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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

Today’s Reflection

Nature

LISTEN TO THE VOICE of the rainbow,
bend to morning sounds of the dew
hear the gentle tones of the flowers,
their songs they will sing to you.

For you were created for hearing
their lyrics more lucent than speech
that come to you through the silence
to comfort, inspire, teach.

– Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young
Contemplative by Design

From page 76 of Contemplative by Design: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings by Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Copyright © 2008 by Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

What get’s your creativity flowing? Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”

Mark 6:4, NRSV

This Week: pray an increase of love of neighbor. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Did You Know?

In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.

This week we remember: Thomas (July 3).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2018 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

15 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted July 8, 2018 4:53 am

    Hopefully back on track and can do better following and responding to posts.

    There was a time when teaching got my creativity flowing as a created lessons, now it’s more focused on model trains, and perhaps a bit on the garden. Lots to learn from observing nature and there’s also a lot that’s observed, but not understood, and yet still appreciated somehow.

    Am hopeful that Erich will come with me to my next counseling session and provide input that will help me help him and possibly get help for himself.
    He’s been invited and I will remind him. Helping him find his way is the objective, it is very much needed.

    Have much of the week set aside to enable a trip to explore an area where he might find what he is looking for.

    Church today and a picnic with our sister church, we both share a pastor.

    Prayers for a blessed, holy Sunday for all. Thank You, Lord for the blessings you bestow on us.

    • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 4:48 pm

      Robert, I am praying that Erich’s will accompany you to counseling this week. It is very helpful, indeed, and I pray Erich will give this a chance. I am also praying for your trip with him this week. I believe you mentioned some time back that this was in connection with the possibility of a satisfying job that he might enjoy. I am thankful for your knowledge of trains, as they are an interest of mine also. Gardening and plants are beyond me, absolutely NO green thumb. I do enjoy looking at them though, and in my life with the “husband,” it was his family business and he went into his own. I prepared many contracts and proposals, naming flowering plants of many kinds, bushes and shrubs, groundcover and trees, using both common and Latin names. Also water features, including plants at times and hardscapes. Snow removal in the winter. My goodness, that got away from me!

      Thank you, Robert, for your prayers. Annaliese, your daughter and her family, precious Pearl, and your church members are added to my prayers for you today. Blessings for the sister churches worship and picnic today! Sending Love and Light!

  • Jill Posted July 8, 2018 6:12 am

    I have never felt creative, at least not in an artsy type of way. However, I do enjoy “creating” my flower beds and keeping them on track. I enjoy music very much. Most of the “art” in my house is photography. Lots of pansies, mountains and beaches.
    Marcy – you brought back a wonderful memory. The first cat I had as an adult also dipped his paw into his water dish and then licked it to drink water. I had never heard of a cat doing this before. When I read your post – I could immediately see him doing that. How precious our furry ones are, and the company and levity they provide us.
    Andrea – praying for your friend Jane. Marcy – praying your burns aren’t too substantial and are not troubling you greatly. Robert – your perseverance with Erich reminds me very much of my father.
    A week and a half ago, at one of my team’s tennis matches, the doubles team my partner and I were playing against had to quit during the match. One of the ladies was really struggling to catch her breath and was very weary. I have played against her for many years, and could tell when she walked on the court that she was not herself. She played for quite a while, but ultimately had to stop. Her husband was there and he took her to the hospital. I reached out to her via email and got a response yesterday. She has leukemia. She thought her issues were with her back as she had spinal stenosis and was to have surgery in August. And now this. She has already had 7 days of chemo and must remain in the hospital this entire month because now her immune system is compromised. She is unsure how many rounds of chemo she must have. She also is a breast cancer survivor. Every day is a gift. Each moment, in fact.

    • Andrea Posted July 8, 2018 3:59 pm

      Thank you, Jill. I will add your friend just diagnosed with leukemia to my prayers. What is her name? Yes, every moment is a gift. Blessings.

    • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 5:12 pm

      Jill, besides your gardening skills, love of music, and the photographic appreciation you enjoy, I believe you are a talented spiritual writer. I’m unable to put into words, the very things I’m thinking after reading the day’s Reflection, that you do so eloquently. To me, you and Andrea share this trait. Thank you!

      I am praying for your friend, a breast cancer survivor, who has leukemia and will be hospitalized for the next month receiving ongoing chemotherapy. I pray that her immune system copes as well. I continue to keep you, your Mom, Gloria, your Dad, Larry and your sister, Becky and her family and Roger in my prayers. Thank you for your prayers for me, Jill. All prayers here break the isolation that is a part of being housebound. Sending Love and Light!

  • Betsy Posted July 8, 2018 7:20 am

    I also don’t feel veru creative , but I’m so grateful for God’s creativity in forming us and this world in which we live. I enjoy music and reading other people’s creative words.

    Thank you, Marcy, for your request to pray for our beloved pets. We just lost our sweet dog, Gus, a few months ago. He was a comfort and blessing to my husband and myself. I miss him everyday. Our son and daughter-in-law do have a boxer named Leo who is ther baby right now, so prayers for him are greatly appreciated.

    Lifting up the rest of our UR group-Julie, Robert, Jill, Mary, Andre and the many others who visit here faithfully. It is a beautiful clear Sabbath morning. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings.

    • Andrea Posted July 8, 2018 4:02 pm

      Thank you, Betsy. It is hard anytime to lose a pet, but especially after a fairly recent loss in your family, your brother- in- law. Blessings and prayers.

    • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 5:25 pm

      Betsy, of course, I do remember Gus now. I’m sorry about that, as I think my brain is in “sleep mode” sometimes. I enjoy your posts and reading the creative words of others also!

      I do keep you and your husband, and Grace, who lost her husband, your brother-in-law in my prayers, along with the rest of your family, now including Leo, the Boxer. Thank you for your prayers for me and I am joining you in prayer for our UR family. Sending Love and Light!

  • Connie Posted July 8, 2018 8:23 am

    Yes, a beautiful Sabbath morning….”Morning has broken”. The weather looks perfect for all of next week. Thank you, Jesus.
    Prayers for Jill’s friend with leukemia. I am praying right now for two people with leukemia and my one friend is doing so well and has gained weight and strength. God is Good. May your friend have a long period of remission soon.
    Praying for Erich. I’ve heard it said a parent is only as happy as their saddest child.
    We must all “Carpe Diem”. Life IS short and flies by VERY fast.
    God bless your week and God bless you.

    • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 5:37 pm

      Connie, thank you for “the morning has broken” reminder. I enjoy the Cat Stevens song by this name and will listen to it this evening and line it up for tomorrow morning!

      I will continue to pray for you and your husband and will add your friends with leukemia to my prayers. We are blessed by a compassionate God whose all-encompassing Love surrounds us each day. I am thankful also to you as my sister in Christ! It is alwsys good to hear from you! Sending Love and Light!

  • Andrea Posted July 8, 2018 4:10 pm

    I challenge myself to create with fabric – but have felt unmotivated and stuck lately, which is frustrating. A couple days ago, my therapist has asked me to create a quilt expressing what a particularly difficult, dark time in my life was like.

    Thankful for a wonderful time yesterday with my husband at the gorgeous arboretum in our metropolitan area. Thankful four of the Thai boys are safely out of the cave, and pray for those still stuck inside. Prayers for dear UR friends. Thankful for God’s blessings. All things work together for good…. Believing this is hard at times, but faith calls us to keep believing. Blessings.

    • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 7:17 pm

      Andrea, I meant to say in my prayers for Jane, for the fluid around her heart, in her lungs, to be dealt with successfully and that it has not been caused by cancer, or the treatments. Please forgive my mistake.

  • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 7:11 pm

    Andrea, sorry I mixed you up with a cat owner, as you are allergic! However, I have written down the names of your daughter’s pets in my prayer notebook! I enjoyed hearing about your sewing skills, fabric descriptions and projects. I think for now, you just have some “stitching block,” and you will resume when you are prompted! Meanwhile, as I commented to Jill, I believe the two of you, and I need to add Robert here also, are such excellent spiritual writers, each in your own way. I love how you write about God in nature, with such descriptive words, I can envision the scene. Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer, you see the beauty all year! You write with empathy and sincerity and we are all blessed! Thank you!

    I will continue to keep you, Lowell, your daughter, son-in-law and dear grandson in my prayers. I am also keeping Jane in my prayers. So many people are fighting cancer! I pray that God leads the way to a complete cure for all, through continuing science and medical research technologies. I pray the same, one day, for those with Alzheimers and other types of dementia. I know that when the new Jerusalem comes, all these, along with pain, tears, suffering and mourning, will be no more! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement for us, Andrea! Sending Love and Light!

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 8, 2018 8:00 pm

    I love doing crafts with washi tapes and recycling my t shirts into no sew bags. It’s fun and when I complete a project, there is a sense of achievement. I do get inspiration from nature and the utube.

    Grateful for the joy of being creative.

  • Marcy Posted July 8, 2018 8:10 pm

    Dear UR siblings and friends, I’m having a rough day getting my thoughts gathered and in the right places today! As my Aunt Arnett used to say, “Land Sakes!” I enjoy music. All I create these days are hook latch rugs and they are already laid out. I favor Christmas and Cats when looking for the kits. I have two going at once right now and one still in the box. I used to crochet (haven’t tried since the rheumatoid arthritis set in). I might have gotten rid of all the hooks and patterns somewhere over my last years moving around so much, six moves in nine years, three of which were bedrooms only. I have my train sets and cameras at my cousin’s home. I played piano and own a keyboard with all 88 keys and bells and whistles. It’s in storage at my sister-in-law’s (spouse’s sister), along with some other things. She and her husband and three daughters are wonderful people, but we don’t communicate often because it places her in a tough spot with her brother. Neither place is close, so it is hard to get the manpower and enough space in vehicles together. And I have to get well.

    I continue to keep Julie and her daughter, Lou and her children, Mary and her parents and family, those we dont hear from every day and those we haven’t heard from in some time, in my prayers. I pray for all who visit here and God knows your needs and concerns. I am praying for the remaining children in the cave in Thailand and their coach to be rescued and for their parents and rescuers. I’m praying for the flooding in Japan that has taken the lives of 88 people at this time, and the thousands that are being evacuated. I’m praying for those out west with sky-rocketing temperatures, high winds and wildfires. I’m praying for all those at the mercy of the elements and we have to be better stewards of the earth. I’m praying for children separated from their families and I’m praying for our country. I continue to pray for the people of PUERTO RICO.
    LORD, hear our prayers.

    And these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE! God’s heavenly blessings to all!

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