We are delighted to announce that our physical store is now open again! After a season of only downloadable products, we have decided to start selling copies of books and prayer cards! We so appreciate those of you who have helped keep Godspace and the vital resources it provides alive by purchasing our downloadable cards and books but if you are like us, you probably prefer to hold something in your hand when you pray so we are delighted to be able to make these prayer cards available once more. Some of you have told me that you use them for spiritual direction and grief counselling, so necessary at a time like this so I hope that this will help expand the tools you have available.
All of these resources are on sale for the month of August. Check out all the possibilities here . We also have several options to bundle these prayer cards with books. Check them out.
Prayer Cards on Sale!
For the month of August, our prayer cards are on sale! One set of cards is $9.99 and 3 sets are $24.99!
Breath Prayer Cards: Uniquely designed with a breath word and prayer each card will help lead you into a powerful meditation. Contains 12 cards in a set.
Celtic Prayer Cards: Each set contains 10 prayers inspired by ancient Celtic saints or contemporary Celtic writers. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition.
Advent Prayer Cards: This set of 12 cards will help you reflect on the Advent and Christmas story. They begin with Celtic Advent including 6 for Advent, 1 for Christmas Eve, 4 for the Christmas season and 1 for the Eve of Epiphany.
Please note: Shipping could take up to two weeks.
What are the things that you treasure about your life? Make a List and thank Jesus for these things.
What things do you treasure or value about your relationship with Jesus/God?
What things about the Kingdom of God?
treasure box
In Matthew 13, Jesus uses many parables to describe the Kingdom of God…some of them we like, and others like the Wheat and the Weeds and the parable of the fish net are more uncomfortable because we don’t like the thought of good fish and bad fish and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Sometimes we need to remember that the people who were originally listening to Jesus tell these stories were oppressed people who might actually get excited about the bad fish being thrown away or the weeds being burned because it meant that the bad guys, the Romans, would get their due! It also helps to ask the Holy Spirit to highlight and teach us what God’s word is for us today…and consider what Jesus wants us to hear and notice for our lives right now! READ the verses below and listen to the Holy Spirit
Parable of the hidden treasure Rembrandt Gerard Dou
Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1630, © Collection Esterházy, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
MATTHEW 13: 44-52 NIV “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
MATTHEW 13: 44-52 THE MESSAGE “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. “Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
47-50 “Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.” Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?” They answered, “Yes.” He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”
MATTHEW 13:44-52 The Passion Translation “Heaven’s kingdom realm can be illustrated like this: “A person discovered that there was hidden treasure in a field. Upon finding it, he hid it again. Because of uncovering such treasure, he was overjoyed and sold all that he possessed to buy the entire field just so he could have the treasure. “Heaven’s kingdom realm is also like a jewel merchant in search of rare pearls. When he discovered one very precious and exquisite pearl, he immediately gave up all he had in exchange for it.”
“Again, heaven’s kingdom realm is like a fisherman who casts his large net into the lake, catching an assortment of different kinds of fish. When the net was filled, the fishermen hauled it up on the shore, and they all sat down to sort out their catch. They collected the good fish in baskets and threw the bad away. And so it will be at the close of the age. The messengers will come and separate the evil from among the godly and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will experience great sorrow, pain, and anguish. Now do you understand all this?
“Yes,” they replied. He responded, “Every scholar of the Scriptures, who is instructed in the ways of heaven’s kingdom realm, is like a wealthy home owner with his house filled with treasures both new and old. And he knows how and when to bring them out to show others.”
hidden treasure tissot
James Tissot, The Hidden Treasure, 1886–1894. Watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER and Journal from this week: Feel free to use these passages and respond in writing, art, collage, or poetry to the Gospel passage some time this week. Don’t let the amount of questions make you crazy…pick a couple that speak to you
What is God speaking to you about TODAY as you read these passages? Take time to read them again, use different translations to hear it in fresh ways.
What do you notice that you haven’t noticed before?
READ the TWEET from Pope Francis:
pope quote
Pope Francis tweeted this on Sunday…What do you think about his definition of the kingdom of Heaven?
What is the opposite of a dull life to you?
How can you let the Kingdom of Heaven be a treasure that renews every day?
How can you truly live out the kingdom of heaven now? What would that look like?
What are some of the NEW treasures you have discovered about Jesus and his kingdom ? You might have grown up thinking about the Kingdom or Jesus in one way and now are seeing things in a new way.
READ the Quote by Jonathan Pennington:
“The biblical idea of the kingdom of God is not abstract, oppressive, or irrelevant. Rather, the message of God’s kingdom is that God promises to bring his liberating and life-giving reign from heaven to earth. God will do this through a messiah, one anointed as a ruler with absolute power, not an elected official. The purpose of this ruler, however, is not to oppress or concentrate power upon himself but rather to be the conduit of blessing, peace, and justice in the world.” Jonathan T. Pennington.
How does this help you understand the Kingdom of God? What ways can you bring peace, blessing and justice to your world this week?
What if Jesus is the Jewel Merchant, and YOU are the exquisite pearl? How does this make you feel? What things stop you from believing that you have amazing value to God/JESUS? Talk to Jesus about this. Ask Jesus to help you know how valuable you are to him!
These are Australian Pearls in the picture below. What are five things that you value about yourself? Make a List of Five things you really live about yourself.
Imagine that Jesus is holding you in the Palm of His Hand. Allow this Image to remind you of how much you are loved and cared for by Jesus. You are his Exquisite Pearl!
5 White Australian Pearls
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
Featured Image: Parable of the Treasure by Artist Jesus Mafa of Cameroon
by Sue Duby
Never did I imagine that my latest unfolding of revelation could ever begin with soft ice cream. . . and lead to a major course correction in perspective.
I swung the freezer door open to grab my nightly cup of premium vanilla and frozen berries. As I dipped my spoon to scoop, it slid and sunk into the tub. . . not a good sign! With curiosity, I opened the refrigerator door to be greeted with a blast of warm air. Big trouble on the home front!
Three weeks living out of coolers on the back porch. Repairmen hunting for never-to-be-found parts for our 23-year-old relic. Hunting for a new one to fit a quirky space. Delays in factory orders with Covid challenges. Feeling like college youngsters working from a “dorm frig” in the garage. Week 10 and counting… “Maybe next week” we say. . . again. Waiting.
Counting days until Peter, Jenna and boys arrive for a week of family fun. Then Covid. California and Arkansas on the “watch out!” list. Flights cancelled. No clue when or how to dream up another reunion at the moment. Sad. Waiting.
Full of vision and purpose during our first “at home” weeks with Covid. Exercising daily, enjoying neighborhood walks, trying new recipes and scheduling back porch coffee dates with friends. Even feeling brave to cheer on grandsons at the baseball field. All for a few weeks. . . we thought. “Til it passes” we said. Going on week 20. . . we wait.
Watching our kids navigate their own unknowns. Will Krista find herself in teaching year 18 with a room full of kindergarteners. . . precious little ones who are clueless how to stand in a line, much less wear a mask and not hug the teacher? Will Peter ever move his “office” from the spare bedroom, working but on alert for those frequent “I need you Daddy!” cries by his boys. Waiting.
Last week it hit. That “I’m so over this!” agitation. Wrestling with that “life is on hold” feeling. . . not sure how to make plans. . . weary of needing every decision to be filtered through “is this ok to do right now?”. . . desiring to feel confident in “wise steps” daily, but never being sure. Waiting.
Then it struck. Sitting in the backyard breeze one evening before bed. Out of nowhere, a whisper -“What are you waiting for?”. With a groan, I got the message. Waiting for Covid to go away and things to be “normal”, the same as before isn’t working. I might be waiting a long time. . . or even forever . . . for that reality.
I smiled and sensed a gentle nudge from Him. “Lay down the waiting. Embrace what is right now. . . and live in the present”. No more “wait until _______” thinking, but rather a reframing of perspective. While I am waiting, live expectantly. Not waiting for what I want. . . but waiting to watch what He has planned and purposed for my days.
Waiting seems to be tied with longing. When I wait, it’s because I’m longing FOR something. . . like my new refrigerator, gathering friends in our home, having grandson sleepovers. If I can’t change circumstances, I can trust Him to give me creative ways to fill the ache in the present. As the days pass, He’s been faithful. Weekly ideas that seem to land in my thoughts out of nowhere (but I know where they’re from!). . . silly “Nana games” to send grandsons in California, spontaneous adventure drives with Chuck, sharing garden blooms with a new neighbor, texting friends “thinking of you” when they just “happen” to come to mind.
I’m choosing to no longer wait for new circumstances, but rather to wait expectantly for Him. The Lord of creation, who knows all my days and how best to fill them. Who has the future in His hand, in ways I don’t always need to understand. Who delights in showing me the next step, in all circumstances, at all times, with grace and affection in the present moment.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20
Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5
by Carol Dixon
It’s not often living on the north east coast of England that we get the opportunity for sunbathing. Although we have many beautiful beaches, the weather isn’t always conducive to lying on the sand and soaking up the sun. So I was surprised to read some thoughts on Prayer by David Adam, written when he was the vicar on Lindisfarne (often a very cold spot even in summer) advocating the practice. Here’s what he had to say:
Prayer is not so much what we want from God but discovering what he wants to do and is already doing for us. It’s not that we are seeking to change God’s mind, rather it is to open our minds and our lives to his action that is taking place. Often in prayer it is good to begin by opening ourselves to God’s grace and goodness. He offers us healing and peace, He offers us strength, He offers us himself.
We should seek to be still, like a sunbather, soaking in the love and light of the Lord. We should let his great gifts flow into our lives, open ourselves to that offering. Too often we become so uptight and full that nothing can get in. Relax, let go and let God. Know that you are enfolded, encircled by him & his love.” ((c) David Adam Borderlands)
I had an opportunity to put this into practice recently when preparing a time of prayer & reflection for a group I belong to and I invite you to find a comfortable spot and join in a bit of sunbathing with God.
Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful summer’s day… You are lying on a beach under a shady tree listening to the gentle lapping of the waves, sunbathing in God’s love. Feel the warmth of God’s presence permeating your whole being, healing your ills, making you whole. Rest for a moment in his peace……
After a while you notice others whom you know to be in need joining you, arriving one by one, lying on the beach, sunbathing in God’s love. You can name them. You see them bathed in the peace of God, all worries and concerns removed by the warmth of God’s healing presence……
photo by George Taylor, used with permission
It is time to leave. Jesus raises you gently to your feet and takes you by the hand to the path you are to follow. As he bids you farewell with a smile he says ‘See you again tomorrow, for your sun-ray treatment,’ and you go on your way rejoicing.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you for your healing touch.
We praise you for the peace of Jesus which transforms our lives
and, through us, the lives of the lives of those around.
We praise you for the strength of your Holy Spirit,
filling our inner selves as we walk in Jesus’ way.
We praise you for your presence surrounding us,
protecting us, enlivening us, each day.
May we always remember:
We are encircled by God’s peace and protection,
We are bathed in the light of God’s love in Jesus,
We are strengthened by God’s own Spirit, living in us,
Accompanying us on our journey,
today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity.
Cocooned in God (Tune: I bind unto myself today)
Bathed in our God’s eternal love,
With confidence I face this day,
Uplifted by the peace of Christ
Within me as I rise and pray.
God’s power holds me as I wake,
God’s spirit blesses as I bathe,
Christ sits at table while I eat
And walks with me upon my way.
My Lord is in each daily task,
In every person that I meet,
In random thoughts and idle chat,
He comes to me in all I greet.
God’s presence warms each shop and home,
With each kind word Christ welcomes me;
Should I forget that he is there,
Then signs of God around I see.
I see him in the rolling hills,
In drifting clouds across the sky,
In snail trails on the city streets,
In sound of raindrops, raven’s cry.
In children’s laughter, old man’s smile,
In work-worn hands I glimpse God’s care,
In tear-filled eyes, companion’s kiss;
In all creation, God is there.
Cocooned in God’s eternal love,
I lay aside my cares this day;
Christ’s peace will keep me through the night,
Within me, as I rest and pray. © Carol Dixon altd.
(Original music available from Carol Dixon: caroldixon@talktalk.net)
Photo above: Newborough Beach, 2007 – taken by me
This season for me, as you can tell from reading my blogs, has been being reminded of prophetic words. When I first got into this prophetic praying one of the major verse was:
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
I believe this is another of the “Reset” places we should be exploring as the pandemic still creeps across the world.
I believe the word “sin” basically means that we have screwed up, been selfish, missed God’s mark. So we need to go back and humble ourselves before God and say we have screwed up. This is being highlighted in Black Lives Matter, the continued abuses and inequalities between women and men, wanting to see the economy recover often to the detriment of people, climate change, animal welfare, etc.
Reading this news I have noticed that whenever some country or world leader boasts about how they are doing with this virus suddenly they get a spike in Covid-19 cases. Pride steps in, they want to tell everyone how well they did and then bam! they get walloped. It is like the virus is saying to “get off your high horse” and be humble.
Being a practical person I have always have to say what can I/we do?
Well I think the only true way is to stop saying we know what we’re doing and stop, wait, rest and let peace flow into our troubled minds and stop rushing about trying to sort out what the “new normal” is going to be.
But, as I’ve said before, I see people being busy, wanting answers, rushing into the next thing. And this happens as much with Christians as much as anyone. There has been a rush in our church to deep clean to get things “open again” and in England Sunday services are happening so it won’t be long before they start in Wales. But I don’t know of many people who have been praying to find out what God wants to happen next.
But to stop moving forward and to wait on God – or if you don’t believe in God then the universe, a higher power, that inner gut feeling – takes time, and might cause change. Do we really want change?
I took my own advise seriously and during my morning dog walks on the beach I started to ask God what I was do with my “one wild and precious life”. I came away feeling that I was to take my rooms off Airbnb and not advertise for anyone to stay and to trust that if we were meant to have people staying they would find us. Over coffee that Saturday morning I chatted with my husband and he totally agreed. It is odd because the only reason we moved up to North Wales and bought this big house was to do Airbnb! We move up here a place of trusting God, but that was to do something. Now this whole waiting to see what the plan is next is much harder and more humbling because we cannot do anything.
Two blog posts have been particularly helpful in this process: Trusting in Jesus, Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled and Let Jesus Hold Your Stuff For You
I believe with all things, if we don’t give them to Jesus and leave them in his hands, then we will never be humble. It is not easy and is an on going process, one that God started with me nearly 30 years ago. I’m glad God has more patience with me than I often have with myself.
[Original post taken from Aspirational Adventures]
This is the final week of the sale on the Gift of Wonder Online Retreat! If you sign up and pay before July 29th, we will email you the details for our next Zoom call which connects you with Christine and other participants to talk about the material. If you are on the fence about purchasing, check out the FREE PREVIEW of lessons in Module 1 before you buy!
What is included?
- 90 days of access to the retreat so you can move at your own pace
- Video lessons and activities facilitated by Christine Sine
- Powerpoint with audio presentations
- Survey questions
- Digital downloads of handouts
- Bonus download material not found anywhere else on Godspace
- Monthly Zoom calls to connect with Christine and other participants
Course Outline
by Christine Sine
Several years ago, I wrote a post Stay Close to the Cracks which was inspired by Leonard Cohen’s song Anthem. Yesterday I was revisiting that post and realized how very pertinent it, and Cohen’s song, are for today. There are so many cracks in our society – cracks in the social fabric that have made us aware of the horrible treatment of our African American friends, not just in the past, but in the present too. Black Lives Matter, we cry out convinced in the depths of our souls that we need to change and that our society needs to change.
Then there are the cracks in our economic and health care systems as we all struggle with the impact of a worldwide pandemic on our lives, and the economic structure of our society. Some have already lost family members, others have lost jobs and homes and still more live in the fear of what could come in the next few months.
Cracks Give Us Hope
We need to let the light shine through, so that we know how to respond without becoming casualties of our fears and all the pressures that are on us. Leonard Cohen’s prophetic voice still challenges us today as he reminds us that there is indeed a crack in everything but this is not a reason for despair but rather for hope because this is indeed how the light gets in. Similarly in Eager to Love, Richard Rohr comments that St Francis of Assisi asked us to stay close to the cracks in the social fabric of our world. It is a thought worth reflecting on.
It is in fact this thought that has encouraged me to look at the cracks in the pavement as I walk, to see what is growing and what has responded to the light – the plants we call weeds, the plants we want to root up and get rid of. We don’t want anything growing in the pavement cracks that will disturb the neat and ordered pattern of our lives. We don’t want pandemics and racism to grow in the cracks. We don’t always want to see the light.
pushing up through the cracks
Everything in our lives and in our world has cracks, wounds and broken places that tell of pain and suffering. Sometimes we try to cover them over, attempting to seal them off from the light. But this only makes them fester and get worse like a boil on our skin that needs to be lanced.
Yet it is in the cracks, the broken places of our lives and world, where violence flares and pain cries out that healing also happens. When we acknowledge injustice and the pain it causes, we take the first step towards wholeness. It is into the cracks that light can shine and water can seep. It is in the cracks in the concrete that seeds can lodge, germinate and take root. And as green shoots reach for the sky, the crack enlarges, the concrete crumbles and what was meant to live and breathe thrives once more.
How Do You Respond to the Cracks?
Sit quietly in the presence of God, allowing the love of the holy and ever present One to wash over you. Read through the prayer above several times. What cracks in your world, what places of woundedness and vulnerability that give you ongoing pain come to mind? In what ways have you tried to cover these over, perhaps with a facade of laughter or with a semblance of respectability? Or as the pandemic still rages, are you responding by pretending it isn’t happening and risking your life and of those around you by not wearing masks or social distancing? Are there ways you respond, perhaps with fear, or anger or intolerance that show these are festering? Perhaps there are things you need to confess or seek forgiveness for. Offer these up to God in prayer.
Now think of the light that has shone into those cracks. Where have you seen glimmers of God’s wholeness? What has it begun to give life to? Are you aware of green shoots emerging towards the sun? How could you nurture their growth and make help them to thrive?
As I walk our neighbourhood, I notice several rain wise gardens on my route. What was once a solid concrete slab in some places has now been transformed into gardens that channel the water into the topsoil and down into the water table where the water can accumulate and provide for future dry periods. Even our church has become rain wise so that the rain from their huge roof no longer creates a flood of water that overflows the drains and clogs the waterways.
Dedicating St Andrews rain garden
Sometimes when we stay close to the cracks we realize that they need to be nurtured and strengthened to rebuild the fabric of our lives and our society. And as we nurture these it is not only the surface life that thrives but it is the deep wellsprings of the water table that flourishes too.
What is your response?
Read through the prayer above again. What slabs of pavement are you aware of in your life and society that need to be broken up with gardens? Is there something the spirit of God is prompting you to do that could help accomplish this?
Now listen to Leonard Cohen sing Anthem and allow the spirit of God to stir your imagination. Is there another response God is asking of you?
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