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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

Forgiveness is a condition in which the sin of the past is not altered or its inevitable consequences changed. Rather, in forgiveness a fresh act is added to those of the past, which restores the broken relationship and opens the way for the one who forgives and the one who is forgiven to meet and communicate deeply with each other in the present and future. Thus, forgiveness heals the past, though the scars remain and the consequences go on. These keep the sinner humble. But now the past can no longer throttle. It is taken into the fresh act of outgoing renewal, and there it is healed.

—Douglas V. Steere, in  Forgiveness: Perspectives on Making Peace with Your Past, compiled and introduced by Amy Lyles Wilson (Fresh Air Books, 2008)

Today’s Question

When has a fresh act of forgiveness healed something from your past? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
—Matthew 18:21-22 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

(This week’s prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9-13, NIV.)
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

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Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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3 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted September 20, 2021 6:10 am

    Erich told me he was over his anger that we don’t live where he would like to be. We will try this spring to move there. It will be very helpful for him. The current market may make that difficult, but we will try. Thankfully there is also plan B.
    Hopefully I am making progress wth counseling, have a session on Tuesday. My model is coming along, and tonight is ZOOM 2 of the UMC New England conference wide discussion of Faith After Doubt with Brian McClaren. He has a broad reaching plan to create communities of faith expressing itself in love.
    May this God given new week see problems resolved, healing occur, resources that support life found, and anguish, pain, and suffering subside for the NEM community, our towns, states, nation and beyond. God is always with us. Thank You, Lord.

  • Julie Posted September 20, 2021 9:03 am

    Not sure. I don’t have an answer for either forgiving or being forgiven having healed something from my past. Will need to contemplate.
    Our air conditioner failed on Saturday and will be replaced on Wednesday. The days have been sunny in the 80s and humid. So we are uncomfortable. Sigh. I had a nice time at church yesterday and then went for a walk. Tomorrow is the meeting with the lawyer, please pray all goes well.
    Prayers for Ally and David’s health and finances, Jill and Roger and his stomach issues, Lou’s safe return, Robert and Erich’s continued reconciliation through counseling, Marti and her staff. Thank you for your prayers and kind words and may God bless all who visit here.

  • Jill Posted September 20, 2021 6:30 pm

    I can think of a time early on in a friendship when I had lied to the person. I admitted it and the forgiveness which I was offered – it was practically unrecognizable to me. Mom was never able to forgive me my transgressions – always revolved around how I addressed her. We would move on, but boy was it a brutal route to do so. When my friend forgave – what in my opinion was a much more serious offense – I didn’t know how to act.
    Roger is running around tonight – jumping in and out of boxes. His two foods came today – and he consumed his bowlful for dinner. I bought him one of those bowls which sits higher up and at an angle – supposed to help with digestion for pets. How I hope I have this figured out.
    School was hectic, but good. I planned on having time this morning to get stuff done, but a student needed help and I had to cover another class for an absent teacher. So far, two for two. This class was bigger, and except for one boy who talked too loudly, was fairly well behaved.
    Ran some errands after school, which didn’t get done over the weekend. Grateful it didn’t take as long as anticipated. A rock hit my windshield this morning on the way to work. Grateful to be able to make the claim online as well as schedule the repair. They will come to my school next Monday to fix it.
    Robert – you are a longsuffering soul – may Erich be appreciative of all the sacrifices you make. Julie – will be praying for the meeting tomorrow with the lawyer.

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