8.8.15 Peace in a River of Love
John 14:27 MSG
I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
SATURDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
The stillness of God be mine this night
That I may sleep in peace.
The awareness of the angels be mine this night
That I may be alert to unseen mysteries.
The company of the saints be mine this night
That I may dream of the river of love.
The life of Christ be mine this night
That I may be truly alive to the morning
That I may be truly alive. JPN
Peace. Rivers of love. Unseen mysteries. Truly alive. I love the visual images that come to mind when praying Newell's prayers. These evening closing prayers really are for night, not as I sit at daybreak overlooking the dawn strike the clouds and waves of the ocean. But I am feeling much more peace this morning than two days ago. Mom and Jed are healing; The hikers are breaking camp and ready to head out; Liz is enroute to NYC and back today with Tommy. But there are still unseen mysteries waiting to be discovered, trickles of miscommunication and rivers of distrust to navigate for my brother, and the bumps and hurdles of life for us all that create discontent and unrest. Moments of stillness. Moments of quiet search for God's peace can make all the difference. May I be washed and restored in the river of love, O God.
8.9.15 In the Darkness: LIGHT!
John 1:5 MSG
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
SUNDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
May the grace of the night's stillness be mine
may the grace of the moon's guidance be mine
may the grace of heaven's vastness be mine
to renew my soul in sleep
to enlighten my dreams in the night
to open my spirit to eternity
until the angels of light awaken me
until the morning angels awaken me. JPN
For some reason what struck me as I wrote the words of the prayer was how we approach the nighttime process of sleep. We seem to put it off rather than welcome it. It is a necessity of life rather than a process to be spiritually embraced. We go to bed hoping to be rested in the morning, but rarely do I consider the time for spiritual enlightenment, for renewal of my soul. There is the darkness of the unseen in the night, but the Light of Life shines through. God's presence is so very visible in the vast eternity of the universe, the beauty of a clear sky and the Milky Way, the intricate colors and designs of space as revealed by Hubble and technology. May I allow this Life-Light to blaze in my sleep and wrap me in the wonder and beauty of God.
8.10.15 Windsong of the Spirit
John 3:8 GNT
The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
MONDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
O Brother Jesus
who wept at the death of a friend
and overturned tables in anger at wrong
let me not be frightened by the depths of passion.
Rather let me learn the love and anger
and wild expanses of soul with me
that are true expressions of your grace and wisdom.
And assure me again that in becoming more like you
I come closer to my true self
made in the image of outpouring Love
born of the free eternal Wind. JPN
There is something amazing if you consider that to be Spirit-filled is like the wind. When we work on Habitat builds in Montana, our site supervisor emphasizes the 'air penetration factor'. The houses we build have a tiny penetration as opposed to most standard homes. The wind simply cannot get in the cracks. And such is the Spirit-Wind: it shifts and changes direction, the tendrils of God filling a crack here and a crack there. We don't always know how and where the Spirit will blow through us, but we can be assured that God is at work. If I can resolve to be the wind of the Spirit, an outpouring of love for all, then I know that God is touching lives through me. Be like the wind!
This seems so appropriate because the other day we were discussing John Denver's Windsong. I'll close with the final verse from the song:
8.11.15 RECKLESS IN LOVE
John 12:24-25 MSG
Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
TUESDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
Glory be to you, O Holy Seed of all that has been born
for earth, sea and sky in vibrancy of color.
Glory be to you O Light of Life
for your liberation of earth's bound treasures.
Glory be to you O River of delight
surging through the heart of creation.
Renew me this night in the depths of sleep,
set free my dreams of the unknown.
Safeguard this time of resting, O God,
enfold me in the darkness of the night. JPN
O Holy Seed. Light of Life. River of Delight. Reckless in love. These are the words that strike me this morning. I've written this week of rivers and light. So perhaps today I'll focus on reckless. Reckless is defined as unconcerned about the consequences of an action. It seems to me Jesus was often reckless in love - he didn't care if he angered the religious leaders or worked on the Sabbath or ticked someone off. If love was the right thing to do at that moment, Jesus loved. (And when isn't love in the right?) But to me reckless in love also implies unselfish in love or without concern for the personal consequences of my loving action. Will people laugh? Will I be in danger? It doesn't matter. Love with abandon. Love without regard for consequences. Just plant the seed of love. Over and over. And in so doing we will find the River of Delight.
8.12.15 Eternal Waves
John 8:32 MSG
“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”
WEDNESDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
In the beginning, O God,
you placed seeds in the womb of the earth.
On the surface of the earth and in its seas and skies
you made male and female of every species.
And above the earth
you called the two great lights into relationship.
Renew me this night
in the fruitful intermingling that you have woven into creation
that I may wake to the morning
enlivened by love
that I may wake to the morning
enlivened by love. JPN
I took a walk on the beach yesterday and as I stood and watched the waves roll in, constant, predictable, the eternal ebb and flow of water, it occurred to me that the shore is very much a metaphor for God. I could see love washing up on each surge of wave, sometimes a smooth flow of liquid, more often in a froth of foam and turbulence. God comes to us in both the peace and chaos of our lives, but God always comes. I watched children playing, jumping waves, splashing God-love everywhere. Children do that; they approach God with wild abandon. I saw some older women timidly near the water, then turn and run when it appeared they might get wet. We all react in such a way at times, fleeing when we get too close to God, the reality too intense. But I also realized that we HAVE to get wet to experience the ocean; we have to dive in to realize the power of God's love, the faithfulness of God's presence.
The God-waves of love will roll into our lives unchanging, steady, and consistent, waiting for us to take the risk of stepping into the unfamiliar waters and discovering the freedom of going to sea with God. May I always hear the reassuring sound of the waves, may I wade in the waters of love, and may I finally dive head-first into the heart and soul of the Almighty. Where is my swimming suit?
8.13.15 SENSES of the SOUL
John 11:25 VOICE
I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in death.
When I walk on the beach I feel like my senses truly are alive. The wind is usually blowing in my face, my eyes are dazzled by sunlight reflecting off the beach sand, the bass harmonies of rolling waves a constant roar, the smells and taste of salt air linger everywhere, and the touch of my barefeet on the sand brings to life the temperature changes, the stones and shells. Barefoot on the beach can be a sensory overload! It is easy to discover traces of God-Light everywhere.
We are created in the image of God, filled with God-love and God-mercy. Why do we hide it? Why do we cover up our God-within through pride and egoism, abundance and busyness? Perhaps because it is risky to let the light shine. It involves trust and faith to peel off the layers of protection and live solely with God alone pouring from our soul. We wear a costume of humanity, a mask of our mortal being, when our inner self is capable of radiating God. Renew us, Lord. Free us from our underwear of humanness! Help us discard our pretense and truly live in your image.
Peace. Rivers of love. Unseen mysteries. Truly alive. I love the visual images that come to mind when praying Newell's prayers. These evening closing prayers really are for night, not as I sit at daybreak overlooking the dawn strike the clouds and waves of the ocean. But I am feeling much more peace this morning than two days ago. Mom and Jed are healing; The hikers are breaking camp and ready to head out; Liz is enroute to NYC and back today with Tommy. But there are still unseen mysteries waiting to be discovered, trickles of miscommunication and rivers of distrust to navigate for my brother, and the bumps and hurdles of life for us all that create discontent and unrest. Moments of stillness. Moments of quiet search for God's peace can make all the difference. May I be washed and restored in the river of love, O God.
8.9.15 In the Darkness: LIGHT!
John 1:5 MSG
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
SUNDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
May the grace of the night's stillness be mine
may the grace of the moon's guidance be mine
may the grace of heaven's vastness be mine
to renew my soul in sleep
to enlighten my dreams in the night
to open my spirit to eternity
until the angels of light awaken me
until the morning angels awaken me. JPN
 |
| Thanks to Hubbleimages.com for help with today's drawing! |
For some reason what struck me as I wrote the words of the prayer was how we approach the nighttime process of sleep. We seem to put it off rather than welcome it. It is a necessity of life rather than a process to be spiritually embraced. We go to bed hoping to be rested in the morning, but rarely do I consider the time for spiritual enlightenment, for renewal of my soul. There is the darkness of the unseen in the night, but the Light of Life shines through. God's presence is so very visible in the vast eternity of the universe, the beauty of a clear sky and the Milky Way, the intricate colors and designs of space as revealed by Hubble and technology. May I allow this Life-Light to blaze in my sleep and wrap me in the wonder and beauty of God.
8.10.15 Windsong of the Spirit
John 3:8 GNT
The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
MONDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
O Brother Jesus
who wept at the death of a friend
and overturned tables in anger at wrong
let me not be frightened by the depths of passion.
Rather let me learn the love and anger
and wild expanses of soul with me
that are true expressions of your grace and wisdom.
And assure me again that in becoming more like you
I come closer to my true self
made in the image of outpouring Love
born of the free eternal Wind. JPN
This seems so appropriate because the other day we were discussing John Denver's Windsong. I'll close with the final verse from the song:
So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers,Follow her summons when she calls again,In your heart and your Spirit, let the breezes surround you, Lift up your voice then and sing with the wind.Substitute the concept of Spirit-God-Wind into the lines and 'follow the summons'!
8.11.15 RECKLESS IN LOVE
John 12:24-25 MSG
Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
TUESDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
Glory be to you, O Holy Seed of all that has been born
for earth, sea and sky in vibrancy of color.
Glory be to you O Light of Life
for your liberation of earth's bound treasures.
Glory be to you O River of delight
surging through the heart of creation.
Renew me this night in the depths of sleep,
set free my dreams of the unknown.
Safeguard this time of resting, O God,
enfold me in the darkness of the night. JPN
O Holy Seed. Light of Life. River of Delight. Reckless in love. These are the words that strike me this morning. I've written this week of rivers and light. So perhaps today I'll focus on reckless. Reckless is defined as unconcerned about the consequences of an action. It seems to me Jesus was often reckless in love - he didn't care if he angered the religious leaders or worked on the Sabbath or ticked someone off. If love was the right thing to do at that moment, Jesus loved. (And when isn't love in the right?) But to me reckless in love also implies unselfish in love or without concern for the personal consequences of my loving action. Will people laugh? Will I be in danger? It doesn't matter. Love with abandon. Love without regard for consequences. Just plant the seed of love. Over and over. And in so doing we will find the River of Delight.
8.12.15 Eternal Waves
John 8:32 MSG
“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”
WEDNESDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
In the beginning, O God,
you placed seeds in the womb of the earth.
On the surface of the earth and in its seas and skies
you made male and female of every species.
And above the earth
you called the two great lights into relationship.
Renew me this night
in the fruitful intermingling that you have woven into creation
that I may wake to the morning
enlivened by love
that I may wake to the morning
enlivened by love. JPN
I took a walk on the beach yesterday and as I stood and watched the waves roll in, constant, predictable, the eternal ebb and flow of water, it occurred to me that the shore is very much a metaphor for God. I could see love washing up on each surge of wave, sometimes a smooth flow of liquid, more often in a froth of foam and turbulence. God comes to us in both the peace and chaos of our lives, but God always comes. I watched children playing, jumping waves, splashing God-love everywhere. Children do that; they approach God with wild abandon. I saw some older women timidly near the water, then turn and run when it appeared they might get wet. We all react in such a way at times, fleeing when we get too close to God, the reality too intense. But I also realized that we HAVE to get wet to experience the ocean; we have to dive in to realize the power of God's love, the faithfulness of God's presence.
The God-waves of love will roll into our lives unchanging, steady, and consistent, waiting for us to take the risk of stepping into the unfamiliar waters and discovering the freedom of going to sea with God. May I always hear the reassuring sound of the waves, may I wade in the waters of love, and may I finally dive head-first into the heart and soul of the Almighty. Where is my swimming suit?8.13.15 SENSES of the SOUL
John 11:25 VOICE
I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in death.
THURSDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER:
You have given me eyes to see with, O God,
and ears to hear life's sounds and sorrows
and yet my seeing and hearing
like my tasting and touching
are wounded and weakened by failures.
As rest can heal the sores of a body
and sleep restores its strength
so may your angels of grace visit me in the night
that the senses of my soul may be born afresh.
Visit my dreams with messengers of grace, O God,
that the senses of my soul may be born again. JPN
When I walk on the beach I feel like my senses truly are alive. The wind is usually blowing in my face, my eyes are dazzled by sunlight reflecting off the beach sand, the bass harmonies of rolling waves a constant roar, the smells and taste of salt air linger everywhere, and the touch of my barefeet on the sand brings to life the temperature changes, the stones and shells. Barefoot on the beach can be a sensory overload! It is easy to discover traces of God-Light everywhere.
I am keeping a journal this year of my daily God-Glimpses: moments and situations, encounters with a sliver of the Almighty. Some days I think my God-sensory receptors are finely tuned and I can't write 'sightings' down fast enough. Other times my 'senses of the soul' seem to be turned off and I am blind to God-encounters. May I continue to be daily restored to receive God in each and every way we meet in the days ahead.
Later....I took Mom to the eye doctor today and while we were waiting I starting sketching an EYE! (How appropriate!) Since the eye is one of our senses I figured I could finish with a Bandon themed drawing filled with my prayers of thanks and glimpses of God at work.
8.14.15
John 6:63 MSG
The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.
Later....I took Mom to the eye doctor today and while we were waiting I starting sketching an EYE! (How appropriate!) Since the eye is one of our senses I figured I could finish with a Bandon themed drawing filled with my prayers of thanks and glimpses of God at work.
8.14.15
John 6:63 MSG
The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.
FRIDAY EVENING CLOSING PRAYER
Renew me this night in the image of your love
Renew me in the likeness of your mercy, O God.
May any refusal to forgive
that lingers with me from the day
any bitterness of soul
that hardens my heart
be softened by your graces of the night.
Renew me in the image of your love, O God,
renew me in the likeness of your mercy. JPN
I walked on the beach early this morning and started pondering my meditations while on the shore. I knew that the Friday readings concentrated on our being made in the image of God. As thoughts started coming to my mind about how we shroud ourselves in schedules and wealth, materialism and indifference, I used the verbal notes on my phone to remember some of it. Not a good idea. Here is what I found when I returned: "Me too God like hidden in all of that but we cover that I did underwears free him materials fail" UNDERWEAR FREES HIM? What kind of hidden message is that, Lord?? I'm not even sure I can remember the phrase I said from that garbled mess!
I am finished with Newell's book. I love the simple language and the God-in-everything aspect of Celtic traditions. Now what? I'll have to figure that out tomorrow.
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