My husband Tom lived in Maui for 2 years and I visited there when the ship M/V Anastasis was stranded in Hawaii undergoing repairs. Lahaina was a beautiful town and the people of Hawaii hold a special place in both our hearts. Here is a prayer I wrote this morning while driving the situation there and all the devastation that has been caused by climate change this year.
by Karen Wilk
Poetry for me is an invitation to slow down, pay attention and reflect. As you ponder this poem may it also inspire you to look and ‘see’ and be open to sitting in the unknowing of your life and neighbourhood with both calm and curiosity.
The Next Unknowing
Beauty down the block,
Sweetness on the street
Goodness holding on, yet also in retreat
Grace and brokenness in tension
Are we open to the questions?
The risk of care and curiosity
Without presumption, expertise or animosity
Can I sit with what seems strange?
recognizing the need for constant change
Can I rest without requital?
Reexamining what is retractable.
The best answer, my next question
The way forward, a sheer suggestion
What if the road we’re walking isn’t straight?
Am I ahead or way too late?
Do I appreciate the winding go-rounds
The cutbacks, circles, ups and downs
The trail meandering out of bounds
Barren — fruitful,
dark — light
Lonely — crowded,
fearful — bright
Practicing seeing- listening
I surrender, slowly softening,
the next step
What do I expect?
The next forgoing,
The next unknowing.
Did you know that alongside Christine Sine’s book The Gift of Wonder, we have many resources available to you? The free downloadable bonus packet or beautiful prayer cards featuring prayers from the book, for example – something to hold and behold! Or perhaps you’d like to journey through the book alongside a retreat – we have that too! You can check it all out in our shop!
In the lovely little village church at Ancroft, Northumberland yesterday, we were led in worship by Bishop John Pritchard, formerly Bishop of Oxford. His easy manner and use of anecdotes, reminded me of the late Revd David Watson, another great teacher and preacher.
The bishop’s sermon, based upon Romans 8. 38-39 was inspired:-
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, (he continued . . .neither job loss, or climate change, or war, or depression . .) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As he spoke a problem, that I had been mulling over for quite a while now, was solved in an instant. It was quite a revelation.
You see I have been trying to respond for over a year now, to a comment someone made about a book that I had been writing ever since Lockdown began in March 2020; about my experience of faith in life. (The document had grown to 158,000+ words)
So it was suggested to me, ‘Why not condense your story, and concentrate on the faith part, and make it more accessible, because people don’t want to read a book this size?”
Taking their advice, I began the enormous task of chipping away at my recollections, trying to drawing out the ‘faith parts’ within it, and I kept failing time after time, and then starting all over from the beginning, because I was so muddled up.
The whole project had become a burden, never coming to completion. Also, a shadow of frustration was hanging over me, I had so many other things I needed to do, and this task was constantly at the back of my mind.
I suddenly realised, that as the bishop preached, that for me to separate my faith from my life, was akin to separating the warp from the weft of a finished piece of weaving! To me, God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, was on every single page, for He has been my constant Provider, my Comforter, my Counsellor, my Guide and my closest Friend.
So that very afternoon, I began in earnest, to publish my book on Facebook straight away; one chapter every day, and now I’m really excited once more about it.
But, my excitement doesn’t end there. A friend recommended a website to me today, whereby I might be able to connect with Christian writer and poet, Kate Compston to obtain copyright permission for the use one of her prayers in an upcoming VJ service, and lo and behold, when I opened this site, the Green Christian website:
https://greenchristian.org.uk/weaver-god/ I was absolutely astonished to find another of Kate’s poems entitled the ‘Weaver God’, in which she mentions ‘warp and weft and weaving!’
Was this not a timely God coincidence? I was amazed and greatly encouraged. I felt affirmed and back on track!
God who provides for us and sustains us, when we’re about his business, sees that we are well supplied and encouraged on our spiritual journey. He also disciplines us gently, when we’re on the wrong road!
Might I just add, there’s no greater joy and satisfaction, than fully exploring and utilising a God given gift, whatever that gift may be. Let’s not settle for the mundane, or duty, or what is expected of us for life is far too short.
What gift(s) have you been given, and is it (are they) being fully utilised?
Do you feel , as Eric Liddell, Olympic athlete and missionary, once did? God’s joy and pleasure when you run?
P.S.
I’m already discovering that by publishing this way, on Facebook, readers have begun to add their own little snippets of history each day too, which is amazing, it is as if we’re all writing this book together; also they can dip in and out whenever they want to. I can also give ‘live links’ to my songs, just like this one.
I hope to publish my book one chapter every day, on my website too, www.sheilahamil.co.uk for those who don’t use Facebook, so that should be happening soon. It’s called:
“Put the hoover down, go into the bedroom and pray!” Here is the first chapter:
PUT THE HOOVER DOWN, GO INTO THE BEDROOM AND PRAY
by Sheila Hamil
Chapter One: EARLY BEGINNINGS
God speaks
Does God really speak to people today?
I have to speak out and say, “Yes he does!”
The very first time it happened in my experience, words came to me, which said:-
“Put the hoover down, go into the bedroom and pray!”
These words came loud and clear to my mind, completely out of the blue, during my lunch break in the flat we rented, right next door to the school where I first worked as a teacher, the Buddle School Wallsend.
I remember it as if it were yesterday. Where did these words in my head come from? Was it simply my imagination or my wishful thinking?
Or could these words actually be from God, inviting me to pray? On the other hand, were such words really the kind of language an eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful God would use to get someone’s attention? I ask you?
I very much doubted it, at that point in my life. And as for an opening line, these words seemed bizarre, bordering on trivial; surely my mind was playing tricks?
So I continued hoovering the carpet. A few seconds later; again quite out of the blue, that same command came to me again . . .
“Put the hoover down, go into the bedroom and pray!”
I stood still for a moment, reasoning that if this really was God, shouldn’t he, at least, put in a few thees or thous? Or should there not be a more special place to call someone to than our bedroom, next to my little kitchen?
But then again, wasn’t this the way God spoke to people in times of old, when people were doing some mundane task, and their brains weren’t particularly active; such as when Elijah was hanging out in a cave, hiding, or when Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress, or when Peter was out fishing?
I dismissed the words for a second time, for I was just an ordinary person, and not important enough for God to address the likes of me, and so, once more, I carried on hoovering the carpet, so everything would be spick and span by the time my husband got home. I turned my thoughts to making a rice pudding once school was over.
But then a third time that voice sounded out in my inner conscience.
“Put down the hoover, go into the bedroom and pray!”
This time the words seemed more emphatic, more urgent.
“Oh my goodness,” I thought, “Now I’m hearing voices! First signs of going crazy!”
And yet . . .I seemed to sense that if I ignored the command this time, I wouldn’t hear this voice again.
So, with feelings of both curiosity and annoyance, I flicked the hoover switch to the off position. “All right then, I’m going!” I said, for by that time I was in a bit of a ‘strop’, and anyway I didn’t have all that much time left of my lunch hour, but I stomped into the bedroom, and I knelt down to pray by the blanket box, which was in front of the main window, thinking. ‘I’ve got to give this a try! What harm will one little prayer do anyway?’
What came out must have sounded irreverent, I remember saying out loud: “Right, you’ve got me here, now what is it you want . . . God?” (Adding the word ‘God’ on at the end, was my way, at least, of showing some respect.)
What happened next was THE pivotal moment of my entire life, a complete shift in the direction of my life, and everything familiar was about to change. God was about to make himself known to me!
All this occurred to me a few months after my ‘Baptism in the Spirit’ at Elvet Methodist church in Durham at a Charismatic Day of Renewal. But more of that later.
You see the all-important question for the world is not, does God still speak to us today, but are we listening to Him when He does?
I once heard it said that when Joan of Arc was questioned at her trial, by one of her judges, he asked her. “Why should God speak to you and not to me?’ She replied by saying,
“He speaks to everyone, but not everyone is listening!’
Now I’m no Joan of Arc, but at least I was listening. He had my full attention!
But let me first go back to where life began.
Chapter Two: I am born: (TO BE CONTINUED)
Photo: Weave by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
Join Christine Sine for one or all of her three seasonal retreats: Rhythms & Seasons, A Season of Gratitude, and An Advent Quiet Day. Save the dates – September 2nd, October 14th and December 9th at 9:30-12:30.
Last night we used our first garden beefsteak tomato to make a salad. It was absolutely delicious. Savoring the flavours of the garden is one of my August delights. Tomatoes, squash, and basil are at the top of the list but there are also beans and the peaches we picked last week. Talk about the lavish generosity of God and in the midst there are fun opportunities for creativity. I love to take a recipe and adapt it as I did with our beans this week – Beans, red pepper, mushrooms, and onions stir fried with garlic, cumin, coriander and a touch of cayenne pepper made a mouth watering accompaniment to the salad.
In August I also find myself gearing up and planning for the rest of the year. This year I am looking forward to an exciting series of virtual retreats. Retreats shape my life, and I believe they are an important component of all our lives. This series begins with Seasons and Rhythms on September 2nd. Now is the time to establish a new rhythm for our lives. In this retreat we will learn to make space for God and discover the Christ-like pace that liberates us from a culture enslaved by time. This coincides with the celebration of the Irish saint Fiacre, the patron saint of gardening and has become a popular time for gardening groups in the Northern Hemisphere to gather and celebrate. Though this retreat will not focus on the garden, there is no way I can talk about the seasons and rhythms without sharing some of what I have learned from my time outside. It promises to be a lot of fun. We already have several people signed up and I hope you will join us. The other retreats are A Season of Gratitude October 14th and An Advent Quiet Day December 9th. Both of these focus on my own spiritual rhythm which I encourage you to adopt – October and November are my season of gratitude, and the liturgical season of Advent in December, such an important celebration for our Christian faith. Sign up for all three and receive a very special discount. This series of retreats promises to be a great way to maintain a rhythm of peace and quiet throughout the frantic season ahead. Check them out. It would be great to have you join us.
This week my Meditation Monday: To Deconstruct or Reconstruct That is the Question revolves, not surprisingly, around my thoughts on deconstructing and reconstructing our faith. These are both very important aspects of our faith, but I really am concerned that most of the recent conversations I have heard focus more on deconstruction than reconstruction. I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.
Lilly’s Freerange Friday: You Are Loved once more inspires me with Lilly’s ability to provide practical ways to enter into the love of God. I love her suggestion to wrap ourselves in a beach towel, a blanket, or a shawl today. Imagine Jesus wrapping you in his unending love.
Karen Wilk’s poem Air was a delightful read and focus for reflection on Thursday, and for National Play Day on Wednesday, June Friesen posted a delightful article on our need for play. Such a great reminder for us all.
I also want to remind you that the Godspace community extends far beyond our website. The Facebook Godspacelight community page continues to grow and is constantly active with a number of diverse voices. I love June Friesen’s daily reflections, Bob Trube’s book reviews and Judith Greenfield’s contemplative videos to mention but a few. This is a great place to interact with other parts of the Godspacelight community. I invite you to join and become part of the conversations.
I am ending today with a poem by Drew Jackson, whose poetry is one of those unsettling but important voices I am listening to. This poem is from his book Touch the Earth: Poems on the Way.
The Faces of Blessing
(Luke 17:16-19)
I guess blessing means entitlement.
I have been told my birthright is a curse.
My birthright, to be cursed because of genetics.
Ethnicity determines my access to healing.
I am right to think healing will pass me by
As it has done before in the faces of the blessed.
The faces of the blessed expect the world.
Anything less is an affront.
It is an affront to turn and say thank you –
An insult to show gratitude for what is rightfully theirs.
Rightfully theirs, they are the frightful heirs
Of every privilege of mercy.
Privileged to receive mercy, I say thank you.
I guess blessing means entitlement.
God go with you this week and throughout the month.
Join Christine for all three virtual retreats to build on what you learn from lesson to lesson, learning practices and patterns that increase the gratitude, joy, balance, and creativity in your life. Register for three seasonal spirituality retreats. September 2, October 14, and December 9.
There is a discount for registering for all three retreats at once.
Everywhere I looked this week it seemed I was faced with yet another person talking about deconstructing their faith. Deconstruction is a phenomenon within evangelicalism in which Christians rethink their faith and jettison previously held beliefs, sometimes to the point of no longer identifying as Christians. And it seems to be on the increase. Jesus followers are increasingly disillusioned with their beliefs, their churches, and the behaviour of their fellow believers. To be honest I don’t like the term deconstruction, primarily because it does imply a breaking down of faith in such a way that there may be nothing left. There is often no encouragement to rebuild or reshape ones belief. I like to use the work reconstruction because it implies there is a positive outcome in which our beliefs are remade rather than jettisoned. Sometimes moving from deconstruction to reconstruction means reorienting our thinking and the questions we ask. Rather than “Why does God allow suffering?” asking “How does God expect me to help alleviate the suffering of others?” At other times it means actively looking for God in our midst. Every time we see an act of compassion, love and generosity, that is God in our midst, almost as though the goodness of God is built into our DNA.
My own reconstruction began when I worked in the refugee camps on the Thai Cambodian border in the mid 1980s. In the midst of the pain and the suffering I found myself asking “Does God care, and if so what is my responsibility for those who suffer?” That questioning changed the trajectory of my life. However my reconstruction did not stop there. In fact it has been a slow process of rethinking, reimagining and reshaping that continues to this day. Every time I start to get complacent and feel that I know everything there is to know about God, faith and what to believe, God starts to nudge me about another false belief I hold that needs to be transformed and reconstructed.
It seems to me that this journey I am on is a normal process of maturing. If our faith doesn’t change then we stagnate. If we are not open to new ideas and interpretations that stretch us and question our beliefs, then our thought processes become rigid and our boundaries brittle. It seems to me that when we first become Christians we often believe in a very small God, a God whose interests revolve around our needs and our inadequacies. As we grow in our faith the God we recognize should become larger, more inclusive of others and of our responsibility towards those less fortunate than ourselves. It should expand to recognize the sacredness of creation and our responsibility as its stewards. If we are not listening to voices whose opinions are very different than our own and asking questions whose answers may push us outside the safe but sometimes suffocating box in which we live, then we are not in a healthy place.
So here are a few basic thoughts with which to start:
- What voices are you listening to? This year I expanded my Bible collection to include the The First Nations Version New Testament and The Second Testament by Scot McKnight but I also added Black Earth Wisdom by Leah Penniman, Kindling the Celtic Spirit by Mara Freeman, Church of the Wild by Victoria Loorz and Original Blessing by Matthew Fox. These are but a few of the voices that have made me think and rethink my faith this year. Then there are the voices of poets who seem to speak truth to my soul in penetrating and often unexpected ways. Drew Jackson’s Touch the Earth was particularly impacting for me and many others that I listen to through social media channels. Some of them are far from Christian faith as I understand it. Some of them are advocates for other religions, all of them are worth listening to and reflecting on. There are the voices too of those who have been unjustly treated, abused and abandoned within our society. I am currently grappling with the implications of the founding of our countries – for me both the U.S. and Australia where the doctrine of discovery played such havoc amongst indigenous people. I am learning a lot from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, and listening to the Spirit guide me into the actions that are necessary. Last but not least there is the voice of creation that resounds louder and louder in my mind as high temperatures and the groans of climate change painfully play out against the backdrop of God’s beautiful world, teaching me, nurturing me and transforming me.
- What are the unchangeable foundations that undergird your faith? This is one we all struggle with. When I first started talking about stepping outside the lines of evangelical faith I was often asked “How do you know what is true?” We are always nervous about misstepping and unfortunately that often means we don’t take any steps at all. And identifying truth is not an easy question to answer, because as our view of God grows, our perception of what is true changes and the foundations we rely on shift. My basic statement now is “God is love, Jesus is my example, the Spirit dwells within as my guide.” I was very impacted this week by a comment from Jack Burton in The Gap. The test is never ‘How clever am I?’ but ‘How loving am I?’ That seems to sum up what is increasingly at the centre of my faith.
- Who walks with you on your journey? We all need wise guides, mentors and counsellors, companions who walk with us, not always in step, not always even on the same journey, but always able to speak words of wisdom and truth to us.
Growing our faith can be an uncomfortable business but one that should be the goal of our lives no matter where we are at and no matter it might make us struggle. Ask yourself “Where has your belief system been reconstructed in the last few years? Are there other places where God is nudging you to step outside the boundaries of the comfortable?
As I contemplated that this week, this is what came to mind:
I have not deconstructed,
but reconstructed.
Kingdom focused,
Not the cross.
Practice more than doctrine.
Community care,
More than individual advancement.
All together or not at all.
Love is at the centre.
Interdependent not independent.
Earth matters,
All is connected,
God is everywhere revealed,
All creation shimmers with divine light.
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Join Christine Sine for one or all of her three seasonal retreats: Rhythms & Seasons, A Season of Gratitude, and An Advent Quiet Day. Save the dates – September 2nd, October 14th and December 9th at 9:30-12:30.
by Carol Dixon
St Oswald image: © aidanharticons.com (Used with permission)
Opening words (Prayer of St Oswald- Northumbria Community Alt.)
Almighty God, when the future seems unclear help us to be faithful in prayer, trusting that at all times and in all places we are held in your hand. Give us courage and perseverance to play our part well and serve you in joy and fortitude from the beginning of our life to the end.
Hymn Awake my soul and with the sun
Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.
By influence of the light divine
let thine own light to others shine;
reflect all heaven’s propitious rays
in ardent love and cheerful praise.
Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew,
grant my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.
Direct, control, suggest this day
all I design, or do, or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite. [Thomas Ken]
Some thoughts on St Oswald. I first learned about St Oswald as a pupil at the Duchess’s Girls Grammar School, Alnwick where our ‘houses’ were named after Northumbrian Saints. I was in St Aidan’s where we wore blue sashes (symbolising Aidan’s journey across the sea from Iona to Lindisfarne) and my best friend was in St Oswald’s house and wore a red sash (symbolising that Oswald was a Christian martyr).
In his wonderful book Flame in my Heart about the life of St Aidan, David Adam tells the story of Oswald who became a king and then a saint. Here’s what he says: Oswald is one of the great heroes of the north. As a young child he grew up in a palace. His father, the mighty warrior Aethelfrith had united his own kingdom of Deira (Durham and North Yorkshire) with Bernicia in the north, laying the foundations of the kingdom of Northumbria, which became the mightiest military power in England. This was a time of small petty kings and regular warfare, mostly tribal skirmishes. When Oswald was 12 (around AD 616) his father was killed in battle by Raedwald of East Anglia (of Sutton Hoo treasure fame) and Oswald’s uncle Edwin became the ruler of Northumbria. Oswald and his 3 siblings were forced to flee for their lives and they escaped to the Irish Celtic kingdom of Dalriada in Argyle where the younger children received a Christian education on the Isle of Iona. Their exile lasted for 17 years during which time the young men grew up and we’re trained to be leaders of people.
Edwin was killed in a battle with the pagan Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Wales and the way was clear for Oswald’s eldest brother (who had married a Pictish princess) to claim back Northumbria. He met with the victors to sue for peace but was treacherously murdered so it fell to Oswald to claim their father’s kingdom. He marched south with a much smaller army than that of the enemy and the night before the battle to decide the fate of the kingdom he found himself in the field that came to be known as Heavenfield where they pitched their camp overnight. During the waiting, as he slept, Oswald had a vision of the Cross held by St Columba, the founder of Iona who announced that Oswald would be king, reminding him of God’s words to Joshua as he stood before the Promised Land. ‘Be strong and of good courage for I will be with you. You will be the leader of these people and they will occupy this land.’ Like the great Christian emperor Constantine (who won his battle after seeing the Cross) Oswald arose, confident and full of faith, and prayed that in this sign he too might overcome the enemy. A cross was quickly put together from two young, roughly hewn trees and Oswald himself bore the weight of it as his men filled in the hole it was set into then they advanced upon their enemy in the swirling mists of early morning with the cross looming large on the hill. Oswald won a great victory and set about ruling Northumbria with justice and fairness, true to his vision as a Christian leader.
Photo Aaron Burden Unsplash
When Oswald grew up on Iona he would have been taught many of the great Celtic prayers, the best known being St Patrick ‘s breastplate, the armour of God, based on St Paul’s words in his letter to the Ephesians chapter 6. (J B Phillips translation v 10-20).
Reading Ephesians 6 10-20
10-18 In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.
Hymn Give me O Christ the strength that in me lies (Tune Chilton Foliat )
Give me, O Christ, the strength that in thee lies,
that I may stand in every evil hour;
my poor heart faints unless to thee it flies,
resting its weakness in thy perfect power.
Give me to see the foes that I must fight,
powers of the darkness, throned
where thou should’st reign,
read the directings of thy wrath aright,
lest, striking flesh and blood, I strike in vain.
Give me to wear the armour that can guard;
over my heart thy blood-bought righteousness,
faith for my shield, when fiery darts rain hard,
girded with truth, and shod with zeal to bless.
Give me to wield the weapon that is sure,
taking, through prayer, thy sword into my hand,
Word of thy wisdom, peaceable and pure,
so, Christ my Conqueror,
I shall conqueror stand.
Henry Child Carter (1875-1954)
© United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom
Copied from HymnQuest 2.4: Standard Version
HymnQuest ID: 53079 Used with permission
Further thoughts: When Paul wrote those amazing words he was a prisoner, awaiting a trial before the emperor and as such an important prisoner he would have been guarded day and night by a Roman soldier and he would possibly have even been chained to his guard. It’s easy to see therefore where he took the imagery from when he wrote to his friends in Ephesus who were having a difficult time.
Oswald too faced many forces of evil in his life. Despite his best efforts the country continued to be torn apart by different petty kings vying for power. As Oswald faced his biggest battle at Maserfelth in the kingdom of Mercia against the pagan King Penda 8 years after he had defeated him at Heavenfield, he knew his beloved Northumbria was in good hands. St Aidan who had come from Iona had made great inroads in sharing the Christian faith with the ordinary folk – King Oswald himself had accompanied him, translating for him until Aidan learned the local language – and the school of learning which had been set up at the king’s request on Lindisfarne was progressing well.
Oswald faced what was to be his final battle knowing he had done all he could to keep the faith and if he was to die the next day he willingly offered his life to save his Christian kingdom. I like to imagine that he spent the early hours of the morning in prayer as he had before Heavenfield and as dawn broke he committed the future to God. Perhaps he used again the prayer for protection attributed to St Patrick, (who had lived a couple of centuries before Oswald) which he had learned on Iona. This prayer, known as The Deer’s Cry leads us into our prayers.
Music: The Deer’s cry https://youtu.be/hoXUdur_-PI
Prayers of intercession (from An Australian Prayer Book)
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has promised that you will hear us when we ask in faith: receive we pray, the prayers we offer for those in need in our world today.
We pray for… Christians in other countries, especially where there is suffering, danger and persecution; Strengthen your people for their witness and work in the world. Fill them with your Spirit, that they may faithfully preach the gospel. Unite in the truth all who confess your name, that we may live together in love and proclaim your glory in all the world.
We pray for… the peoples of the world and their leaders; countries in crisis; Give wisdom to those in authority in every land and give to all peoples a desire for righteousness and peace, with the will to work together to seek the common good and to share with justice the resources of the earth.
We pray for… those in need: for those who suffer; the sick; the poor; the distressed; the lonely; the unloved; the persecuted; the unemployed; those who grieve; and those who care for them…
Comfort and heal, merciful Lord, all who are in sorrow, need, sickness, or any other trouble. Give them a firm trust in your goodness; help those who minister to them; and bring us all into the joy of your salvation.
We pray for…our community: for those caring for people in need, We commend to your keeping, Father, ourselves and each other, our families, our neighbours, and our friends. Enable us by your Spirit to live in love for you and for one another and people known to us. In silence we mention them by name before you…..
We praise you Loving God for your faithful servants in every age, thinking especially today of the faithfulness of St Oswald who lived in such turbulent times yet never forgot his faith in you. We ask that we may share with him and all the saints in Christ’s resurrection glory, through his death and rising again for the salvation of the world.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray: Our Father…
Conclusion: Oswald was killed in the battle and his body was displayed by Penda on a tree which became known as ‘Oswald’s Tree’ – the town of Oswestry takes its name from it. His younger brother, Oswy who was also brought up on Iona, became king and Northumbria continued in the Christian faith. (Their sister Ebba became Abbess of the Abbey on the clifftop at what is now known as St Abb’s Head, in southern Scotland, then part of Northumbria). In a daring secret night raid on Mercia, Oswy collected Oswald’s mutilated body from ‘Oswald’s Tree’ and brought it home for burial on Lindisfarne. According to Bede’s History of the English Peoples, various relics were removed from his tomb and miracles were attributed to them. His head now rests inside the tomb of St Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral and he is still venerated as a saint and martyr and many churches are dedicated in his name. His example as a true warrior for Christ kept Christianity alive in Northumbria through some of its darkest days and his vision of God’s kingdom on earth is a shining example to struggling Christian communities to this day.
Our final hymn is based on an ancient Irish hymn.
Hymn Be thou my vision https://youtu.be/6CMclLT_Hjg
Closing prayer: (© Christine Sine) Let us go forth today, In the love of our Creator, In the strength of our Redeemer, In the power of our Sustainer. In the fellowship of witnesses from every tribe and nation and culture. Those who are present, those from the past, those who are yet to come. Let us go forth today, United with the Sacred Three, In harmony with the Holy One, Compassion in our hearts, Gratitude in our thoughts, Generosity in our deeds, Justice as our passion. Let us go forth today Carrying God’s image Into our hurting world. In the name of Jesus, Our Lord. Amen.
Heavenfield Cross
Battle field looking north
Join Christine Sine for one or all of her three seasonal retreats: Rhythms & Seasons, A Season of Gratitude, and An Advent Quiet Day. Save the dates – September 2nd, October 14th and December 9th at 9:30-12:30.
We are excited to offer three virtual retreats with Christine Sine in the next few months.
In Rhythms and Seasons, on September 2, join Christine Sine as we move towards the end of the year when life gets busier and busier until December has most of us living at a frenetic pace. But that’s not the way God intends us to live and now is the time to establish a new rhythm for our lives. In this retreat we will learn to make space for God and discover the Christ-like pace that liberates us from a culture enslaved by time.
Jesus said: “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt 11: 29,30 The Message)
Jesus exhibited a way of life that flowed between work and rest, solitude and community, feasting and fasting. We will explore these rhythms that governed Jesus life and learn to use them to connect more intimately to God.
Through reflection, contemplation, and creative explorations, Christine Sine, will assist you to rediscover God’s sustainable rhythms that provide balance between work and rest, effort and waiting, doing and not doing. Using the seasons of the year and the liturgical pattern of life they gave birth to we will explore how to reconnect our lives to God’s patterns and the practices that should undergird them.
Then for A Season of Gratitude on October 14, as we enter the gratitude season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, join Christine as she encourages 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. It will be a fun time of interaction, creativity, and reflection.
Gratitude should be a part of our life every day, yet we all suffer from a gratitude gap. We need to take time to intentionally give thanks. What could we transform from unpleasant to enjoyable by a change in attitude? How do we approach the world with gratitude and delight at all times? How do we find joy in the midst of the most challenging situations? These are some of the questions we grapple with as we look ahead to the changing seasons. What about you?
Christine 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. It will be a fun time of interaction, creativity, and reflection.
Finally for An Advent Day of Quiet on December 9, join Christine for a morning of scripture reading and quiet reflection that will be for many of us a much needed oasis of quiet in the midst of this chaotic season.
The Advent season is meant to be a time of waiting, a time for quiet reflection and contemplation, yet for most of us it is the busiest season of the year. Unless we intentionally set aside time for quiet and reflection it doesn’t happen. Often without the encouragement of others it is impossible.
You can sign up for each retreat singly, or if you prefer, we are offering savings on purchasing all three retreats at once.
These links go to pages where you can register and pay for each retreat, or for all three at a discount!
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