Pax et Bonum
The Online worship resource for St. James Parish

"Hear ye not the hum of mighty workings?"
- John Keats

Bless to me, O God,
Each thing mine eye sees;
Bless to me, O God,
Each sound mine ear hears;
Bless to me, O God,
Each odor that goes to my nostrils;
Bless to me, O God,
Each taste that goes to my lips;
Each not that goes to my song,
Each ray that guides my way,
Each thing that I pursue,
Each lure that tempts my will,
The zeal that seeks my living soul,
The Three that seek my heart,
The zeal that seeks my living soul,
The Three that seek my heart.

Spiritual Hearing
This morning at the healing Eucharist I was reminded once again of the importance of spiritual hearing. The passage from Mark for next Sunday tells the story of Jesus healing a deaf man - it is a foreshadowing of Jesus' talk with his disciples, in which he tells them that he is going to be crucified. Peter's answer to Jesus was, "no, that can never happen!" Peter failed to hear God's message, hearing only what he wanted to hear. Sometimes what we hear, from scripture, or in our environment, isn't what we want to hear, and we close our ears to its message.


Recently I have been reading a book on the Celtic way of prayer. In Celtic spirituality, the emphasis is on the now - the ever-present conversation with God. Celtic spirituality is full of prayers for morning, evening, for the hearth, the loom, the kitchen, birth, death, and transitions. It is in the present moment that we are able to commune with God.

In today's issue of the Pax, I am including some of the Celtic prayers that infused their world with hearing and speaking with God. You may not find a prayer over the loom that helpful to you, but perhaps it will give you ideas of ways you can pray during your morning commute, sitting in the doctor's office, taking kids to school, cooking, and in the myriad activities that fill our days.

Bless to me, O God,
My soul and my body;
Bless to me, O God,
My belief and my condition;
Bless to me, O God,
My heart and my speech,
And bless to me, O God,
The handling of my hand;
Strength and busyness of morning,
Habit and temper of modesty,
Force and wisdom of thought,
And thine own path, O God of virtues,
Till I go to sleep this night;
Thine own, path, O God of virtues,
Till I go to sleep this night.

Debra’s Midweek Meditation
"From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice..."
Mark 7:24

This begins the story of the Syrophoenician woman, who argues with Jesus for justice and healing for her daughter.

Jesus has just left one debate with the Pharisees about what constitutes true uncleanness.

From debate to debate, Jesus struggles to find a still place where He can be quiet, alone, and unremarkable.

And yet, His light shines so brightly that it cannot be hidden.


Here is a clue for us about what it means to follow Christ. Going away for a while is a necessary step in our journey, but we must be prepared, wherever we are, to be witnesses to the brilliance of the Savior.

I have just returned from some time away. It didn't turn out the way I thought it would. I was planning on rest, but the forces of nature were planning on recovery and clean up. I could grumble-which I did silently and under my breath,or- I could make a witness of preparing my little home for the next visitors and wish that they might experience rest.

There was no joy in grumpiness, but there was joy in sweeping and dusting and decorating so that the house could welcome its next weary travelers.

I do not know whether they will rest, but I pray that they do. I also pray that they experience the light of God's love during their time away from the work-a-day world.

At a convent I go to, guests are encouraged to pray for those who will come after them.

I have begun to pray for those who will use my little cottage at the beach.

So--even though they are strangers, like the Syrophoenician woman was for Jesus--they are brothers and sisters on the way toward God.

Blessings,
Debra

Daily Morning Prayer
http://www.episcopalchurchingarrettcounty.org/morning_prayer.htm

This week at St. James
Saturday: 9:00 Regional Youth Council meeting in the Parish Hall; 9:00 Red Cross Babysitter Training in the Parish Library
Sunday: Our 9:00 Family Service is back!; 10:15 Sunday School begins.; Installation of St. James Academy Student Council; 4 - 7 pm School and Church Picnic
Monday: 8:45 Entertaining Angels meet in the Choir Room; 10:00 CS Lewis Narnia study is back!
Tuesday: Voting is here at St. James; 7:30 Vestry meeting
Wednesday: Healing Eucharist

Sunday September 17: Our Ministries Fair will be happening from 8:00 until Noon in the Parish Hall. Come and see what St. James is doing in the wider community, and see where you might be called to participate. AND we will be officially welcoming Art and Erica that day, with lunch.

Sunday September 24: High School Youth Group meets in THE DEEP, down under….for more information contact Ana Lightle or Loree Penner.

Loom Blessing

Bless, O Chief of generous chiefs,
My loom and everything a-near me,
Bless me in my every action,
Make Thou me safe while I live.
Every web, black, white, and fair,
Roan, dun, checked and red,
Give Thy blessing everywhere,
On every shuttle passing under the thread.

Thus will my loom be unharmed,
Till I shall arise on Monday;
Beauteous Mary will give me hear love,
And there shall be no obstruction I shall not overcome.

Prayers, Etc.
For those who are deployed and their families.
For Laura and Lyle.
For those who mourn.
For those on our prayer list:

Dot; Sue; Lori; Bill; Sarah; Joel
Toni; Anna; Philip; David; Brooke; Brian G.
Leib & Carlyn; Lovisah; Jeffrey; Miriam F.; Pat Easter
Traskey Family; Harold Fitch; Walter Rasmussen
Matthew Day; Sharon C.; Gage C.; Auds
Bob Dieter; Joan Lopez & Family; Avery; Annabelle
Tom & Kathy Hyle

The Path of Right

My walk this day with God
My walk this day with Christ,
My walk this day with Spirit,
The Threefold all-kindly:
Ho! Ho! Ho! The Threefold all kindly.

My shielding this day from ill,
My shielding this night from harm,
Ho! Ho! Both my soul and my body,
Be by Father, By Son, by Holy Spirit:
By Father, by Son, by Holy Spirit.

Be the Father shielding me,
Be the Son shielding me,
Be the Spirit shielding me,
As Three and as One:
Ho! Ho! Ho! As Three and as One.

In Closing:
Bless, O God, the Hearth

Bless, O God, the fire,
As Thou didst bless the Virgin;
Bless, O God, the hearth,
As Thou didst bless the Sabbath.
Bless, O God, the household,
According as Jesus said;
Bless, O God, the family,
As becomes us to offer it.
Bless, O God, the house,
Bless, O God, the fire,
Bless, O God, the hearth;
Be Thyself our stay.
May the Being of life bless.
May the Christ of love bless.
May the Spirit Holy bless
Each one and all.
Each one and all.

May God's blessing be yours,
And well may it befall you.

Pax et Bonum,
Loree+

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