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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

We are, each of us, made in the image of God, as much God’s creatures as the first human, made of the clay of the earth, the humus and the breath of God (see Gen. 2:7). At our baptisms, we are told that the voice that spoke to Jesus assures that we too are God’s children, well beloved. We are told too that when we cry out, “Abba! Father!” it is the spirit of our adoption crying out within us (see Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-6); the cry of recognition of the family of God, stretched between the poles of birth and adoption, creation and redemption, blood and water.

—Rosalind C. Hughes, A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing (Upper Room Books, 2020)

Today’s Question

Where do you notice God’s loving presence in your life from birth until now? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
—1 John 3:2 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

How infinite is your embrace, O God. How broad and high and deep and enduring is your love.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Show your loved ones how much you care by giving them Spirit Boosters, daily reminders that they still have purpose, no matter their age.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

2 Comments

  • Jill Posted November 20, 2020 5:08 am

    His loving presence has accompanied me along this life…ups and downs…some mere blips now as I look back at them. Some of the downs – in His time – turned into massive ups and foundational to who and where I am today. Thank You, Father. It’s mind-boggling to consider now, in my 28th year of teaching, this virtual environment. I think about different paths which could have been pursued, but I know deep within that my place is in the classroom…not in some administrative office, doling out discipline. Not in a setting, trying to analyze curriculum and crunching numbers. No – my place has firmly been and will continue to be – in the classroom. Right now, unfortunately, it is a virtual classroom. But, this too, shall pass.
    Cases continue to reach scary numbers in my area and a curfew has been issued as well as a shelter in place advisory. My friend and I did not get together yesterday and are now weighing our plans to head to the beach the day after Christmas. The hope of having this at the end of this Fall semester has kept me going…the thought of having my toes in the sand, the sun on my face. We have until Nov 26 to cancel and get a full refund.
    Three more school days…a little lighter than usual, as I am giving all but one of my classes quizzes over this time span.
    Robert – you mentioned Sauerbraten. I love that meal. I used to request my mom to make it for me for my birthday dinner.

  • robert moeller Posted November 20, 2020 6:10 am

    Raised in a Christian family, baptized as an infant, Sunday school, confirmation, MYF, then a break while in college, a return in the army, a weak period before getting married, then fairly steady once we were in the US, faith became stronger after Soo Ok passed away, and has stayed to this day. Looking back my faith journey has been a long one and it took a major event to really make a difference.
    Despite my German heritage, there were few German inspired meals, Mom made sauerkraut, pork chops, and mashed potatoes, but no Sauerbraten. Schneckennoodles, snail shaped (Schnecken) cinnamon rolls were a plenty and came to us through my maternal grandmother. My paternal grandmother made Spâtzle and a string bean dish with bacon, but that was the extent of German food.
    Trips to Germany awoke my German food interest and contact with Germans in the US helped it along.
    This was the first Sauerbraten we’ve ever made. I learned there is a Hessian version that uses apple wine instead of red wine. I’m a mix of different German regions: Hessen – Moeller, Baden, – Schuler, and Sachsen – Weinmann.
    After more than a month’s wait a plumber is scheduled to come today to fix the kitchen sink focused problems.
    Prayers for continued progress with Covid vaccines, wisdom to do what is right until the vaccines can be administered, a peaceful transition in Washington, the health, safety, and welfare of the UR community and all God’s creation, and a positive, safe Thanksgiving for all. Thank You, Lord

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