My Path Revisited!

This past year as I've kind of stated in the past few posts has been somewhat of a reflection of the impact of the forces of this journal.  As I'm embarking more so on a clerical path to a very limited degree some have asked a bit about my background.  It seems appropriate to recap a bit.  Before delving into an outline of my past I feel it would be good to mention my concerns about the future.  I wish too be of service to creation.  Seems the most efficacious place for that would be spending time with my grandson, continuing to read, write and maybe teach .  However I also feel a strong desire to spend at least part of the year in the Islands, esp. Kauai.  I hope and pray the path will be made clear too me. 
I was initially raised and nurtured in the Roman Catholic tradition.  I am happy with that background and even today consider myself a Catholic in the pure sense of the word, universal.  In my early adult years I drifted away as a result of divorce.  I valued the Eucharist but denied the separatist "club" aspect of the sacrament.  I don't think Christ would have made a very good Catholic.  But he was a very good Franciscan. I have spent 60+ years as a spiritual seeker with a fair amount of time with a variety of Christian denominations including but not limited to Baptist, Non-Denominational, Seventh Day Adventist, New Age or New Thought.  I have settled within the Lutheran as a result of finding my soul mate there.  Since Sheritas passing over I started reading "Emergent" authors leading to a new appreciation of the totality or the cosmic nature of the Christ.  At least a third of this blog deals with this path so I will not restate it at this time.  As a result I suppose one could describe me as a hybrid Spiritual Christian.  I'm happy with that. A question that still stays with me is; Am I to be on this path as a solo spirit or is it possible there is yet another soul mate for me out there?  I really do feel that there should be as God is not a gender and we are created in Gods image.  Therefore the best follower of God should have both genders represented.  Makes sense to me and today I started to think that it is possible.  We'll see.  Pax Christi!  RV    

The Why!

The last post was an "Order of Service" which I've been using as a guide for a service I've been providing at a "Memory Care" facility here in Medford.  I was requested to provide such a service this past Christmas Season and it has proven to be a blessing to me as well as the residents at Fern Gardens.  In essence the service is a hybrid of my Catholic and Lutheran experience over the years and I am very happy with the content.  It seems to mean a lot to them as well.  Even though the residents seem to have memory problems the "worship" touch points seem to resonate very well with most of them.  Haven't been able to be there the past couple of weeks due to some health lock down issues but hopefully this week will be good.  I don't know how many of them are tuned into the "papal" changes of the past two weeks but we'll see.  I am very happy with at least the name chosen as a sign of perspective change.  I was hoping for a younger selection but Pope Francis seems to be very alert and we should try to honor the wisdom of age.  As I get older I believe that more and more :0) !  Considering my pilgrimage to Asissi last year I am very pleased with the new pope's name choice.  Pax Christi!  Roberto Vincenti 

Order of Service for the BCFG

Below is the Order of Service which I have been using for the worship service at Fern Gardens Community.  I will add more at a later time but wanted to get this out there as I like it a lot and would love to share it with many.  The "Why" will be forthcoming.  RV
Order of Service BCFG 28 Feb 2013

Entrance and Greeting

This Is The Day - That The Lord Has Made Ps 118:24

In the name … May the Grace of our Lord..Love of God the Father….Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.. be with you All!

“Sing a New Song” Ps 98

Confession…It is a Good thing

I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault . In my thoughts and in my words, In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do.

May almighty God have mercy on us, Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen

God is a Great God and knows our every need…He knows our weakness and yet still Loves us. Our Lord gave His life willingly for us. Forgiveness from sin and failure is available this very day. Jesus rose from the grave after giving His life for His creation. We are forgiven and free to live in a New way. Christ is born. Christ is risen!

Gloria (Lu 2:14) Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father. Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.



For you alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the Glory of God the Father. Amen

Readings Epistle (Phil 3:17);(Heb 12:2) Gospel (Lu13:31)

Nicene Creed-We believe in one God, the Father, The Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, One in Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered died and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen!

Eucharistic Liturgy…The Good news of Christ..

May the Lord accept the offering at my hands for the praise and glory of His Name, for our good, and the good of All His Church.

The Lord be with you! …Lift up Your Hearts!…Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!…It is right to give Him thanks and Praise!

Holy..Holy…Holy Lord..God of power and Might Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. H..H..in the Highest!

Whenever we are tempted to exault our own importance, to think of ourselves more highly than we ought; grant us a measure of your own humility, that we might be more anxious to serve than to be served, more ready to give than to want - Lord Jesus, fix our thoughts on you as we pray the prayer You taught us---

Our Father. + Deliver Us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy and grace keep us free from sin and protect us from ALL anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior Jesus the Christ! Lu 11:1 - May the peace of the Lord be with you always!

Words of institution (Mat26:26) And while they were eating…, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing,He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, Eat: This Is My Body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Proclamation…

This IS the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…Happy are those who are called to His supper.

Received by Faith (Mt 8:5) LORD I am not worthy to receive you, But only say the word and I shall be healed!

Welcome to the table of the Lord! Served as we serve one another!

Song of the Body of Christ!



Benediction. The Lord Bless you…And Keep You..The Lord make His face to shine upon you…and be gracious to you..The Lord lift up His countenance on you And give you (His)Peace

Let Us All Go in Peace to Love and serve…the Lord AND One Another!