Used from pixabay. Click image for source.
What books have shaped your life?
It’s not an incredibly unusual question. When I was recently asked, I rattled off a few of the many titles that came to mind. But the question lingered in my mind, the phrasing of it struck me.
It wasn’t simply, “What books do you like?” Not a question of mere preferences and pleasures.
The inquiry was much more substantial, much heavier. “What books have shaped you?” It’s a question of influence and of what has been important to me.
It’s a question of formation. Which makes it, in a way, a question of prayer.
And the books I listed – yes, they certainly have formed me. Some formed me through providing information that impacts my worldview and actions. Others formed me providing a narrative of adventure or suffering, stories that expanded my compassion and heart knowledge.
But while it’s true that certain books have influenced me, I think it’s more true to say that the act of reading has shaped me —even the unhelpful stuff, the mundane, not-life-changing texts.
Reading is a form of prayer.
Reading gives me the chance to live a thousand lives in the fraction of a century that I’ve been on this planet. Reading shows me the results of various decisions, because of which I haven’t had to make the same mistake myself (although, to be sure, I’ve found plenty of unoriginal mistakes to make as well). Reading puts me in the heads of other people, allowing me to step into their world and value systems and understand what informs their experiences. It shows me who I could have been in a different time or place, or my life if I had made a few different decisions. At its best, reading helps me to really feel what it’s like to inhabit another life.
But above anything else, praying by reading expands my capacity for compassion.
This, of course, helps me better understand how I feel and my own particularity and helps me understand others and respond more kindly than I might otherwise have done.
But what feels more important is that reading helps me to understand aspects of universal human experiences. We all feel sadness and joy. We are all confused and trying to make meaning of our lives and our humanity. We’re all wondering what binds us together and what sets our own lives apart.
Although this thread of the human condition can be found in most writing (I believe that fiction, narratives, memoirs, and biographies are all among God-breathed text), this pursuit of humanity is particularly why I turn to reading scripture.
Many ask what a text written for an ancient community on the other side of the world has to do with us. Christians, too often, seem to read the texts of what they call the “Old Testament” only to demonstrate how Jesus is found in the stories. As though they only became imbued with value once God took on flesh.
But if freed from the constraint of a “holy” pedestal, these texts are freed to exist as stories, the reading of which, like all story-prayers, is meant to shape us. They offer glimpses into battlefields and royal chambers, put us in the skin of both the righteous and the corrupt, and steer us toward compassion for the widow and the foreigner.
As the author advises in the opening of the “secular” novel (as if there is such a thing) The Great Gatsby, “Just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Narratives shape us by giving us entry points into otherness. Narratives are important because they remind us that life isn’t an equal playing field, that there is diversity of experience, and also that there is some common thread in humanity that holds us all together.
by Rev. Brenda Warren. All Rights Reserved
Isn’t it interesting how our faith in God often evolves, transforms, and grows richer and deeper over our lifetime? A little over a decade ago, an ancient way of praying and seeking God entered my life that multitudes around the world are also re-discovering.
Ambling through the gorgeous tree-filled and peacock strutting grounds at The Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center in Houston, Texas, I came across a large circular/spiral shape set into the ground with small stones and gravel. I was intrigued. There was a small box on a stand nearby holding pamphlets describing this as a labyrinth that is useful as a method for prayer.
Following the pamphlet’s instructions, with some hesitation and trepidation, I gingerly stepped into my Celtic “coracle” and entered into the circuitous earthy river on this virgin voyage of prayer pilgrimage. Since that initial life-altering spiritual journey on the labyrinth, two other types of labyrinths have been added to my prayer life. A wooden finger labyrinth is kept on my office desk and a labyrinth app has been placed on my smart phone. Both of these offer the opportunity for prayer, peace, and well being wherever I am.
Over the years, it has been a great joy to discover and to pray on labyrinths in a variety of locations. Labyrinths can now be found in places of worship, hospitals, schools, retreat centers, parks, and home lawns throughout our planet. These ancient paths of prayer are drawing people of many different faith traditions and some who struggle with the meaning of faith to experience a renewed sense of the sacred, of healing, of hope, and of wholeness in our lives and in our world.
There are many excellent online resources on labyrinths including:
Labyrinth groups:
http://www.veriditas.org. Dr. Lauren Artress, founder
https://labyrinthsociety.org
facebook:
Discover Labyrinths https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverLabyrinths/?fref=ts
The Labyrinth Society Global Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/TLSevents/
Labyrinth app for smart phones:
ipause (Free. There are several labyrinth shapes and accompanying songs)
Locations of labyrinths:
http://labyrinthlocator.com
http://wellfedspirit.org/U.S._map/US_Map.html
http://www.labyrinthos.net/locations01.html
http://www.mudge.screaming.net/MazeList.htm
This post is part of our September Creative Prayer theme.
Andy Wade –
Creation sings, giving glory to God. It’s easy to imagine this while out hiking in majestic mountains or watching the explosion of color as the sun sets over the ocean. But it happens all around us, every day, every moment, if only we’re alert enough to notice. One way to hone our sense of wonder as we join with creation in praising our Creator is to discover this symphony of worship in our own backyard. The garden is my sanctuary and, in it, God beckons me to draw near. Here are my top five ways to listen, and then join, this ongoing celebration of God.
Lectio Tierra: I described lectio tierra in detail in a post at the end of last month. This is really a simple way to pray that works well in the garden, in the neighborhood, or surrounded by nature in a forest. In the garden I simply wander around asking what God would like to speak to me through. It could be the splashing of birds in the birdbath, a particular flower or vegetable, or a worm wriggling around in the moist soil. The point is to find that element in the garden that seems to catch your attention, observe, try to discern its story, discover the intersections of that story with your own, and sit with this common message from God shared with another of God’s creation.
Star Gazing and Scents: There’s something special about going out to the garden on a cloudless and moonless night. Because of the darkness where I live, the stars seem to pop out of the sky. I always feel so small and yet so awe-struck by wonder sitting under the this bejeweled canopy. But it’s not just the stars that compel my thoughts toward God. Scents from all around the garden flood my nostrils with a banquet of goodness. Head back, eyes fixed on the stars and various garden fragrances rising up around me I’m reminded of a passage from the Revelation to John: “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand”. Indeed, the whole creation seems to join in my prayer, and that in itself fills me with wonder.
Praying Barefoot: If you don’t have bark dust all over your garden or prickly leaves like from a holly tree, this is a fun way to get out of a praying funk. Shed your shoes and socks and slowly walk through the garden. What do you feel? Sauntering through the soft, cool grass you might be reminded to pray for those who live in harsh climates and rarely experience this kind of comfort. A sudden poke by an unnoticed stick might prod you to recall an area of pain or brokenness in your life or a relationship that needs healing. Pray for wisdom and pray for avenues and opportunities to bring healing. What are the textures you feel as you wander through the garden? How do they relate to other areas of your life? Bring these things to God in prayer. If you want a more detailed example of this, check out my earlier post about praying barefoot in the neighborhood.
Releasing Fragrance with Touch: I love to meander the garden touching various plants as I go. Brushing up against the lavender, my senses are engulfed in a wonderful fragrance while running my hands through the hyssop yields a skunk-like odor. The Apostle Paul talks about our lives being an aroma to the world around us:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 2 Cor. 2:14-16
Bee on Hyssop
Personally I’d prefer to smell like lavender to the world rather than the skunky smell of hyssop. “Lord, make my life a pleasing fragrance to those around me.”
While rubbing my fingers over the tomato leaves, a very strong and distinctive fragrance is released. It’s not pleasing, nor is it offensive. It’s an odor that reminds me of the oils in the leaves that protect against aphids and other pests. I’ve never thought of odors as protection and yet in the garden there are many. “Lord, how can my life radiate a sense of protection or peace in my neighborhood?”
There are so many ways one can pray just by paying attention to the bouquet of the garden. Now try it again with taste (but be sure you know what you’re tasting!).
Death and Dying: This time of year in the Pacific Northwest, many of the plants in the garden are beginning to fade. There is a cycle to all of life, and far too often we avoid admitting that we, too, are a part of that cycle. Wandering into the garden I notice at once the sunflowers. Towering over the summer garden like golden-crowned princes, they seem to make the garden glow. But during this season, that brightness is beginning to fade, like the grandfather whose spark and wit still brightens a room even though worn around the edges. Full flowers dazzling in their brilliance is what I want to see. The fading flowers remind me that life, here, has its limits. Many lessons can be found in one plant.
- Why is it that I have trouble enjoying the full cycle of life?
- Is there something in death I need to embrace to be fully alive?
- What does the presence of flowers from a single plant, some just begging to bud, others in full bloom, and still others starting to fade…
- what do they have to teach me about God?
- what do they reveal about the beauty of generational diversity?
- which flower am I on this plant and how do I feel about that?
This is but one example of exploring our own mortality in all its beauty and brevity by intentionally praying in the garden.
These are my top five ways to pray in the garden. What have you tried?
Here in North America it’s the end of summer. Bees are still buzzing in my garden, pollinating the last of the summer crops and the new flowers emerging on the fall/winter crops. MSA/Godspace also continues to buzz.
For those of you that follow our Godspace Community Blog, you’ve probably noticed that, although Christine has officially retired from her Director of MSA job, she has not retired from writing. I’m excited and a bit relieved that Christine will continue writing her Monday Meditations as well as prayers which show up on our various Facebook pages.
Christine and I are also in discussion about how to revamp our two main workshops and find new ways to lead, and co-lead, and bring updated ideas and content to those who attend. We’re still looking for catchy titles for these workshops, so if you’ve attended “The Spirituality of Gardening” or one of our creative spiritual practices workshops or retreats in the past and have some ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Currently our working titles are “Gardening with God and Neighbor” and “Cultivating Effective Spiritual Practices for Personal and Community Transformation”.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Andy and Christine will be in Surry, British Columbia on Saturday, October 15th presenting “Creating Gardens of Hospitality” at A Rocha B.C. From there we head south to Tacoma, where we’ll be presenting at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church’s Celtic Faire on Sunday at 3:30pm. The Celtic Faire is actually going on all weekend, so if you’re in the area, you’ll probably want to check that out.
Tom is busy as ever with his new book, Live Like You Give a Damn! Join the Changemaking Celebration. Two weeks ago he was at the national Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) convention in Los Angeles. Last week he attended the SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) convention and held a “Live Like You Give a Damn!” event at Grace Fellowship Community Church, in San Francisco.
Next month Tom will be at Missions Fest Seattle on October 8th, and then in the Twin Cities at Colonial Church to connect with their exciting program, Innove, a community entrepreneurial competition for young folks to “create social and cultural betterment”. While in the Twin Cities Tom will also be connecting with United Seminary as well as Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.
Praying with Creation
New prayer cards, “Praying with Creation” are ready to ship! This new set is printed on heavy stock with a glossy finish, which really makes the images pop. I love nature, and discovering new ways to focus on creation in giving glory to God has been a fun and exciting adventure.
Looking Ahead
The Godspace Community Blog has been buzzing. This month’s theme, “The Prayerful Imagination: Praying Creatively for More Meaningful Connections with God and Others” has really taken off. We’ve had a wide variety of posts from all over the world including many new prayer practices that really engage the imagination.
“Living into the Shalom of God” is our theme for October. We’ll be exploring what this looks like in a variety of contexts and would value your contribution. If you’ve not joined us as a writer on the blog, take a minute to see what it means on our writer’s FAQ page. You can write just one post, an ocassional post, or become one of our regular contributors.
Featured Authors for October include:
- Leroy Barber and his new book, Embrace
- Brenda Salter McNeil and her new book, Roadmap to Reconciliation
- Soong-Chan Rah and his newest book, Prophetic Lament
Expect great things in October!
Looking Further Ahead on Godspace Community Blog
November is a great time to start preparing for Advent and Christmas — Not preparing by decorating and buying a lot of stuff we don’t really need, but by “Preparing our Hearts and Homes for Advent and Christmas” (our theme that month) so that it doesn’t end up a whirlwind of stress, busyness, and anxiety.
We’re going to take a little different approach on the blog in November, choosing to focus on specific sub-themes for each week. Here’s a little foretaste to whet your appetite and, for you writers, get you thinking ahead about how you would like to contribute:
- Week 1: Overcoming Consumerism — resisting the drive for more
- Week 2: Resting in Chaos — How to create space for rest when the world is whipped up into a frenzy.
- Week 4: Making Space for Hospitality — Ideas for gatherings of welcome and moments of connecting.
- Week 5: The Beginning of Advent…
Our December Advent theme this year is “Entering the World with Jesus: Looking for Jesus in all the right places”. How do we do that? We’re planning to explore what that means, what it looks like, in very specific places. Again, we’ll focus on weekly sub-themes:
- Week 1: …in our home
- Week 2: …in our neighborhood
- Week 3: …in our city
- Week 4: …in our world
As you can see, there are a lot of great things heading our way! What really excites me about all of this is that our little team at MSA/Godspace isn’t creating all of the content from perpsectives limited by our small staff, but we are connected through our ever-growing community of writers from all over the world. And, just in case you missed it before, we’re always looking to expand that community of writers. If you think you might be interested, or maybe just want to try writing one post to see how it goes, please check out our writer’s FAQ page then drop us an email to find out more.
Please continue to pray:
- For our board of directors as they help us walk through this important time of transition and discernment.
- For Gil George’s continued healing following a bicycle accident in July. We’re grateful for healing that’s already come, for new front teeth, and that he’s back editing and posting our blog contributions for Godspace.
- For our upcoming travels and speaking engagements.
- For Christine and Tom as they navigate the changes in their lives.
- And for me as I continue to adjust to my new role as Director.
Together creating pathways of Shalom,
Andy Wade
Director
Mustard Seed Associates // Godspace
You Make it All Possible!
At MSA//Godspace we work hard to make sure every dollar is well spent and not wasted, but the truth of the matter is that your support is critical to the ongoing ministry of this unique community.
So let me keep this short and to the point: Please take a moment now to send in your financial contribution to continue to make this work possible.
You can GIVE ONLINE or mail a check to:
PO Box 45867
Seattle, WA 98145
If your employer contributes matching donations, MSA might be included in their list of eligible organizations. Please check with your human resources department to find out if we qualify.
MSA is silver-rated through Guide Star and also participates in Benevity’s Causes Portal, which makes employer-matched donations easy.
If you shop through Amazon, you can also choose us as your supported non-profit. Amazon donates a small portion of each purchase to us – a win-win! Click HERE to find out more.
Have more questions about giving to MSA//Godspace? Please check out our online donation FAQ.
by Kristen Leigh Kludt
Creative Commons licensed from Pixabay.
Picnic Table Nature
The day was beautiful. We sat at a picnic table in the shade of a eucalyptus tree hung with yellow balloons. It was a birthday party, and we ate and laughed and ran around the park with the kids.
There were so many kids. Leah Beth and David had two children, Becca and Andrew another two, Katie and Joey had one and another on the way. We had been trying to become pregnant for a year, but our arms were empty.
The sun was too hot, the park too full, the perfect foil for my empty womb. I joined the kids at the playground a while, talked half-heartedly about teaching with the moms, and finally settled in where I often did in those days—hovering at my husband’s elbow, half-listening to the dads talk about theology and church and family and future. That was easier than listening to chatter about baby food and toddler development or—worse—knowing I was the reason such a natural subject was avoided.
An hour into the party, I could no longer hover next to Dave. The pain gnawed at my belly, and it was spilling out. Hiding my tears, I ran to the bathroom.
The cool concrete structure mirrored my heart much better than the glare of the sun outside. It was empty, quiet. The fluorescent lights were sterile, unflattering, clinical. I liked them that way. I locked myself into a stall, wrapped my arms tight around my chest, and screamed the silent scream of loss. What was wrong with me? Why was my body so broken, so unable to do what I thought God created it to do? I murmured “why” after “why” aloud to the dirty metal walls. The emptiness of my womb burned like fire. I sobbed in that empty bathroom under the sterile lights and let the fire consume me. I surrendered to grief.
I remembered the birthday party. I doused the fire, not yet spent, letting the coals continue to ravage my insides. I wiped my eyes, took a deep breath, and headed back into the sunlight with a smile. I did not want to have anything to explain.
Grief in the unknown: It is baffling. How do you grieve the loss of something that never was? I had so much need in that time. I was ragged, broken, trying to keep it together enough to be appropriate in public, then screaming silently behind closed doors. How else could I function? We have to go on at times like that. There is no choice. So I danced back and forth between grief and pretending.
Where was God in all of this? In my heart, God was distant, angry. I assumed God was disappointed with me and maybe didn’t love me much. In reality, I was the distant, angry one—distant, often, even from my own emotions. What would it look like to lessen that distance? What would it look like to enter the darkness unafraid?
I began, slowly, to make space for grief. I started with a simple practice of welcoming my emotions. That practice led to others, and I became less afraid of my own darkness. One day I would believe, whatever my circumstances, that God loved me and was near. The journey toward hope began with this small step.
An Invitation to Practice
How do we come to know the tender places within us in order to experience God’s love more fully?
- Pay attention. Are you angry today? Do you find yourself more easily frustrated than usual? Did something happen that brought you to tears? Are you overwhelmed with gratitude or pride in an accomplishment?
- Pause. Take some time to allow yourself to feel that emotion. If you can, go into a room alone and be still. Dance if you’re happy or cry if you’re sad. If you are in public, go to your car, or to the bathroom. Welcome whatever it is that you are feeling, allow it to course through you, to wash over you like a wave in the ocean, and to recede.
- Mark this moment. Write a simple poem in your journal. Create a crazy hodge-podge art piece. Copy the words of a Psalm of praise or lament. Throw a rock into the ocean or throw a party. Whatever you do, invite God along.
Adapted from A Good Way Through: My Journey with God from Disappointment into Hope, coming in spring of 2017.
This post is part of our September Creative Prayer theme.
by Sujatha Balasundaram. All Rights Reserved.
Prayer takes different forms during different stages of our walk with the Lord. The forms of prayer we use are closely related to where we are in our relationship with Jesus and the life journey we find ourselves at.
For example, when I was little I sat with my hands folded and eyes closed and I talked about things closest to me – my dad , my mom, my brother and myself. It was simple and straight from the heart. As a pre-teen and teen I wanted time with God. I would sit and try hard to listen or just sit and talk/cry/laugh/argue. In my youth, I would be in different postures at different times, sometimes lying in bed, sometimes while working, but God was a friend, someone I could talk to anywhere and anyhow.
Talking to God was a habit my mother inculcated in me, before we eat, before we study, before we start a test, before we sleep etc. As a young adult , I tried more ways to stay in God’s presence. I loved to draw and so I would draw as I remembered God’s word and as I talked to God or listened or just wondered/pondered over that thought/word. As a young mom I prayed while I nursed while I tried to sleep but couldn’t, why I sometimes slept while I prayed. I believe all of these are valid forms of communication with our Creator God. What matters is our heart. However if our posture or form is being a stumbling block to another we would do better to choose another form or another venue. I know as a young person growing up in India I would not be lying down and praying to my Almighty God in front of adults. While at the same time we need to remember that forcing any one posture or legalizing prayer would only quench one’s ability to express oneself before their Maker. There is value in different postures of prayer that can acknowledge our relationship with our Lord: kneeling before our Master, Bowing before the Almighty; sitting in the presence of our best friend etc.
As a mom I wanted my children to know that communication with God is just a part of normal life. So we started while I was pregnant me reading/pondering/talking with God aloud. As a baby I would pray and sing over them, even as they lay in bed. Once they learned to sit we allotted a special time for focused conversation with God just like we would a tummy time or a play date or a snack time or potty time. It would be just a song they could clap to, imitate actions or smile or a simple prayer over them in Jesus name.
When my children could grasp onto things I gave them crayons and paper as I read stories or I prayed. Here is a picture of one such work when they were 6 and 4.
by Sujatha Balasundaram. All rights reserved.
By the first year we were reading stories, memorizing scripture through song and dance and we would have a time of response which could be in words, drawing , dance, or music (they could make up their prayer in song). Children have an amazing connection with God even before they can articulate it. Here is a link to some of my children’s ‘selah moments’ (Selah in Hebrew means to pause and think about that) – https://artresponse.wordpress.com/selah-moments/nadiras-selah/
By understanding ones developmental stage and creating the right environment one can linger in God’s presence for much longer than we give them credit.
More recently I have discovered that people who find it hard to stay still and pray just need to relax. And a tool of relaxation that has been widely used these days is coloring. I am an artist and so I offer my Selah moments in ink for adults and children to color and ponder over the scripture in focus. I have heard back from many people on its effectiveness as a tool.
So praying creatively is creating that environment where we can simply BE in God’s presence (because He sees us through and through and we see a glimpse of His glory).
Inspirational material: Its not really a book but I had the privilege of working along side a team who put together a series of lectures by a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, Dr. Reg Johnson. He shares beautiful insights into prayer. He called it ‘learning to pray again’. There are 2 CDs with his lectures and handouts.
The other is as you mentioned “Praying in Color” I attribute Sybil McBeth’s work as ‘my coming-out-of-the-closet-experience’
This post is part of the September Creative Prayer theme.
by Cynthia Helton. All rights reserved.
Here I sit on this steamy afternoon, trying to ignore the mosquito bites from the tiny adversaries who lie in wait for me by the water faucet. Don’t they understand that God “NEEDS” me to give a life-saving drink to the newly planted Hibiscus, the transplanted Monkey Grass, the Gardenia languishing near the drive way??? Won’t they please leave me alone as I fill the bird feeder for the Cardinals who’ve nested in our trees for many of their generations?
Why do I subject myself to this discomfort? Why do I make this effort in triple-digit Texas heat? Out of respect. Out of gratitude for what they give to me. Out of a sense of stewardship. The plants, the animals, the mountains and rivers all have their own purpose in God’s plan? Trees surely have families; as do fish and birds and all wild creatures. They were here on Mother Earth long before we humans. They are our first teachers, if we’d only listen. So, do they really need “me?” In their wild natural habitat, absolutely NOT! However, in this cultivated, manicured plot of foreign soil, they need an advocate. And that would be me! I give them water, fertilizer, good soil, respect. They give me shade, beauty, and the companionship of cherished friends. It’s a reciprocal relationship!
So, what has this all got to do with prayer? In my way of thinking, prayer is so much more than reciting words or attending a church service. That’s a bold statement from this Roman Catholic turned Episcopalian who “toed the line” of organized religion for the better part of 60 years. Somewhere along the way (actually it was on a stony mountain in southwestern Ireland) my horizons broadened. Really they completely blurred – and it wasn’t pleasant! I longed for the comfort of God as I’d always known Him: Father “in heaven,” ready to answer my prayers with miracles granted because I said just the right words or behaved properly. I’d always found comfort in my “go-to” God, who I could ask to take care of everything, irregardless of reality. When things didn’t work out, I could chalk it to “God’s will,” or some lesson He wanted me to learn. The stark realization that things simply don’t work that way scared me – made me angry that I could no longer snuggle down with my comfortable image of God. Not only is God not a “He,” heaven isn’t “up there” either! My notion of God became skewed; but painfully focusing on who God ISN’T slowly gave way to the “pinprick” of awareness of who God IS. “THIS” was the miracle – the answer to my unformed, unspoken prayer ..one I didn’t even realize I was praying! This unsettling course began in nature. The healing balm was generously offered back to me through nature.
So how do I accept this gift? How do I meld together my new-found sense of wonder with any quality of worship? HOW DO I PRAY NOW? Just as a child can’t go back into its mother’s womb, I can’t NOT KNOW what I now understand. The wording in formal worship, at times, tries to drag me back; to convince me that somehow there’s been a misunderstanding. How do I honor this shift in awareness without feeling like I’m shirking my responsibility to worship God? Well … I dig in the dirt. I water the plants. I feed the birds. I rejoice in the abiding essence of God at every turn: at my back door step, in the clearing at the end of our property, on the nature walk trail, on the gravel road east of town. There’s God, just waiting to be loved and love me back. But it’s not easy! I must pay attention; stay awake; stay aware. It’s so easy to get distracted; so easy to fall out of love. Back to those mosquitoes, I still don’t like them, but will keep my distance and use DEET to deflect their attentions away from my ankles without killing them. That’s living in harmony – even with circumstances, people, BUGS!! you’d rather do without. Then creation’s sucker-punch: the cycle of life also contains loss, hardships and death, whether we’re human, forest, ocean, or mosquito. God is in the darkness. God doesn’t “save” us from any of it …God abides within it. To me, that was a very hard and sobering truth to absorb.
At a recent gathering, a song was shared that moved me profoundly. It’s rhythmic melody, the accompanying drum beat, the simplicity of it’s message resonated with this feeling of inter-connectedness I’m struggling to verbalize. It’s lyrics, here, say it best …
“Who am I in the wonder? Who am I in the woe?
Who am I in the darkness? Who am I in the light?I am wind upon the sea.
I am the roar of the ocean.
I am the salmon swimming in the river.
I am the eagle soaring in the sky.
I am the teardrop of the sun.
I am fire burning in the night. I am the light of God.Who am I in the wonder? Who am I in the woe?
Who am I in the darkness? Who am I in the light?…Stefan Waligur
(For the melody, go to https://soundcloud.com/mcfarlandp-1/1-01-i-am-fire)
This post is part of our September Creative Prayer theme.
As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links.
Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
When referencing or quoting Godspace Light, please be sure to include the Author (Christine Sine unless otherwise noted), the Title of the article or resource, the Source link where appropriate, and ©Godspacelight.com. Thank you!