God circle us (c) Christine Sine
I posted this prayer to the Light for the Journey page on Facebook yesterday. Like all circling prayers it has been extremely popular.
Circling prayers are an important part of Celtic Christianity. Some help us to visualize the attributes of God we want lodged in our hearts and the antithesis of these we want to fling from us – “keep peace within and hate without”. Others, like the one I wrote above are a more general expression of our desires for a God embraced life. Like everyone else, I love prayers like this that give me a sense of God’s encompassing love, the understanding that we sit in the midst of God’s embrace and I hope you do too. They are also some of the easiest and most comforting prayers to write. So why not give it a go – don’t just read and enjoy the prayer above – write your own and add it as a comment at the bottom of this post.
Let us Wait as Children Wait
Advent is coming. The end of the liturgical year is only a few weeks away and many of us are already preparing. I know because it is time for me to work on my annual Advent mediation video.
And just as Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas, so, at least in the northern hemisphere, is this season of storing food (both physically and spiritually), slowing down and rethinking our focus. It is a time for storing up the resources we know we need to see us through a season in which our hearts ache for the coming of God’s light. Tom and I go away for one of our quarterly retreats at the end of the week and we are both already anticipating this important pause in our routines. We want to make sure that we are very ready for the upcoming season.
Part of my preparation is getting ready for the blog series that I host during Advent. This year’s theme is Let Us Wait As Children Wait. I am very excited about this, and by the number of posts I have already received can see that others are too. I hope that out of this series will not only come some thought provoking reflections (and possibly another Advent devotional book) on how we as adults wait for the coming of Christ, but also some good resources to help us focus our children on the real meaning of Christmas. As I mentioned before, 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.
So once again this is your invitation to join in. Do you know of resources that should be added to the list for celebrating with kids? If so we would love to hear about them. Or would you like to contribute your thoughts to this series. There is still time to participate. Please email me for more details. Or, like Tom and I you may just want to spend more time reflecting on how you wait for the coming of Christ. Is it with excitement, impatience and barely contained longing or is it with worn out indifference? What are some steps you could take to change that?
In the fading of the summer – prayer from faithandworship.com
Yesterday I mentioned that I would post the remaining Light for the Journey prayers that have been contributed this last week. Enjoy and check out our new contributors – Jamie Arpin Ricci author of The Cost of Community and founder of Litte Flowers community in Winnipeg Manitoba; Phileena Heuertz co-founder of Word Made Flesh and author ofPilgrimage of a Soul; Micha Jazz a contemplative activist in Chichester UK and a member of the Axiom Monastic Community; Bonnie Harr who posts prayers and reflections at In His Footsteps; John Birch who posts Celtic Prayers and Resources atFaith and Worship; Mary Plate DeJong who leads pilgrimages to Iona Scotland and is Forest Steward for one of Seattle’s urban forests and Mark Scandrette author ofPracticing the Way of Jesus and founding director of ReIMAGINE in San Francisco.
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September 29th was the feast day of St. Michael, a traditional Celtic holiday associated with the autumn equinox.
This ancient prayer, offered by the Scottish Hebridean crofters, reflects the notion of the archangels’ care over land and sea and all contained therein.
O Michael Militant,
Thou king of the angels, Shield thy people
With the power of the thy sword,
Shield thy people
With the power of thy sword.
Spread thy wing over sea and land,
East and west,
And shield us from the foe,
East and west,
And shield us from the foe.
Brighten thy feast
From heaven above;
Be with us in the pilgrimage
And in the twistings of the fight;
Be with us in the pilgrimage
And in the twistings of the fight.
Thou chief of chiefs,
Thou chief of the needy,
Be with us in the journey
And in the gleam of the river;
Be with us in the journey
And in the gleam of the river.
Thou chief of chiefs.
Thou chief of angels
Spread thy wing
Over sea and land,
For thine is their fullness,
Thine is their fullness,
Thine own is their fullness,
Thine own is their fullness.
Amen
-Celtic Prayer
And Check out Mary DeJong’s post which accompanied this; Michaelmas Dragons and Delight
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Praise the Lord, all the heavens
Proclaim his name, from mountain peak and valley floor
Praise the Lord, sun, moon and stars
Proclaim his name in summer skies and rainbow hue
Praise the Lord, all creatures upon the earth
Proclaim his name, in Eagle’s wing and Lion’s roar
Praise the Lord, all rulers and kings
Proclaim his name, who creates all things from new
Praise the Lord, whether young or old
Proclaim his name, whose gracious love extends to all
Let all things that have breath within them
Praise the Lord.
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The blessing of Father, Spirit, Son
Holy Trinity, Three in One,
be in our meeting
and our greeting,
in the worship we share
and the words of our prayer.
The blessing of Father, Spirit, Son
Holy Trinity, Three in One,
be in our living
and our breathing,
that through our hearts and our words
your truth may be heard.
“We cannot find God in noise and agitation.
Nature: trees, flowers, and grass grow in silence. The stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence.
What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us.
In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls. In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice.
Silence of our eyes.
Silence of our ears.
Silence of our mouths.
Silence of our minds.
…in the silence of the heart
God will speak.”
Mother Teresa, from No Greater Love
For the fruits of your Spirit,
wherever they are shown
we give our grateful thanks.
For kindness shown by stranger,
the faithfulness of friends,
for patience and forbearance
and peace that calms the heart.
For love that sees beyond the self
to the person who lies within.
For the fruits of your Spirit,
wherever they are shown
we give our grateful thanks.
May those who practice hate – faithandworship.com
From Mary DeJong http://waymarkers.wordpress.com/
The end of another busy week and it is time to post prayers from my facebook page Light for the Journey. The richness of contributions from the expanding team of contributors is amazing. As I mentioned last week, I have enlisted the help of Jamie Arpin Ricci author of The Cost of Community and founder of Litte Flowers community in Winnipeg Manitoba; Phileena Heuertz co-founder of Word Made Flesh and author ofPilgrimage of a Soul; Micha Jazz a contemplative activist in Chichester UK and a member of the Axiom Monastic Community; Bonnie Harr who posts prayers and reflections at In His Footsteps; John Birch who posts Celtic Prayers and Resources atFaith and Worship; Mary Plate DeJong who leads pilgrimages to Iona Scotland and is Forest Steward for one of Seattle’s urban forests and Mark Scandrette author ofPracticing the Way of Jesus and founding director of ReIMAGINE in San Francisco.
There are too many prayers for a single post, so I will post some today and some tomorrow. If you would like to access these prayers and reflections each day (and see all the beautiful images that accompany them) please “like” the Light for the Journey Facebook page.
God my creator,
Draw me closer.
Christ my redeemer,
Draw me closer.
Spirit my advocate,
Draw me closer.
Let the eyes of my heart rest on you.
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God may I give myself only
to that which satisfies my heart,
May I give myself only
to that which strengthens my soul,
May I give myself only
to that which draws me closer to you.
———————
God you are love,
All you are expresses love,
All you do flows from love.
Lord wipe the scales from our eyes,
That we might see what love is doing.
———————–
Eternal God, Creator of all that is,
all that was, all that will ever be.
You who made the sun and moon,
Who brought night and day into being,
Transform our darkness into light,
Renew us, restore us, redeem us,
Let your presence shine through us,
That all might see.
———————-
This is your world I step upon
the air I breathe
the food I eat
This is your world I step upon
the sounds I hear
the people I meet
This is your world I step upon
your footsteps
where I place my feet
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Lord Jesus Christ let your words flow into my soul,
Let them nourish me,
Let them grow within me,
Let their truths rise up within me,
Let them give me life.
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Let this moment settle in my heart,
Let all that it holds rest secure in the love of God,
Let the wonder of the holy One
radiate from the centre of my being,
Until the reality of Christ’s inner presence
Spills out into the world around me.
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Bonnie Harr – Aspen Praise
Halloween lantern
This morning I was reading through Green America and came across an interesting article on Halloween. Now, I am not an advocate for Halloween. It always seems weird to me that Christians celebrate it as much as non-Christians. But here in America it is such a part of the culture that this rarely seems to be questioned. And I certainly know it is coming because the number of horror movies on T.V. has increased astronomically. So instead I thought that I would turn my thoughts to preparations for the season.
First some thoughts from the Green America article and elsewhere you may want to consider:
- Face paint: A 2009 study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that 10 out of 10 children’s face paints tested contained at least trace levels of lead. This article provides some DIY alternatives.
- The Candy Problem: In 2017, 41 million kids in the U.S. went trick or treating. Last year Americans spent something like $2.6 billion on Halloween candy. No wonder one out of three children in America are overweight and many will develop diabetes. Consider making your own healthy treats, giving out non-food items like polished stones, temporary tattoos, or friendship bracelets.
- Swap costumes: Millions of costumes are purchased in the U.S. each year. Consider holding a pre-Halloween party to swap, mend, make or borrow costumes from your friends.
- Reverse Trick or Treating: I wrote about this a couple of years ago in this article. My growing concern for just working conditions for children makes me a strong advocate for this. I think it is a wonderful way to raise awareness of these issues and show consistency for our values.
- Hold an All Saints Party. Rather than celebrating Halloween celebrate All Saints Day November 1st. Have kids dress up as their favourite person or saint. Share stories, decorate pumpkins if you must but also consider some alternatives like decorating window panes with non toxic paints, making Christmas decorations and wreaths.
- Organize a Community or Neighbourhood Event. Green Halloween started in Seattle but grew into a national phenomenon with community events at more than 50 locations. You might want to join in the fun and get to know some of your neighbours.
- Make the most of you pumpkins: Kids and adults alike love carving and decorating pumpkins, but I hate to watch them slowly rotting on the porch. So here are some thoughts to use that pumpkin more effectively. Save the seeds and toast them in the oven with a little salt. Use the pumpkin flesh (discarding any melted wax) to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread.
Book of Kells
This morning in Desert Fathers and Mothers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings I read that the early monks memorized a lot of scripture, especially the psalms. It was partly because books were extremely expensive and relatively unavailable, but it was also because learning texts “by heart” provided a reservoir of wisdom within their hearts which was always available to draw on.
How many of us memorize large portions of scripture today? How often do we draw from these inner reserves rather than running to a book or a website for the scriptures we want to reference? Memorizing scripture does lodge it in in our hearts in a way that reading the verses in a book or online never does. The scriptures resonate in our souls flowing out into our bodies and often into our daily thoughts and activities. Lectio divina often accomplishes this same increased intimacy with God through the revelation of God’s word.
So my challenge to you today is – What could you do to lodge the words of God more deeply in your heart? How could you develop a discipline of regular scripture memorization?
The following prayer was posted on the Light for the Journey Facebook page a couple of days ago – enjoy
“We cannot find God in noise and agitation.
Nature: trees, flowers, and grass grow in silence. The stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence.
What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us.
In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls.
In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice.
Silence of our eyes.
Silence of our ears.
Silence of our mouths.
Silence of our minds.
…in the silence of the heart
God will speak.”
Mother Teresa, from No Greater Love
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