poem and photo by Ana Lisa de Jong,
For love God has formed us.
For love, God
like a ring of engagement
placed upon our fingers,
has made us, glorious,
sacrosanct to him.
For love, God
indwelling,
draws a chair at the table,
and in the private cell of our hearts
makes himself space, a home.
For love God has filled us.
For love, God
like bread on the waters,
or wine at the brim,
in the cup of our body,
has made us as an offering, a gift to the world.
For love God has formed us,
shapes us,
makes us fully acceptable,
that on a fine day, we see ourselves
backlit by sky,
or placed high on a mantelpiece
in the honoured part of the home,
where all the guests who visit
whisper under their breath,
‘how beautiful,
how beautiful is that.’
For more poetry by Ana Lisa, please check out LivingTreePoetry.com.
Join us for Making Time for a Sacred Summer virtual retreat with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin!
by J. Thomas,
On my way to learn the current theme, “Time for Love,” I find another: “Better Together.” Thank goodness I am looking! I already know what life event to share, and I know the Bible passage I want to tie in – but I do not know how God is going to weave all of these elements together to make a story that could only point to His miraculous work.
Here is my portrait of the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5, updated for our contemporary audience.

About 1,500 pounds of donated clothing brought Westfield, NJ to Teaneck, NJ
Photograph by J. Thomas
This is my haul. I drive down to Westfield, New Jersey on a mission – to get “oodles and oodles” of clothes to put into boxes and bags. I will load up my Honda Accord and donate it all to Never Alone Again, a non-profit organization supporting victims of domestic violence and abuse. Every Saturday at 11am, its Resource Center provides food, clothing, diapers, and baby formula to anyone in the community.
The previous weekend is my first time volunteering there, and I feel like a guppy. There are tables of free clothes and volunteers checking people in to keep some order, but I cannot find my place. After about an hour flopping around, Ms. D. adopts me and asks me to help her in her duties of keeping the line moving while making sure people are not on top of each other. My tense muscles slightly loosen as I find a way to contribute. In the end, I am not there to work as much as to witness. To observe the weekly miracle of Theresa Johnston, taking her story of resilience over adversity to create a small organization that transforms her large sphere of influence one life at a time.
Before driving down, I try to impress upon Theresa the size of Westfield’s “Free Market” and the amount of surplus clothes that would be available.
“If you have someone with a truck, we should get some more people to drive down with me,” I explain.
I could tell that my attempt fails when she asks me if I could store the donations until the following weekend. No matter, I am not deterred and will show Theresa what I cannot convey in words.
Bible connection: In Luke 5, Jesus instructs Simon Peter to “set out for deeper waters.” I, too, obey Jesus’ voice and set out for deeper waters in Central Jersey letting down my net for a catch. The abundance of blessing is more than I could handle and more than I could bear – like my “joy joy joy joy joy joy!! =)” experience that I blog about and made a YouTube video about. The container of my heart is being stretched to the point of tearing like the worn fishing nets of Jesus’ first disciples. And just as Simon Peter calls over his partners to help him, I call my friends to load up their minivan with boxes and bags of donated clothes. I will make two trips back and forth. After unloading my packed car on Saturday, I make another two-hour drive the next day to gather the boxes stored in my friend’s garage. Triumphant in my mission, I make plans to meet with Theresa for coffee and exchange stories.
As much as I love a good story, I have always sought the deeper meaning and truth behind it all. Especially when it comes to the Bible. As a tenth grader, all I wanted for Christmas was a 17-volume commentary set on the New Testament by Scottish theologian William Barclay. More than 35 years later, I get to read Barclay’s insights, for the first time, on how the account of the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5 provides a “list of conditions for a miracle.”
If you would indulge my artistic license, here is my recipe list for the best environment for a miracle.

Creeping phlox greet me as I volunteer at Never Alone Again (NAAG)
Photo by J. Thomas
Better Together study from William Barclay:
- An “eye that sees” or A WITNESS. Barclay matter-of-factly states that there is no reason to think that Jesus created a huge school of fish. In the Sea of Galilee, there were teems of fish naturally covering square acres at a time. He thinks that Jesus likely had a keen eye and saw such a school which might make it appear like a miracle. My friends invited me to go camping with them last Labor Day weekend, and on our return, they were well aware of the Free Market as all the local Westfield residents were. I scored an abundance and toys and children’s books for my four-year-old daughter. I partook in the generosity Westfield residents because my friends were supporting me through a life crisis. As a result, I was there to witness this “free market” event and knew where the surplus donations could be found. WE are all the witnesses who see.
- A “spirit that will make an effort” or A REASON. At the end of Westfield’s Free Market in 2020, I watched several trucks carry the unclaimed items away. Back then, I had no connection to Theresa Johnston or her organization Never Alone Again. I did not know that Never Alone Again’s Domestic Violence Resource Center operates year-round and provides a few dozen residents with clothes, diapers, formula, and food every week to the community. After collecting donations from local residents every day, Theresa and the army of volunteers she employs sort, process, and organize the donations for efficient and effective distribution to those who need it most in Teaneck, New Jersey and the surrounding towns.Anyone who needs, with no questions asked, can stop by and get connected with resources that are most vital to them. Once a week since COVID-19 quarantine started, the community lines up every Saturday morning to gather a several bags worth of donated clothes for themselves and for others they know need clothes too. The men and women who swarm the tables of donation, though unruly at times (hence the need of Ms. D’s gentle rebuke), are actually on a mission to give clothes to the ones they love as well as get the items they need. The reason for all of the madness is simple: love. WE all embody the reason which is love.
- An “attempt at what seems hopeless” or AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. All the circumstances were against Simon Peter because the logical time for fishing was past. Yet he responds, “circumstances be what they may, if you say so, we will try again.” If we wait for the perfect circumstances or the perfect timing, we will never begin at all. Barclay prods us, “If we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us to attempt the impossible.” It seems impossible to topple systemic social and economic inequality, but we need people like you and me who will raise their hand and volunteer for the impossible mission: an attempt. Jesus calls us all to take his left hand while his mighty right hand performs the miracle. WE can all make an attempt at the impossible mission.
- With these ingredients, all we need now is a stirring of the Holy Spirit, which is the love that passes between the Father and the Son and binds every zoë together, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral. The Holy Spirit is all of it. The reason for the miracle, the secret ingredient, and the mixing spoon. The Holy Spirit is the Person who chooses the time for this Love Feast.
“Better Together” summarizes the thread that runs through each of these ingredients or environmental factors if you will.
First, this miracle would not have happened if it were not for my friends who lived 35 miles from me that I see almost every week. There is no way I could have known about Westfield’s Free Market. But because we have formed a tight-knit family of friends, I witnessed this “sighting” of a large trove of surplus clothes.
Second, I need a connection to Theresa Johnston and Never Alone Again. What good is the knowledge of this huge haul of clothes if there is no organization to help distribute it? I am so glad to have hopped, skipped, and leaped my way from church to food pantry volunteer, so that I was able to meet this phenomenal woman. You can see more about the work she does at this YouTube interview. Theresa Johnston gave me the “spirit” to make an effort because of all she already does.

Photograph by J. Thomas
Never Alone Again’s Anchor Verse: I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5
And, finally, I need a connection with something greater than myself – the impossible mission. You can find the impossible mission anywhere you see someone trying to do something by themselves. Whether it be trying to escape an abusive relationship or become a successful entrepreneur. More than 20 years of struggling with my addiction, I have learned that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. For me, trying to do it by myself was my insanity.
For my first-ever post for godspacelight.com, I wrote about my how struggling through my addiction Improved My Conscious Contact with God. I did not get sober right away, but learned to ask for help, which in retrospect, was by far the greater miracle. In the crucible of my hardest times, I learned the hard way that I cannot do it alone. Whether it be beating an addiction, surviving a personal loss, or strengthening a marriage, humans were not meant to operate in isolation. It a crisis like this where all of the cracks become exposed of “doing it alone” and things fall apart. It is when the nets tear and the boat of our lives begin to sink. Like Simon Peter, we are gripped with our utter inadequacy. Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!
We don’t have to build again with the help of others, but we get to. This is what I see in Never Alone Again’s anchor Bible verse: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). It is my honor to introduce you to a remarkable woman of faith who has learned so many lessons the hard way and has committed her life to the joyous miracle of helping others find the truth that God has a new name prepared for them. Please support her ministry at neveraloneagain.org.
To the Godspace Light community, I plan to post at least one more follow up on Theresa a few months from now on the Godspace Light blog. I hope you can watch with me and keep looking for what the Holy Spirit is doing through our extraordinarily special space.
NOTE: J. Thomas will soon publish his first book Dry and Barren Land: persevering through seasons of spiritual drought. For now, please check out his blog at dryandbarren.com.
Want to create a travel kit or sacred centerpiece for this Summer/Winter? Join us for Making Time for a Sacred Summer virtual retreat with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin!
by Donna Chacko,
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about listening and silence. I recently wrote a blog post about listening and soon thereafter attended a weekend silent retreat. I’ve concluded that listening and silence are complementary—they thrive together. When we prioritize silence we can intentionally listen to God, ourselves, and others and, in this way, create a sacred space where love blooms. When we embrace silence and listening, we love.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “The first service one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love of God begins in listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him.”
Saint Teresa of Calcutta adds: “God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.”
The title of the Diana Ross and the Supremes’ famous song, Stop! In the Name of Love, is enough to make me immediately hear the song in my mind and start singing the words—maybe the same happens with you. Here’s how this song title can help you listen in silence and love more deeply.
None of us can become better listeners unless we take some concrete steps to do so. My friend, Brian Plachta, author and spiritual director, created a useful tool, called STOP, based on this song title. In his recent article, How to Be a Contemplative in Action, he describes our contemplative and active sides and how, when our days are balanced between the two, “we find a natural rhythm that’s life giving… We become a contemplative in action.” For many of us who are not balanced and find it difficult to embrace silence and listen during our busy days, he offers STOP as a spiritual practice to help us stay in balance. Brian uses the gospel story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10: 38-42, the contemplative sister and the busy sister, to make his point. When he gets too Martha-like, he tries to STOP.
“STOP: A Spiritual Practice
S: Stop what you’re doing when the day’s busyness tries to make you crazy. Be present to your body.
T: Take three deep breaths. Calm yourself with the gentle flow of steady air filling your lungs, slowing your heartbeat, and releasing stress.
O: Observe. Notice with curiosity (not judgment) what you’re experiencing. Name the emotions you feel. Let them flow in and through you.
P: Perceive. Ask yourself what you need in this moment. What would be life-giving for you now? A nap? A few more moments of silence? A reminder you are safe and capable, that what needs to get done will get done, and the rest will be there for tomorrow?”
Brian’s STOP practice involves mindfulness and listening to your body and your feelings. But, what do you do if you really want to STOP, but just cannot seem to remember this good intention until after you have snapped at your spouse or worked so long you are frazzled and have a headache? There are preparatory steps you can take that will condition your body, mind, and spirit so you will be more aware and mindful of when you need to STOP—in other words, it will become easier to STOP.
In my forthcoming book, Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey, I describe what happened with me as I slowly became more self-aware, analogizing my changing mind to a sponge becoming softer.
In Chapter 11, I write: “I had to be open to allow the process to happen. It was in that learning to ‘be’ rather than to ‘do’ that I started to be aware of changes in my perceptions. I’m convinced that my Centering Prayer* meditative prayer practice, which I embraced as precious time resting with my Lord, actually had already altered my mind, quieting it, and making it more open to therapy. It’s like my emotional mind was evolving from a hard, scratchy, dried-up old sponge to a soft, expanding sponge that was increasingly able to absorb water. The process started slowly. Initially the dry and dull sponge repelled the water, but it gradually became more pleasant to touch and was flexible—less likely to crack when pressure was applied. My mind was becoming more permeable to challenging memories, perceptions, and ideas. As I became more mindful, I became more aware of my suffering or anxiety in a way that helped me to meaningfully respond instead of automatically reacting to my distress.”
So, how can you become more sponge-like so that it will be easier for you to STOP? Find some time for silence. Start with getting up 10 minutes earlier every day for silent prayer. It’s a small step, but will lead to other steps and more awareness of each precious moment.Slowly, you will absorb the practice until you are able to become more mindful. That’s it— STOP as often as you can, make time for silent prayer, listen, and love.
Thanks for reading and God bless you. If you are interested in learning more about my upcoming book, go to serenityandhealth.com/pilgrimage.
Donna
*To learn more about Centering Prayer check out contemplativeoutreach.org or my recent conversation with Carl McColman, contemplative author.
Image by C. Koch from Pixabay
Want to create a travel kit or sacred centerpiece for this Summer/Winter? Join us for Making Time for a Sacred Summer virtual retreat with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin!
by Christine Sine
My Easter garden has undergone its final transformation. Last week I splurged on a pack of 100 Different Country flags and over the weekend added as many flags as I could to my garden to form a Pentecost prayer garden. What resonates most with me about Pentecost is that the crowds that gathered in Jerusalem that day didn’t all speak the same language, they understood each other in their own languages across the barriers of culture and race. Pentecost speaks to me of global unity and understanding. As I planted my flags, I realized how few of them I could identify. Even when I prayed for India I had to do a Google search to identify its flag before I could make sure it was prominently displayed. It made me wonder if one important step in reaching for cultural understanding is to learn to identify the flags of our neighbours all around the world. So I went hunting and came up with some fascinating facts thanks to this helpful article. He explains:
Did you know that Denmark holds the Guinness world record for the oldest continuously used national flag? Mozambique is the only country in the world whose flag incorporates a modern weapon – an AK 47 – representing vigilance and defense and South Africa’s flag contains the greatest variety of colours. The UK flag consists of the crosses of St George, St Patrick and St Andrew. Interestingly St George who is the patron saint of England was probably born in Cappadocia to a Syrian mother. He is thought to have died in Lyydia in the Roman province of Palestine.
Flags speak of our identity both personal and national and our feelings towards them tell us a lot about our feelings towards our own country and those of our global neighbours. I realized this as I held my Australian and American flags in my hand this morning and placed them side by side in my garden. I have much stronger feelings towards the Australian flag and towards Australia, in spite of the fact that I have not lived there for almost 50 years. It is past time for me to seek for great understanding of the culture into which I have been transplanted and grown over the last 30 years.
One of the disciplines I have decided to institute as part of my Pentecost celebration this year is learning to identify as many national flags as possible and in the process I plan to learn a little about the countries they represent in the desire to do what little I can for global understanding, peace and unity.
Evolution of a Garden

Contemplative garden – Time for Love
You may remember that this garden began as my Time to Love garden, in which I planted seeds and arranged several heart shaped stones as a symbol of both hope and of the love of God most evident in Easter season. The garden evolved when I noticed that the plants were crowding each other out and so I transplanted most of them into small pots to nurture them until they were big enough to plant out in the garden. This weekend I planted most of them into their permanent places in the garden, hopefully ready to grow and produce blossom and fruit amongst the other already established plants. On that occasion, I commented:
For the seedlings that have sprouted to produce their full harvest, they must be uprooted, transplanted and eventually replanted all around the garden. Maybe they will even take the love stones with them or need some new and bigger “love stones” around them.
Another contemplative service with music in the style-of-Taize. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers from St Andrews Episcopal church in Seattle.
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:
“In God Alone my Soul (Mon Ame se Repose),” “The Kingdom of God,” and “Nothing Can Ever” are songs from the ecumenical Taize community in France. Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé.
“When He Cometh” is a public domain hymn, written in 1856 by William Orcutt Cushing, who was a Methodist minister and advocate for the education of blind children.
by Jenneth Graser,
A Morning Prayer
You will need: a bowl, some small stones and a candle with matches.
Place these before you as you find a comfortable place to encounter God in silence.
Opening reading:
“You lead me with your secret wisdom.
And following you brings me into your brightness and glory!”
Psalm 73:24 TPT
Meditations:
Father I give you my mind, as clouds on the horizon
bending over to wake up the sun from her slumber,
reminding the ocean that under her covers
a parallel world is waking up.
- Place into the bowl a stone of intention. The intention of interior silence.
Spirit, I give you my body, as a temple on a high mountain
where worship comes naturally surrounded by
winds blowing straight out of Heaven
and into my inner court.
- Place into the bowl a stone of worship. Your sound of worship.
Jesus, I bring you the energy in me, as lava in a dormant volcano
currently steaming with vapours and potential,
allowing the heat of your deep-inside love to build new lands
and restore the broken ground.
- Place into the bowl a stone of your dreams. The dreams buried inside of you.
Father I give you my heart, as an orchid ready to open
like a bird swooping
into the holy Trinity of you, always eager
to see and greet me.
- Place into the bowl of stone of your heart. As stone turned to flesh.
Poetry reading:
Walking softly on the surface of the earth,
each step holy.
Breathing together with the breath of
humming birds about their breakfast.
Taking in the dew-drop necklaces on flowers
shining with praise and prayer.
Being to you a friend on days opening wide
with wonder happening within us again.
It is too easy to rush by these gifts,
too easy for a day to sleep before the sun goes down.
Let us wake into your presence,
in one accord with all life is.
Let us create a moment by moment fellowship,
the sharing of what brings joy or pain.
Your hand rests on our temple
with lavish rest in time and place.
We will be kind to ourselves as well,
generous grace is meant for the sharing.
Closing reading and practice:
“Nothing is more appealing than speaking beautiful, life-giving words.
For they release sweetness to our souls and inner healing to our spirits.”
Proverbs 16:24 TPT
Light a candle in closing as you listen to (47) Requiem: The Lord is my Shepherd – John Rutter, Cambridge Singers, Aurora Orchestra, Thomas Barber – YouTube
Feature photo by Stories on Unsplash.
Want to create a travel kit or sacred centerpiece for this Summer/Winter? Join us for Making Time for a Sacred Summer virtual retreat with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin!
by Tom Sine,
“Don’t Languish, Flourish”
Dr. Laurie Santos, a Psychology professor, reflecting on our emergence from this very disruptive pandemic, stated in the New York Times, “’We’ve all just changed our routines so much’, she said. ‘I think many of us have realized during the pandemic that some of the things we were doing before COVID -19 weren’t the kind of things leading to flourishing in our lives.’”
“With vaccination rates on the rise, hope is in the air. But after a year of trauma, isolation and grief, how long will it take before life finally… feels good?”
Let’s explore how we, as people of faith, can join those who are not only moving from languishing to flourishing… but also discover a much more vital faith. A faith that is also committed to enabling many of our struggling neighbors to flourish as well in our new post-pandemic society. First, I will briefly describe how other forces have caused many Christians to settle for a less flourishing faith even before COVID-19 arrived.
“End of Pandemic Can Be a Restart for Your Life.”
“Studies show that moments of disruption offer an opportunity to set and achieve new goals.”
The good news is the ending of the pandemic is a great opportunity for people of faith to leave our struggling lives of “lock downs”, to join those who are creating a new normal, and to use this welcomed change to create their best lives!
In 2002, Christine and I wrote a book called Living on Purpose. In those days, we weren’t, of course, struggling with the pandemic. However, we were distracted by the unexpected arrival of Big Tech. It enabled our consumer culture to become much more influential in shaping the aspirations and values of us and our young. Shortly before the pandemic reached the US, the tech revolution had dramatically changed all of our lives and the lives of our young. However, unlike the pandemic, many leaders in mainline, evangelical and Catholic Churches did not seem to express much concern.
Looking back on the Influence of Big Tech
As society raced from flip phones to the new iPhones of the big tech revolution, few church leaders seemed to express concern about the difference it was making in our lives, families and the lives of our young. In retrospect, it is clear that this pre-pandemic high-tech revolution dramatically increased the influence of the consumer culture. First, most adults are spending much more time on screens than ever before. We are being influenced by everything from “Instagram envy” to targeted ads using data from our former online purchases.
In 2018, the Atlantic wrote an article titled, “Phones are Changing the Texture of Family Life.” The article reports that “95% of Americans ages thirteen to seventeen-year-olds have a smartphone or access to one…” Reportedly, back in 2019, “US teens use screens more than seven hours a day on average – and that’s not including school work.” Many teens report they sleep with their iPhones. Suddenly, many parents and churches discovered they had virtually no ability to enable their young to be selective in what they were viewing or consuming.
In 2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change, we argue we are facing a crisis of formation for Gen Next. We also argue that Big Tech is also shaping the values of many of us older Christians more effectively than we seem to be aware.
For example, we also document the declining levels of participation we were experiencing in churches in America just before the pandemic arrived. Let me explain a bit of how this Big Tech-empowered consumer culture is increasingly shaping our sense of what is important and of value. Then it will be more evident how it shapes the stewardship of our lives in ways many of us who are committed Christians may not realize.
Anticipating the Shrinking Church & Declining Outreach
Dwight Friesen and I document how many churches were experiencing declining levels of attendance, giving, and volunteering to help those in need. As churches are beginning to welcome members back into their buildings, the declines in attendance, giving, and volunteering appears to be declining even more rapidly. (2020s Foresight, 62-63).
I believe the declining levels of participation are not just a product of the pandemic. I believe that Big Tech has dramatically influenced our sense of what is important, what is of value, and what is the good life for us and our young. I suspect that this growing influence has a great deal to do with shaping our sense of how to steward our lives and resources.
Looking Back… Did We Get Flourishing Wrong?
Is it possible that as we look forward to seeing the horrid pandemic in our rear view mirrors that even people of faith, and our young, will join our neighbors in viewing flourishing as returning to a more consumptive way of life? This, of course, would likely mean that many of us would make a much more modest investment of our time and money in our churches. It would also likely mean we would invest less of our time and resources to those in the US and other countries that are still being hammered by the pandemic and the recession that accompanies it.
James K. A. Smith, in his important book, You Are What You Love, encourages us to become more aware of what we love and how it shapes our notions of what constitutes the good life. He states, “we need to become aware of our immersions: ‘This is the water’ you’ve been swimming in your whole life.” We read, “we need to recognize that our imaginations and longings are not impervious to our environments…”. “To the contrary our loves and imaginations are conscripted by all sorts of Liturgy that are loaded with a version of the good life.” (38).
Looking Forward… Rediscovering Flourishing for the Turbulent 2020s
In our book, Living on Purpose, Christine and I asked the question, “why settle for more and miss the best?” As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we also need to emerge from all the media influence that seeks to shape our sense of what is important and of value. If as we seek to find a new way of being as we emerge from this pandemic, it isn’t enough to simply have our vaccines and begin our lives over again.
As followers of the servant Jesus, we need to rediscover that the good life of God will never be found in Instagram envy and increased accumulation. We need to join those followers of Jesus who are discovering that we not only have an opportunity to create a new normal but also to create a new sense of what is important and what is of value that is deeply committed to enabling our neighbors locally and globally to flourish as well.
This is the first in a series on FLOURISHING IN THE TURBULENT 2020s
I would value your feedback and push back. Contact me.
Post taken from NewChangeMakers.com. Feature photo by Marvin Meyer and water photo by Anastasia Taioglou on unsplash.com
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