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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

Communal praise and devotion is not about hypocrisy—acting one way on Sunday and living another way Monday through Saturday; it’s about reinforcement and reminders. Holy spaces offer opportunities to be focused on devotion—acknowledging the Divine, giving thanks, confessing our shortcomings, and turning to God—in a way that shapes us the rest of the week. This time spent in communal worship is like exercising: It strengthens us and makes us accountable to God and to others. In worship, we gain gospel muscle memory for the week.

—J. Dana Trent, For Sabbath's Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community (Upper Room Books, 2017)

Today's Question

How does communal worship strengthen you? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.
—Hebrews 4:9-10 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, help me to realize my need for sabbath time in my busy life. Please give me a hunger for sabbath time so I can spend more time with you, my family, and my faith community. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

SABBATH: An Ancient Practice Meets the Modern World is a new two-hour documentary that explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for a stressed-out, modern world. This week's featured author, J. Dana Trent, is one of the featured commentators in the film. Learn more at www.journeyfilms.com.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Trinity Sunday

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

0 Comments | Join the Conversation.

 

Today's Reflection

While the danger of sabbath intentions and parameters might drive away people because they feel like obligations, not observing sabbath at all can leave us feeling self-centered. If we practice the Jewish or Christian faith, then sabbath orders our lives rightly; it makes God the Creator and us the blessed recipients of creation and rest.

—J. Dana Trent, For Sabbath's Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community (Upper Room Books, 2017)

Today's Question

How does sabbath help you receive the gifts of creation and rest? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God.
—Deuteronomy 5:12-14a (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, help me to realize my need for sabbath time in my busy life. Please give me a hunger for sabbath time so I can spend more time with you, my family, and my faith community. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

SABBATH: An Ancient Practice Meets the Modern World is a new two-hour documentary that explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for a stressed-out, modern world. This week's featured author, J. Dana Trent, is one of the featured commentators in the film. Learn more at www.journeyfilms.com.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Trinity Sunday

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

0 Comments | Join the Conversation.

 

Today's Reflection

Jesus lives a Spirit-led life, even in a culture trying to forbid him from performing acts of justice on the sabbath. He puts the over-planners on notice—the productive, wealthy, powerful, self-righteous, hoarders, ignorers, and worriers. He consistently calls us to the kind of action that isn’t measured in qualitative data: love, justice, service, and awareness.

—J. Dana Trent, For Sabbath's Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community (Upper Room Books, 2017)

Today's Question

What action might the Spirit be leading you toward today? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”
—Luke 13:10-12 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, help me to realize my need for sabbath time in my busy life. Please give me a hunger for sabbath time so I can spend more time with you, my family, and my faith community. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

SABBATH: An Ancient Practice Meets the Modern World is a new two-hour documentary that explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for a stressed-out, modern world. This week's featured author, J. Dana Trent, is one of the featured commentators in the film. Learn more at www.journeyfilms.com.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Trinity Sunday

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

3 Comments | Join the Conversation.

 

Today's Reflection

Modern Christians have an opportunity to empathize with the challenges the Jews have encountered in observing sabbath in a culture that is neither conducive to nor supportive of taking a full day to connect with the Creator, ourselves, and one another. But even a rigorous review of scripture and Judeo-Christian history doesn’t solve the major obstacle against sabbatarianism: How do we begin to observe a day that is antithetical to culture, the economy, smartphones, email, work expectations, and retail?

—J. Dana Trent, For Sabbath's Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community (Upper Room Books, 2017)

Today's Question

How often do you set aside time to observe sabbath? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
—Genesis 2:3 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, help me to realize my need for sabbath time in my busy life. Please give me a hunger for sabbath time so I can spend more time with you, my family, and my faith community. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

SABBATH: An Ancient Practice Meets the Modern World is a new two-hour documentary that explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for a stressed-out, modern world. This week's featured author, J. Dana Trent, is one of the featured commentators in the film. Learn more at www.journeyfilms.com.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Trinity Sunday

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

4 Comments | Join the Conversation.

 

Today's Reflection

The beginning point for being an effective spiritual leader is to be a spiritual person. This is both an opportunity and a danger. A common foible for pastors is to feel that being the pastoral leader means being superspiritual. In their book Leaders That Last, authors Kinnaman and Ells state that “the pastor/leader must be spiritually minded, but he or she need not be the most spiritual person in the church.” This is a reminder to respect the spiritual journeys of those around us. Being honest about our spiritual shortcomings and leaning on the spiritual help of others can be a growth opportunity for all involved.

—Dwight H. Judy, A Quiet Pentecost: Inviting the Spirit into Congregational Life (Upper Room Books, 2013)

Today's Question

When have you sought out spiritual direction? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
—Romans 8:14 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, forever. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Registration is now open for RESILIENCE | Practicing Compassion in a World of Conflict. Join us on September 29-30, 2023, as we explore the transformative power of compassion in a world marked by division. Learn more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Day of Pentecost

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

1 Comments | Join the Conversation.

 

Today's Reflection

Spiritual formation and contemplative prayer practices, like reflective reading of scripture, enable us to slow the pace of our busy minds and lives. ... It’s astonishing how many words and images we encounter each day, all competing for
our attention. It is more important than ever to find time when we may be called into praise and hope for victory over life’s challenges. We receive this gift in worship with others. Worship invites us into
reflection on our own life through scripture, exhortation of the Word, prayers, hymns, and support of the community. We emerge refreshed
and ready for the week ahead.

—Dwight H. Judy, A Quiet Pentecost: Inviting the Spirit into Congregational Life (Upper Room Books, 2013)

Today's Question

How important is worship as a spiritual practice to you? Join the conversation.

Today's Scripture

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in holy splendor.
—1 Chronicles 16:29 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, forever. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Registration is now open for RESILIENCE | Practicing Compassion in a World of Conflict. Join us on September 29-30, 2023, as we explore the transformative power of compassion in a world marked by division. Learn more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Day of Pentecost

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

3 Comments | Join the Conversation.