Pax et Bonum

The Online worship resource for St. James Parish

September 2, 2009

Now to him who is able to do
Immeasurably more than we ask or imagine...
To him be glory in the church...
Ephesians: 3:20-21
O God of truth, eternal ground of all that is,
Beyond space and time yet within them,
Transcending all things yet pervading them:
Show yourself to us,
For we go about in ignorance;
Reveal yourself to us,
For it is you that we seek,
O triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen
---from the Book of Occasional Services---

Unexpected Blessings

Have you ever had the experience of finding great encouragement unexpectedly? One finds oneself facing discouragement, and in the midst of frustration one is brought a kernel of hope. It is like finding the Pearl of Great Price – the discouragement lessens, and hope takes hold.

Today I was re-using some file folder I had used for a different purpose, and out of one of them floated a piece of paper that had Ephesians 3:14-21 written on it. At some time in the past, I had copied that verse down, perhaps for a day such as this.

One of the statements this verse holds reads: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge...

God continually offers his love to us, at unexpected times, in unexpected places, and continually offers us reminders of that love, if we are paying attention. To know the love of Christ in its depth, height, and length, is a lifelong study; for it is so great, we cannot understand it. It is Christ’s love that brings us hope in difficult times, rising out of the unknown as a phoenix rises from the ashes.

Let us continue to encourage one another in this great love of Christ. It is the substance that beats back fear, anger, disappointment, and unforgiveness.

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (Eph. 3:14)

Lord God,
In the beginning of creation
You called forth light to dispel the darkness
That lay upon the face of the deep:
Deliver us from the powers of evil
And illumine us with the light of your presence,
That with open eyes and glad hearts
They may worship you and serve you,
Now and forever;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
---from the Book of Occasional Services---

Contemplative Living

Grounded in the Everyday

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Psalm 85

I want to begin to move into our explorations of spirit this fall with a series on contemplative living. As we leave behind the slower pace of summer, let us continue to embrace moments of stillness, which lead to a richer awareness of God’s presence in our quotidian experiences.

Contemplative living is not something that is cordoned off within monastic enclosures.

Contemplative living is active, based on everyday experiences, and grounded in prayer.

Contemplative living assumes a movement toward attentiveness and prayer, listening to the voice of the spirit in all things.

"Let me hear what God will speak."
This is the ground of living a contemplative life.
Listening to the deeper voice that speaks to the heart.

Orienting our listening in a new way means that we pay attention to some different stimuli. Instead of watching the news one night, we might watch the sunset.

Instead of shopping as a pastime, perhaps we could take a walk or go to a museum. What we expose our eyes and ears to, determines a lot of how we experience our day.

This week, try replacing an anxiety provoking experience with a more spirit-centered experience.

Imagine a chair waiting for you in a calm bower. The chair is always empty, unless you fill it. It is waiting for you alone-no one else.

This is your place of listening. This is your place of bringing the experiences of your day to the heart of God, and pondering them together.

This is the place of prayer and a beginning of being grounded in contemplative living.

Blessings,
Debra

Daily Morning Prayer

Daily Morning Prayer

This Week at St. James

Sunday September 13: Endings and Beginnings: A Farewell Service to Worship 9, at 9:00 a.m.

Prayers Etc.

For those on our prayer list:

For Matt Rogers, our postulant
For those who are deployed and their families.

O God, help me to see as far as I can
And then trust you with all beyond my sight;
I ask to know your will and way,
And for your strength to do and follow it,
Day by day.

In Closing:

O Christ,
You take upon yourself all our burdens
So that freed of all that weighs us down,
We can constantly begin anew to walk
With lightened step,
From worry towards trusting,
From the shadows toward the clear flowing water,
From our own will towards the vision of the
Coming Kingdom.
And then we know,
Though we had hardly dared hop it,
That you offer to make every human being
A reflection of your face.
---from the Taize Community---

Pax et Bonum,
Loree+

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