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| September 9-16 The Call: September 9. A PRAYER: God of creation, help me to celebrate you today! If it thunders, may I hear your strong voice. When the birds sing, may I take a deep breath and thank you for the air that surrounds me and blows through me. If you cleanse the earth with rain, may it be a reminder of the cleansing you brought into my life, through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. September 10. A PRAYER: Sweet Jesus, how unbelievable it sometimes seems that you gave your life for me! Just as you walked this earth with your disciples, and were patient and forgiving with them, I know you are the same with me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Teach me to never give up on others. May I love those around me as you have loved me. Amen September 11. Jesus said, �You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength�You shall love your neighbor as yourself.� There is no commandment greater than these� (Mark 12:30-31). Those who enjoy little self-pride are the ones most likely to devalue others. Jesus redefined both law and neighbor. The law was made for humankind, not the other way around, And the neighbor included not only the resident alien, but also enemies. Lord, may radical Muslims learn to love their neighbors, so that their neighbors can learn to respect Islam. September 12. �In everything do to others as you would have them do to you� (Matthew). The Golden Rule, expressed in most religions, does not make our behavior dependent on how others act. Rather, it�s based on how we want to be treated. Lord, help me to do for others what I would like them to do for me. Amen. September 13. A PRAYER: Mother and Father God, I thank you for birthing me into this world and calling me to follow in the footsteps of your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant me the faith and courage I need to spread the good news! Help me to share with others what the power of the gospel can do in their lives, not just by what I say, but according to how I live. Amen. September 14. A PRAYER: Creator God, I thank you for another opportunity to serve you this day. May I see your face in the faces of all those I will meet on the journey- familiar faces whose coloring is not like mine, faces I may usually turn away from. Focus my thoughts and direct my words, that my sisters and brothers might see your face in my face. Amen. September 15. A PRAYER: Each day closes with another day on the horizon. I do some things well. I leave some things undone. May I look back on each day and celebrate the blessings that were sprinkled throughout. God of restoration, grant me rest. Amen. September 16. Jesus said, �Do not let your hearts be troubled (John 14:1-7).� There are times when the dawning of a new day is not a time of hope, but a wrestling match. In the first moments of wakefulness, worries gather in our minds like swarms of insects. �How will we pay for that bill?� �What will become of the world?� Sometimes we get out of bed without satisfying responses to such concerns, and they plague us throughout the day. When Jesus prepared his disciples to meet the demands of the future, he did not counsel them to look on the sunny side of life. He gave them a commandment: �Do not let your hearts be troubled.� We can fashion an untroubled heart by letting go our anxieties and welcoming in their place a loving relationship. �Believe in God; believe also in me,� said Jesus. In other words, turn your eyes upon Jesus and the larger forces of God. Jesus wants us to know that we are accompanied by one whose care for us is without limit. O God of love, when I seek to control the future through worry, inspire me to trust in you. Amen. |
| GOD is Love |
| Murder is not love, and it is not God's will. Murder is man hurting man. Man hurting man is Satan's work in this world. |
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