Earth Teach Me To Remember.
It rained over the weekend, the first time in 49 days, the second longest stretch without rain on record. To some of you who live in places where drought is a way of life, this may not seem very significant, but here in Seattle we have greeted the rain and the changes it has brought, with deep gratitude and thanksgiving.
Since the rain there has been a new stillness in the air, a sense that the earth is slowing down and starting to prepare for the autumn and winter seasons. Perhaps it is just that I too am in a season of slowing down.
Tom and I have had a very busy summer celebrating at Wild Goose East and West, joining our Canadian friends at Creative World Festival, conducting our annual Celtic Prayer retreat, and entertaining a steady flow of visitors, friends and potential MSA supporters. As as that I have completed the first draft of my new book Return to Our Senses: Reimagining How We Pray, and sent it off to readers for input.
It is certainly time for stillness in my own spirit and I find that the changing season outside is a wonderful affirmation of that. Learning to hear to the promptings of my spirit calling me to slow down, sit still in the presence of God and listen is not always easy. But it is essential.
The stillness of the earth speaks of stability and constancy. It speaks of the enduring faithfulness of God who sends the seasons in their due time, who waters the earth with the spring and the autumn rains, who brings forth the harvest to nourish our bodies.
The prayer above is part of a Native American prayer that I first posted here. It reminds me to take time to listen to the wonder of God’s creation. It reminds me to take notice not just of the majestic mountains outside my window but also of the small and seemingly insignificant creatures that are so vital to the healthy thriving of our world. It also reminds me to sit quietly in the presence of the One who has created all things and whose great love is revealed in every dimension of that creation.
So sit still with me this morning. Drink in the wonder of God. Quieten your spirit and allow God to refresh and renew you.
It is now 11 years since the terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York and this has become an important day of remembering and prayer for many of us. The images of the plane flying into the towers is indelibly seared on our minds. The heroism of firefighters and police lives forever with us and so it should. It is important to remember these events and establish memorials that draw us back.
This morning however, as I thought about this I could not help but think of the many who have lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks around the world since that time. Many others have had to flee the civil conflict that the aftermath this attack created in their countries. And still others flee violence and unrest created by other conflicts.
Data for Terrorist Attacks,
This link has a powerful interactive map that shows the changing face of terrorism since 1970.
In the midst I find my heart longing for peace. War has been the halmark of the first decade of the 21st century and it doesn’t look as though this second decade will be any different. Most of us have trouble even imagining a world without war and I sometimes wonder if we even pray for that possibility.
So this morning as we remember the attacks 11 years ago, may we pray for peace and the in breaking of God’s kingdom into the many conflicted and troubled places of our world. The following prayer is adapted from one I wrote last year for 9/11.
May we 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 be filled not with a call to war but with a longing for peace.
May we seek for understanding and reconciling,
And not turn from your kingdom ways.
Above all God may we remember your faithfulness,
And learn to trust in your unfailing love.
Amen
Blue moon rising
The end of another beautiful week here in Seattle – 47 days without any rain, possibly setting a record. Not good for the farmers or for the wildfires, but some of us are enjoying it which probably accounts for how upbeat my prayers are this week. Enjoy and if you want to check out the photo prayers that I am adding now don’t forget to like the facebook page
May we be still in your presence O Lord,
And wait patiently for you to act.
May we delight in you O Lord,
And trust in you to help us.
May we commit our day to you O Lord,
And hold onto your faithful promises.
(Adapted from Psalm 37:3-7)
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Show us the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for us to follow.
Lead us by your truth and teach us,
for you are the God who saves us.
All day long we put our hope in you.
(Adapted from Psalm 25:4,5)
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Lord Jesus Christ your yoke is easy, you burden is light.
Help us to lay down what we should not carry.
Help us to let go what we should share.
May we find the joy of always walking yoked with you.
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Drink in the water of life,
Let it quench your thirsty soul.
Feed on the bread of heaven,
Let it nourish your starving spirit.
Be filled with the life of Christ,
Let him sustain and keep you
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“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley
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This prayer was written while thinking about the Wild Goose Festival this weekend. The Wild Goose is the Celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit. The photo is of Canada geese.
May the spirit soar within you and take flight
May it guide you through the day and lead you through the night
May it shine for all to see and give you light.
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Photo by Nick Lipinski
Below is a list of all the posts in the Lord Teach Us To Pray series. I hope that you have enjoyed these reflections as much as I have. Our prayer life is something that should be continually reshaped and remolded as we seek to move closer to God. I hope that some of these posts have encouraged you to do that.
Lord Teach Us to Pray: The Quietest Prayer by Monette Chilson
Lord Teach Us To Pray: Sailing Over the Sea of Affliction by Steve Wichkam
Conversations with my Granddaughter: On Prayer by Alex Tang
Lord Teach Us to Pray: St Columba’s Vigil by Greg Valerio
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Reimagining How We Pray by Lisa Hewitt – Day 1
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Reimagining How We Pray by Lisa Hewitt – Day 2
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Reimagining How We Pray by Lisa Hewitt – Day 3
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Knitting and Praying, by Christine Dutton
Monday Meditation: Beginning the Week with Mindfulness – by Gene Anderson
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Why Pray? by James Prescott
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Prayer Poem by Postordinandy
Lord Teach Us to Pray: The Prayer Window by Kimberlee Conway Ireton
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Nothing to Say to God by Joy Wilson
Lord Teach Us to Pray: How I See The Lord’s Prayer by John C. O’Keefe
A Blogger’s Lord’s Prayer by Andrew Jones
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Everyday Walking, Talking Prayer by Steve Wickham
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Prayer of Devotion, Prayer of Knowledge, Prayer of Action, by Gene Anderson
Lord Teach Us to Pray: On Prayer by Ryan Harrison
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Free Our Hearts by Paula Mitchell
Lord Teach Us to Pray: Breath Prayer by Lynne Baab
And the posts on prayer that I have added over the summer as I reflected on this series:
Thank You Lord For Hearing Me.
In Faith and Confidence I Breathe Freely
Let Us Desire Nothing But God – A Prayer by St Francis of Assisi
Can We See The Face of God and Live?
Full moon to guide us
Tom & I are just back from Wild Goose Festival West. We had a great time and I look forward to sharing more about this throughout the week. However this morning I wanted to update my facebook prayer summary. If you want to view these each day throughout the week please “like” the Light for the Journey Facebook page. I am starting to add photos to many of the prayers and am also expanding the contributors to this page so hope that you will enjoy the expanding resources.
Lord Jesus Christ, let me rest in your presence,
Centered in the wonder of your love.
Lord Jesus Christ, let me rest in your presence,
Assured of your everlasting faithfulness.
Lord Jesus Christ, let me rest in your presence,
Filled to overflowing with your life.
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Draw in close to God this day,
Let nothing hold us back,
From loving you with our hearts and minds and souls,
Let nothing hold us back,
From seeking God in all we are and do.
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Thank you Lord for your presence,
Filling us, filling others, filling your world.
Thank you Lord for your love,
Sustaining us, sustaining others, sustaining your world.
Thank you God for your life,
Enlivening us, enlivening others, enlivening your world.
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Lord thank you that you hear our prayers,
Thank you that your spirit stirs within,
Transforming, renewing, making all things new
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Lord Jesus Christ I listen to your voice and cry glory,
I look into your face and cry glory,
I sit in your ever abiding presence and cry glory.
Glory to the eternal one,
Glory to the redeeming one,
Glory to the loving one,
Glory to the only one who fills every fibre of my being.
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Lord Jesus Christ, I look into your face,
I listen to your voice, I reach out to hold your hand,
And I know that you alone hold the keys to eternal life,
In you all the fulness of God is found
Worship station at Soularize 2005
Tom and I head off to Wild Goose West tomorrow morning so it seems fitting to share this beautiful prayer that I was given at the last festival we attended – The Creative World Festival in Mission B.C.
A Franciscan Blessing
May God bless you with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that you may live
Deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that you may work for
Justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand
To comfort them and
To turn their pain to joy
And may God bless you
With enough foolishness
To believe that you can
Make a difference in the world,
So that you can do
What others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness
To all our children and the poor.
Amen
Icon of Christ
I love breathing prayers, not so much the traditional prayers like the Jesus prayer that require the repetition of a short phrase or verse to help us center and meditate, but rather prayers that remind us of the infilling presence of God.
I have written about these in previous posts and provide links to most of these prayers in It Allergy Season But Don’t Hold Your Breath Too Long. This week I have again been reminded for this type of prayer as I have sort to recentre myself on the loving presence of God. Here is the prayer that has flowed out of my meditation
In faith and confidence I breathe freely,
I breathe in life,
I breathe in love,
I breathe in hope.
In faith and confidence I breathe in the eternal presence,
I breathe it into the very centre of my being.
In faith and confidence I breathe freely,
I breathe in peace,
I breathe in joy,
I breathe in trust.
In faith and confidence I breathe in the essence of God,
I breathe in the nature of the One who can only respond from a heart of love.
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