Wide open spaces, sandy deserts, rugged mountain ranges, winding rivers, the blaze of wattle in springtime, the blush of leaves in autumn. This ancient land tells of God’s greatness, and speaks to me of God’s creativity. Grounded in this ancient, sacred land, quiet my mind as I come to prayer.
Your word is like the call of an eagle across the vast plains; it calls to me, rising above the sound of the wind, crying out until I pause and listen.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7
Like debris that fills an old riverbed, my soul is sometimes cluttered with too many things. Holy One, I offer to you all that gets in the way of time with you.
You spoke and I listened. In a deeper way than I can understand, your words have taken root in my being, and will continue to nourish me. May I return to this day like the desert that yields flowers after the rains have come. Amen.
No matter the religion or denomination in which we are raised, our spirituality still comes through the first filter of our own life experience. We must begin to be honest about this instead of pretending that any of us are formed exclusively by scriptures or our churches or religious traditions. There is no such thing as an entirely unbiased position. The best we can do is own and be honest about our own filters. God allows and invites us to trust our own experience.
No matter the religion or denomination in which we are raised, our spirituality still comes through the first filter of our own life experience. We must begin to be honest about this instead of pretending that any of us are formed exclusively by scriptures or our churches or religious traditions. There is no such thing as an entirely unbiased position. The best we can do is own and be honest about our own filters. God allows and invites us to trust our own experience.
It’s unfortunate that we lost the bread and fish ritual meal, because the bread and wine ritual meal didn’t emphasize this idea of surplus: real food that actually fed the poor.
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