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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.

 

Words of Hope During COVID-19

Claire McKeever-Burgett, Associate Director of The Upper Room Academy for Spiritual Formation, tells how to create a family altar, a sacred space set aside for family worship.

 

Today’s Reflection

Today, Jesus reminds us that he wants a relationship with us even amid the mess of our lives. He sees our mess and still chooses to say, “Follow me.” He does not come to call the virtuous but rather those with messy lives—people like us. We needn’t wait until our lives are “perfect” to answer Jesus’ call. He wants us to follow him as we are right now.

—Anthony Egan, Trevor Hudson, and Russell Pollitt, Divine Friendship: Reflections for Lent (Upper Room Books, 2018)

Today’s Question

Do you trust that you don’t have to be “perfect” in order to answer Jesus’ call? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
—Mark 8:34 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

May this Holy Week be one of challenge, growth, and an ever-deepening friendship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

If you are a parent with children or teens, try this list of simple prayer practices you can do as a family during these times of social distancing.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

7 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted April 8, 2020 6:06 am

    If we say that we commit no sin, we lie, but if we confess our sin, we are forgiven, Jesus came to save sinners. We have all gone astray. Thank You, Lord, for saving us.

    A surge in the virus is expected over the next two weeks, Prayers for everyone. Maundy Thursday tomorrow. Take good care and God bless.

  • Bj Posted April 8, 2020 8:01 am

    Good morning to the UR family! Yes, God is real. Yes, Robert, He is a God that cares for us. His arms are always open wide when we don’t even realized it. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”(kjv) praise God! He already knows what we have been through and what we are going through. He said He will never forsake us. Please continue to pray for each other daily. May all of you have a blessed day.

  • Julie Posted April 8, 2020 8:41 am

    Yes, this is one thing of which I am sure. Jesus associated with everyone during His time on earth. He did not discriminate agaiinst the “outcasts” of society but embraced them and the judgement He received for these associations.
    Prayers for Ally and David, may God be with them and may it be His will that they recover.
    Prayers for Andrea and Lowell and their safety and continued walks to refresh in natre.
    Prayers for April and her family, may they be safe and also continue to find solace in nature and their garden.
    Prayers for Bj and her mom, may they be safe and may BJ continue to shine Your light to all she touches.
    Prayers for Jill, Larry and her students, may all remainsafe and connected during this time of online learning.
    Prayers for Lou and her children, may they be safe and have monetary resources needed.
    Prayers for Rick and his husband, may Rick continue to thrive in his schooling even now with elearning.
    Prayers for Robert and his family and church, may he continue to be safe and coontinue to worship via Zoom.
    We had quite a storm overnight. The wind shook the house and the rain , thunder and lightening were torrential. We came through fine, but there was a tornado in the area and many are without power and have substantial damage. I wonder and worry for Jill and her lack of comments. I pray she and Larry are fine.
    Prayers and thank you UR

  • Ally Posted April 8, 2020 9:21 am

    Thanks to all for prayers for David and me. He has been transferred to a larger hospital with better resources, such as great infectious disease people and helps for persons in acute respiratory distress. I have real peace about this decision. I am so thankful that God desires relationship with us, mess that we are. He meets us where we are, but doesn’t leave us where he found us. Blessings to all.

  • Rick Posted April 8, 2020 3:28 pm

    My thoughts were, a Sinner like me and immediately thought of the words to Amazing Grace today. Because of Gods amazing grace, I’ve received a new life and I’m deeply and profoundly grateful for all the amazing people God placed in my life to show me I was not too broken or too washed up to have a life of meaning and purpose.

    Thank you all for you being a constant inspiration and blessing in my life. Continued prayers for David and Ally, as well as Jill, prayers also fo April, Lou, Andrea and Lowell and for those we have not heard from. May the Peace of Christ be with you all during this difficult season and throughout Holy Week.

  • April Posted April 8, 2020 8:18 pm

    Do you trust that you don’t have to be “perfect” in order to answer Jesus’ call? Yes, I do thrust this and the more I read/study, it is the messy people like me, that Jesus has called. I also believe that we do not have to “fix” anything/everything in order to enjoy the beauty of nature or love from others, or anything….I can live and learn with God’s help every day…and hopefully, have less things to “fix” by living closer to God.
    My friend’s mother has not heard results back from COVID-19 test but no longer has a fever. I pray for all as we live through this time.
    My Easter Lily’s trumpet flowers are singing to me as I gaze at it on the table. What a beautiful flower to signal Easter!! Blessings dear UR family.

  • Andrea Posted April 9, 2020 12:30 pm

    I think in this threatening time, I open to God’s mercy by being sure to quiet my soul – with my Lectio Divina passage and other scripture, with a walk in nature, with playing the piano. I do believe God does not want us to strive to be perfect, to strive to be anything than what we are. I believe God responds to our authenticity.

    We had a beautiful walk yesterday at a small nature conservatory in our county – through open meadows and up and down wooded bluffs. It got my heart to pumping. I saw a small white butterfly, the first of the year. At home, I zoomed for an hour with my grandson, reading books to him and going into his “cave” (he took the laptop in) where we “snuggled.” Lowell and I will prepared for Saturday, when we’ll celebrate Easter a day early, outside, with a social distancing picnic in our back yard. Saturday, because the temperature drops significantly on Sunday.
    I pray for David’s recovery and for Ally’s support. May he return home soon.
    I give thanks for my dear ones, and I pray for you and yours. Wishing all a blessed day.

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