The rising winds,
And falling springs,
Birds, beasts, all things
Adore him in their kinds.
Thus all is hurled
In sacred hymns, and order, the great chime
And symphony of nature. Prayer is
The world in tune,
A spirit-voice,
And vocal joys
Whose echo is heaven’s bliss.
--Henry Vaughn--

Refreshment

Spring is finally here, and one can find refreshment in the blue of the sky, the beauty of the flowers, and the green of the budding trees. God’s creation is a wonderful place to turn when our souls are parched and dry. In fact Creation is often referred to as "The Fifth Gospel," for in it we find testimony to God’s enduring faithfulness to us.

This week I am spending as much time as possible on the NCR trail, with our dog Stella. I find it a place for deep refreshment, where I can pour out my heart to God as I walk, and receive God’s quiet wisdom through sights, sounds and scents of nature.

For God’s goodness cannot help but echo through the beauty of spring, and remind us of the joy of resurrection, of new life, of hope. Rejoice in God’s gift of this world, and hear his voice echo amid the beauty.

Awake, my soul
Awake lyre and harp,
I mean to wake the dawn!
I mean to thank you among the peoples,
To sing your praise among the nations.
Your love reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Rise high above the heavens, God,
Let your glory cover the earth!
--Psalm 57-8-11--

A Troubled Heart
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God,
Believe also in me.
John 14:1

There are many ways in which our hearts are troubled these days, and yet I don’t suppose it was much different for the disciples listening to these words of Jesus.

We are confused, and afraid. Sometimes we are angry or obsessed by things over which we have little control.

Where is the heart?

For some it seems to be the ground of the emotion or affection, for others the place of intuition and common sense.

The heart of prayer is that place where God and human intertwine to bring about love and peace and serenity.

This does not mean that the spiritual heart is a place without movement. The peace of God is a deep sense of Presence and that can be a life-changing reality.

At Contemplative Prayer on Monday Night we prayed with the passage from the Gospel of John, and I focused on just these few lines.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God,
Believe also in me."
John 14:1

Belief in God sustains me in crisis and in joy, in small confusions and in large difficulties.

It is not an opiate, to still my anxiety; rather it is a rock upon which to stand, when the ground beneath me is drifting away.

Belief, or faith, is in fact the way in which I am oriented to the world.

I am listening for God’s whispers in the breeze. I am walking through God’s creation in the forest and on the fields. I am seeing the power of the Spirit as waves crash against seashore and return.

Everywhere, and in everything I am seeking the Living Lord, the Lover of my Soul, and the reason for my being.

So-let not your hearts be troubled-for God is coming to you in small ways and large.

God is coming.

And God is already here.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C.S. Lewis

Blessings,
Debra

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

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
And though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,
And though the mountains tremble at it tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Be still, then, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
--Psalm 46:1-3, 11,12--

This Week at St. James:

Thursday: 7:00 Pre-Convention meeting for delegates at Emmanuel, Belair
Friday: 10:00 am Theology and Spirit
Saturday: 10:00 Memorial Liturgy for Lori Spencer
Sunday: St. James visits St. Mary’s Walbrook for their 10:00 service.
Monday: 10:00 CS Lewis Book Study; 7pm Women’s Contemplative Prayer
Wednesday: 8:30 Healing Eucharist; 9:30 Bible Study

Prayers Etc.

For those on our prayer list:
Carol W.; Chris and Adele; Cathy A.; David; Arabella
Brittany; Owen; Jennifer D.; Rob C.; Nancy K.
Andrew; Jason; Mimi and Poppa B.; Larry
Betsy

For the repose of the soul of Lori Spencer and for her family and friends who mourn.
For Laura Brecht, our seminarian
For those who are deployed and their families.

Lord, you are my lover,
My longing,
My flowing stream,
My sun,
And I am your reflection.
--Mechtild of Magdeburg--

In Closing:

Canticle of Creation

Most high, all powerful, good Lord,
to You be praise, glory and honor and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and there is no man worthy to name You.
Praise be to You, my Lord, with all Your creatures.
Chief of all is Sir Brother Sun,
who is our day; through whom You give light.
Beautiful is he, radiant, with great splendor.
He is a true revealer of You, Most High.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Moon and for the stars.
In heaven You have formed them, bright, precious and fair.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Wind,
and for the air, and for the cloud, for clear sky and for all weathers,
by which You give nourishment to all Your creatures.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Water.
She is most useful and humble, precious and pure.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Fire,
by whom You light up the night.
Fair is he and merry, mighty and strong.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Mother Earth,
who sustains and keeps us.
She brings forth divers fruits,
the many-hued flowers and grass.
You, my Lord, for those who grant pardon for love of You,
and bear weakness and buffetings.
Blessed are they who live in peace,
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Bodily Death,
From whom no living man can flee.
Woe to them who die in mortal sin!
But blessed they who shall find themselves
in Your most holy will;
to them the second death shall do no ill.
--St. Francis of Assisi--

Pax et Bonum,
Loree+

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