Today’s Reflection
A MOTHER MAY ALLOW a child to fall sometimes and be distressed in various ways for its own benefit, but out of love can never allow any kind of danger to come to her child. And though our earthly mother may allow her child to perish, our heavenly Mother Jesus can never allow us who are his children to perish. For he is almighty and all wisdom and all love and none is like him, may he be blessed.
Often when our falling and our wretchedness are shown to us, we are so fearful and greatly ashamed of ourselves that we scarcely know where to hide. But then our courteous Mother does not want us to flee away. Nothing would suit him less. He wants us then to act like little children. For when they are distressed and afraid, they run quickly to their mother. If they can do no more, they cry to their mother for help with all their might. That is what he wants us to do, like a meek child, saying, “My kind Mother, my gracious Mother, my beloved Mother, have mercy on me. I have made myself foul and displeasing to you, and I cannot change it except with your help and grace.”
– Encounter with God’s Love
From pages 55-56 of Encounter with God’s Love: Selected Writings of Julian of Norwich, edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe. Copyright © 1998 by Upper Room Books. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
Pray your own prayer for Christ’s mercy. Share your thoughts.
Today’s Scripture
My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
Psalm 45:1, NRSV
This Week: pray for those who are receiving cancer treatments. 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: Augustine of Hippo (August 28).
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
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11 Comments
I am grateful for weather, which speaks to me of God’s creation, of which each of us is one very small part. Yesterday, in the early evening, after a hot, humid, breezeless, overcast day, it suddenly became very dark and windy. Rain started pouring down and a loud crack of thunder and lightning made us jump. We lost power for almost three hours. Then, just as suddenly as the rain began, it stopped, the setting sun came out, and our power was restored.
While we were sitting in the dark at home, we decided to get in the car and drive someplace with electricity and light. We ended up at a restaurant one town over from us and, since the kitchen was closed, we each ordered a beverage. We enjoyed talking to the server, a bright young woman who is majoring in math at a private university.
I think of how the storms of life are followed by quiet and calm. I pray for Marcy, Julie, Jill and her mother, father and sister, Robert, Erich, and Anneliese, Mary, her students, difficult job, and her parents, Connie and her husband, Betsy, her husband, and her sister, Lou and her children, Pam, April, Louisa, Lisa, and all UR friends from the past.
I pray for those receiving cancer treatment and those in remission – Gloria, Jane, Karen, Gretchen. May they be blessed with God’s peace in their spirits.
I pray for my elderly uncle Tom, who just went into a hospice facility, and my aunt Norma, who is becoming frail and lives with her bachelor son, who is blind. I will make a long drive across the Twin Cities to visit my uncle today, with my sister, and I ask for your prayers for my uncle and aunt.
May all have a blessed day.
Without God’s love, grace and mercy I am not able to achieve righteousness.
Thank You, Lord for Your precious gifts.
Thankful for the progress made setting up for Lawnfest at church. It is a craft,
flea market, lunch event over Labor Day weekend. Erich’s work is going well, he’s adjusting to a new schedule, meeting new people, and making progress.
Have been too busy to work on the steam locomotive model, need some tin snips to trim the boiler so it will fit over the motor.
Preyers of thanks for all of who encourage me, Erich, and Anneliese with your prayers, sharing, thoughts, and comments. Prayers for Gloria, Marcy, Julie, Andrea, Betsy, Lou, Connie, and Mary. Thankful that God knows your needs and will see you through in the way that is best. The Lord’s ways are not our ways, but God is good all the time, we are in good hands, the hands of the potter who made us. I lift up Curt, an army buddy who somehow is suffering from exposure to Agent Orange. Have not found out how, but all the tests show its effect. Hopefully help from the VA soon. Thankful that on the third try my friend Joel will be able to move closer to Kansas City where he can volunteer at the WWI Museum.Prayers for those whom lost loved ones in the FL shooting and prayers for HI after the storm. Prayers too for an end to the forest fires in the west.
God’s peace and blessings to you all. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Andrea – I am praying you will have an awareness of our merciful Father, may He go with you today as you visit your uncle. May the time spent with your sister be warming to each of you. Praying for safety as well.
Anxious to hear about Erich’s first days on the job, if you are willing to share with us, Robert.
I am grateful for a really good first day with my students yesterday. This group seems to have siblings/familiar last names, more than usual. Incredibly grateful for the return of routine, the rhythm of teaching. Grateful for a very meaningful session with my counselor yesterday afternoon. Grateful, yet again, for a climate controlled school and air-conditioning in my school. Temps were in the 90s yesterday, as surely was the humidity as well.
Good morning.
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I often pray the Jesus prayer when I have no other words. Our Heavenly Father hears us in our struggles and our praises. Amen
Glad to be back home after time away; back to a routine and work. Thank you, Andrea, for your prayers. I like your analogy of the storms of life and the calm that comes after. Trusting in the Lord and His great mercies.
I will add a praise to this special group of pray-ers. We have found out that my husband and I are going to be first time grandparents in late January! God is good. I pray that Clay (son) and Kelsey can face parenthood with God at the head of their young family. God is good.
Congratulations Betsy!
Wonderful news, Betsy!
Have mercy on me, Lord, a sinner. How simple yet profound a statement, especially when uttered with complete humility. I am unworthy, yet Your grace is available and freely given none the less.
Prayers for Andrea and her sister as they travel. Prayers for their aunt and uncle and each painful situation. May they both feel Your arms surround them in love.
Prayers for Robert and Erich. May Erich continue to have success in his new job. May Robert’s church have a successful weekend event. May Anneliese have less pain today.
Prayers for Jill and her students, may they have a safe school year.
Prayers for Betsy. Prayers of joy for the new family addition, may all go well and may the family put God at the head of their family.
Prayers for Mary. I pray that her colleague is no longer goofing off aand that her administrator does her own work.
Prayers for Marcy. I am in awe that you can forgive your “husband.” I am unable yet to forgive mine (from now on all “husband” will be h only). Kitty and h story. Megan and I took kitties to vet for annual checkup yesterday, all went well, and I will elaborate in future. But h was home when we came in with kitties in carriers. He stopped cold and moved only eyes, like if you see a menacing dog. H stayed that way only with eyes riveted to carriers not moving muscle. Like he expected some 2 headed monsters to slither out. I asked why he was looking like that and he said he wanted to know what haappened at the vet. I asked if he thought he would know from the looks only. He got disgusted and left. My daughter just looked at eeach other and shrugged our shoulders.
Prayers all UR loved ones
Thank you Julie for your prayers!
May God bless you abundantly and fill you with His love, joy and peace!
“Mother Jesus”? Uhhhh. Your thoughts…..
Marcy, my virtual cat is “Tina Marie” and is a mackerel (brown) tabby like her–kind of orangish on the computer.
Thankful for:
Many things accomplished yesterday. My husband was “in charge” while I shopped. Yay, Bill! I got Cashew Chicken for supper for him.
Glad to hear of Betsy’s wonderful news. Also that Jill had a good day.
Bought 2 items with reward $- no charge….K-mart (Sears) is closing and it is sad.
Robert, Julie, Mary and all, God bless you abundantly.
And may God bless you and your family abundantly, Connie!
Thank you, Mary-and also you and yours.
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