prayer – Page 9 – Hear what the Spirit is saying

Wind Chimes: 15 Dec 2012

Even in a silence like death, the chimes sound.
We hear them in our hearts.

What do you hear?

For the children of Newtown

Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
In Newtown, Connecticut,
Children whose lives were cut off by violence,
All who fell at the hand of anger,
A rampage beyond understanding.
The future was severed.
Hopes, joys and dreams
Lost to brutality.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of mercy,
Remember, too, the survivors of this attack,
Parents,
Sisters and brothers,
Witnesses of shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal,
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.

Remember the families and friends
Of the dead and the bereaved
With comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.
May they find hope and grace.

Heavenly Guide,
Source of love,
Guard the children of Newtown.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

Read Alden Solovy’s introduction to his prayer.

The author of this prayer, Alden Solovy, “is a liturgist, poet, teacher, editor and writing coach, … he’s a father ….” Alden is Jewish and opens to me the rich poetry of prayer that is the heritage of the Jewish Faith. He posts regularly to his blog, To Bend Light. I recommend his blog to you. This prayer/post contains links to other prayers (“sadly” he laments) written after other recent mass slayings. ~dan

Links to online Advent Calendars

Even in tragedy, Advent continues. Perhaps this event will demand that we better incorporate the Advent spirituality into our daily lives. ~dan

Each of these has a different approach. Find one that helps you “prepare the way.” Find one that helps you focus on God as you make your way into the loving arms of God.

Trinity Wall Street Online Advent Calendar

Busted Halo Online Advent Calendar

CREDO Online Advent Calendar

Image: The Candles Spot

Wind Chimes: 27 Nov 2012 #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday™ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.

Mission Statement
Go to the Home Page for #GivingTuesday

Compassion is in the wind that moves the chimes today. What do you hear?

Earlier today …

… I was reminded of the wisdom of Marian Wright Edelman (ht Diane Noble and Gratefulness.org)

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

Please make a difference today, no matter how small—it really does “add up.”

Let awareness inspire your giving today

To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us. . . and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference. . . .

Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Photo: YouTube video introducing #GivingTuesday

Wind Chimes: 26 Nov 2012

Tuesday, November 27, 2012. Click to find out more

No one has ever become poor by giving.

Anne Frank

The wind does not require anything of you, it is a gift. The sounds made by the chimes do not require anything of you, they are a gift. Generosity sounds in the chimes today. How long will it last? Forever. What do you hear?

What a great idea: #GivingTuesday

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. This year help create #GivingTuesday™, the giving season’s opening day.

On Tuesday November 27, 2012 charities, families, businesses and individuals are coming together to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.

It’s a simple idea. Find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to join in acts of giving. Tell everyone you can about what you are doing and why it matters. Join a national celebration of our great tradition of generosity.
And together we’ll create ways to give more, give better and give smarter.
~#GivingTuesday introduction

Go to the Home Page for #GivingTuesday

In gratitude

In gratitude, in deep gratitude
for this moment
this experience
these people,
we give ourselves to you.

Lead us out
to live as changed people
because we have shared the Living Bread
and cannot remain the same.

Ask much of us,
expect much from us,
enable much by us,
encourage many through us.

So, Lord, may we live to your glory,
both as citizens of earth
and citizens of the commonwealth of heaven
where our pilgrimage will be complete.

Pritchard, John (2011-09-12). Pocket Prayers for Pilgrims (Search term: gratitude). Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd. Kindle Edition.

Photo: Logo for #GivingTuesday from the website for #GivingTuesday

Wind Chimes: 23 Nov 2012

[Hannah] was deeply distressed
and prayed to the Lord,
and wept bitterly.

Hannah was praying silently;
only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard

1 Samuel 1:10, 13 NRSV

Like a prayer, again, the wind sounds the chimes. What do you hear?

Prayer as a quest

The purpose of prayer is not prayer. The purpose of prayer is to come to love God as much as possible with all the insights into the nature and presence of God this world allows. […] in prayer we are seeking the God who is seeking us. … Prayer is the process of learning to listen.

“So What is the Prayer Life?” in Ideas in Passing by Joan Chittister (05/16/2011) excerpted from The Breath of the Soul: Reflections on Prayer by Joan Chittister (Twenty-Third Publications)

Prayer, like breathing …

Prayer is more like breathing. At times we may be especially conscious of it.…But breathing is never just one more task on our list of things to do. It is essential to life; without it we die. Prayer, like breathing, is essential to our life in God. Without it, our spiritual lives cannot be sustained.

From “Prayer” on Brother Give Us a Word a daily meditation of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE).

Be still

God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be praised in all the nations;
I will be praised throughout the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 (New Century Version)

Photo: by Wing-Chi Poon on Wikimedia Commons

Wind Chimes: 22 Nov 2012

Grateful to hear the sounds at all, I pause and I pray. What do you hear? What is your response?

A Song of Creation: Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

I The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.

Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and heat. Winter and summer, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.

Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.

Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

II The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move in the waters.

All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.

O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

III The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

The Book of Common Prayer, pp 88-90

Photo: by Booksworm on Wikimedia Commons

Wind Chimes: 20 Nov 2012

[Hannah] was deeply distressed
and prayed to the Lord,
and wept bitterly.

Hannah was praying silently;
only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard

1 Samuel 1:10, 13 NRSV

Most days the wind constantly moves the chimes but we are not aware, we are easily distracted by other sounds. Slow down, pause, become aware, become attentive. What do you hear?

Every moment could be a moment of prayer

Consider prayer a lifting up of heart and mind to God with Brother David Steindl-Rast. This audio clip is approximately 3 minutes long.

Prayer as a lifting of heart and mind to God Play an audio clip

Begin with your experiences as you explore prayer

Most of us know the experience of prayer. We may remember prayers taught to us in childhood. Prayers offered in our church communities may have meaning for us. Many of us can recall a time of pain, agony or despair when a prayer was pulled out of us with surprising strength: “Oh God, help me, help me!” or “Why, God, why?”

Often we remember times of great wonder during which we experienced God’s presence. A sunset, a piece of music, or a baby’s smile he]ps us to remember that God speaks to us in many ways if we are open and willing to see and to listen. When our hearts are touched by the wonder of God we often respond with words of gratitude or praise or simply an inner smile of joy.

We are all pray-ers; we know how to pray. But when we think about learning to pray we forget our experience and turn outside ourselves for answers and insights. The first step in exploring the life of prayer is to begin with the experiences that are uniquely ours.

From an online essay, Exploring a Life of Prayer by Jane E. Vennard (archived on Religion Online)

A Morning Prayer

Lord you are in this place, Fill us with your power, Cover us with your peace, Show us your presence.

Lord help us to know, We are in your hands, We are under your protection, We are covered by your love.

Lord we ask you, today, To deliver us from evil, To guide us in our travels, To defend us from all harm.

Lord give us now, Eyes to see the invisible, Ears to hear your call, Hands to do your work, And hearts to respond to your love.

David Adam. Border Lands: The Best of David Adam’s Celtic Vision (p. 23). Kindle Edition.

Photo: by Sam Javanrouh and posted on Facebook by Indian Country Today Media Network on November 16, 2012.

Wind Chimes: 19 Nov 2012

[Hannah] was deeply distressed
and prayed to the Lord,
and wept bitterly.

Hannah was praying silently;
only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard

1 Samuel 1:10, 13 NRSV

The chimes, barely audible, sound like a prayer today. What do you hear?

Prayer is

Prayer is, then, to speak more boldly, a conversation with God. Though whispering, consequently, and not opening the lips, we speak in silence, yet we cry inwardly. For God hears continually the whole inward conversation. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215) Stromateis 7.7.

Cindy Crosby;Thomas C. Oden. Ancient Christian Devotional: Lectionary Cycle B (Search term: Proper 28). Kindle Edition.

Prayer is

Prayer is responding to God,
by thought and by deeds,
with or without words.

From the Book of Common Prayer, page 856

Take our tears, Lord

Take our tears, Lord: to water the seeds of prayer.

Psalm 6:6–9

I grow weary because of my groaning
every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.

My eyes are wasted with grief
and worn away because of all my enemies.

Depart from me, all evildoers
for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.

The LORD has heard my supplication
the LORD accepts my prayer.

Take our tears, Lord: to water the seeds of prayer.

Claiborne, Shane; Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan; Okoro, Enuma (2010-11-09). Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 168). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Photo: by epSos.de on Wikimedia Commons

Wind Chimes: 11 Nov 2012

It is right, and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth …

Prayer beginning our Great Thanksgiving

Many of us will gather to offer “thanks and praise” to God today. All of us, as we are reminded in this video, are invited to welcome the gift of a new day with gratitude, with thanks and praise. We are further invited to share the gift as a blessing. As we give thanks today, let us especially take every opportunity to thank our Veterans for their service to us and to our country. Furthermore, let us put our words into actions throughout the year as we make sure our Veterans, our wounded Veterans in particular, are cared for by a grateful nation.

The chimes sound blessings today? What do you hear? How will you respond? ~dan

A prayer for Veterans

God of compassion,
God of dignity and strength,
Watch over the veterans of the United States
In recognition of their loyal service to our nation.
Bless them with wholeness and love.
Shelter them.
Heal their wounds,
Comfort their hearts.
Grant them peace.

God of justice and truth,
Rock of our lives,
Bless our veterans,
These men and women of courage and valor,
With a deep and abiding understanding
Of our profound gratitude.
Protect them and their families from loneliness and want.
Grant them lives of joy and bounty.
May their dedication and honor
Be remembered as a blessing
From generation to generation.

Blessed are You,
Protector and Redeemer,
Our Shield and our Stronghold.

Video: TED on WordPress

Wind Chimes: 10 Nov 2012

renew in us … the gift of joy and wonder in all your works

Adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized

Slow down today. Make time to pause and look (chimes can be beautiful as they move) and listen. What do you see? What do you hear? How will you respond?

A prayer

God, great and wonderful,
who hast created the heavens,
dwelling in the light and beauty thereof,
who hast made the earth,
revealing thyself in every flower that opens;
let not mine eyes be blind to thee,
neither let mine heart be dead,
but teach me to praise thee,
even as the lark which offereth her song at daybreak.

Isidore of Seville (560-636)
in Christopher Herbert, Pocket Prayers: The Classic Collection (Kindle Edition)

Video: RANphotovideo on YouTube

Wind Chimes: 9 Nov 2012

renew in us an inquiring and discerning heart
and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works

Adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized

The “nano world” is filled with visual delights; might the chimes make “nano sounds”? Is it possible for us to be attuned to such sounds? What do you hear?

The beautiful nano details of our world

“Nano: denoting a factor of 10 [to the minus 9th power or 0.000000001] (used commonly in units of measurement): nanosecond; denoting a very small item: nanoplankton.” from the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Yesterday a friend sent me this TED Talk. I invite you to excite your sense of “joy and wonder” in all of God’s works as you nourish an “inquiring and discerning heart.” ~dan

The beautiful nano details of our world a TED Talk by Gary Greenberg:

More about: Gary Greenburg
More visual delights: A Grain of Sand a gallery of Gary Greenberg

It’s official: Justin Welby to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury

“The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Justin Welby for election as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.” Press Release from Lambeth Palace dated 9 Nov 2012

I invite your prayers for Bishop Welby as he takes on this new ministry. ~dan

A prayer for you and me

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, and have raised us to the new life of grace. Sustain us, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit and renew in us an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen

A prayer adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized (BCP, p. 308) and used in General Convention 2006.

Photo: An image of grains of sand from Maui; from a TED Talk by Gary Greenberg ~dan

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