#CUPPRAYERS
Jesus
today my cup feels empty
Spent…
Used up by “all the things” of the past two years
There is so much sorrow
So much I cannot control
Too often I’ve been known to toil & spin
Rather than trusting you.
Too often I’ve kept pouring out
When really my cup was empty.
Spent…
You say “come to me and I will give you rest”
You say, you are refreshment
Living Water that i need
and will never run out…
Today Jesus,
I need YOU!
I need the Living Water
The One Who knows all that i am
And loves me anyway
Empty
Spent
Today I need to drink deeply from your well!
Today I sit
I hold my cup
And drink in your Love. AMEN
How is your cup today? Talk to Jesus about where you are.
Find a cup or create a cup that represents GOD’s LOVE to you … use your cup in the days ahead to remind you that Jesus wants to refresh you & loves you just as you are, whatever you are feeling.
Hold your cup & be still.
Allow Jesus to fill up your cup with what you need.
Allow Jesus to fill your cup with His abundance.
Know that you are greatly loved, just as you are!
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
It’s HERE!! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin as they explore what it means to find beauty in the ashes and prepare for a meaningful Lenten journey. Live via Zoom on Saturday, February 26th from 9:30 am PT to 12:30 pm PT (check my timezone). This retreat will include opportunities for creativity and contemplation, interaction and informative refreshment – but is also designed to be recorded as a course. If you aren’t able to make it live, you will still enjoy all the fun, and have the recording as yours forever to enjoy at your own pace. Click here to register as a live-or-later participant!
photos and writing by June Friesen
The theme for World Cancer Day 2022 tomorrow is “I Am and I Will.” A direct challenge to negative misconceptions about cancer, organizers hope that “I Am and I Will” will serve as a message of hope not just for people living with cancer, but their families, friends, and loved ones too. This theme is the beginning of ‘Close the Care Gap’, a three-year mission to help deal with and attempt to irradicate the disparity worldwide when it comes to availability and opportunity for all people to get proper and effective care as they face this disease.
Cancer is a word that brings fear, resistance, denial, anxiety, depression, and a host of other feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. The word cancer often, if not always, gives rise to feelings of fear, abandonment, anger, hurt, anxiety, hopelessness etc. Negative energy runs high when we hear this diagnosis ourselves or if it is a diagnosis of a close friend, family member, and/or relative. It is a disease that is not a respecter of persons. It matters not whether you are young, old, or anywhere in between. It matters not whether you are rich, poor, or somewhere in between. It matters not what country you live in, whether you live in a rural community or a huge urban environment. It matters not what color your skin, what religion you profess, your gender, or your nationality. No, it is a dreaded disease that can cause so much pain and discomfort in the afflicted as well as those who have afflicted loved ones, family, and/or friends.
The World Cancer organization would like to see us ‘close the care gap’ over the next three years. More people than most of us realize are not able to access medical care that is close by and/or is affordable. There are some countries where there is universal health care coverage, but in many there is not. The cost for the diagnosis as well as treatment of cancer is also very prohibitive in many countries. While some of us do not have to worry about this as much, we still have these problems as there is always those whose income will not stretch far enough to pay the insurance premiums or the visits as well as the treatment that is needed whether medicine, radiation and/or chemotherapy. And sadly, sometimes it is in the more developed and richest countries where the disparity is the greatest. The bondage is real my friends, very real. Even though some families are never touched there are others where several family members are afflicted. A number of years ago I was at a museum and saw the first symbol as well as the one below. I could not help but think of them as I was thinking about the effects of cancer for all of us – we may easily find ourselves in one and/or both of these places – naked and vulnerable or bound and unable to see what it is ahead. So, is there any hope?
While I have not experienced cancer personally, I have many family members and friends who have. Each one of us has been touched by this disease in some way or another. Sometimes as one looks back there are possible reasons that have may predispose us or someone we know to this disease. There are many times that I have been reading in the Scriptures, especially in Jesus’ ministry, about His great healings and restorations.
Matthew 15:29-31(The Message)
After Jesus returned, he walked along Lake Galilee and then climbed a mountain and took his place, ready to receive visitors. They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute—all sorts of people in need—and more or less threw them down at Jesus’ feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them. When the people saw the mutes speaking, the maimed healthy, the paraplegics walking around, the blind looking around, they were astonished and let everyone know that God was blazingly alive among them.
Luke 7:20-23 (The Message)
20 The men showed up before Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?’” 21-23 In the next two or three hours, Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: “Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:
The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them. “Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!”
In biblical times health care was not something that was available as it is to us today. When someone would contract a disease, it would usually run its course and the person would die. So for the people in that day, when Jesus started doing physical as well as mental and spiritual healing there was a great stir. The New Testament especially has many accounts of healings. There are also occasional healings in the Old Testament. So, if Jesus did these healings and some of the apostles continued to do some healings (recorded in the book of Acts) then why do we struggle so today? Why are we not able to do and/or see more healings today in and through the church/Christians?
I admit that there have been times in my life that I have struggled with the why, the what, the how of cancer – I also have to ponder and embrace the great strides the medical world has accomplished in the healing of cancer in so many different ways as well as helping people, in many situations, still live a fairly full life after the cancer they have faced personally.
As one ponders the disease of cancer in our bodies it can also be likened to the ‘disease of sin’. One may wonder why I would call sin a disease and yet it is like a ‘cancer in one’s spirit’ and it eats away at one’s spirit attempting to destroy that which is good within us. As we read the Scriptures, as well as the history of the world, as well as face daily life in today’s world, we can see the evidence of this disease in how it destroys the wholesome living that God had created in the Garden of Eden. Yes, one mistake led to the unleashing of something that from then on has afflicted all of humanity. Yet in it all God set in motion a plan to deal with this disease that afflicted the spirit/soul of humanity – the plan to send the Messiah, His Son, to give opportunity for the disease of sin to be conquered which happened through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
God has also set in motion people who have been able to discern great information about the disease of cancer. He has given them the knowledge to learn various treatments for the various cancers which may involve one or more of the following: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or radioactive implants, as well as a combination of treatments. The struggle in our world today is that many if not all of these treatments are costly, they require trained staff, technical and specialized equipment, special medications and more. Sadly, due to all of this there are still many people who have to make choices as to whether they can get any treatment, or the choice may be what treatment can I afford. This is something that the community to fight cancer recognizes and is wanting to make more of us aware of as well as give us some things to think about and act upon over the next three years to close these gaps and make it equally available to all no matter where one lives, who one is, rich or poor, gender or color of skin.
So back to the theme of today – “I am and I will” – what is my response? What is your response? Am I willing to make myself more aware of where and how I can help in my community? Am I willing then to try to find out how to help begin to make a difference, even if it seems like a small difference to me? Are you? In my life I have learned that to make a small difference, no matter how small, is better than not even attempting to make a difference because we feel we are insignificant.
A flower begins with a seed, a bulb, or a root that appears rather dead – however when one pays anywhere from 15 seconds a day to a minute caring for it soon one will be rewarded with a beautiful plant and blossom. Maybe beginning a new plant, placing it somewhere in your home or yard, nurturing it and watching it change, grow and bloom will help us remember that the little changes we can facilitate, when we do, will help others to also be able to grow and bloom once again.
Whatever season your garden is in – winter, summer, spring, or fall – there is something to enjoy and tasks to accomplish. And there is spirituality to put into practice! Find God and community through the richness of soil and the shared values of growth. We have many resources available to help – click here to explore!
guest post by Evelyn Heard
On my walk yesterday I came upon the same elderly lady that I had traded smiles with on previous days. She was stooped over tending her small but exquisite garden, encouraging Spring to show its face. She then slowly straightened up and kicked in for a lengthy chat. The conversation inevitably led to COVID-19 and its impact on us personally and our community, which prompted her to relate the story of Vivian Bullwinkle.
Vivian was a nurse with the Australian Army and in September 1941 she sailed for Singapore. On February 12th 1942, Vivian and 65 other nurses boarded the SS Vyner Brooke to escape as Singapore had surrendered in defeat. They saw the huge fires burning along the coastline as they sailed for freedom under the cover of darkness. Two days later their ship was sunk by Japanese aircraft but Vivian and twenty-one other nurses, together with a large group of men, women and children somehow made it to shore to Radji Beach on Bangka Island. The survivors split up on the island with the nurses staying on the beach to look after the wounded. On the sixteenth of February, Japanese soldiers discovered the survivors and motioned for the nurses to wade into the sea where they were machine-gunned from behind. Vivian was struck by a bullet in her hip and lay motionless in the water pretending to be dead surrounded by her deceased colleagues until the Japanese soldiers left and the tide took her pain-riddled body back to shore. She managed to hide in the jungle for a while before being captured and enduring three and a half years as a prisoner of war. Her survival was nothing short of inspirational. She returned home to live a full and productive life devoted to nursing, becoming the Matron of the Queen’s Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital in Melbourne. She devoted decades honouring and raising funds for a memorial for her fallen colleagues, eventually dying in July 2000 in Perth, Western Australia.
I looked at the lined worn face telling me Vivian’s story as she related personal stories of other hardships she had been through. When things get tough this elderly lady puts on her “Vivian” and soldiers through. In these past eighteen months it is the stories from the over 80’s that have inspired me and given me renewed hope and purpose. Each generation in history faces hardships of one type or another. Our present circumstances truly reflect war times except that the enemy is not visible. Stories of hope and inspiration are very much needed to encourage one another in these times of separation from family and friends. Many now are struggling to find hope and purpose in what seems to be a never-ending journey of hardship. Perhaps the older folk around us are a resource for us in ways that we never imagined. Listening to their stories might also be a gift to them!
The Apostle Paul’s reminder of the value of these stories written years ago has a new relevance for us today. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope”. Romans 15:4
Evelyn Heard is a Melbourne Writer; Photo by Eduardo Barrios on Unsplash
Now available for registration! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin as they explore what it means to find beauty in the ashes and prepare for a meaningful Lenten journey. Live via Zoom on Saturday, February 26th from 9:30 am PT to 12:30 pm PT (check my timezone). This retreat will include opportunities for creativity and contemplation, interaction and informative refreshment – but is also designed to be recorded as a course. If you aren’t able to make it live, you will still enjoy all the fun, and have the recording as yours forever to enjoy at your own pace. Click here to register as a live-or-later participant!
February 1 marks the feast day of St. Brigid of Ireland. Her life approximately dates from 452-523. Saints have always been a part of my faith tradition and spiritual journey. However, I knew little of St. Brigid except that she was considered one of the patron saints of Ireland and finds a place on the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal Church calendars.
That all changed in 2017 when I arrived at St. Brigid’s Anglican Cathedral in Kildare, Ireland. I was amazed! The cathedral was built in the 13th century on the same land where St. Brigid’s monastery was centuries before. Entering the building, her image in the stained glass window actually took my breath away. There she stood right between St. Patrick and St. Columba. And what was she holding? A crozier, the primary symbol of the office of Bishop! Stories are told that the bishop said the wrong prayer over her as she was being set apart as an abbess, making her a bishop in the church. To see what I had considered to be a folktale preserved in the historical record of the church (the window) was amazing.
St Brigid’s Window, St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, Ireland
Bishop aside, she is remembered as a fine monastic leader, a spiritual guide and a healer. She and her double monastery (she presided over both men and women) were known for their generous hospitality and their compassionate care for the sick, the poor and the oppressed far beyond the gates of the monastery.
St. Brigid is predated by the Irish Goddess, Brigid sometimes spelled Brigit. Some speculate that the many legends which surround the saint are actually Christian versions of the traditions of the pre-Christian goddess. The goddess Brigid was associated with animals and nature, the elements of water and fire and poets, artisans and healing.
Upon leaving the cathedral the day I was in Kildare, my friend and I looked for lunch in the village. Amazingly, signs of Brigid were everywhere.
Brigid’s Cross, Shop Window, Kildare, Ireland
I saw her image in a fine tile portrait in front of a local pub, pictured with her legendary mantle. Just a few doors down the road her cross was displayed in a shop window. I imagined the owners hung her cross asking for her special prayers of blessing and protection on their business.
There are many accounts about the cross of Brigid being placed in homes and shrines asking for her blessing and companionship. I knew this but I was not prepared to see her large cross guarding houses on Inish Mor in the Aran Islands. In Ireland, the presence of Brigid both goddess and saint, continues to be a blessing: in the church, the market place and home.
Brigid’s Cross, adorning house, Inish Mor, Ireland
Brigid’s story and presence is still enmeshed in the lives of everyday people. Countless wells dot the countryside of Ireland where people go for healing and prayer. Fire is still kindled in her name. Women in childbirth pray to her for protection. She is invoked for safe passage in travel, in prayers before sleeping and in prayers before rising.
A prayer from the Carmina Gadelica sums up her importance:
I am under the shielding
Of good Brigit each day;
I am under the shielding
Of good Brigit each night.
I am under the keeping
Of the Nurse of Mary, *
Each early and late,
Every dark, every light.
Brigit is my comrade-woman,
Brigit is my maker of song,
Brigit is my helping-woman,
My choicest of women, my guide. –Carmina Gadelica
*Legend places Brigit at the birth of Jesus as the midwife to Mary.
In his most recent book, Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul, John Phillip Newell devotes an entire chapter to Brigid. Most notably he writes,
“Brigid is an icon for us today of sacred feminine strength. It is particularly the strength of faithfulness to the interrelationship of all things. What most endangers us as an earth community today is that we have neglected our interrelationships as countries, faiths and races. The reality is that we need one another. Awareness of the sacred feminine enables us to protect one another’s well-being, not simply the wellbeing of our people, our community or our species.”
We need the witness and presence of St. Brigid in our lives, specifically because of the deep divisions that govern our world at the moment. Her life and also her spirit which continues to enliven so many has a message for us today. She invites us to build bridges by seeing the divine; humanity and creation as being sacred and a blessing. She shows us how to manifest the compassion of Jesus by being in right relationship with our neighbors, strangers and the Earth. She calls us to pray but to also see our lives as an act of prayer by loving, caring for, and sharing all the gifts that God has given us.
Brigid the saint and Brigit the goddess embodies and personifies the beauty of shalom, God’s vision of wholeness and peace for the Earth and humanity. It is a right and joyful thing to celebrate her life and legacy this day!
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Celtic Prayer Cards include 10 prayers inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick or contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition, along with prayers by Christine Sine and beautiful imagery crafted by Hilary Horn. Celtic Prayer Cards can be used year-round or incorporated into various holidays. Available in a single set of 10 cards, three sets, or to download.
February 1st we celebrate the life and death of Brigid of Kildare, one of my favourite Celtic saints. One of the things I love about Brigid is her strong emphasis on hospitality. Some of the beautiful Celtic hospitality blessings and runes are attributed to her.
Hospitality was one of the most demanding and often costly tasks undertaken by the Celtic monasteries . Celtic Christians believed hospitality was not only meant to be a custom in their homes, they believed it was also a key into the kingdom of God. The guest house or hospitium, often occupied the best site within the monastic community and, though the monks might live on bread and water, visitors would often receive the best of food and drink. The monastery at Derry is said to have fed a thousand hungry people each day. Brigid, who presided over the monastery at Kildare, often made butter for visitors. Tradition has it that when churning the butter, Brigid would make thirteen portions – twelve in honour of the apostles and an extra one in honour of Christ which was reserved for guests and the poor.
According to Christine Pohl in her inspirational book Making Room, the tradition of hospitality was once an important part of all Christian communities and revolved around the welcoming of strangers into one’s home. “For most of the history of the church, hospitality was understood to encompass physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of human existence and relationships. It meant response to the physical needs of strangers for food, shelter and protection, but also a recognition of their worth and common humanity. In almost every case, hospitality involved sharing meals: historically table fellowship was an important way of recognizing the equal value and dignity of persons.” Making Room p4)
The following litany revolves around the practice of hospitality and incorporates a number of Celtic blessings and prayers. You may like to get together with a group of friends over a meal and discuss how you could become God’s hospitality to your community. Use this litany to focus your minds and hearts on the call to be Christ’s hospitality to our world. Brigid’s prayer which is used as part of this litany, also makes a great grace before a meal. You might like to write out copies for each person and recite it together as you begin your meal
Celtic Hospitality Litany
Leader: The Celtic Christians believed that hospitality was not only meant to be a custom in their homes, they believed it was a key into the Kingdom of God. To offer hospitality was seen as receiving Christ into their midst and fulfilling the law of love. Let us sit in silent prayer for a moment to remind ourselves of the incredible hospitality of our Creator who invites us into the divine presence and into the eternal family.
All stand for lighting of the candle
Leader: The King is knocking. If thou would’st have thy share of heaven on earth, lift the latch and let in the king of Kings. (Hebridean welcome)
All: Christ as a light illumine and guide us
Christ as a shield overshadow us
Christ under me, Christ over us,
Christ beside us, On our left and our right
This day be within and without us
Lowly and meek yet all-powerful
Be in the heart of each to whom we speak
In the mouth of each who speaks to us
This day be within and without us
Lowly and meek yet all-powerful
Christ as a light, Christ as a shield
Christ beside us, on our left and our right (Northumbria Morning Prayer)
Leader: Brigid the fifth-century Irish saint, was famed for her hospitality. The following prayer is attributed to her. As we recite it let us consider our own need to be God’s hospitality to others
All: I should like a great lake of finest ale, for the King of Kings
I should like a table of the choicest food, for the family of heaven.
Let the ale be made from the fruits of faith, and the food be forgiving love.
I should welcome the poor to my feast, for they are God’s children.
I should welcome the sick to my feast, for they are God’s joy.
Let the poor sit with Jesus at the highest place, and the sick dance with the angels
God bless the poor, God bless the sick, and bless our human race.
God bless our food, God bless our drink, all homes, O God, embrace.
Leader: I open my heart to Christ in the stranger,
People: To Christ in the face of colleague and friend,
Leader: I open my heart to the one who is wounded
People: To Christ in the hungry, the lonely, the homeless
Leader: I open my heart to the one who has hurt me
People: To Christ in the faces of sinner and foe
Leader: I open my heart to those who are outcast
People: To Christ in the broken, the prisoner, the poor
Leader: I open my heart to all who are searching
People: To Christ in the world God’s generous gift
Scripture Readings –
Psalm 84
Hebrews 12:28 – 13:8
Mark 12: 28-34
After the gospel reading recite the following Declaration of Faith
We believe and trust in God the Father Almighty.
We believe and trust in Jesus Christ the Son
We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.
We believe and trust in the Three in One
Leader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you
Leader: Let us pray
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, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen
Leader: Let us pray that we may learn what it means to be God’s hospitality to our world
Kneel or stand for the prayers
Leader: That the barriers that divide us may be broken down,
All: Lord have mercy
Leader: That we may live by the law of love in unity, peace and concord
All: Lord have mercy
Leader: That we may come to mutual understanding and care,
All: Lord have mercy
Leader: Upon all who are torn apart by war and by violence
All: Christ have mercy
Leader: Upon all who suffer from dissensions and quarrels,
All: Christ have mercy
Leader: Upon all who are divided in their loyalty and love,
All: Christ have mercy
Leader: That all who work for unity and in the spirit of hospitality may be blessed
All: Lord have mercy
Leader: That all who seek to heal divisions between peoples may have hope
All: Lord have mercy
Leader: That all who lead nations, may seek peace
All: Lord have mercy (David Adam, The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer, p82)
Leader: The following blessing is an ancient Celtic rune of hospitality that many think was written by St Brigid
We saw a stranger yesterday, we put food in the eating place,
Drink in the drinking place, music in the listening place,
And with the sacred name of the triune God
He blessed us and our house, our cattle and our dear ones.
As the lark says in her song: Often, often, often goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise
All: I open my heart to be the hospitality of Christ, to all those who come to my door.
I open my heart to embrace the stranger, the friend, the rich, the poor
I open my life to offer a generous heart towards all.
Leader: The blessings of God be upon this house, with plenty of food and plenty of drink,
With plenty of beds and plenty of ale, with much riches and much cheer
With many kin and length of life, ever upon it. Amen
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I am currently facilitating a discussion group on The Gift of Wonder. It is fun not only to revisit the book but to remind myself of the impact it had on my life and especially how some of the lessons I learned helped me find healing in the midst of the traumas of the last couple of years. Surprisingly, though I facilitated several virtual workshops on wonder and trauma, I never blogged about it so I think it is time to rectify that.
I started the last session by reminding participants of the traumas of the last couple of years – the struggle of lockdowns, quarantine and job losses precipitated by COVID; the horror of weather-related disasters like wildfires in Australia, Western U.S. and Canada; drought in Africa, the volcano in Tonga, tornadoes in the midwest; the challenge of Black Lives Matter and the inequalities of racial injustice highlighted by the pandemic. On top of all these the personal traumas of loss of family members and inability to hold memorial services, separation from communities, and the high anxiety of fear and worry about possible exposure.
I think most of us are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, (PTSD) filled with fear and anxiety. In the back of our minds is the quiet whisper Is God the saviour of the world or an uncaring monster?
Unresolved trauma incapacitates us. It makes us lose meaning and trust in the future and creates rigidity, fear and control. Fear paralyzes us and makes us resistant to the very adaptations that make it possible for us to respond with resilience and joy. Fear and trauma often result in violence to ourselves and others.
Wonder Changes Our Approach to Life
Wonder on the other hand changes our approach to life. It opens us to surprise, expectation, celebration, anticipation, unpredictability and mystery. It enables us to imagine new life, new opportunities and the possibility of new beginnings.
Wonder and joy replace rigidity with flexibility and make us aware that we are part of something much greater than ourselves. We all live in a world that is incredible, it shimmers with the glory of God, but we have lost our ability to appreciate that wonder and therefore to discover the blessing of the healing power it holds.
Interestingly the awe we feel in nature can dramatically reduce symptoms of PTSD, according to UC Berkeley research that tracked psychological and physiological changes in war veterans and at-risk inner-city youth during white-water rafting trips. I think it is why so many people are spending more time in nature as a response to the pandemic. It is definitely why I become a stronger advocate for awe and wonder walks every day.
There are three gifts of wonder that stand out for me as healing tools in our current situation.
Photo by Javardh on Unsplash
The first is the wonder of balance. Humans are not meant to hibernate over the winter. Even though the last couple of years have felt like an eternal winter, believe it or not our souls have not been sleeping. Just as trees put down strong roots in winter, so our souls have found fertile ground for growth and renewal over this long winter season.
Awe begins when we slow down, make space for silence and listen deeply to God speaking through the world around us. “Being still brings with it a deep listening which is required if we are to receive the revelation glory intends for us” (Meister Eckhart), but it doesn’t end there.
We need to balance silence and solitude with community. We need to foster companionship no matter what the weather, no matter what the distance apart. Evidently, the Danes are some of the happiest people in the world and one of the keys to their happiness is that they rarely eat alone. And we should be – in person and online – eating together, laughing, having fun, expressing curiosity together, etc which are wonderful ways to bring healing in the midst of trauma. I still remember that first lockdown Thanksgiving when we shared a meal across zoom with my nephew and his wife in Australia. What a special sense of community and a delightful wonder it was.
I don’t think we are meant to live alone. The lockdown was particularly hard on people who did. As you know my husband and I live in a small intentional community. The delight of community meetings in our small community gave all of us the resilience we needed to stand firm throughout the pandemic restrictions. I encourage all of us to consider ways to live in community (and yes we do have a vacancy at the Mustard Seed House in Seattle if you are interested).
The second gift of wonder and healing is getting out into nature. I love my awe and wonder walks which I have just re-instituted after a forced gap caused by illness. Getting moving in the middle of winter may not sound wonder-producing for some of my northern hemisphere friends but we can make it so. Intentionally notice what isn’t noticed at other seasons. This is a season of rest but also of growth – not above the ground but underneath. Roots grow deeper in winter and we prune in winter. Dream, imagine and listen to your inner wisdom as you walk. It is growing deep into your soul. Imagine the resilience and sacred strength that comes as you explore the wonder of this very special season.
The third gift of wonder that provides healing is the gift of creating rituals. Creating rituals stirs our imaginations. We need rituals that remind us of what a fantastic world we live in, what an incredible God we worship and what impressive people surround us. We need rituals that anchor us in the security of God’s presence and at the same time invite us into the delight of living. We need rituals that help us move from grief to glory.
One of the forms of ritual I have created more frequently over the last couple of years is that of contemplative gardens. They give me awe in the creating as I consciously connect to my creativity and I dig deep into an appreciation of the wonder of what is around me. There is also awe in the connecting to the grief expressed & the joy experienced in the elements of the garden. This form of ritual invites the full expression of my long-suppressed emotions. Lastly there is awe in contemplating as I use my gardens for reflection and a focus for prayer each day.
You may not be a gardener and this form of contemplative expression may not appeal to you, but all of us have the divine spark of creativity within us and I am increasingly convinced that this is given to us to inspire wonder and through that wonder, healing. So I encourage you to take time this week to connect to the wonder of God revealed in the creation of ritual. Perhaps something as simple as lighting a candle or saying a short breath prayer. Whatever grounds you in the eternal presence and lifts your spirit with the wonder of God within you will help you find healing in the midst of trauma.
THIS Wednesday! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin for a discussion on Candlemas and Cup Prayers in the Godspace Light Community Facebook Group. Can’t make it live? We post them after on our youtube channel, so you never miss the fun! If you can attend live, consider bringing a candle and a teacup or coffee cup!
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756 with additional notes below:
“In God Alone My Soul”
By J. Berthier — copyright 1991, all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé
“Shepherd Song”
Words adapted from John 10:11-18
Music by Kester Limner
Creative Commons copyright–free to use with attribution (CC-BY)
“Bring Your Peace”
Words and music by Kester Limner, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY)
“Kyrie”
Text and music by Kester Limner, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY)
“By The Mark”
Written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
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