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When it comes to nurturing our spirit we have an abundance of personal choices, all of them doors leading to the soul. Nurturing our spirit may begin in small ways of giving of ourselves, reading the word, worshipping, friendships, bible study, and prayer.
Here we offer advise and pieces of inspiration to help you open the door to your soul. Scroll down and read through them or click on a subject at the right.
The Beatitudes and a Paraphrase
Matthew
5:3-11
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” And blessed are you when you hit rock bottom
and recognize your spiritual bankruptcy.
Your crying need invites God to reveal the riches of dependence on
Him.
“Blessed are those who mourn.” And blessed are you when your heart is
broken open instead of sealed shut by life’s wounds. When you embrace your own heart, even in its pain, you can feel
the comfort of the One who holds you in His embrace for eternity.
“Blessed are the meek.” And blessed are you when
you are grounded in the humble truth about yourself. Unencumbered by pride and pretense, you are ready to inherit and
enjoy everything--without having to possess it.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness.” And blessed are you
when you crave and long for God's justice, God's truth, God's will. Your hunger and thirst drive you to seek
what most deeply satisfies.
“Blessed are the merciful.” And blessed are you when your own humility
gives you the grace to forgive. As you
stretch to offer grace, you expand your capacity to receive grace.
“Blessed are the pure in heart.” And blessed are you who have allowed life’s
refining fire to burn away every selfish fear and cloying attachment. With eyes filled with light, you will see
God in everything.
“Blessed are the peacemakers.” And blessed are you when you boldly carry
all-embracing love into the midst of the world’s hostilities. When you incarnate God’s Spirit, you are truly
God’s sons and daughters.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake.” And blessed are
you who courageously shake the foundations of fear’s strongholds with the
radical demands of God, unprotected by the armor or weapons of fear. God’s new order is coming to earth through
you!
DRI,
2/02
“The Cabinet”
by Marcie Gass
It stood in the cluttered, dusty
window of the antique shop. Many times I had passed by, pausing to admire the
changing displays of dishes, knickknacks and memorabilia of past years that had
been carefully laid out to catch the buyer’s eye. Today, however, it was not
the reminders of yesteryears that caught my attention. It was the cabinet
itself, on which they were displayed... Chipped, marred, barely visible,
covered with layers of grime build up over many years of use (or neglect?) it
still exhibited an aura of beauty. What about this piece was resonating in me?
At first the antique dealer seemed reluctant to sell the piece, a window
dressing to display his wares, but after agreeing on a price he helped me load
it into the car.
After living with my new cabinet
for a few weeks, becoming familiar with its curves, its rough exterior, and
contemplating its history, I took out my arsenal of tools and began the task of
restoration. No harsh alkalis or scrapers would be used; only soft rags, warm
oils, gentle cleansers and a tender hand.
This was not a project to be
rushed. Often I would sit in the work room, sipping a cup of hot tea, letting
it warm my hands, taking in, also, the aroma of linseed oil, and Murphy's
Soap. Usually, however, with music
softly playing in the background, I would pick up an old worn rag and gently
begin making slow, circular motions, cleaning off the surface. I found a quiet
peace within myself as I removed the layers of dirt and let tension fall from my
shoulders. This was not an elaborate piece of furniture, but rather a sturdy
one, made for service. It was free of embellishments, but beautiful in its
simplicity. In time, it revealed to me its own inner beauty. Each scar, each
chip, I knew held part of the mystery of its past. What cabinetmaker had taken
such care to find the willow boards, to carve out the dovetails, and to whittle
the wooden pegs that held it together? In whose house had it resided?
Finally, finishing the job of
clearing off all unwanted residue, I began applying coats of warm oils and
wax– gently, rhythmically, rubbing in
coat after coat, urging out the luster and patina worthy of its years, and in
the process beginning to see the truth of what was happening.
It was my life I was rescuing
from the window; my life that was being cleaned and polished. It was me who was
standing strong and sturdy, needing to be gently returned to what I was created
to be. Great care was taken when I began my own life, my “service.” In the
right hands I, too, would be restored. The process of the cabinet’s restoration
was not the goal. The process of finding me was.
When it was finished, I left the
cabinet in the workroom for sometime, occasionally taking my tea and sitting to
admire it. And then one day I packed it up, drove back to the antique dealer,
and asked that it be returned to the window, where others could see it as they
paused on their journeys, and where it could continue to be of service, as it
had for all those years.
Heartwork is like that. You start
out drawn to work on a project, not always sure what called you to it or how it
will turn out; you work at clearing away the debris, and discover yourself in
the process. It takes a gentle persistence to find your true inner beauty and
warmth. And then, gradually, you stand, strong, solid, loved, and confident.
All the chips and mars of your life add to the beauty when you accept them for
what they are. Heartwork has taught me that. It has taught me that I do not
need to be repaired, just tenderly looked at, cleared off, cleaned out, gently
stroked and loved. It is teaching me to accept and love what I was then and
what I am now.
--Marcie Gass
A MEDITATION GUIDE
FOR THE LORD’S PRAYER
David Inglis
This prayer has no real
benefit to us if we rush through it.
But it can be a wellspring of transformation and renewal if we allow
these profound words that flowed from the spirit of Jesus to become doorways to
God. Spend as much time with each
phrase as you need to feel an opening, a release, or an inward shift.
Our (“our” and “us” occur
eight times)
Whom do I include in the circles
I draw that separate “us” from “them,” “ours” from “theirs”? Whom did Jesus include? Who am I having the most trouble including
today in the circle of people claimed by God?
Envision all people linked to you today as sharers of the earth
and co_creators of a common future. How
can you begin living as part of this all_encompassing “us,” instead of just as
a “me”?
Father, who art in heaven
Jesus helps us picture God as a
compassionate Divine Parent, like the father of the Prodigal Son, waiting and
eager to welcome us home (Luke 15:11-32).
Take some time to enter into the prayer through Jesus’ intimate,
familiar name for God, “Abba.” As you quietly name God as your Abba or Loving
Parent, experience yourself as God’s own son or daughter. God has known you and loved you since before
you were born. Let yourself open to God
in trust, as a child trusts his or her parent.
Hallowed be thy name
God’s “name” refers to the ways
God has revealed the Divine Nature to us–as Creator, as the source of grace and
forgiveness, as Wisdom, as the Divine Healer, as our Abba. To hallow God’s name means to come away from
our hectic, distracted, soul_shrinking way of living, slow down, and find a
sacred space inside us where God’s name, God’s self_revelation, can come to
live, take root, and grow. Take some
time now to hallow God’s name by meditating on ways God has been revealed to
you, and by responding with inner gratitude and trust.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven
Can you envision what the world
would look like if this prayer came true?
Peace, equality, justice, and generosity would be spreading wherever
there is war, oppression, crime, poverty, and hate. We are a long way from that vision. Could that have anything to do with our prejudices, pride,
self_protection, or greed? Begin by
praying that God’s kingdom come and God’s will be done in our minds,
hearts, and actions. We are also called
to be spreaders of God’s kingdom.
Recall the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31_34). The kingdom grows as each of us faithfully
plants the seeds of compassion, justice, hope, and the gifts that we have been
given. We can trust God to bring the
growth; we just need to keep planting our small “insignificant” seeds. Pray to be shown the seeds you are holding,
and the barren fields where they are needed.
Give us this day our daily
bread
Our sufficiency and “security”
make this line awkward to pray. So let
the words take you down, down through your pride to where your sufficiency ends
and God’s power begins. What do you
need this day to live life as it flows through, you day by day and moment by
moment? Strength? Wisdom? Patience?
Forgiveness? Courage? Trust? Instead of
being blown around by all your fears of insufficiency, become attuned to the
gentle breeze of God’s Spirit that can guide you to the work and the lessons
God has prepared for you today. Then
hoist your sails and cast off in the trust that your prayer will be answered.
Forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors
What are the burdens of guilt and
remorse, both personal and social, that you carry with you? Don’t wallow in shame or make excuses for
them. Name them, and become aware of
the underlying cause–greed, insecurity, pain, pride. As you pray for forgiveness, let God’s grace release you from the
cords that have bound you to your sin.
Feel your spirit expand into the healing space of humility and grace
that God’s forgiveness opens for you.
Now let your soul be big enough to release the cords of resentment and
judgment that have bound you in blindness and hostility to those who have
wronged you.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
Think about the seductions that
entice and distract you from your true purpose as a person of God. These bring you to your “testing ground,”
where your temptations challenge you to define and decide who you are and what
is of highest value to you. Let God be
in your mind as you think about these temptations and clarify your
purpose. Picture yourself letting go of
one thing that interferes with your purpose.
Now see yourself directing your power to what God’s Spirit and your
spirit most deeply want for you.
For thine is the kingdom, the
power, and the glory forever. Amen.
In truth, the answer to our
highest hopes and deepest yearnings is already at hand. “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you,”
as Jesus said. Perhaps we have let the
miracle of that touch us as we have begun to live this prayer.
A PRAYER FOR THIS DAY
God of
life, who sets our earthly frames
dancing with your glory,
Today may I
be athirst to learn, keen to teach,
inspired to create, and impassioned
to love.
May I
unbind my judgments with the same grace
that untangles my guilt and my
shame.
May I carry
the power of compassion
into the paralysis of pain.
May I shine
wisdom’s light
into the pre-dawn of confusion.
May I
embody a vision of a “uni-verse” in which
all of our verses harmonize into
“one-song.”
May I embrace
all that life brings
with trust in your wisdom,
And return
it all to you with gratitude,
So that
your mighty purpose
might unfold through me,
This day
and day by day.
-- David
Inglis
God won't ask what kind of car you drive,
but He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of your house,
but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet,
but He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won't ask how many material possession you had,
but He'll ask if they dictated your life.
God won't ask what your highest salary was,
but He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won't ask how many promotions you received,
but He'll ask how you promoted others.
God won't ask what your job title was,
but He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask what you did to help yourself,
but He'll ask what you did to help others.
God won't ask how many friends you had,
but He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived,
but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won't ask why it took you so long to seek His amazing grace,
but He'll lovingly invite you to receive as much of His light and love as your soul is able to hold.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I am saved.",
I'm whispering "I was lost" That's why I chose this way.
When I say ..."I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need someone to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain;
I have my share of heartaches which is why I speak His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority. I only know I'm loved!
1. Find ways to pray and tune into God's presence that are right for you-whether using words or silence, the Bible or nature, a journal or "sighs too deep for words." Practice at least one of these every day-whether you "need it" or not.
2. Give your body, mind and spirit enough sleep and rest-a good sleep every night, a true sabbath day every week.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Share responsibilities with others, even if they don't everything according to your standards. Little of enduring value is accomplished by lone rangers.
6. Simplify, unclutter, and organize your life.
7. Replace the urge to buy with gratitude and appreciation of simple pleasures.
8. Allow adequate time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time. When things get stressful, take one moment at a time!
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, release it with a prayer for those who are responsible.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups: an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. Talk less; listen more. This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible or devotional book to read while waiting, or practice quiet meditation to turn those down times into gifts.
17. Get regular exercise, preferably in a way that's enjoyable to you.
18. Eat only healthy food in healthy amounts. "We are what we eat"-literally. It becomes our body's cells and tissues.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life, relax you, or inspire you.
21. Write thoughts and inspirations down.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Associate with people who live their faith and exude love.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures and inspirational ideas on hand. Refer to them when you feel spiritually low.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is finding a way to thank God in all circumstances.
27. Laugh!
28. Laugh some more! Find people to share laughter with.
29. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all.
30. Submit each day to God, asking that God show you what's most important and give you what you need to do your best. Let go of the thousands of things you can't do that don't fit into God's plan.
31. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
32. Be honest and truthful in all your interactions. "A clear conscience is the best pillow."
33. Every day, take time to practice "just being" instead of always doing.
34. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
35. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
36. Treat each of these as a gift to yourself to be unwrapped, appreciated, and made a daily friend. Then you will discover what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourself.
Henrietta United Church of Christ
Matthew 6:5-15 August 5, 2001
Rev. David Inglis
Re-learning to Pray
Surveys show that most people claim to pray
regularly. But in my experience, most
people also assume that other people’s prayers are better than their own. Maybe that’s because for most people,
praying regularly means prayers like, O God, help that report I was supposed to
bring to the meeting be in my briefcase, you know, the one I think I left on
the kitchen table. We assume other
people’s prayers must be more spiritual than ours.
Some
of you have heard the story about St. Teresa of Avila, one of the great
Christian mystics, coming out of her prayer cell. A young noviciate in her order caught up to her walking down the
hall and said, O Mother Teresa, it must be so wonderful to be able to talk
directly to God and feel His presence so fully. Teresa looked at her and said,
What do you think I am, a saint?
David
Branerd, left the security of home to be a missionary to Native Americans
during colonial times. At one low
point, he wrote in his diary,
I
lodge in a bundle of straw, my labor is hard and extremely difficult, and I
have little appearance of success to comfort me. . . . But what makes all my
difficulties grievous to be borne is that God hides His face from me.
So
this sermon is for those who feel the almost universal human desire to be
connected to God, but who have the almost universal sense that they’re not
doing very well at it, or that barriers have arisen between themselves and God. But most of all, this message is for me, as
most of my sermons are. I have been
finding some new avenues for prayer opening up to me, and I want to share them
with you as a way of more deeply claiming them in myself. I’ve been greatly helped by a book I found
called Devotional Classics, edited by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith, who
have carefully culled some of the best writings by great Christians from the
last two millennia and
put these pearls of wisdom into one powerful book.
First,
if you want to be more intentional about prayer, I have found there is no
substitute for establishing a daily pattern of prayer time set aside to be with
God, or even just to be, period, which somehow opens us to God. Just doing this is a powerful step, because
it requires a radical break from our routines that are defined by,
accomplishing tasks, meeting deadlines, and making the grade, or by
gratification, entertainment, and distraction.
I
became aware of how much my brain had become addicted to this relentless outside
stimulation when I was on vacation.
Almost every morning, I was able to go outside, sit in solitude with the
sounds, smells and sights of nature around me, and soak in these gifts of life,
as my senses were able to awaken to them.
I would read something inspirational, and then go into a time of
meditation. I didn’t do any of this to
fulfill my Christian duty or to get more discipline in my life. I did this because my soul was dry and
thirsty and needed to drink deeply of this well of life that I had neglected in
all my goings and doings.
So
now I continue to go outside every morning and let myself just be there, even
though the sounds of trash trucks and traffic are mingled with the sounds of
the breeze and the birds. I begin each
day grounded in the earth and reaching for God’s Spirit, with my senses and my
soul telling me I am a part of something bigger than myself. This routine gives my soul the space if
needs to wake up, breathe and open up.
So
the first thing I want to claim and to share is the importance of creating a
regular time and place for just being with God.
But,
what then? Once we choose a time and
place, what techniques can we apply to achieve the full connectedness with the
divine that we want? How do we
accomplish it? We want a simple
three-step program that’s convenient, fool-proof, and that gives us instant
measurable results. In a piece in
Devotional Classics, Thomas Merton said something that was very helpful to me:
In
meditation we should not look for a method or system, but cultivate an
attitude, an outlook: faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation,
supplication, trust, joy. All these
finally permeate our being with love.
This
is what Jesus told his disciples about prayer.
Don’t try to do it right so you can show off your expertise. Don’t do it with lots of words and fancy
phrases. Empty yourself, go into your
room, and into the inner recesses of your soul. There, you have nothing to show off and nothing to offer but your
naked self whether it be grateful or
needy, hopeful or lost. However you
truly are is the perfect way to come before God.
Evelyn Underhill wrote something that I found
very helpful.
Sometimes we are mentally dull, sometimes we are
emotionally flat. On such occasions it
is notoriously useless to try to build ourselves up to a froth: to make
ourselves think more deeply or make ourselves care more intensely. . . . Even
when our heart is cold and our mind is dim, prayer is still possible to
us. Our wills are ours, to make them
Thine.
The determined fixing of our will upon God, and
pressing toward him steadily and without deflections; this is the very center
and the art of prayer.
Whether
or not we feel a connection with God at the moment, we can still find the part
in us that desires or wills that connection.
And we know that God desires and wills it too. Sometimes my only prayer is Thy will be done, repeated over and
over as I allow it to be more and more my true desire.
So
the second thing I want to claim and to share is the mystery that we draw the
closest to God, not by being godly or feeling holy or mastering spiritual
techniques. We draw closest to God by
being real, and letting our need or emptiness or desire for God be what leads
us into communion with God’s Spirit.
This
brings us to the third aspect of prayer I want to mention petition, or asking
God for things. This is best done once
we are in an attitude of humble openness to God’s will. This way, our prayers come out of a place of
faith and hope, not fear.
Just
think about the difference. Fear might
pray, O God, please don’t let Mildred’s tumor be malignant. O God, I can hardly bear the thought of her
going through all that, and maybe she’d die, and that would be so awful. Please, God, make her well. That’s really a cry of fear dressed up in
the form of a prayer.
A
prayer of faith and hope is honest about our fears and needs, but it also seeks
to stay open to God’s highest will. It
might sound something like this. O God,
we know Mildred’s tumor might be malignant.
She seems so frightened and upset, and I feel cold fear creeping into my
own heart. God, how afraid we are of
pain and uncertainty and loss and death, and how much we need you right
now. We know that you are able to work
for good in all things. And we know
that nothing, not even death, can separate us from you. So God, we offer ourselves and our lives and
our futures into your hands right now.
Breathe into our hearts a trust and hope that is deeper than our fear. Open us both to your power to heal, to make
whole, and to renew. And whatever
comes, keep our spirits open to you, so that we can draw on your strength and
guidance and peace that passes understanding.
Make us and our lives instruments of your will. Amen.
Do
you see the difference between a prayer that tries to control God out of fear
and a prayer that opens the fear to faith, hope and trust? The first prayer was so constricted by fear,
there was very little room for God to move.
The second prayer opened the whole situation and those involved to God’s
creative power.
So
the third thing I want to claim and share about prayer is the importance of
bringing our needs to God in an attitude of trust and faith, with the sincere
willingness for God’s will to be done.
This is how miracles can happen when we really give God room to fulfill
God’s higher purpose.
And
finally, I want to mention what is often the most satisfying form of prayer for
me, and also the simplest. It is prayer
without words, or we might say, prayer that simply uses the voice of the
heart. Sometimes our words don’t come
easily to us. Sometimes our sighs are
too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Sometimes we are ready to move beyond the level of thinking and talking,
and just be fully with the heights or depths of what is in our heart. It might be something like gratitude or
fullness or joy or peace. We don’t
always have to express it. We can just
be in the feeling and offer it to God.
Sometimes it might be sorrow or pain or guilt. We don’t always have to describe it. We can just go into the feeling and offer that to God too, and
open it to God’s healing touch.
It
has been said that because God is Spirit, God isn’t tuned into words, but into
our heart. Jean-Nicholas Grou said,
Love God, and you will always be speaking to him. The seed of love is growth in prayer.
So
the fourth thing I want to claim and share about prayer is the ease and
fullness in which we can pray when we move out of our wordy head and into our
quiet heart. That is where our spirit
and God’s Spirit touch.
I
would be happy to offer copies of this sermon to anyone who would like to read
it and refer to it as you cultivate your own prayer life. There will be copies on the round table in
back of the sanctuary next Sunday, or make a note on back of a prayer card or
piece of paper, and I’ll be happy to send you one. But don’t follow what I say like you’d follow a recipe or set of
instructions. What you need to follow
is your own heart, your soul’s longing for God, and God’s calling to yours.
Richard
Foster wrote,
It is good to debate the mysteries of prayer, to
ponder the profundities of prayer, to learn the methods of prayer. It is better to pray. Prayer is a little like an automobile: you
do not have to understand everything about its inner workings for it to get you
somewhere. I have found that if we
simply pray even if we pray in wrong ways God is pleased with our feeble
efforts and Jesus lovingly guides us into more excellent ways.
May
God use all our prayers, feeble and faltering though they be, to draw us into
that beautiful place where our spirit and God’s Spirit meet.
____________________
Copyright 2003 by David Inglis
.
Our Daily Bread, June, July, August
2001, July 24 reading, publ. by RBC Ministries.
. A Renovare Resource for Spiritual Renewal,
published by HarperCollins, New York, NY, 1993.
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