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Showing posts from 2013

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,     Help us to look at and organize the cupboards of our life.  May we clean and polish the shelves.  May we organize the clutter and identify those objects that are healthy and discard those that are not.  May we place the realities and visions onto shelves that are reachable and understandable. May we place a light of your presence in the cupboard that eternally glows offering direction, guidance and knowledge. May the shelves, themselves, be the Jesus of compassion and saving grace. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Dear God,   Good morning, God.  We are at the end of the year and we reflect on ourselves and the year that is now over.  We hope that we have done what you wanted us to do.  We hope we have lived up to our potential and been active within the opportunities you have given us.  We pray that we have been living lights of faith and beauty to others around us.  We know that we have turned to you, Our God, in times of trouble and we are grateful for your  presence.  May we continue to live as children of your grace and love. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Dear God,    In the clouds, winds and storms of life, we pray that the sunlight will  break through.  We ask that we also be the sun for those who are in darkness.  For those going through tempests and trials, may we bring a calm in the winds, a break in the clouds and light that brings healing warmth and new hope. May we find strength in the light of your love and find an identity of purpose and being in the grace we receive and offer.  AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,    It is a quiet time. A time of pondering and reflection as we have experienced the blessing of Christmas and we coast into realization and meaning.  May we be open to new insights as our pulse slows and we reflect on life changing. We pray that you, our God, will be with us in our newness and we will continue to grow in mercy and depth of being. In Jesus we pray. AMEN

MorningPayer Friday

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Dear God,     The world proclaims your majesty; sea, sand, sky, clouds flinging tendrils to the stars all sing of wonder, mystery and majesty.  May we find ourselves born again and again in the cycle of your work.  May we renew ourselves in the nurturing bosom of your loving world and nourish ourselves in the infinite rhythm of yhour eternal grace. Thank you Lord God. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Dear God,     On this day after Christmas we pray for clarity.  May our minds be like the endless skies stretching into eternity.May our hearts be like crystal, clear, waters of the Mediterranean sun.  May our spirits flow like breezes freshened by spring flowers and humming bees. May the very spirit of Christmas be in our veins as the purest expression of love as we live forever in the healing power of God's grace.  AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Lord God, Another Christmas day is here! We pray for peace that passeth all understanding. We pray for that inner peace where our stillness is like a lake reflecting heavens glory. We pray for outer peace where our relationships jingle merrily together in our pockets like freshly minted coins. We pray for peace of knowledge and understanding. We give thanks for this gift of life and the gift of Jesus birth. May this radiant gift give us the peace we seek and live within us all as love and light. I pray Christmas blessing on you all. AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,    We come to the cradle of birth on bended knee and with humble hearts.  Thank you for receiving us at the altar of your peace.  Some of us are wounded in spirit and need your touch of healing and love.  Some of us are rejoicing in life and celebrate you with gifts of love.  From birth to death you are here for us and walk with us in our daily walk.  You are the compassionate Lord of our life and  in the mystery and wonder of this creation eve, we prayerfully offer ourselves to you and accept the grace you give. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Lord of Light,    Help us to capture light today, the light parading through the universe, and hold it in our hand.  May we clothe ourselves in this wondrous light, wearing it like a prayer shawl.  May we saturate ourselves in this purest light, drinking it  until the cells of our body burst open like a river of liquid spirit. May our minds be so immersed in this mysterious light that our thoughts are refined like gold and our every motive and action is in harmony with the universe.  Fill us full, O God, and may we be your grace. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Lord God,    In the blender of life let us mix together hope and peace, joy and love and find ourselves proclaiming Christmas with a passion and fervor of enduring and infinite grace.  Hold us in your loving hand and lift us up in your forgiving heart.  Assist us to forgive one another and live in the blended harmony of your hopes and visions for us.  Let us sing with the angels, "Peace on earth among All." AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,        We stand in the  middle of eternity, time stretching out without limit in all directions.  But yet, here in this moment we seem to  be running out of that which is without end. How can this  be?  We need help stopping ourselves so time will catch up.  Let us not be run ragged trying to stop time, but let us be in harmony with the passing moments. Instead of racing, let us walk slowly. Instead of gasping let us breathe gently. Instead of of moaning and sighing, let us sing of Angels we have heard on high.  It is well. It is well. AMEN

MorningPrayer Friday

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Dear God,    I planned to send my prayer by UPS and then I thought maybe FED EX but maybe USPS would be better or maybe Brown is still around or is that UPS? It is a really good prayer and wanted to make sure you got it as soon as possible, before it was too late, so that you would have plenty of time to unwrap it and work with the contents of the prayer... but I got really busy and then forgot and got lost on the way to the store and so here the prayer sits in my heart and on my lips.  I know it is late, but if I could just say it then maybe you will get it in time.  Dear God, thank you for all you have done for me, for the many blessings, and watch out for all my loved ones, and help to bring peace and joy on the earth. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Dear God, What can we do today to make the world a better place?  What small contribution might we make, right here, in our space that will brighten a day, lift a spirit, create a smile, help the needy and make God laugh?  We are sure there must be something, no matter how small that will make a difference.  The flutter of an angel wing, the murmur of a butterfly, the tinkle of a wind chime... how precious.  We are sure we can lasso a moonbeam at night and capture a sunbeam by day that we can share and take away the gloom. Help us, O God, to bring joy. AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Lord Almighty,     The fullest moon has lit the skies and cast long deep shadows on the ground. The crisp air sparkles in the brilliance and we breathe the mist of long ago dragons playing on the hillsides. Our imagination lingers in the sighs of childhood and we reach beyond adulthood and  grasp at the mystery and wonder of creation. There is no limit to the miracle of God on earth; being, creating, caring, sharing. We are grasped in the Word of God's breath and the sigh of God is, "Miracle." AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,     Help us to slow down in the midst of the rushing and the busyness of this time of year. Help us to savor the moments of beauty; the lights, the music, the crisp air, the laughter, the kindness and the nativity scenes of life and love.  Help us to pause and reflect on what we are doing and why; to meditate on the meaning of this moment and the season of Christmas.  Help us to discern the true meaning for us and then to live within that meaning and truth. In your help and with your guidance we pray. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Dear God,      Like a slowly simmering fire flowing quietly into a cool room, so let our faith be.  Let the embers of our belief burn with a constant heat that meets any occasion with unwavering certainty.  May the coals of our faith burn deep from within so they cannot be extinguished in a rain or a flood. May the heat and light of our inner fire be fueled by the Christ of faith and the Lord of eternity. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Lord God,    Like a beautiful song, our life moves through crescendos and decrescendos, pianissimo and forte, melody and harmony from the first note to the last resolution.  May we find a beautiful song, today, that lifts us up and carries us in wonder and glory and soothes our soul and stimulates our spirit.  May we be a song that is full of mystery, intrigue and beauty.  May the Christ of Glory song stir our hearts into magic and the grace of God's music in our souls. AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,    Who among us needs a kind word, today.  Who needs a helping hand or a caring hug.  Who among us needs a moment of silence or a chance to talk. Who among us needs to sit quietly  or has to much to do. Who among us needs an extra dollar or a loaf of bread or a dream fulfilled.  In what ways can we be the somebody that responds to the needs around us. Help us to be awake, alert and sensitive to the needs of others, even as we gently take care of our own needs. Thank you God. AMEN  

MorningPrayer Friday

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Dear God,    Help us to  add a little bit of beauty to the world, today. Not a huge splash, we are not greedy; just a little touch of bright color here, a clever word there, a note like a songbird up here,  a smell like baking bread over there. You know what I mean, for you are the master of beauty; a swift burst of color in the morning sky, a hawk darting through the trees, mist rising from a meadow dotted with hay bales.... Help us to share beauty of the heart, a word of respect, a gesture of kindness, a thought of concern... Let us dot our world with beauty  because in that beauty might be the salvation of our hearts. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Hey God,    Sometimes we get mad we get angry, we seethe and stew and feel our mind blowing up because we are so upset.  Mad at stupid people and dumb things, and idiotic behavior.  Mad at the  world and upset because it is just not working the way it should be working. And why do people have to be so blind and ridiculous and unreasonable and and and.... sigh...    God, help me to slow down my mind and breathe. Take away my anger which is probably actually pain and hurt anyway. Heal me, Lord. Soothe my wounded spirit.  Anoint me with the balm of Gilead and mend my hurting soul. Thank you.  AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Lord,    Help us with our fears, today, sometimes they blind us like trying to see in a fog.  We need the light of your presence to guide us through the mist and walk in faith.  May our faith in your love burn away the shroud that imprisons us and set us free to live in the security of your grace.  You are sufficient for us, O God.  AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,    There are times when we, your people, call out to you in distress and you hear our cries and care for us with a gentle hand. There are times when we even hide our pain and distress from you and we think we are strong or canny.  But you see through us and you welcome our trust.  In you we will find the help we need, the healing that allows a present of hope and a future of joy. Help us to lay our weary heads upon you, and find new life. In Jesus we pray. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Lord God Most Holy,     Gently, very gently, slowly, oh so slowly may we move and be.  May every movement and every action count.  Let us be mindful of our motions because they might be indicators of our emotions.  May we not rush our feet and slam the door and bang a book or a pan. Might we pause between breaths and count to a hundred and find eternity between the beats of our heart. May we feel the pulse of our blood as a moving river of the spirit and may we linger in the taste of the infinite. Pause us, O God, so we might cherish your presence. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Dear God,     We don't ask that we be perfect, we just ask for wholeness and completeness.  Help us to live the very best we can in whatever form and face we have been granted.  May we strive for the fruits of the spirit; kindness, compassion, goodness, helpfulness, joy and wonder. May we add beauty and laughter to the world and touch other lives with gentleness and love.  May we feel the divine spark of your presence within us and may we be guided by the Christ of grace. AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God    Watch us smile. See our mouth turn up in a grin and hear our laugh. Feel our mirth.  We are filled with joy because of the goodness and potential of life. Wow!  Another day to greet the dawn with a shout and a prayer.  Another opportunity to spin atoms and boil molecules, to write novels, sing the Messiah, to feed a hungry soul and clean the gutters. A day unlike any other day and never to be repeated. Thank you God for this day of days. AMEN

MorningPrayer Friday

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Dear God,     We offer a prayer of thanks for giant men and woman who have changed the world by their  wisdom, strength and Godly grace; people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus of Nazareth to name just a few. Humanity has been uplifted by their presence and beauty.  We give thanks for the men and woman who are unknown by the world but have impacted our lives; people like our own ancestors, our friends, church members and neighbors.  We pray that we, in our own small way might offer a life of beauty, harmony and love for our human endeavor.  Just as Jesus the Christ became God's Word on earth, might we be the vision of God on earth. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Dear God,     Sometimes our feet are heavy and our hands tremble and fumble; but help our minds and spirit to soar like an eagle and be free of physical limitations.  Sometimes our eyes are blurred  and our ears hear only ocean waves; but help our sight to be the inner vision of wisdom and our ears to hear your voice. Sometimes we are tired and strained and stressed; but wash us clean with living water and anoint our heads with the oils of enduring love and grace.  Let us be transformed in your spirit, our Living God. AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Dear God,     In the black of night, the stars prick the velvet ceiling in explosions of light.  The angels sing the cosmic display into motion and we must pause, be still and tremble before the symphony.  We exit our bodies and join in the celestial chorus as a spiritual being and float in the joy and mystery of your creation. Here we find our balance and are made anew so that we may rejoin humanity as messengers of grace and loving kindness. Thank you God for claiming us as your children of joy and wonder. AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,     We stand between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We are challenged by the meaning of these days and how their significance affects our lives. We  hope to stay clam and reflective and not be harried away on the stream of holiday fervor. We pray that we might browse the catalog of deep spiritual understanding and find the way of loving joy and peace. We pray for the embrace of God's spirit to inflame us. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Dear God     Help us to do our best today; to strive for the heights of spiritual living and being.     May we be reflections of your understanding and mercy.     May we be co-creators of your kindness and justice.     Help us to stop, listen, reflect and respond in the grace of Christ. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Dear God,    May we absorb this first Sunday in Advent as a thirsty plant absorbs water. Be with us on our journey to Christmas. Flow with us in the gentleness  and beauty of this birth we celebrate so we might be filled with a loving spirit and a heart of forgiveness and gratitude.  As we travel towards Bethlehem, might we each receive the knowledge and wisdom we need in order to be whole, well and complete. Shalom, AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,    Nourish us with the deep well waters of your eternal spirit, not the runoff of culture's frenzy.    Nourish us with the well rooted plant of organic love, not the scraps of societal greed.    Nourish us with the light of cosmic stars, the endless sight of your grace.    Nurture us in the heartbeat of your truth, beauty and harmony, so our souls might grow in love. AMEN

MorningPrayer Friday

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Dear God,    Sometimes we wonder, (some of us), why we have life so good?  Why hasn't more gone wrong and why do we live in such comfort and ease? Sure, there are some difficult issues and things to deal with, but for the most part, it has been a pretty fine life. A life of family, friends, church, community.  A life of beauty, comfort, work and pleasure.  A life with some loss and tragedy but  not overwhelming. There is much to be thankful for,  because we realize that many have not had it so good. So we give thanks for our blessings, and remember with love, those who have not had the joys we have had. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Dear God,     Like Moses standing on Holy ground, we stand with head bowed before the sacred fire of life. We sing, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty..." awed by the beauty of this gift. In this universe of spinning rocks, exploding stars and fuming gases, what is humanity, that you are mindful of us?  In this universe of photons, electrons, invisible  atoms and pulsing blood, what is humanity that you are mindful of us?  And yet, we, with beating heart and intake of breath gaze at the skies and gaze into loved one's eyes and experience the mystery and wonder of life; the gift of being. With head bowed we are anointed with the oils of your presence.  Our cup overflows. Trembling in awe we are filled to overflowing with gratitude. We are still, overwhelmed by life and filled with thanksgiving. AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Dear God,    As we prepare ourselves for the feast of feasts,we affirm that the love that binds is the truest feast of all.  May our hearts beat in the deepest meaning of life as our blood flows in the love of family, faith and hope. In your loving mercy, O God, may our wounds be healed, our feet dance, our lips sing and our very hearts be opened to the sacred touch of grace. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,    In the rushing torrent of culture, sweeping us towards holidays that seem designed more for greed and want than family and faith; we need to stop.  Pause, once again in the  candle of belief and experience the wonder and mystery of life as a  gift and a treasure. Help us to be still and pause at the reflecting pond of harmony, balance and beauty. May we see your face, our God of love and joy. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Lord God,    Help us to do what we must do today but without rancor, harshness or despair.  Help us to navigate the world of business, personal relations and  public situations with understanding, tolerance and the desire to find solutions. Let mediation and the principles of mercy and righteousness be our methods as we reach for our  goals and strive for justice.  In your name and with your help, O God, we shall live as members of your Kingdom. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Dear God,    Gratitude and thanks for our tables filled with food.      Gratitude and thanks for our homes warm and comfortable.    Gratitude and thanks for our family and friends who are there with us and for us.    Gratitude and thanks for our community and country and earth of beauty.    Gratitude and thanks for.....    AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,    For those who are unable to pray for themselves; who are small, weak, depressed, distressed, oppressed and ill, we deepen our hearts, we lift up our hands, we send prayers of loving compassion to fill them full and to cloth them with a healing garment of protection and grace. May the light of your love and care saturate us all, O God, so that we might live in the illumination of your presence and hope.  Jesus, hold us all in your arms. AMEN

MorningPrayer Friday

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Dear God,    The last leaves have slipped, skidded and sloped towards earth.  The last Requiem of this year's harvest of elegance lies limply on mother earth.  The bones and ligaments of trees etched against the sky, sigh with a different tune in the cool north wind. We bundle our cloak closer about our own bones, pause to acknowledge the rhythm of our earth and flow on, face set and determined to find our own Jerusalem.  Our own Requiem is sometime coming in the harvest of another fall, but until then, may we sing a tune of angels love and greet the dawn with vision,, hope and prayer. AMEN

MorningPrayer Thursday

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Dear God,    Since birth you have been preparing us for this day; tenderly molding us.    Lovingly, you have nurtured us, giving us the waters and soils of life to grow.    Gently you have pruned us preparing us to grow fruit in beauty and abundance.    And now we have arrived, each in our own way at the day of being, the day of life.    This  is our day of potential meeting the opportunity we have been given.      May our spirits fill and soar in the Holiest of the Divine.    May we  be fragrant in the earth.       AMEN

MorningPrayer Wednesday

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Dear God,    Wherever we are may we see the sunlight streaming us together like strings of Christmas bulbs.  May we feel the crisp air and breezes of our spinning planet clothing us in a common cloak of need and desire.  May the clear waters of our shared cup fill us full of goodness, mercy and understanding. May our souls created in the heartbeat of God, walk in harmony, beauty and grace. AMEN

MorningPrayer Tuesday

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Dear God,    Made in your image, let us be.      On earth as it is in heaven, let us be.    Reality reflected in living glory, let us be.    Made whole, made well, healed in love of your name, let us be.    Quiet and still in grace and peace, let us be.    Praying each line slowly and carefully, let us be. AMEN

MorningPrayer Monday

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Dear God,    You have gifted us with the, "present moment".  Sometimes we take this gift and put it in a box and wrap it in pretty paper and place satin bows around and put it on the shelf for later; we are sure that it will be better tomorrow. Help us to understand that while dreams are important and worth working towards, there is nothing as precious as the gift of this moment. In this moment let us be alive, see with clarity, speak and move with purpose and open our hearts to the opportunities we are gifted with. AMEN

MorningPrayer Sunday

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Dear God,    Thank you for those around us who help us to live more fully and lead us to the highest and best.  For those who make us laugh, we smilingly give thanks. For those who make us think, we reflectively give thanks. For those who help us to be pure, we humbly give thanks. For those who lift us to a spiritual mountain top, we prayerfully give thanks.  For those who teach us how to love, we lovingly give thanks.  Thank you God for giving us Jesus and the saints who lead us into your arms. AMEN

MorningPrayer Saturday

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Dear God,     Do I hear angels singing, or is that children laughing?  Do I hear a word of wisdom or is that an owl hooting? Do I hear the whisper of prayers or is that leaves flickering and falling through the air?  Do I hear the murmuring of the elders or is that or is that the wind rustling tree branches?  Do I hear you talking, God, or is that my heart beating in the silence of my thoughts? AMEN...

MorningPrayer Friday

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Loving God,     Let us sit with bowed heads and folded hands and be quiet with you.  Focus our minds on your holiness and let us contemplate the nature of existence through the heart of you, our loving, living God.  Keep our mind from wandering. Help us to do the hard, mental work of keeping you in our thoughts. May we be flooded with humility, filled with awe and immersed in grace. Allow a smile to float across our faces and may our eyes shine in the wonder of this love. Let us be alive in the sacred and divine nature. AMEN