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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

As you pray about the possibility of gathering a fresh spiritual community, I urge you to slow down and pay attention to what the Spirit is up to—within you, within your colleagues, and within your neighbors. God is not calling you to some trendy twist on a tired 1990s thing; instead, God says, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isa. 43:19).

—Paul Nixon and Craig Gilbert, Launching a New Worship Community: A Practical Guide for the 2020s (Discipleship Resources, 2021)

Today’s Question

How do you feel the Holy Spirit moving in your life or in the life of your congregation? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand. He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 1:2 (CEB)

Prayer for the Week

Dear God, help us to welcome new people into our faith communities. Guide us to people who are seeking you, and help us convey your love and acceptance as we develop authentic relationships with them. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

This Advent, join author Marsha Crockett in an exploration of the HOPE, LOVE, PEACE, and JOY that the coming of Jesus offers. Through The Coming Messiah: Guided Meditations for Advent, you’ll be invited into guided times of prayer and quiet reflection—all accessible via mobile device. Learn more about this eCourse and register here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

3 Comments

  • Julie Posted November 12, 2021 8:30 am

    I’m too new to my congregation to know if anything has changed as I have no past reference. I can detect the Holy Spirit in some parts of my life, but I sure do need to work on others. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform some actions and reactions and thought processes.
    Prayers for Ally’s A fib, may it respond positively to the Eliquis. Prayers for Jill and Roger, I pray she was able to get Roger to the vet with minimal stress and anxiety on both their parts. I pray the vet is able to discern how to help Roger’s diabetes. Prayers for Jill as she grows frustrated with the review process. How infuriating to prepare and spend numerous hours perfecting a lesson plan to have your time usurped by unruly teen behavior. Prayers for Robert, may God guide him as he seeks again to assuage Erich’s requests. Prayers for Marti and her staff. Prayers for a new poster, Jan, and welcome to our little group. I find out this afternoon when my surgery will be on Monday,. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless all who visit here.

  • robert moeller Posted November 12, 2021 9:49 am

    The Worship Team met and will meet again. Planning for Advent is a high priority. Prayers Julie’s surgery goes well on Monday, Welcome to Jan, newcomers are most appreciated. I can easily identify with Jill and review process frustrations, hope they are positively solved. Prayers too for great veterinary care for Roger. Very hard to imagine diabetes car for a cat. Had a very special Veteran’s Day eating a free for vets lunch at a locally well known eatery with a another vet. Normally this place gives vets half price every 11th of the month. Skis sent to a sale that helps kids learn to ski, It was a busy day yesterday, BUT A GOOD ONE. FT with my daughter and granddaughters too. Prayers for success with disability paperwork and Ally’s A-fib. A rainy, chilly, overcast, somewhat dreary day, BUT the Central Vermont Railway Brill Car is ready for a finishing overspray, some window glass and curtains next once the finish is very dry. Thank You, Lord for the blessings of the day.

  • Jill Posted November 12, 2021 11:39 am

    The Spirit seems quiet now. I am taking that as a “stay the course”. I will keep listening and trying to discern. I feel like my church is coming back strong from Covid challenges and am encouraged by the amount of young families.
    Roger cried and wailed all the way to the vet. He is so unhappy in his carrier. And probably totally irked that I bamboozled him to get him in there. Poor little fellow doesn’t feel himself and then I betray him. If only our little friends could know how much we hurt for them. I will wait to hear from the vet – will likely pick him up before 7:00 this evening. It will take him a long time to recover, no doubt.
    Right before retiring to bed early last evening, I got an email apology from my evaluator. She came in this morning. She didn’t expect me to redo everything, thank goodness. She stayed for about a half hour, some of which was the students working on a pop quiz. I meet with her on Monday to get the written feedback/evaluation. I am glad it is over. These last two weeks – with massive preparation and all the stress of Roger – it’s been a lot.
    So – needless to say – I am looking forward to the weekend. I don’t have any tennis. My god son’s basketball scrimmage is tomorrow morning and I will go to that. Looking forward to much time at home, getting back in the good graces of Roger.

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