A contemplative service with music in the style-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:
“Christ Be With Me (Prayer of St. Patrick)” – Text from the Lorica, or the Prayer of St. Patrick. Song by Ruth Cunningham, used with permission. All rights reserved. www.ruthcunningham.com; www.youtube.com/ruthreid/;
Instagram: @ruthreid11
“Aber Du Weisst, “Nada Te Turbe,” and “Kristus din Ande” are songs from the ecumenical Taize community in France. Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé.
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
by Tom Sine,
“From TikTok dances to fashion statements to old-fashioned public service announcements, teens are doing their part to encourage other young people to sign up for their COVID-19 vaccine shots.
In Springfield, Illinois, 15-year-old Aliyah Hashmi created a line of ‘vaccinated’ T-shirts for people to show off their vaccination status and also remind everyone that we’re all in this together.
The high school freshman told TODAY she was inspired to do something after seeing the toll the pandemic was taking on her mother, a doctor working on the front lines. ‘My family and I were talking about ways to help stop the spread,’ Hashmi said. ‘And with the vaccine coming out, I wanted to do something to help bring awareness.’”
As I have been reminding readers, Gen Y and Z are the good news generations. As the first digital generations, they are not only more aware of the huge pain and loss that COVID-19 is causing, but many of these young people want to motivate their peers to get the vaccine this summer. We urge all those in the good news generations to encourage their peers to get the vaccine. Even though the young are not likely to die from contracting the virus, it could cause lifetime disabilities for some of them. Most concerning is that infected young people can also easily infect those they care most about who may not be able to survive contracting COVID-19.
“Hashmi herself isn’t old enough to get the shot — Pfizer has requested clearance to expand use of its vaccine to people aged 12-15, but it has not been approved yet — yet she knows that vaccinations are the key to returning to some semblance of her old life.
As 17-year-old Journey Butler put it, the best people to influence young people are other young people. Butler, one of the students in the PSA, told TODAY that she’s noticed some vaccine hesitancy among her peers, but said that it’s usually because they simply don’t know enough about the vaccines.
Rachel Kabala, a 16-year-old in Detroit, had seen similar misinformation spreading at her high school… Kabala told TODAY, “The vaccine means us going back to in-person learning… the vaccine will mean we get to resume activities… The vaccine will mean that we’ll get to travel to places.’”
“What these teens are doing is more important than ever, since vaccine interest among young people is dropping. Twenty-six percent of Gen Zers, defined as born between 1997 and 2012, said they do not plan to get vaccinated…that’s a sharp increase from a poll done a year earlier when only 5% Gen Zers said they would not get vaccinated.” “Dr. Anthony Fauci stressed the importance of people getting vaccinated, even if they are young and healthy.” “’Even if you don’t get the symptoms, you are propagating the outbreak because it is likely that you… may inadvertently and innocently infect someone else who could really have a problem with a severe outcome.’”
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH MEMBERS OF THE GOOD NEWS GENERATION!
The original article was posted on NewChangemakers.com. This article excerpt taken from TODAY: Gen Z is getting creative to encourage other young people to get vaccinated
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by Lilly Lewin,
“You cannot keep pouring out from an empty cup”… one of my favorite things to remind people of… and to say to remind myself that I need to stop, pause, and refill my cup!
I’m taking a lot of time off to rest and refuel this summer. I know this is a privilege and a gift. I am very grateful for time to heal! I realized my cup was empty and this pandemic has depleted many of my inner resources.
What helps you fill your cup?
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by Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren,
It took a village to save a sea turtle on Father’s Day which was also the Summer Solstice on Sunday, June 20, 2021, at McFaddin Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula on the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast. My husband Harvey and I love to go seashell shopping on the beach and I was hoping in the rays of early dawn to discover some beautiful treasures from the sea.
As we drove down this rather secluded beach, instead of locating a lovely seashell, Harvey and I spied a very large (over 3 ft. long) sea turtle looking distressed as the tide pushed her onto the beach. We immediately called the Sea Turtle Information Network line that is sponsored by the Turtle Island Restoration Network and sent photos via text of her to them. We spoke with a Representative that thought she might be trying to get to the dunes to lay her eggs. We soon discovered that she didn’t seem too interested in doing that.
After looking at the photos, the Representative determined that the sea turtle might be hurt or sick and asked us to put her in our SUV and told us how to gently pick her up and bring her to a certain location. Problem was, our beloved old Land Cruiser that we named “Sandy” died right there on the beach as the tide was rising. As I fervently prayed for help, several kind men stopped by to try to help us start Sandy to no avail and one generously handed us several bottles of water.
We called our beach neighbor Sid and his daughter Tiffany and granddaughter Hayley who said they would come to help us. I also called another couple, Gary and Louise, that also like to go beachcombing to see if they were anywhere near McFaddin Beach and fortunately they were close by. Between Harvey, Gary, and Sid under the watchful guidance of Louise, they tugged us in in our broken-down SUV with their new heavy-duty pickup truck and a very sturdy chain and rope three miles to the highway through the loose, dry sand and mud holes to enable us to call the tow truck.
In the midst of all this, Harvey stayed in touch with Turtle Rescue and the gigantic beautiful girl was tenderly placed in the back of Sid’s big black pickup truck with Louise’s towel soaked in saltwater covering the turtle, and Tiffany and Hayley kept her calm and made sure she had water on her. It was surprising how serene and patient this big girl was around us humans as we petted her head. We later learned that sea turtles will stay calm if you gently pat their shell.
We all arrived at the designated location beside a gigantic cross that resides at the ocean’s edge, several miles from where we had discovered the turtle. Of course, this big, beautiful sea turtle was an instant rock star when families at the beach saw her in the truck bed. Amidst many “oohs and aahs,” there were lots of photos and a video taken of her. Two Sea Turtle Rescue representatives arrived very quickly in a van to take her to sea turtle rehabilitation at the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on Galveston Island and these two were quite surprised at how large she was. It truly did take a village and four hours to save this sweet girl! It was a Father’s Day and Summer Solstice to remember!
We received a reassuring text later that afternoon from the Turtle Rescue Representatives that relieved our concerns. They were thanking all who had been involved in saving the sea turtle and stating that her journey in the van down the 26 mile long, two-lane Highway 87 and then onto the ferry that crosses between the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island went well and that she arrived at the NOAA in Galveston just fine.
Yes, it did take a village of human angels and probably some heavenly ones also to rescue this gentle giant sea turtle of God’s magnificent creation. Harvey and I are grateful to have had the privilege and honor of discovering her and that so many wonderful, kind folks joined in with hands, soul, and vehicles to rescue her. We all sensed that we had been part of something very special and almost mystical, a Celtic triune kind of human, animal, and divine experience. Perhaps we were all getting a glimpse of what the new heaven and new earth will be like when all of creation, all of God’s universal and eternal village is at peace with one another once again.
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by Jenneth Graser,
“Imagine…you hold a key in the palm of your hand. Turning it over, observe the weight of it, the designs worn to a smooth bronze through the passage of time. You walk towards a high stone wall covered with tapestries of wisteria, virginia creeper and ferns. Under the waving foliage, you can just make out the edge of a door…”
Just over a year ago, a book started coming into being even though I didn’t know it at the time. We were forced into lockdown here in South Africa just like everyone else around the world due to the global pandemic. I began writing daily for a while to help me through those initial stages. The secret garden of the heart was calling out to me and so I wrote from out of this place of prayer and imagination. These writings then formed the foundation for what eventually, over a year later, became a devotional released in June 2021 called, Unlocking the Secret Garden: 100 Days of Imaginative Prayer.
Each day of Unlocking the Secret Garden, you are invited into a retreat to be enjoyed from the sacred space of your own home, or with your family and friends as you may like to explore the prayer activations together with others. It’s a journey filled with self-discovery, healing, and imaginative prayer, where you will also be encouraged to design your very own secret garden. Each of the 100 devotions takes you on a journey into your secret garden within, and as each day unfolds, themes come to life in a garden with no containment. By allowing the child in you to be present, you will experience new ways of praying with your imagination. You are invited into the secret garden, where you will encounter yourself and Jesus afresh.
“Your inward life is now sprouting, bringing forth fruit.
What a beautiful paradise unfolds within you.
When I’m near you, I smell aromas of the finest spice,
for many clusters of my exquisite fruit
now grow within your inner garden.”
“Awake, O north wind!
Awake, O south wind!
Breathe on my garden with your Spirit-Wind.
Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me.
Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden.
Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance.
Come walk with me as you walked with Adam in your paradise garden.
Come taste the fruits of your life in me.”
The following is an excerpt from the book, a reading from Day 1 with video to follow:
Day 1
You are standing before the threshold of an intricately carved wooden door surrounded by a mystery of hanging creepers, moss and ferns. Take note of your feelings, of everything you can hear and see around you, as you turn the key to unlock the door and walk straight into a green cathedral of trees, light and a carpet of flowers. It is time to enter the secret garden within.
Pathways branch out in a variety of directions, but you see footprints in soft grass leading you towards the unknown places of the garden. You look ahead and see Jesus waiting for you. His presence is an atmosphere of calm and eternity. There is no line of worry on his face, only lines of kindness and joy, profound strength. When you look into the eyes of Christ, fear melts and burdens begin to loosen from off of your shoulders, where you have been carrying them for what seems long ages.
What is this season going to reveal? It is time to follow your Good Shepherd, as you place your feet in the ways he is opening for you and move forward, together.
Prayer activation:
Light a candle. Become present to the Light of the World. Allow the warmth of Spirit to fill your heart as a flame, enlivening your prayers as they rise in God’s presence. Focus on the burning candle and your oneness with God.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
St. Francis of Assisi
A video of Day 1’s reading:
I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel where you will find more readings from Unlocking the Secret Garden, prayers on different themes and other poetry and devotional readings: https://youtube.com/user/jennblog.
Unlocking the Secret Garden: 100 Days of Imaginative Prayer is available in paperback or Kindle e-book!
I’ve just released this free PDF download Unlocking the Secret Garden Small Group Guide for those who would like to make use of the book in their church or small group.
Bio for Jenneth Graser
Jenneth Graser lives in a seaside valley of the Western Cape of South Africa with her husband, Karl and three daughters. She is a writer, contemplative pianist, homeschool Mom and the author of devotional and poetry books. Jenneth loves her library of second-hand books, practicing the presence of God in nature’s cathedral and flying in airplanes on her way to new adventures.
She believes in the healing power of heart conversations, centering prayer, and the constantly transforming journey of the inner life. Jenneth is part of a community of writers for the Godspace blog and a collaborator at Being Human. You can find out more at http://secretplacedevotion.weebly.com/
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by Diane Woodrow,
A view of my “ordinary” park looking back towards my house and onward into the hills beyond taken by me, 13th June, at 7:45am.
I’ve been doing reflections on Rest and Silence with Lily Lewin’s Gift of a Sacred Summer kit These are only the first two of many more but is so much meat in them I don’t want to rush through them.
For me, Silence is just taking Rest to the nth degree. Silence is mega rest! [Maybe a longer blog on this some other time?]
The key thing which has struck me so far is the importance of finding “awe” – “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder” says Google dictionary.
I read somewhere that seeing and feeling awe calms our blood pressure, our breathing, our sense of well-being and much more. Experiencing awe is good for us so we need to do it as often as possible.
I am lucky as I live close to some amazing scenery, don’t need to walk far for some amazing views, but most days, due to various constraints, I walk round my local park. It is an ok park with lots of green spaces, trees, a couple of ponds, A55 running along the bottom of it. I could focus on the noise of the A55 and very easily miss the awe of my everyday walk.
So from pondering some of the things in The Gift of a Sacred Summer and from reading through the Warrior Goddess book I am working on getting the feeling of awe into my every day, getting awe into the ordinary, and stop seeing “feeling awe” as something that only happens when I go somewhere extraordinary.
It is too easy to stomp round the park – because walking fast is good for one’s heart; making sure to say hello to all the other dog walkers I know – because I’m a polite person; to see it as just what it is, a town park. Instead, I have been trying to combine these important functions of my walk with checking out the flowers, of which there are many different types, colours and hues; of listening to the bird song which is different depending on which time of day I go and what time of year it is; of seeing what is going on in the ponds, the ducks, moorhens and swans, but also the growth of reeds, algae and more; of checking out the trees and how they change and alter. At the moment things are that solid green of summer whereas only a month ago the leaves were that vibrant green of excitement of springtime. I even made sure I felt awe as I walked the path by the side of the busy A55; for the amazement of the motor car, the way that things speed by and most of the time they are safe, the wonder that it is now possible to go on holiday whereas only 12 months ago it was not.
As I go round and let the awe of the ordinary take me over I am more inclined to have time to chat to the people I pass because I am no longer rushing by, even if I am walking quickly. It is possible to walk fast enough to stimulate one’s heart without rushing. I wonder too if it is possible to walk slowly but still have one’s head in a rush and not have time for others?
From doing this, my ordinary has become an extraordinary, awe-filled place. I arrive back home much more contented and ready for my day. Feeling the awe of the ordinary place I visit every day has stimulated me creatively too. A totally creative awe-filled time that benefits my whole day.
Give it a go. Take your regular ordinary walk or drive or whatever you as a habit each day and find the awe within it. It will change you.
Originally posted at Aspirational Adventures.
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by Christine Sine,
I still vividly remember my visit to Australia about 10 years ago to spend time with my Mum after her back surgery for a collapsed spine. A steel rod in her back strengthened the existing structure and returned some of its youthful vitality. She looked years younger, her face was less stressed and she gained two inches in height. Watching her walk straight and tall for the first time in years was wonderful. It was sobering, however, to realize that even though she has two sons, a daughter and a daughter in-law who are doctors, no one really noticed what was happening or the severity of her problem.
Have we, too, lost our backbones and no one has noticed? Has the strength and vitality of our faith collapsed diminishing us to a mere shell of what God intends us to be? What are the things that contribute the iron and steel that makes us stand straight and tall in the presence of God and of those around us?
These are questions that seem particularly important in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic and of the intense heat that we have struggled with on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada this last week, indicating the severity of climate change. The core values of our faith should not only embrace our own personal life and the prayer and spiritual practices that move us closer to God. They should also embrace our concern for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of neighbours and strangers as well as for God’s good creation. It is easy for us to feel overwhelmed when we recognize the inequities of our societies and the devastation of environments that we have contributed to. It is easy to do nothing because we feel so overwhelmed even though our hearts ache for those who suffer and for the creation that groans in anguish. This is where I feel personal creeds are important. They help move our principles from our heads to our hearts and that then leads to action.
Examine Your Faith
If you can, set aside a retreat day to allow God to speak to you about your faith. Make a list of the core beliefs of your faith, the spiritual practices that nurture those beliefs the daily, weekly and yearly activities reflect these beliefs. Look over the list and prayerfully consider: Do these values embrace all aspects of life and of God’s world? Is your faith strong and vibrant or weak and frail? What provides the iron and steel you need to grow your faith into a whole-life faith in the future? What actions could you take to strengthen your backbone?
Create a Personal Creed
Creating a personal creed that gives zest and vigour to our faith is a great way to strengthen our spiritual backbones. The less confident we are of our core beliefs, the more likely we are to focus on “holier than thou” practices without any substance to define us. Whether we drink, smoke, or condone same-sex marriages, whether we call God father, mother or Eternal One, are not central to our faith but we often treat them as though they are. It is these non-essentials we use to separate us from other believers and non-believers. They become our litmus test to decide who is and who isn’t a part of the body of Christ.
I wrote the prayer above as a personal creed, after reflecting on my own beliefs. It provides a statement that I can return to whenever I feel insecure in my faith. It’s a little like a calling statement but with a little more detail about what I believe rather than what I want to do with my live.
What is Your Response?
Read through the Nicene Creed and Apostles’ Creed and/or prayerfully listen to the the Apostles’ creed below. Read through some of the other lesser known creeds – The Immigrant’s Creed is particularly powerful. I also love these Celtic creeds – Patrick’s creed and the Ionian Creed and this Christmas creed.
If your church uses a different creed, get ahold of that as well. If you are involved in a Christian organization, research the creeds that it adheres to. Ask your friends, see if they can recite an elevator speech that reflects their faith. All this should provide good guidelines for your personal creed. My suggestions for what to include are: what do we believe about God Almighty, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the worldwide church, the kingdom of God (life of the world to come) and about our purpose here on earth? In what ways do these statements reflect your own beliefs? What would you like to add or subtract? Use them as a foundation for writing your own creed. You may want to memorize your new creed, but more importantly, you need to read through this creed regularly so that you are confident in what you believe.
Out of the research you have done, write down a beginning statement of faith. Share it with your friends. Talk about it together. What else would you like to include in this statement? Once you have a completed statement of faith I suggest that you keep a copy in your Bible or journal. Read it through at least once a week. Meditate on it and write down your reflections. All of these will strengthen your faith and put steel in your backbone.
And please consider joining our new Godspacelight Community Group on Facebook and share your creed with us there.
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