The online worship resource from St. James Parish
of the spiritual life."
Simone Weil
Give one thing more a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be
Thy praise.
George Herbert
Spring is Here!
One of my favorite verses comes from the Song of Solomon:
"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth, and the time of the singing of the birds is come."
A few weeks ago, during the warm spell we had, I came to church early Sunday morning, and there must have been hundreds of robins on the grass. It had rained the night before, and no doubt the worms were near the surface of the ground. The robins were having a feast, the air was full of the sound of birds, and there was hope in the air.
Alas, we entered back into winter, and now it appears that while spring officially began March 20, it will be a while before we see its beauty all around us. Yet there are still early signs: the birds, the daffodils, the crocus…
It is a good reminder of the season of Lent, a time of waiting and preparing for the passion and resurrection of Christ. We are uncomfortable with waiting we want action! Yet it is during the waiting for spring that the buds begin to appear, the birds begin to come home, and the darkness of winter begins to recede.
How can we make this waiting a fruitful time?
We can cultivate an attitude of thankfulness for the daily blessings God brings us as we wait for new life. We can sink deeply into the fertile ground of our being, listening for God's loving voice. We can till the soil, removing the weeds of sin, making way for seeds of fruitfulness. We can water the garden of our heart with tears for those who are broken, hungry, cold, and despairing. And we can wait on God to bring the seeds of His love to life in our hearts.
The hardest thing, God of patience and love,
Is the waiting,
Letting mysterious resources take over
And make new life out of seeming death.
I am never quite sure what I am waiting for.
In winter it is difficult to imagine life
Rising from the cold earth.
Yet the gardener learns to wait patiently,
Trusting the process that occurs
Hidden in the darkness.
- From Garden Prayers
The wild thyme unseen and the wild strawberry,
The laughter in the garden, echoed ecstasy
Not lost, but requiring, pointing to the agony
Of death and birth.
T.S. Eliot
Debra's Midweek Meditation
"...but the people became impatient on the way."
This short sentiment describes the movement of the entire Old Testament.
Of course, it also describes the daily experience of many of us attempting to listen to and obey God in our daily lives, doesn't it?
This short statement is from Numbers.
The people-the Israelites-
once again wishing for Egypt where food and slavery were familiar!
Stuck in the desert the people can't see further than their appetites or fears.
But this is the same desert through which they will become a new people; this is the same desert Jesus spent time in; the same desert that inspired the Christian monastic movement.
The desert is a fearsome place, but it is a place of transformation as well.
We all have desert places in our lives. These are places where our fears and our desires get the better of us, unless we let God minister to us there.
When we walk through the desert guided by the Holy Spirit we find our own promised land, our own new freedoms on the other side.
Where is your desert?
Who is leading you through it?
Blessings,
Debra
- Alcuin of York
In the crowded life we lead,
Find the room for hope to enter,
Find the frame where we are freed;
Clear the chaos and the clutter,
Clear our eyes, that we may see
All the things that really matter
Be at peace and simply be.
Shirley Erena Murray
This week at St. James
Sunday: 8 a.m. noon Paul's Place Brunch
10:15 Children's Morning Prayer in STM
11:45 Confirmation, Activity Rooms
Monday: 10:00 Narnia Book Study
Wednesday: 8:30 Healing Eucharist
6:30 Lenten Soup Supper
7:00 Bishop Rabb in the Meditation Chapel
Thursday: 5:30 Seafarer's Harbor Cruise
Sunday April 2, the Rehoboth Welsh Choir will be performing at St. James at 3:00.
Prayers Etc:
For those in need of healing and their families:
Ellie Anna Nancy Tony Joel Arabella
Tamara Dave Jeffrey Brittany Bill Jason
David Debbie Lovisah Leib & Carlyn Jewell
Keith Sue Ron Kathy Owen Kent
Jack Alice Bart Justin Mary Fox
Bernie Clayton Family Nancy Betsey Steffi
Lesli Bock Family Pam P.
Jon T. Hannah Bill Gavin
Laura our seminarian, and her husband Lyle
All those who are deployed and their families
The following prayer, timeless in its message, is attributed to George Washington. Nancy Groff shares it with us:
Almighty God,
Father of All Men:
To Thee we raise thankful hearts for deliverance from forces of evil…
Deliver us also, we beseech Thee, from the greater
Danger of ourselves,
Have mercy upon us and forgive us for our part in the
Present desolation of the world.
Awake us each time to a sense of our responsibility in saving the world from ruin.
Open our minds and eyes and hearts to the desperate plight of millions.
Arouse us from indifference into action.
Let none of us fail to give his utmost in sympathy, understanding, thought and effort.
Fulfill in us and through us
Thy glorious intention: that Thy peace,
Thy love, and Thy justice may enter into the regeneration of the world.
In Closing:
Lord, you are like a wild flower. You spring up in places where we least expect you. The bright colour of your grace dazzles us. When we reach down to pluck you, hoping to possess you for our own, you blow away in the wind. And if we tried to destroy you, by stamping on you and kicking you, you would come back to life. Lord, may we come to expect you anywhere and everywhere. May we rejoice in your beauty. Far from trying to possess you, may you possess us.
(Henry Suso)
Pax et Bonum,
Loree