May142013

Daily E-votion 5/14/13

Holy Spirit, fire of God, enflame me.
        Breath of life, take wing in me.
                Divine love, reach through me.


I am the vessel of your wine,
        the flesh of your soul,
                the candle of your flame.


Breathing out, I release myself;
        breathing in, I receive you.
                Filling me, you enliven my cells.


From within, you are my life.
        In every other, there you are as well.
                In you, I meet myself in them.


Fill me with your living,
        send me in your loving,
                your loving that does not die.

Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes; undoldinglight.net

May132013

Daily E-votion 5/13/13

MEDITATION ON MANY PLACES

We come from many places seeking a center for our lives, a sense of wholeness.

We come from dry places where the words and the knowledge seem broken into brittle fragments that do not cohere.

We come from overfilled places where information abounds, but there is no real understanding.

We come from hard places where feelings are dulled, hollow places where meanings seem empty.

Now, at this time of quiet reflection, we come to be emptied and filled with life’s Spirit that flows in and among us and through the world.

Empty us of the clatter and confusion, the information we thought all-sufficient.

Quiet our minds; center our spirits; ground our being.

Enable us to find Your power that is already within us, power for love, creativity, hope.

Open our eyes to the sustenance that already surrounds and up holds us.

Help us to see the miracle of life in each moment and each cubic inch of space offering a gift of opportunity.

May our minds be open to wisdom, our spirits open to grace.
~Fred Gillis; from Prayers of Power, harvardsquarelibrary.org

May102013

Daily E-votion 5/10/2013

THIS MIRROR
With love in my left hand
And courage in my right,
I approach the mirror of my life to see
A sage and a fool,
A hero and a coward,
A king and a peasant,
A prophet and a heretic,
The rich texture of my being and my becoming.

Oh to be the summer breeze
Warmed by the gentle morning sun.
Oh to be the lazy creek,
Shaded by branches and leaves.

This mirror sees the light of holiness within,
The gifts I’ve been given,
The gifts I return to earth and sky.
This mirror reflects radiance and wonder,
A rainbow of experience and emotion,
A luminous and divine spirit.

Oh to be an eagle soaring on the wind.
Oh to be an owl soaring in the night.
Oh to be that man in the mirror.
Oh to be me.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com; All rights reserved.

May92013

Daily E-votion 5/9/2013

Ascension Reflection

(inspired by Acts 1:6-9)

After Jesus said these things, as they were watching,

he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1: 6-8a, 9 (CEV)

 

Something new is coming,

something incredible,

beyond imagination

and manipulation.

 

Something

promised.

 

Well maybe.

That is to say, we hope it is.

 

He said it would.

 

We watched him rise up

out on the hill,

wind blustering all around,

and the jagged saw of goodbye

chewing us apart.

 

Don’t go. Don’t go. We love you so!

 

And the love

filling us up

and tipping us

 

over

with its force.

 

And us, breathless and blown,

rolling and tumbling down

the mountain

flung and spinning

out from the Center of that splendor.

 

His Words,

imprinted

on our souls like a bright tattoo.

 

And the angels saying, Get up. Get going!

 

He said to wait.

Wait.

 

There would be more, something else,

spirit he called it,

who will help us remember it all,

 

help us catch our breath,

and give us legs for such a world, as we have glimpsed.

 

Oh, why not Him? Why this spirit thing,

when we had a love

we could hold in our arms and look in the eye?

 

The Father, reaching down into humanity,

snatches back the offspring

of his selfless, effervescent generosity.

 

Dear God,

catching up very God of very God, begotten not made,

by the scruff

of his collar

and drawing him back into your joyful dance,

 

what are you thinking,

cutting in like this, sweeping off with our partner?

 

Life is eternal – that is good news.

But what to do with the life and the love,

left here as we are, knocking about in the flesh?

 

Please do not ask of us such vulnerability,

this being clueless, with nothing to hang onto,

suspended between cloud and fire,

dangling

from only a dim memory and a bright promise.

 

~ written by Loretta F. Ross, on The Praying Life blog. http://theprayinglife.com/2012/05/

May82013
May72013

Daily E-votion 5/7/2013

There are times, Lord, 
   when I think you run me ragged
      just to slow me down and wear me out

because you know that when I’m tired
   I’m more open to what’s simple, 
      to what’s real and true and good

and you see how much I need your help,
   how weak I am without you,
      how much I need your strength…

I’m tired now, run ragged, and open to your grace:
   come simplify my life and in your peace
      let me find rest…

Austin Fleming; concordpastor.blogspot.com

May62013

Daily E-votion 5/6/2013

This morning, I had to run an early errand before coming to work.  As luck would have it, I was stopped by a school bus picking up a passenger.  The passenger looked to be about Kindergarten age.  His dad took him to the steps of the bus, then stepped back to watch his little guy go to his seat.  Then, the dad stuck his tongue out at him…and laughed.  He proceeded to make antlers with his hands in his ears and wiggled his fingers.  After that he moved on to other silly faces, and though I couldn’t see the little boy from where I was, I assume he was making the faces first and his dad was mimicking him.  Between each “silly face,” the dad seemed to be waiting for a cue, and laughing with gusto. 

As the bus pulled away, the dad blew kisses - many of them - and had a huge grin on his face.  It was then that he noticed I had been watching him the whole time.  Instead of appearing embarrassed, he looked at me and gave me that same huge grin - and I had to grin back.  As I drove away, I felt tears forming. To see the sheer joy on this dad’s face was so touching.  Love for his child was powerful enough to overcome embarrassment.  How often do we take the chance to appear silly in public out of deep, sincere love?  I don’t know about you, but I can say that I don’t do it nearly enough.

What began as a tedious trip on a Monday morning, became a touching beginning to the work week.  Bring it on, Monday.  I think I’m ready for you now.

May52013

Daily E-votion 5/5/2013

Life is stressful, Father
Every second of our time
controlled precisely,
whether by work or play
‘Must go there’ ‘Must do this’
‘Must watch that’
‘Must buy one of those’
‘Must achieve something’
‘Must be loved’ ‘Must feel wanted’
‘Must do more’ ‘Must win’
‘Must… must… must…’

Father, you gave us limited hours
within each day
for work and play,
and balanced them by the allocation
of night and day,
and provision of the Sabbath.
It is our choice to push the boundaries
of what you consider reasonable,
and live our lives to the limits,
become stressed,
and unwell.
Bring us back to simplicity of living, Father
when what matters is not
‘must’ or ‘more’
but ‘maybe’ and ‘in all good time’

Give us the time to reassess our lives
our worth, and our responsibilities
to ourselves and others


Read more at: http://www.faithandworship.com/world3.htm#ixzz2SRFB6Fpi
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

May32013

Daily E-votion 5/3/2013

Lord of Light – shine on us,

Lord of Peace – dwell in us,

Lord of Might – succor us,

Lord of Love – enfold us,

Lord of Wisdom – enlighten us.

Then, Lord, let us go out as your witness,

in obedience to your command;

to share the Good News of your love for us

in the gift of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

St. Asaph Mother’s Union, Wales; from Prayers Encircling the World

May22013

Daily E-votion 5/2/013

O God, I’m going to see a lot of people and I’m afraid I’ll be wearing the wrong clothes, say the wrong thing and act the wrong way.  I’m afraid no one will like me, and way down deep I’m afraid someone will laugh at me.

Help me, God.  Take away my fear.  I know it is stupid and still I’m afraid.  Help me to know that other people are really afraid too and that behind smiling faces they feel cold and alone.  Help me want to soothe their fears and make them happy.  Help me to think of them and forget myself.

from Plain Prayers for a Complicated World by Avery Brooke

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