Dear Friends,
We pray you are safe and well.
Today's Meditation comes to us from Fr. Austin Fleming who celebrates all of our gifts that we have received from You and built upon with You. You commission us to pass them on to others.
This is your Economy of Abundance: when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer. NOTE the continuation of our conversations on race on Saturday January 9 (details below, to register here is the link:)
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYod-ygqDwiH9QYyCDaQEFUle9YWzQ24sit
We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in healthcare, in the workplace, in the Church--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.
In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well.
We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this challenging time.
May this Season of New Beginnings be a time of peace, of healing and hope, of the infusion of joy in your life!
With our love and care,
Ron & Jean
MEDITATION 244: All I have comes from You, My God and You commission me to pass it on. In the words of Rev. Austin Fleming:
Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 1/5
Posted: 04 Jan 2021 06:41 PM PST
Image source
I hope that graphic caught your eye! Actually, Christmas began on Christmas Eve - but it's not over yet - not even with Epiphany! On the church calendar, the Christmas season runs through this coming Sunday and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. What I offer here for your prayerful attention is that the REAL WORK of Christmas is about to begin. The text below is traced back to Howard Thurman. Among a variety of interpretations online, here's my take on Thurman's words. Let's pray...
When the song of the angels
is stilled,
When the star in the sky
is gone,
When the shepherds
are back with their flocks,
When family and friends
have gone home,
When the tree's
been taken down,
When we're back
on our regular schedules
THEN the work of Christmas begins...
To welcome the refugee,
To heal our planet,
To feed the hungry,
To set captives free,
To embrace the excluded,
To tear down walls,
To build bridges
To reverence life in all its forms,
To share our gifts,
To spread the wealth,
To work for justice,
To make peace,
And to bring Christ's light
to the world…
NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 1/4
Posted: 04 Jan 2021 05:27 PM PST
Of all I have, Lord,
all's a gift
from your heart and hand
to mine...
My being, my life,
my heart and my soul,
my mind and best thoughts
- all these are your gifts to me...
My family and friends,
my roof and my food,
my freedom to hope and believe
- all are your gifts to me, Lord...
My talents and skills,
my dreams and ideas,
intuitions and creativity
- all these are gifts from your hand...
My faith and my trust,
my passion and love,
my joy and my strength
- all these are your gifts to me...
My desire for truth,
my hunger for peace,
my thirst for deep joy
- all these, your gifts to me, Lord,.,.
Nothing I have is all my own
for all's on loan from you to me:
given to me to give away,
to share with those in need...
Of all I have, Lord,
all's a gift
from your heart and hand
to mine...
For all I've received I thank you
and for all I have
I offer you praise:
Giver of all every good gift...
Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake,
and watch over my sleep tonight
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
All Is Gift by Luke Spehar
What do I have that has not been given to me?
What do I have that is just my own?
When all vain pride is gone I see
that all is gift to me, given freely.
Now from my mother my body was taken,
my father too that's how I was made.
Creator's breath blew into this dust:
withdraw your love, Lord, I would go away.
What do I have that has not been given to me,
all my strength, clever wit or strong might?
Though I can choose what to do with all that I have,
the ability is no work of mine
What do I have that has not been given to me?
This faith I hold and believe,
this gift was withheld until my hands wearied of grasping,
slowly opened to fully receive.
What do I have that has not been given to me?
what do I have that is just my own?
When all vain pride is gone I see
that all is gift to be given freely.