by Christine Sine
Last week I received a note from one of our readers telling me of her struggles with being overwhelmed at a world full of destruction and hate. How does a person actively live with hope in these days? She asked “If I shut off all media, I’m accused of burying my head in the sand; if I expose myself to the vitriol that is out there, I honestly just don’t want to get out of bed. “ She was writing to me because she felt that I seemed able to find a balance, to see beauty and live hopefully while still fighting back against the hard things. “How do you do this? Where does one start?” She asked.
As I pondered her questions I was reminded on an intern we had several years ago who decided to walk into Seattle from our place one day, photographing images of despair on the way in and images of hope on the way home. It was much easier for him to find images of despair he told me than to find ones of hope. Bad news travels faster than good we are frequently told, and it is true, we have to very intentionally hunt for the images of hope and good news . So where do I find the hope that helps me balance my concerns for the devastation of our world and horrors of war, starvation and abuse with my joy in beauty, goodness and hope?
To be honest I have not always been a hope filled person and sometimes I still find myself wallowing in despair. Today for example we celebrate the 22nd memorial of the 9/11 attack in New York, with the loss of 3,000 lives. Yet our violent responses to this terrorist attack have resulted in over 1 million deaths and we are no closer to finding peace than we were then. It is heartbreaking, and overwhelming but in spite of that, there are several tactics that can turn my emotions around and encourage me to respond with hope rather than make me want to give up.
First I look for hope in the scriptures. A couple of years ago when we had friends over for dinner, Tom asked me to write a prayer on hope for the evening. Hope, I thought, what is there to be hopefully about? So I went looking for hope. I did a search on biblegateway.com of the word hope. First I searched in the New International Version, then in the New Living Translation and finally in The Voice, all of which give different perspectives on the Bible. Some verses proclaimed where our hope lay – in the eternal God, in Christ our instructor, in God’s call to be a covenant family and to seek God’s eternal kingdom of love, peace, justice and compassion. Others described hope – never ending, ever present, never failing. By the time I finished my prayer I found that my own emotional state had changed completely. I regained my hope in God and God’s eternal purposes.
Second I reframe the question “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Instead I ask “Where is God in the midst of this disaster?” Every time I hear about the risks that first responders put themselves at to fight wildfires, repair flood damage or search for people trapped after an earthquake I think “That is God at work” Knowing that strangers come from half a world away to help people in the midst of disasters is incredible. Seeing young people dedicate their lives to see our planet better cared for and people at the margins provided for, fills me with awe. These are signs of a God who cares and who has placed that caring ability deep within all of us.
Third I look for signs of hope in the world around me. Finding such signs is not always easy. It needs to be a very intentional actions the bad news hits us in the face every time we turn around. So we need to start with a trust in the God of hope, in the God who is in the process of making all things new.
Fourth I express my gratitude for the good things I see around me. Every time I express gratitude to someone or for something, I feel my spirit lift. One of my Sunday practices that I do while I journal is to remind myself of all that I have to be grateful for in the week that has passed. Writing these down is often very hope giving and always brings a smile to my face. Sometimes I am grateful for small things that almost went unnoticed at the time. Like the neighbor who always has a bag of treats ready to bless any dogs that walk by. At other times they are pillars in my life, like Tom’s love for me and the considerate things he does each day.
Sometimes my hope comes from walking round my garden admiring the beauty of the dahlias and other flowers that take my breath away as they seem to shimmer with the glory of God. At other times it is through looking for good news stories. Like the story of the Yambulla Project in Australia with its emphasis not just on restoring ecology but on finding ways share land use, benefiting many people, to sustainably co-exist and complement each other. It is becoming a place to trial new models for collaborative, productive and restorative land management practices that other landholders can adopt. I am also encouraged by the climate change court case won by young people in Montana, as well as by the growing number of Christian organizations run by young people that are concerned about climate change, homelessness and justice. These changes may seem like a drop in the bucket at times, but each drop does make a difference.
Sharing Hope
What I realized as I wrote the prayer above is that hope in God is not an ephemeral, intangible emotion that we can artificially conjure up. First it must be grounded in our trust in God and in what we believe about who God is. Second it must be put into action. The act of writing a prayer and then reciting it out loud with friends was a reviving experience but it is an act that must be followed by concrete action. So this week I am looking for ways to practice my hope in our community .
I also find it challenging to live in hope though, as so much of what I read is negative – climate change, hottest seasons on record, growing toxicity of our oceans and possible death of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia – all bring me to despair and make my heart ache. I feel so powerless, so inadequate and at times so hopeless. And the digital world doesn’t help. The stories of environmental degradation are rampant. Lakes drying up in Africa, the strongest hurricanes on record, bee collapse, drought across large stretches of Africa, the list goes on – destructiveness not creativeness is highlighted. So my question for all of us today is: Do we have the courage to participate in Jesus’ mission and make his message of hope concrete and tangible in a world where inequality, injustice, and hate seem to reign? How do we intend to practice the kind of hope ohat is Your Response?
What gives you hope at this season of your life, not just for yourself and your family but for the whole planet? Take a few moments to look around. Think of the little things in your family, your home, your neighbourhood that give you hope. Take some photos, make a list, give thanks to God. Now think of our planet. What gives you hope and encourages you to believe that God is not only in control but is slowly making all things new?
God still has hidden secrets of hope in so many parts of our world and we all have the opportunity to become a part of God’s creative activity contributing to that hope. I think this is what we should focus our attention on rather than the negative things that give us despair. Yes we need to know about climate change and environmental degradation, but more as a stimulus for change.
Another amazing thing that gives me hope is the growth of the community garden movement. Several years ago, as this movement started to sweep through our world, I asked the question Is this a move of God? The pandemic gave fuel to this movement and I am more convinced than ever that it is and the creativity that has become such an important part of it is even more a move of God. This movement gives me hope because everyone can do something. Little things like planting a few tomato plants in your front garden like a lot of Seattlites do can make a difference. Participating in CSAs or volunteering at your local community garden can be of even greater value. It should give all of us hope that we can make a difference and bring some of God’s newness and wholeness into this world.
Even airports can make a difference.. Watch the video below. In what ways does it inspire you to become a part of God’s creativity and desire for a world made new? What is one step that you could take that would not only inspire hope in yourself but in others as well?
Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.
by June Friesen
The wonders of God’s beautiful heavens above us. How can one not take time and just ‘be’ with God as we look at the glorious displays He creates on a regular basis for us to behold. Today I am sharing some of the recent photos I have taken and the final collage will be of some from a few years ago but I love how the moon is displayed with the palm tree and the clouds in the dark. Have you ever taken the time to consider the creation story and how it was that God created things over the period of six days? Have you ever considered the details of His creation of things? Have you ever wondered why He didn’t just say, “Let there be a universe with planets, stars, moon and sun and go on to create all of the plants, animals and people?” Why take all that time? However today we want to consider and think about the beauty of the skies with the lights that bless us.
Genesis 1
14-15 God spoke: “Lights! Come out!
Shine in Heaven’s sky!
Separate Day from Night.
Mark seasons and days and years,
Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.”
And there it was.
16-19 God made two big lights, the larger
to take charge of Day,
The smaller to be in charge of Night;
and he made the stars.
God placed them in the heavenly sky
to light up Earth
And oversee Day and Night,
to separate light and dark.
God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Four.
Amazing Creator God – You paint the skies differently every day. Oh we think that they often look ordinary and plain yet for You there is always a bit of difference. The above three photos were take within a thirty minute time period, each from a different view point. Yet the colors are different and the shapes of the clouds are different. As I ponder this my heart bursts with praise.
Sunset – what a gift you are to my eyes –
You have the ability to create wonder and colors
Without even using a crayon –
You gracefully move across the skies
And play hide and seek with the clouds
And sometimes with some of God’s created plants,
And sometimes it seems you play hide and seek with me as well.
I marvel as I see the many outlines in the clouds
As you playfully show off your ability to emphasize some and not others –
And yet others just seem to captivate all of the attention –
And how you can emphasize the colors –
Purple, pink, yellow, orange, gray –
How can you do that Mr. Sun?
How grateful I am for how God made you,
And how He allows you to create such beauty above us.
Oh I know that there are times when I wish you did not shine quite so bright –
Especially in the summer time
And it seems that you want to check how much a thermometer can take before it bursts.
Mr. Sun – please forgive me for grumbling about you sometimes,
Please forgive me for wishing you would just hide from me behind the clouds
And not shower so much warmth around.
It is so true that without you I would be so sad,
I would not be able to enjoy the wonder of the beautiful world in which I live,
I would not be able to have so much bounty in nature –
Flowers, trees, vegetables, and fruits –
So many yummy treats to keep our bodies alive and healthy.
Yes, thank you Mr. Sun for remaining in your place
As you were put by the Creator so long ago.
Thank you God for knowing the great importance this
Huge ball of Fire would make for the world You created.
Amazing Creator – You then also gifted to us the moon –
A light for the night time along with the twinkling stars –
A light that intrigues us as it moves through it phases –
From a huge ball of light to nothing visible to the naked eye.
A creation that actually serves more purposes than we often realize –
Such as how it affects the ocean tides,
As well as in some ways even speaks to the plants and animals in their needs.
Often we also forget that the moon relies on the larger light the sun
To provide light for us –
Even though I do not understand that at all
I truly am fascinated by everything that seems to be linked to the moon.
Thank you God for completing the heavenly lights –
Yes, and thank you for those little lights –
We call them stars and some of them we have even named –
What a day that must have been for You
When all of these heavenly lights were in place and working –
No wonder – You said –
“It is good.”
Today I want to suggest that you possibly take some time to consider these heavenly lights. Talk to God about this incredible gift that He made for us. Imagine what it may have been like as He was moving through the creation of each – the sun – the moon – the stars. May your spirit be blessed. Be adventuresome and spend some time enjoying the beauty of God’s heavens above.
Photos by June Friesen. Scripture is from The Message translation.
I’m sitting in the lounge (living room) of some of my dearest friends, Martin and Sally Poole, in Brighton, England. We haven’t seen each other in real life since before Covid lockdown. They were supposed to visit and stay with us in Nashville in the summer of 2020. I was supposed to visit them last May but Covid and then my covid fears prevented those visits.
So it was such a gift to arrive at the vicarage yesterday and hug them in real time!!!
Martin and I met when we were on a panel on Curating Worship at the Greenbelt Festival in the early 2000’s. We both were involved in curating worship and had our friend Mark Pierson to thank for it! Martin was the Worship curator for the Greenbelt festival for several years and invited me to come create/curate a Sacred Space prayer room for the festival in 2013. I used to come regularly to the festival to fill up my cup and learn from the creatives in the UK who were doing outside the box church and worship. He and I led the opening worship for the first Wild Goose Festival in 2011. Martin is the Vicar at St. Luke’s Prestonville and the pastor of Beyond Church,
Burning Bush Yarn tree Wildgoose
Sally is a teacher and has an amazing gift of hospitality. We hit it off as soon as we met! In 2015 we came at Christmas and got to experience the Beach Hut Advent Calendar in REAL LIFE! For ten years, Martin, Sally and Beyond hosted the Beach Hut Advent Calendar on the sea front here. Each evening in December one of the beach huts would open it’s doors and inside would be a beautiful art display on the theme of the year. Sometimes schools would adopt a hut and sing carols and create the inside decor. Mulled wine and mince pies followed the opening of the Advent Hut door each evening regardless of the weather. It became a wonderful December tradition for the whole community.
Martin just launched a new book CHURCH BEYOND WALLS! and I am excited to have a real copy and cannot wait to read it! It’s the story of how creativity and getting out into the community can change the world. ” The goal and aim of this book is to help local churches everywhere recognize the opportunities for epiphanies, moments when the divine can break into human experience- wherever they are. It offers ideas and and shares resources, and builds confidence to enable them to create inspiring and stimulating encounters with the divine.” (from the book jacket). I am going to get Martin to write a freerangefriday on this to tell you more!
Martin’s NEW BOOK
As I type this, I am so aware of God’s gifts of abundant love! Friendship is a true gift! and Kindred Spirits are hard to find! Martin and Sally are both!
This past few days of leading/curating the Finding your Thinplace Pilgrimage Retreat have been filled with so much abundance, so many gifts!
Why is it that we so easily forget, and so often doubt the abundance of God? We forget the loaves and fish, the healings, the water into wine.
This past few days I’ve experienced so much ABUNDANCE ! I am so grateful for the pilgrims who traveled with me! So grateful that I listened to the Holy Spirit last year and finally did a dream that I’ve had for 20 years! And I am grateful for all the friends who prayed for us! I had friends praying for the details of travel and for the weather that can be quite wet in late August and early September. (And all of the UK had a very wet summer.) I even had my friend Lynne pray against the MIDGES! And we had the most spectacular weather! The pilgrims got to see Scotland in all her glory! We didn’t even need our rain gear! We got wet in Oban but dried out and had a beautiful abundant tea with scones and sandwiches and chocolate brownies that were too good to be true! More abundant love from Jesus! The ferries and the trains all ran on time! The taxis showed up too! And Jesus was in all the details in our worship times and our walk abouts, and time of exploration and contemplation!
PILGRIMS ON THE WAY TO IONA
As my friend Kathy Escobar says! #beautyheals! And Scotland and Jesus healed us with beauty!
This weekend, I invite you to consider the ABUNDANCE of God. How have you experienced God’s gifts lately? Take a walk somewhere beautiful and ask Jesus to show you and remind you of his abundant love! Take some time and journal about how you have experienced the abundance of God in your life throughout the years. It’s always good to remember. Who are the friends you’ve encountered, the kindred spirits in your life who have been abundant gifts to you? Take time to thank Jesus for them and take a moment to connect with them by text, phone, a card.
TODAY Receive the wonderful ABUNDANCE of Jesus!
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. EPHESIANS 3: 14-19 THE MESSAGE
by June Friesen
What might it be like to live under God’s shield? In several places in the Scriptures it references how living close to God, following God, and obeying God all help us to know our lives will be protected. However, the challenge may be how or what that protection looks like. Does that mean I will have no big catastrophes in my life? Does that mean that I will not have temptations or problems on a daily basis? When I think of a shield I think of something that is strong and I usually think of it as being metal because I feel security behind metal more so than wood or other materials. One reference that is often used when talking about a shield is from Ephesians in reference to one’s faith. In the Philips translation Ephesians 6:16 reads: “…be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you.” Definitely when we are actively walking with God we will be more able to ward off wandering after the enemy’s false leading. If one reads the whole of Ephesians 6 we become aware of the fact that it says this is to be a daily habit.
I would like to share another scripture from the Psalms. Psalm 34 gives a more complete explanation in how one’s life can be actively alert to God’s ways and plan.
Psalm 34
I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.
2 I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:
3 Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out.
4 God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears.
5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.
6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot.
7 God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.
8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.
9 Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness…..
14 Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!
15 God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan.
16 God won’t put up with rebels; he’ll cull them from the pack.
17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.
18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
19 Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.
20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.
Recently I have been challenged in my own thoughts and life walk about how I can fully embrace life instead of struggle with the fear that wants to drag me down. While I am intrigued as well as fascinated by bugs I also have a healthy respect as well as fear of some of them. It is interesting how some of the smaller ones can be the most annoying and bothersome as well as more dangerous than the big ones. Above you will see a photo I took of a tarantula. We have them in Arizona as well as black widow spiders. Both have a venomous bite however the black widow bite is much more serious than the tarantula. A tarantula however is much larger and easier to see than a black widow. I remember one time opening one of my drawers with t-shirts in it to find a black widow hanging there on a web she had woven over the top of the shirts. I do not have any recollection what I did at that point but I do know we had to get it outside. Bees are another interesting insect that are very needed in our ecology of nature. Actually all insects serve a purpose in ecology, some maybe more needed than others. However bees can also pose a problem for humans, especially those who are allergic to them. Then of course there are ants and flies and so many more – again they all have some usefulness as well as can be annoying and bothersome. It is kind of that way with humanity as well. I have to kind of smile as I think that yes, each one of us is needed and necessary. Some may appear and seem more useful and pleasant than others yet God’s design is for all of us to get to know Him and develop a relationship with Him. One of the things that is necessary for you and I to be useful in God’s kingdom here on earth is for each one of us to live or ‘Be under God’s shield.’ And that my friends spells BUGS. Yes, today I want to leave a challenge for each one of us – to adopt a spiritual bug: BE UNDER GOD’S SHIELD. It is a challenge to live out our life by truly living under God’s direction, protection and power – all empowered by God’s love.
BUGS, BUGS, BUGS
Have you ever wondered why God created bugs?
Especially those bugs that bite and buzz around your head?
And then there are those who try to share your dinner with you –
And others who just look creepy and crawl everywhere.
And then there are those bugs that build their homes in the worst places –
They have no care that it is where you want to look out the window
Or if it is where you want to sit or walk –
Or that it is a cupboard where you store those seldom used things.
Bugs, bugs, bugs –
God how in the world do you expect me to cope
With these little annoying creatures –
Oh but wait a minute, there are those that are rather big as well – UGH!
Then there are those people who bug me –
Some days and times their bugging is rather welcome,
As I may be feeling down or alone or rather bored;
But then there are others and other days when that is definitely not the case.
Bug, bug, bug – what is it that you want from me?
Why is it you are annoying me to the point of anger?
Don’t make me tell you off.
Don’t make me do something you or I will regret.
God, what is it you want me to do with this person who is bugging me?
Should I ignore them, or hit them, or hurt them physically or with words?
What? You want me to love them. You want me to control my anger.
Come on God how in the world can I do that?
My child, take some time alone to pray,
First tell me all it is that bothers you about this person and your problem;
Then take some time to sit quietly with me and ponder that I love the both of you,
And then please open your spirit and I will fill it with love for them like you never could have imagined.
BUGS = Be Under God’s Shield
J. Friesen 2016
The writing at the end I wrote in 2016. All photos are by June Friesen. Scripture is from the J.B. Phillips translation.
Prayer cards are available in the shop for many occasions and seasons–from everyday pauses and Lenten ruminations to breath meditations and Advent reflections, enjoy guided prayers and beautiful illustrations designed to delight and draw close. Many are available in single sets, sets of three, and to download–even bundled with other resources!
by David Pott
As a result of Richard Rohr’s teaching I suspect that many people around the
world are now using Yahweh as a breath prayer, breathing in on Yah and out
on weh. However I have found it helpful as I come into God’s presence to add
two more Hebrew words as breath prayers. They are the Hebrew name for
Jesus, Yeshua and the Hebrew word Ruach which is translated in the Bible as
wind and spirit and, appropriately in this context, also as breath. The
references to spirit apply to the human spirit but also to the Spirit of God.
So then we have these three Hebrew names for God – Yahweh (יהוה),
Yeshua (ַשועֵי) and Ruacḥ (רוח) that can all be used as breath prayers in this
way: Yah-weh, Ye-shua, Ru-ach. It is interesting that all three names have no
hard consonants and they are not very different from the sounds of breathing.
Sometimes I breathe each name three times and at other times I say the three
consecutively, again quite often three times. At other times I might focus for a
while on just one of the three. I use the names as breath prayers when I am
walking and they can go well with various exercises that assume a worshipful
posture, such as this one:
Kneel in front of a chair and place your hands on top of the front of the seat,
keeping your arms straight. Breathe in as you begin in an upright position,
then on the out breath, slide your arms forward to the back of the seat and
bend your knees to crouch so your head will be down near the front of the
seat.
I find that I sometimes use these breath prayers where previously I may have
said “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” I find
using the Hebrew names feels like a closer connection to the roots of our faith
and especially when I think Jesus would understand all these words. In
referring to Father God, Jesus used both Abba and Yahweh and he would be
familiar with Isaiah 64:8, “O Lord (Yahweh), you are our Father.” With regard
to his own name, he would not have turned round if someone had called out
“Jesus” to him as he walked through Jerusalem or Galilee, but Yeshua he
certainly knew!
One of my favourite scriptures is John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep
My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our
home with him.” I find that utterly astonishing, and for me using these breath
prayers of their names is an act of welcome and intimacy helping to increase
the wonder of this indwelling.
David Pott worked for ten years in drug rehabilitation centres and
detached youth work and then moved into teaching for 19 years. He was
head teacher of two independent schools. David is a keen naturalist and a
long distance walker. In 1997, he completed a 680 mile solo pilgrimage
from Iona to Canterbury called Peregrinatio 97 commemorating the
1400th anniversary of St Columba and St Augustine. He has led several
pilgrimages and walks with a reconciliation theme, such as the Offa’s Dyke
Torch March along the ancient boundary between England and Wales.
Between 2000 and 2007 David led the Lifeline Expedition and the March of
the Abolitionists – a series of reconciliation journeys in connection with the
legacy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade which has received widespread
media attention. See www.lifelineexpedition.co.uk/mota and
David was involved in setting up the Two Saints Way, a pilgrimage route
between the cathedral cities of Chester and Lichfield which opened in
2012. See www.twosaintsway.co.uk He published the full colour guide
book in November 2015. David is also the founder of Flag Up Scotland
Jamaica – see www.flagupscotjam.uk
Since moving to Bishop Auckland in January 2016, David has been
involved in assisting with initiatives in connection with the regeneration of
the area and he has also been developing pilgrimage routes to the shrine
of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral. See www.northernsaints.com
David has been married to Pam since 1970 and their three children are all
married and they rejoice in nine grandchildren. Their son Joel was the lead
singer of the indie band Athlete and his song “Wires” won the Ivor Novello
award for the best contemporary song of 2006.
Whether you are praying the stations of the day, in need of resources for rest, hoping to spark joy and find wonder, or simply want to enjoy beautiful prayers, poetry, and art – our digital downloads section has many options! Christine Sine’s book Rest in the Moment is designed to help you find those pauses throughout the day. Praying through the hours or watches, you may find inspiration in our prayer cards set Prayers for the Day or Pause for the Day. You may find your curiosity piqued in the free poetry and art download Haiku Book of Hours. All this and more can be found in our shop!
Welcome to September and to autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern. It’s a grey day in Seattle with some much needed rain. It is not just the weather that makes me aware of the changing seasons however. The huge maple tree outside my office window, what I call my sentinel tree, now has its red streak right down the centre. It is my red flame that heralds the arrival of a new season. I love it, even though I hate to say goodbye to summer and the wonderful parade of flowers that have blessed my life over the last few months.
Today, following my retreat on Seasons and Rhythms, I am more aware than ever of the changing seasons around us the many facets of our lives that dictate our rhythms and seasons. It was also a good reminder of our need to breathe deeply throughout the day something that surprisingly does not come naturally to us. In yesterday’s Meditation Monday: Rituals that Give Us Rhythm, I spelled out the two types of rituals or practices that are vital for a balanced life – rituals of restoration and of transformation. Practices like retreats provide important transformative anchors that help us adjust to the changes we anticipate, even to those that take us by surprise. Interestingly one of the aspects of the retreat that participants enjoyed most was the feeling of community we experienced as we talked together across the distances of thousands of miles. That sense of togetherness is, in itself, a restorative practice and space that we all desperately need.
On Saturday, following the retreat I engaged in one of my restorative practices during this season – harvesting and preserving the garden produce. First I picked tomatoes with community member Andrew, admiring the incredible variety of size, shape and colour of the fruit. Then I dried apples and tomato skins (wonderful for salad dressing and for winter soups) and today I am getting ready to make chocolate, pear bread, my new seasonal favourite which I will store in the freezer. So good to have supplies like this when unexpected guests drop in.
This week we have had some outstanding posts on Godspacelight. Kellie Brown inspired us with part 2 of her series What is Theopoetics, Elaine Breckenridge awed us with her fascinating look at the art of Susan Cohen Thompson, I love her compelling question “What might happen if more of us had our own awakening and began to view life with the eyes of nature? “ She also wrote a second post of a poem she wrote Madrone Chapel – not about a building but a tree that is her “threshold into transfiguration”. On Friday we were enriched by two posts – an update from Lilly Lewin who is currently leading a pilgrimage on Iona, and a beautiful reflection and poem by June Friesen The Risks of Living In This World. I love her poem, part of which I want to end with this week as it is a wonderful reminder that all of us need to let go as the seasons change and we prepare for a new season ahead.
Open your hands and let go –
Open your hands and spread your fingers –
Open your hands and shake them a bit –
Open your hands and blow over with your breath.
Let go of the struggles you are fighting –
Let go of the bondage that attempts to bind you –
Let go of the nagging thoughts that want to hold your mind captive –
Let go – release – and breathe – and think.
Let go of the could of, should of and would have….
Let go of the feelings of regret, sadness and anger…..
Let go of the negative feelings and attitude…..
Let go – – – – release – – – – breathe.
Release your being from the screaming of the world –
Release your mind from the control of the world –
Release your body members from the bondage of the enemy –
Release yourself to God’s Spirit – breathe deeply of Him and begin to live.
Breathe deeply of the Spirit’s Presence –
Allow Him to inhabit the depths of your soul –
Begin to embrace His life-giving Presence –
Now is when God-given life can really begin.
May you receive the wisdom and the guidance of God’s spirit in all you do this week
Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.
by Christine Sine
On Saturday I held my Rhythms and Seasons webinar, a fun time of creativity, reflection and discussion which I will share more about at a later date. In preparation for this time I reread my book Godspace: Time For Peace in the Rhythms of Life. In fact my original intention was to work straight from this book at the retreat. However God had other more exciting plans that stretched both me and the participants to consider Rhythms and Seasons in other ways. However, one place that I relied heavily on Godspace: Time for Peace in the Rhythms of Life, was in talking about rituals and celebrations. All seasons need rituals and celebrations to mark and anchor them. and I still find this understanding helpful.
According to Christian anthropologist Paul Hiebert there are two types of rituals, habits or practices we need in our lives, what he calls rituals of restoration and rituals of transformation.
Rituals of restoration are the most common. These are the practices that restore our faith in the beliefs that order our lives. They also connect us to and anchor us in the religious communities in which these beliefs are expressed. Restorative practices are highly structured & do not change from day to day though they may be adapted to the seasons either of earth or of church as these change. They reaffirm our sense of order & meaning in the universe, our community & our own lives. Most importantly, they intentionally connect our daily activities to the life, death & resurrection of Christ and also to the world in which we live.
Possibilities include a rhythm of prayer that reaffirms what we believe, sabbath practices, weekly church gathering, taking communion, following the liturgical calendar and the use of liturgical symbols like the sign of the cross, candles, and incense. I even find that writing prayers for Facebook each morning and preparing my blog posts is a stabilizing and restorative ritual.
For me it has been the establishment of rhythms rather than the actual practices that are important. The practices may change but I love to have a regular rhythm to the day, week and year. In fact the breaking of this rhythm is one thing I find destabilizing. Praying each day is an essential part of my faith practice but what those prayers look like changes from day to day, from week to week and from season to season. In the past I have enjoyed The New Zealand Prayer Book and David Adam’s The Rhythm of Life, but recently acquired a copy of Women’s Uncommon Prayers: Our Lives Revealed, Nurtured, Celebrated which I plan to start using as well as Margaret Silf’s Sacred SpacesL Stations on a Celtic Way. reading prayers and reflections each morning is one of the important anchors of my life.
Rituals of transformation are characterized by a high degree of creativity & have little repetitive structure. Their goal is to cut through the established way of doing things and restore a measure of flexibility and personal intimacy. In other words they stop our restorative practices becoming boring and stagnant. They enable our faith to grow and change, enabling us to adapt to the passages of life and changes in our culture. In the liturgical calendar, Advent & Lent were specifically designed with this intention. Prayer retreats, conferences and workshops can also accomplish this though these days it seems that such events are more geared towards reinforcing the status quo than changing it. Pilgrimage, Biblically based celebrations like Stations of the Cross can also accomplish this. Prayer walks, mission trips, even walking the labyrinth are all practices that maintain this type of flexibility.
When I was on the Mercy Ship Anastasis, when the ship was ready to sail to a new port, we held what was called a Moving of the Ark ceremony, harkening back to the fact that the Israelites would only break camp and move when the cloud over the ark of the covenant moved. We celebrated with a special worship service, sharing the good things that had happened in the port we were leaving, sharing communion and then learning a little about the new port we were heading towards as a time of preparation. I don’t live on a ship that moves every few weeks any more but I have learned the importance of marking milestones in my life journey in similar ways.
Celebrating the seasons in our world and in our life is a wonderful way to mark time and recognize the transitions that prepare us for change. I find an increasing number of people are looking for celebrations like Chalking the Door and the Celtic festivals of Imbolc to help them mark the seasons and the rhythm of their lives. Acknowledging transitions, looking back with gratitude and forward with anticipation is a wonderful, faith building exercise that all of us should practice on a regular basis.
What are the practices that provide both stability and flexibility in your spiritual life? What are your restorative and transformative habits that shape your faith?
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