Day 383 | Tuesday, 6 April 2021

Day 383 - Audio Version

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Day 383 | Tuesday, 6 April 2021

 “Like a gentle rain, God's love refreshes our lives. Like the springtime song of the birds, God's grace cheers our souls. Like the delicate beauty of daffodils, God's creation delights our eyes. Like the lengthening of days, God's presence brings light into our worrisome darkness. Springtime announces itself, and all creation shouts with joy. We are touched by messages from our loving Creator. And join creation in singing praises.”

 A Prayer of Confession for Springtime
“God of new life, we are not blind to the glory of our creation. We are thankful that the frozen ground is thawing and breaking up, yielding the color of grass and fresh flowers. We are delighted to hear the birds singing again, and to see buds forming on the trees.

God of new life, too often we take the created world for granted. We have assumed that these blessings are gifts only to be received, rather than nurtured and cultivated. We have politicized the issue of creation. Global warming, acid rain, the pollution of our air and the condition of our forests are regarded as political, rather than theological issues.

God of new life help us to abandon politics and act as good stewards of the treasures you have entrusted to us and our children. Amen.”

 Here is a prayer for the Easter season.
“Alleluia! Everlasting One, we give you our thanks and praise! Christ is risen!  We are an Easter people, blessed by your miracle of life after death. All our hope and trust is in your grace, O God. Out of darkness comes light; out of despair comes new promise.

Fill our lives with a joy that is beyond understanding, remove our doubts with a faith that is deep and whole. Heal our spirits with your song of hope. It is good to celebrate our faith and the good gift of life beyond death that is a blessing beyond imagination!

Thanks to you, our God and our Savior! So be it! Amen!”

 An Easter Affirmation of Faith
We believe in God-
who brings sunshine after rain and works healing in the midst of pain; who looks into each soul with love, touches each memory with blessing and longs for us to know we are beloved; who splashes the world with springtime color and fills the air with the singing of birds and the roar of the ocean; who meets us at the tomb of our fears and sends us out with hope and joy.

We believe in Jesus-
the risen Christ, the friend of the forgotten, Savior of the world; who loves us without judgment, yet persuades us to change; who joins us as we walk and work with the poor and the oppressed; who befriends us when we feel lonely, surprises us when we feel bored, prods us when we get complacent; who loves all children, dances with the elderly, shows compassion to the dying and blesses the breaking of bread.

We believe in the Holy Spirit-
who weaves us into communities of faith of all ages, nations and races; who is stillness in every silence, the breath in every deep sigh, the love in every tender embrace.

We believe we are called to be an Easter people-
challenging despair with glowing hope, acting peacefully in the midst of painful Good Fridays and living joyfully even in the midst of harsh realities.

We believe in the church-
the hand holding, heartily singing and passionate, caring fellowship of seekers and finders.

This we believe.”
 Today: what does it mean to you to be an Easter person?