Flower seller – Pike Place market
I am just back from the Pike Street Market, one of my favourite places in Seattle. The flower sellers are everywhere, lifting my spirits with the vibrant beauty of their bouquets which inspired the first of these prayers. If you would like to receive these prayers each day on facebook you can sign up here
Glory be O God almighty, glory be.
Glory be O Christ redeemer, glory be.
Glory be O Spirit advocate, glory be.
Glory to the One who loves us,
Glory to the One who cares,
Glory to the One who hears us,
Glory be.
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Lord Jesus Christ, let the wonder of your love shine forth,
Let the beauty of your image emerge,
Let us magnify your greatness,
And bless the One,
who has given us new birth into a living hope.
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May faith go before us,
May hope reside within us,
May love always surround us.
All else will pass,
These three will remain,
And the greatest of these is love.
(From meditating on 1 Corinthians 13)
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God may I gaze on you and find myself,
May my eye be focused and my body full of light.
May I move forward with the joy of your presence before me,
And the wonder of your love ever within me.
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Let us welcome the good news of the kingdom,
and stand firm in its wonderful truths.
Let us follow its path and not stumble,
And see in it the unfailing love of our Lord.
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Lord Jesus Christ you are the way,
May we turn our our face toward you,
And grow in the beauty of your light.
No apologies for the fact that this is derived from the prayer I wrote yesterday (see below):
Christ is the centre and circumference,
Christ is the way and the destination,
Christ is the beginning and the end.
Before, behind, within, without,
Christ is God’s gift of life and love.
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May the centre of all things be Christ,
May the way of all things be Christ,
May the truth of all things be Christ,
Behind, before, within, without,
May the life of all things be Christ.
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Lorikeets in Sydney
I love this prayer which I came across in David Adam’s Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer. This book has long been a favourite of mine. I love to use it when I travel, finding that the short daily offices help to ground my spiritual practices during what can otherwise be a very disorienting journey.
How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands!
The heavens declare your glory,
the arch of the sky displays your handiwork.
In your love you have given us the power
to behold the beauty of your world in all its splendour.
The sun and the stars, the valleys and the hills,
the rivers and the lakes, all disclose your presence.
The roaring breakers of the sea tell of your awesome might;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air proclaim your wondrous will.
In your goodness you have made us able to hear the music of the world
the voices of loved ones reveal to us that you are in our midst.
A divine song sings through all creation.
For those of us who live in urban areas the music of God’s world is so often drowned out by the clatter and commotion of the world around us. This prayer reminds me of how much all of us need time amongst God’s good creation to reconnect once more to the divine song that reverberates through God’s world.
Scarlet runner beans ready for the winter
It is harvest season here in the Pacific Northwest. The tomatoes are finally ripening, the beans have dried on the vine and the apples and pears are ready to be picked. As I walk out and see the miracle of what has come from tiny seeds my heart swells with gratitude at the wonder of how God provides. each year at this time I write reflections and prayers on the harvest season.
Last year I wrote this reflection: The Harvest is Plentiful But the Labourers are Few;
The year before I posted this: Praying for an Abundant Harvest
And the year before wrote this litany: God of the Bountiful – A Harvest Prayer
And my first post on this theme in 2008: The Generosity of God – Fish and Loaves for all
I had not intended to write another reflection for the harvest season this year – there is so much else that I want to write about. But there is something about this season that calls forth my gratitude and thanksgiving in ways that I realize I cannot deny. This morning it bubbled up within me into this prayer:
God we thank you for a harvest of plenty,
Small seeds that multiply to feed many,
Trees that blossom and produce abundant fruit,
Tomatoes that ripen on the vine with sweet flavour.
God we thank you for abundance overflowing,
Enough for our own needs and an abundance to share,
Enough to feed the hungry and provide for the destitute,
Enough to reach out with generosity and care.
God we thank you for seeds you have planted in our hearts,
Seeds of righteousness yielding goodness and mercy,
Seeds of love yielding justice and peace,
Seeds of compassion yielding healing and renewal.
God we thank you for the bread of heaven,
Christ our saviour planted in our lives,
Christ our redeemer growing in our hearts,
Christ your Son making us one with you.
God we thank you for the gift of life,
Like water poured out on thirsty ground,
Spring and autumn rains that revive and bring life,
A river that flows from your heart and out into the world you love.
Amen
Let Us Come As Children
Advent this year begins late on December 2nd. It is still over 2 months away but I already have people asking me what the theme will be for blog posts so thought that I would get an early start in focusing all of us on this important season of waiting and preparation. This year’s theme will be: Let Us Wait As Children Wait. If you want to contribute you can sign up to receive ongoing information in the Godspace Writing Community on Facebook or email me at christine@msaimagine.org for more details.
In Luke 18: 16, 17 (NLT) Jesus tells his disciples: “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (from Biblegateway.com)
I have been thinking a lot about this recently. What does it mean to come as children come? What are the attributes of children that make it possible for them to enter the Kingdom of God when those of us that are adults cannot? Last year, in a post entitled God Created the World By Imagination I wrote:
Childhood is filled with creativity and imagination, a place of mystery and wonder in which kids discover themselves, the world and the God who created it. For a child every moment is filled with looking, listening and learning.
I love to watch children explore the world. Everything is new. Everything is exciting. Everything is worth noticing. Everything is worth questioning and every smallest pain ache and pain that others experience draws forth compassion and a desire to help. But something happens to squelch all that. Just as our excitement in waiting for the coming of our Saviour is drained by the world around us, so is the excitement and creativity of children. In my previous post I went on to say:
Schools and universities squelch creativity and imagination forcing kids to live in a world of science and technology where we convince then that flowers are made of molecules and rainbows are caused by the refraction of light. Childhood’s vivid purple clouds and yellow skies give way to the real world where clouds are always white and skies are always blue. In this world of head knowledge compassion gives way to competition and life, we teach them, revolves around buying goods we don’t need and holding jobs we don’t enjoy.
So how do we regain the excitement, imagination and expectation of childhood? How do we regain the ability to wait for the coming of our Saviour with an anticipation that has us standing on tiptoes, asking continually Is it time yet? and maybe even more importantly, how do we maintain that same excitement and expectation in children? One of my most popular posts during Advent is this one on Celebrating Advent With Kids. People are looking for resources – and I think not just to celebrate with their kids but because many of us want to find again that childlike enthusiasm and excitement we once experienced in our faith.
There has been a lot of controversy flying around lately on how we educate our children – Tony Jones’ article Death to Homeschooling. As he suspected and documented, homeschoolers turned out in force. My concern is that in the heat of the argument we miss the point. Children need to be allowed to be children no matter how they are schooled. And Jesus tells us to become like them.
So once again I am offering an invitation to join me during Advent and the weeks preceding it. If you would like to contribute a post for this series leave a comment here or sign up to receive ongoing information in the Godspace Writing Community on Facebook or email me at christine@msaimagine.org for more details. If you know of others who might be interested please send them the link. I hope that this series will provide us with a rich array of viewpoints from around the world so that together we grow in our faith and rediscover some of the wonder and awe of waiting for Christ as children wait.
f you want to contribute you can
While I was in Canada recently I started to read a fascinating book entitled How God Changes Your Brain. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a copy and am thoroughly enjoying reading it and reflecting on its relevance. Interestingly, the authors Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman are not writing from a Christian perspective. Andrew is a neuroscientist, Mark is a therapist. They are more interested in the impact that spiritual practices have on our physical and emotional health than on our spiritual development.
That does not reduce its importance however. I think they say some wonderful things for all people of faith to think about. They provide some very practical exercises for all of us to consider.
So here is some of what they say (quoted from the back cover of the book):
Prayer and spiritual practice don’t just reduce stress, but meditation for as little as 12 minutes a day can slow down the aging process.
Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion and love.
Intense prayer and meditation lastingly change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality.
Fundamentalism can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain.
I know that some people find books like this threatening because they interpret them to say that God is just a chemical reaction going on in our brain. For me however they are exciting because they confirm the activity of God in my life – if God is truly at work in our lives then we should expect that his activity in our brains should create discernable changes. What do you think,
Sunset in Seattle
The Light for the Journey facebook page is changing. I have asked a number of contemplatives around the world to participate with me in sharing prayers, contemplative practices and their journeys. Mustard Seed Associates is a community based organization and believe that all we do should be a reflection of the gifts and talents of the broader community of which we are a part. One of the strengths of this blog is the diversity of voices that contribute to its content and I want to make sure that the facebook pages associated with it reflect that.
I will continue to post each week the summary of prayers but will also add links to articles, prayers and meditations that this growing contemplative community shares with us.
May the centre of all things be Christ,
May the way of all things be Christ,
May the truth of all things be Christ,
Behind, before, within, without,
May the life of all things be Christ.
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Lord Jesus Christ may we look at you in every moment,
May we centre not on problems but on your resources,
May we run your race with purpose in every step,
And keep our eyes on your enduring love.
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Lord Jesus Christ may we live by your royal law,
May we love mercy not judgement,
Show compassion not indifference,
Practice peace not war,
May we love God with our whole hearts gladly,
And love neighbours as we do ourselves.
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Lord you are the lover of my soul,
Jehovah Jirah you are my provider,
Restorer of all things, you are my redeemer,
Gardener of creation, you are the one who formed made me.
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Tuesday morning’s prayer was an adaptation of one I wrote last year for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
May all of us remember with love and compassion this day.
May we grieve with those who still mourn,
And share memories with those who cannot forget.
May we draw strength from those who bravely responded,
And gave their lives to save others.
May we stand with strangers who became neighbours,
And give thanks for their generosity and hospitality.
May we remember all who have lost loved ones to terrorism and violence,
And commit ourselves to bring your peace.
Above all God may we remember your faithfulness,
And learn to trust in your unfailing love.
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Interesting link shared this week:
How Spiritual Direction Can Make You Feel Closer to God
The Ascent to Assisi – by Contemplative Activist Micha Jazz.
This is an interesting facebook page. To walk a prayer labyrinth is to open a new connection between God’s heart and your own. . . To walk uprightly, faithfully and lovingly, is to find an uncommon joy and peace in the journey.
In His Footsteps serves as an informational resource for recovering the Prayer Labyrinth as an ancient, yet ever new, prayer experience. In addition, snippets of inspiration are offered for your daily walk with God.
“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your Presence.” Psalm 16:11
Celtic retreat 2012 Morning worship
This morning I am preparing for our MSA staff retreat time this weekend. We will use the Quaker Discernment process and organic strategic planning to discern God’s future focus for our ministry. At core, our MSA team is a spiritual leadership community that discerns and implements the will of God for our organization. and these processes have become the keys to our development both as individuals and as an organization.
As we enter this retreat we know that we need to focus more acutely on what God is leading us into. We are in a time of growth and transition, grappling with issues of how to sustain our current ministry, launch CCSP Cascadia and build the Mustard Seed Village. In this time constantly coming back to God to discern God’s will becomes more important than ever.
In preparation for this time I have looked back over previous discernment sessions to catch a sense of what God has said in the past and how well we have responded to those promptings. I have looked at our strengths and weaknesses, our successes and our failures, our joys and our challenges.
I have also looked back and been encouraged by what others have said about what MSA has meant in their lives. Most are drawn by the invitation to join a community that is journeying together towards God’s kingdom of peace, justice and abundance. Shane Claiborne once told us that he thought we were great “cross pollinators” and others to have appreciated the connections we help them make to people and organizations they feel they can identify and hang with.
Others have told us that they appreciate our encouragement to reimagine life and faith and create new possibilities for how we live in every aspect of our life. Brian McLaren shared that through MSA he was given permission and encouragement to think new thoughts, dream new dreams and see the gospel in a fresh, new life-changing and world-changing light.
Others have appreciate the modelling of a simpler, more festive and hopefully more Christ centred way of life and our willingness to share openly the ongoing journey it involves us in, even when it reveals our warts and wrinkles. Added to this is an appreciation of the resources we develop to help move all of us in this direction.
So my question this morning is what draws you to this blog and the other aspects of MSA? What would you like to share that could help us focus the ministry of MSA? I would love to hear your thoughts and also appreciate your prayers for this weekend.
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