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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

Sooner or later, Christian spiritual growth puts you right up against the conflict between your voracious desire to stay in control and your call to surrender more deeply. Not all control is detrimental, of course, but you do need to give up trying to control the uncontrollable and learn to trust that all is in God’s hands. … Seasoned 12-steppers know well that the first steps in recovery involve admitting powerlessness and surrendering control.

—Tilda Norberg, Gathered Together: Creating Personal Liturgies for Healing and Transformation (Upper Room Books, 2007)

Today’s Question

When you’re faced with something you can’t control, what do you discover by trusting that “all is in God’s hands”? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.

—Proverbs 3:5 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Great are you, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is your power, and your understanding is beyond measure.
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

  • Jill Posted November 27, 2020 5:41 am

    When the inner struggle with myself ceases, I become aware of His peace…and it brings tranquility where there was turmoil. It is merely…be still and know that I am God. Father – I can be so shorts-sighted. I so easily remove my eyes from You. Yet, You are constant. My True North. Thank You.
    Dad and I had a quiet day. The food was enjoyable. We watched football and a little college basketball, took a long walk on a gray day with periods of mist. I did some grading prior to going and upon arriving home. Just kinda blah. Seems we are trudging through monotonously similar days – I think especially for him. I am saddened as I think about his sorrow in losing mom and now this utter isolation which is so against his personality. It is not bad for me, an introvert. But, for him, he is so social. The days are long for him, especially as it is much less inviting to get out in the gray, winterish weather.
    Today is my brother-in-law’s birthday. I will drop off a gift card for him. I also ordered a Christmas gift for my sister – will do curbside pickup today…much later, as I assume there is still some semblance of Black Friday madness occurring. I also have a meet (Google’s version of zoom) with a student this afternoon.

  • robert moeller Posted November 27, 2020 6:07 am

    Soo Ok’s passing and my heart attack were times when I turned to God and yes, there was a feeling of calm , “things will be alright,” peace.
    Yes, this pandemic is certainly tougher foe people who are very social, I find things to do and am less bothered by staying home. For me the internet, ZOOM, Face Time, and emails provide lots of social sustenance.
    ZOOM breakfast with the pastor, and advent wreath making today. Hope to pick up needed groceries and craft supplies.
    Time for breakfast and feeding Pearl,
    Thankful for a nice Thanksgiving Day.

  • Julie Posted November 27, 2020 8:57 am

    What I find is that control is an illusion. I am never the one in control it is always God. That is more true in the divorce I am in now than at any other time of my life. H and I never talk, no words of any kind. He is rarely in the house and when he is he is sequestered in his room. I only know he has Parkinson’s because he has received info from support groups.
    Prayers for Jill and Larry as Larry struggles with the isolation and Jill struggles with his struggles. I am also an introvert and have not been bothered by the isolation. But I have Megan while Larry is still mourning the loss of Gloria. May he find different ways to connect with others.
    Prayers for Robert and his church as they continue to oreach out to one another using technology. I also have to go grocery shopping and dread the crowds.
    Prayers for Allly and david, I pray they had a warm holiday together.
    Yesterday was blustery here with wind gusts so Megan and I watched the Macy’s parade and made bread and apple dumplings. The Steeler’s game was postponed due to the other team having numerous players with COVID, so we have to wait to see if they can make it to 11 and 0.

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