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]]>John 14:2-3 (NRSVUE)
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
God alone suffices.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“There are sorrows, but there are also joys.
There are heartaches, but there are also healings.
There are woes innumerable,
but there is also a peace that passes understanding.
There are adversaries, but there is also a Helper.
There are accusations, but there is also an Advocate.
There is anguish, but there is also a Comforter.
And so we press on.
We will find our way home
because the One who calls us home
will make a way even when there seems to be no way.
Be of good cheer, pilgrim. You’re on the right path.
You will make it.
No one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.
Buen camino.”
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]]>John 14:2-3 (NRSVUE)
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
God alone suffices.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“There are sorrows, but there are also joys.
There are heartaches, but there are also healings.
There are woes innumerable,
but there is also a peace that passes understanding.
There are adversaries, but there is also a Helper.
There are accusations, but there is also an Advocate.
There is anguish, but there is also a Comforter.
And so we press on.
We will find our way home
because the One who calls us home
will make a way even when there seems to be no way.
Be of good cheer, pilgrim. You’re on the right path.
You will make it.
No one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.
Buen camino.”
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]]>James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing.
Patience obtains all things.
Alan Kreider, from The Patient Ferment of the Early Church
“Patience was not a virtue dear to most Greco-Roman people....
But Christian writers called patience ‘the highest virtue,’
‘the greatest of all virtues,’
the virtue that was ‘particularly Christian.’
The Christians believed that God is patient
and that Jesus visibly embodied patience.
And they concluded that they, trusting in God, should be patient:
not controlling events, not anxious or in a hurry,
and never using force to achieve their ends.”
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]]>James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing.
Patience obtains all things.
Alan Kreider, from The Patient Ferment of the Early Church
“Patience was not a virtue dear to most Greco-Roman people....
But Christian writers called patience ‘the highest virtue,’
‘the greatest of all virtues,’
the virtue that was ‘particularly Christian.’
The Christians believed that God is patient
and that Jesus visibly embodied patience.
And they concluded that they, trusting in God, should be patient:
not controlling events, not anxious or in a hurry,
and never using force to achieve their ends.”
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]]>Isaiah 40:8 (NRSVUE)
The grass withers; the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
All things are passing. God never changes.
Peri Zahnd, from Every Scene by Heart
“This is the Meseta,
that middle section of life,
that sometimes boring, sometimes tedious section of life,
but we realize in hindsight how beautiful it all was
and that we wouldn’t have skipped it for anything!...
And then you leave the Meseta and cross more mountains.
You realize the end is nearer, but that it’s really just a beginning....
It’s a mystery, but a mystery I now approach
more trustingly, more willingly,
surrendering myself to the purposes of God.”
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]]>Isaiah 40:8 (NRSVUE)
The grass withers; the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
All things are passing. God never changes.
Peri Zahnd, from Every Scene by Heart
“This is the Meseta,
that middle section of life,
that sometimes boring, sometimes tedious section of life,
but we realize in hindsight how beautiful it all was
and that we wouldn’t have skipped it for anything!...
And then you leave the Meseta and cross more mountains.
You realize the end is nearer, but that it’s really just a beginning....
It’s a mystery, but a mystery I now approach
more trustingly, more willingly,
surrendering myself to the purposes of God.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSVUE)
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
Let nothing disturb me. Let nothing frighten me.
Teresa of Ávila, “Saint Teresa’s Bookmark”
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
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]]>Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSVUE)
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
Let nothing disturb me. Let nothing frighten me.
Teresa of Ávila, “Saint Teresa’s Bookmark”
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
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]]>Jeremiah 6:16a (NRSVUE)
Thus says the LORD:
Stand at the crossroads and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies,
and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
Buen camino. May my way be good.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“Dear pilgrim, may your way, though not easy, still be blessed.
Despite blistered feet, sore knees, and bone-weary fatigue,
may you find what you are looking for.
May you reach that holy aspiration you are pressing on toward.
And as we both know, our holy aspiration
is much more than arriving at a cathedral
in the city of Santiago.”
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]]>Jeremiah 6:16a (NRSVUE)
Thus says the LORD:
Stand at the crossroads and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies,
and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
Buen camino. May my way be good.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“Dear pilgrim, may your way, though not easy, still be blessed.
Despite blistered feet, sore knees, and bone-weary fatigue,
may you find what you are looking for.
May you reach that holy aspiration you are pressing on toward.
And as we both know, our holy aspiration
is much more than arriving at a cathedral
in the city of Santiago.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:5-8 (NRSVUE)
Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him,
“Get up and eat.”
He looked, and there at his head
was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water.
He ate and drank and lay down again.
The angel of the LORD came a second time,
touched him, and said,
“Get up and eat,
otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”
He got up and ate and drank;
then he went in the strength of that food
forty days and forty nights
to Horeb the mount of God.
When my strength is gone, I am fed for the journey.
From the Iona Community communion liturgy
“This is the table, not of the church, but of the Lord.
It is made ready for those who love him,
and for those who want to love him more.
So come, you who have much faith, and you who have little;
you who have been here often, and you who have not been here long;
you who have tried to follow, and you who have failed,
come! Because it is the Lord who invites you.
It is his will that those who want him should meet him here. Amen.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:5-8 (NRSVUE)
Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him,
“Get up and eat.”
He looked, and there at his head
was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water.
He ate and drank and lay down again.
The angel of the LORD came a second time,
touched him, and said,
“Get up and eat,
otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”
He got up and ate and drank;
then he went in the strength of that food
forty days and forty nights
to Horeb the mount of God.
When my strength is gone, I am fed for the journey.
From the Iona Community communion liturgy
“This is the table, not of the church, but of the Lord.
It is made ready for those who love him,
and for those who want to love him more.
So come, you who have much faith, and you who have little;
you who have been here often, and you who have not been here long;
you who have tried to follow, and you who have failed,
come! Because it is the Lord who invites you.
It is his will that those who want him should meet him here. Amen.”
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]]>Genesis 32:1-2 (NRSVUE)
Jacob went on his way,
and the angels of God met him,
and when Jacob saw them he said,
“This is God’s camp!”
So he called that place Mahanaim.
I am sheltered under angel wings.
Sergius Bulgakov, from Jacob’s Ladder
“The world is sheltered by angel wings.
Angel eyes keep watch without rest over us.
Between heaven and earth
the holy angels ascend and descend unceasingly.”
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]]>Genesis 32:1-2 (NRSVUE)
Jacob went on his way,
and the angels of God met him,
and when Jacob saw them he said,
“This is God’s camp!”
So he called that place Mahanaim.
I am sheltered under angel wings.
Sergius Bulgakov, from Jacob’s Ladder
“The world is sheltered by angel wings.
Angel eyes keep watch without rest over us.
Between heaven and earth
the holy angels ascend and descend unceasingly.”
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]]>Matthew 18:10 (NRSVUE)
Take care that you do not despise
one of these little ones,
for, I tell you, in heaven their angels
continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
I am not alone. A friend is near.
Sergius Bulgakov, from Jacob’s Ladder
“At that time the voice of a companion sounded within:
I was not alone but together with my own other I;
it was my guardian angel.
He told me that we had gone too far ahead
and it was necessary to return....
I returned to life from death.
And I knew all this time that I was not alone,
that with me was a friend, the most near, tender and quiet.”
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]]>Matthew 18:10 (NRSVUE)
Take care that you do not despise
one of these little ones,
for, I tell you, in heaven their angels
continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
I am not alone. A friend is near.
Sergius Bulgakov, from Jacob’s Ladder
“At that time the voice of a companion sounded within:
I was not alone but together with my own other I;
it was my guardian angel.
He told me that we had gone too far ahead
and it was necessary to return....
I returned to life from death.
And I knew all this time that I was not alone,
that with me was a friend, the most near, tender and quiet.”
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]]>2 Kings 6:15-17 (NRSVUE)
When an attendant of the man of God
rose early in the morning and went out,
an army with horses and chariots
was all around the city.
His servant said,
“Alas, master! What shall we do?”
He replied, “Do not be afraid,
for there are more with us than there are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed:
“O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
So the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw;
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
all around Elisha.
Lord, open my eyes that I may see.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries.”
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]]>2 Kings 6:15-17 (NRSVUE)
When an attendant of the man of God
rose early in the morning and went out,
an army with horses and chariots
was all around the city.
His servant said,
“Alas, master! What shall we do?”
He replied, “Do not be afraid,
for there are more with us than there are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed:
“O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
So the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw;
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
all around Elisha.
Lord, open my eyes that I may see.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries.”
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]]>Hebrews 1:14 (NRSVUE)
Are not all angels spirits in the divine service,
sent to serve for the sake of those
who are to inherit salvation?
I travel in the company of angels.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“What I desire most is for you to remember
that as we journey through life,
we really do tread on paths of unseen existences.
In our darkest hours, we are never alone;
we really do travel in the company of angels.”
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]]>Hebrews 1:14 (NRSVUE)
Are not all angels spirits in the divine service,
sent to serve for the sake of those
who are to inherit salvation?
I travel in the company of angels.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
“What I desire most is for you to remember
that as we journey through life,
we really do tread on paths of unseen existences.
In our darkest hours, we are never alone;
we really do travel in the company of angels.”
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]]>Daniel 7:9-10 (NIV)
Thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
I am held in the fire of God's love.
Alexandre Kalomiros, from The River of Fire
"Love will enrobe everything with its sacred Fire
which will flow like a river from the throne of God
and will irrigate paradise.
But this same river of Love,
for those who have hate in their hearts,
will suffocate and burn."
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]]>Daniel 7:9-10 (NIV)
Thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
I am held in the fire of God's love.
Alexandre Kalomiros, from The River of Fire
"Love will enrobe everything with its sacred Fire
which will flow like a river from the throne of God
and will irrigate paradise.
But this same river of Love,
for those who have hate in their hearts,
will suffocate and burn."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Genesis 1:26a, 27 (NRSVUE)
Then God said,
"Let us make humans in our image,
according to our likeness."
So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God knows the self I was made to be.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self.
This is the man that I want myself to be but who cannot exist,
because God does not know anything about him.
And to be unknown of God is altogether too much privacy.
My false and private self is the one who wants to exist
outside the reach of God's will and God's love,
outside of reality and outside of life.
And such a self cannot help but be an illusion."
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]]>Genesis 1:26a, 27 (NRSVUE)
Then God said,
"Let us make humans in our image,
according to our likeness."
So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God knows the self I was made to be.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self.
This is the man that I want myself to be but who cannot exist,
because God does not know anything about him.
And to be unknown of God is altogether too much privacy.
My false and private self is the one who wants to exist
outside the reach of God's will and God's love,
outside of reality and outside of life.
And such a self cannot help but be an illusion."
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]]>Psalm 139:23-24 (NRSVUE)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, from The Brothers Karamazov
(translated by Michael R. Katz)
"The main thing is, stop telling lies to yourself.
The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lies
reaches a point where he cannot recognize any truth
in himself or in anyone surrounding him,
and so he loses all respect for himself and for others.
Once he respects no one, he stops loving;
to occupy and distract himself,
he yields to passions and coarse inclinations
and ultimately sinks to bestiality in all his vices,
and all this comes from incessant lying to himself and to others."
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]]>Psalm 139:23-24 (NRSVUE)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, from The Brothers Karamazov
(translated by Michael R. Katz)
"The main thing is, stop telling lies to yourself.
The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lies
reaches a point where he cannot recognize any truth
in himself or in anyone surrounding him,
and so he loses all respect for himself and for others.
Once he respects no one, he stops loving;
to occupy and distract himself,
he yields to passions and coarse inclinations
and ultimately sinks to bestiality in all his vices,
and all this comes from incessant lying to himself and to others."
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]]>Luke 5:8, 10b-11 (NKJV)
When Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying,
"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
And Jesus said to Simon,
"Do not be afraid.
From now on you will catch men."
So when they had brought their boats to land,
they forsook all and followed Him.
Do not be afraid. Follow me.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Don't be afraid of me; follow me.
If you follow me, I will make you into a new person,
the person you were always meant to be.
This is what the pilgrimage of the soul is all about:
following Jesus through life until we become our true self,
a self that we may initially know nothing about."
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]]>Luke 5:8, 10b-11 (NKJV)
When Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying,
"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
And Jesus said to Simon,
"Do not be afraid.
From now on you will catch men."
So when they had brought their boats to land,
they forsook all and followed Him.
Do not be afraid. Follow me.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Don't be afraid of me; follow me.
If you follow me, I will make you into a new person,
the person you were always meant to be.
This is what the pilgrimage of the soul is all about:
following Jesus through life until we become our true self,
a self that we may initially know nothing about."
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]]>Revelation 21:3-4 (NRSVUE)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
God will wipe every tear from my eyes.
J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Return of the King
"Well, here at last, dear friends,
on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth.
Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep;
for not all tears are an evil."
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]]>Revelation 21:3-4 (NRSVUE)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
God will wipe every tear from my eyes.
J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Return of the King
"Well, here at last, dear friends,
on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth.
Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep;
for not all tears are an evil."
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]]>John 11:25-26 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to her,
"I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me,
even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?"
Christ shares my sorrow and holds my future.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from Letters and Papers from Prison
"God lets himself be pushed out of the world on to the cross.
He is weak and powerless in the world,
and that is precisely the way, the only way,
in which he is with us and helps us.
Christ helps us, not by virtue of his omnipotence,
but by virtue of his weakness and suffering...
only the suffering God can help."
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]]>John 11:25-26 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to her,
"I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me,
even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?"
Christ shares my sorrow and holds my future.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from Letters and Papers from Prison
"God lets himself be pushed out of the world on to the cross.
He is weak and powerless in the world,
and that is precisely the way, the only way,
in which he is with us and helps us.
Christ helps us, not by virtue of his omnipotence,
but by virtue of his weakness and suffering...
only the suffering God can help."
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]]>John 11:33-35 (NIV)
When Jesus saw her weeping,
and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
Jesus wept.
In the silence, Jesus weeps with me.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Yes, Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus,
he knew it even before Lazarus died.
Yet even knowing he would soon raise Lazarus,
Jesus helped shoulder the burden of that bitter half hour
with Mary and Martha by grieving with them.
During heaven's silence when it appears our prayers go unanswered
and our grief unassuaged, Jesus weeps with us."
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]]>John 11:33-35 (NIV)
When Jesus saw her weeping,
and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
Jesus wept.
In the silence, Jesus weeps with me.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Yes, Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus,
he knew it even before Lazarus died.
Yet even knowing he would soon raise Lazarus,
Jesus helped shoulder the burden of that bitter half hour
with Mary and Martha by grieving with them.
During heaven's silence when it appears our prayers go unanswered
and our grief unassuaged, Jesus weeps with us."
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]]>John 11:3, 5 (NIV)
So the sisters sent word to Jesus,
"Lord, the one you love is sick."
Now Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus.
I am loved as a friend, and I am not alone.
Henri Nouwen, from Out of Solitude
"When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us,
we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures,
have chosen rather to share our pain
and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.
The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion,
who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement,
who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing
and face with us the reality of our powerlessness,
that is a friend who cares."
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]]>John 11:3, 5 (NIV)
So the sisters sent word to Jesus,
"Lord, the one you love is sick."
Now Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus.
I am loved as a friend, and I am not alone.
Henri Nouwen, from Out of Solitude
"When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us,
we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures,
have chosen rather to share our pain
and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.
The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion,
who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement,
who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing
and face with us the reality of our powerlessness,
that is a friend who cares."
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]]>Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Even in the valley of weeping, there are springs.
Charles Dickens, from Great Expectations
"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears,
for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth,
overlying our hard hearts.
I was better after I had cried, than before,
more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude,
more gentle."
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]]>Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Even in the valley of weeping, there are springs.
Charles Dickens, from Great Expectations
"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears,
for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth,
overlying our hard hearts.
I was better after I had cried, than before,
more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude,
more gentle."
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]]>Proverbs 4:18 (NRSVUE)
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter
until full day.
I am being dazzled, gradually, into the light.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"I've been gradually dazzled by Christ into a much more hopeful and glorious theology. But along the way I've also learned that I have to tell it slant. I can't always expect someone to see in five minutes what it's taken me fifty years to see. In our pilgrim journey we need to be careful not to blind others with what we have seen. We dazzle... gradually."
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]]>Proverbs 4:18 (NRSVUE)
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter
until full day.
I am being dazzled, gradually, into the light.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"I've been gradually dazzled by Christ into a much more hopeful and glorious theology. But along the way I've also learned that I have to tell it slant. I can't always expect someone to see in five minutes what it's taken me fifty years to see. In our pilgrim journey we need to be careful not to blind others with what we have seen. We dazzle... gradually."
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]]>Luke 8:9–10 (NRSVUE)
Then his disciples asked him
what this parable meant.
He said, "To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of God;
but to others I speak in parables,
so that 'looking they may not perceive,
and hearing they may not understand.'"
The story is working in me before I understand it.
Eugene Peterson, from The Contemplative Pastor
"Jesus' favorite speech form, the parable, was subversive. Parables sound absolutely ordinary: casual stories about soil and seeds, meals and coins and sheep, bandits and victims, farmers and merchants. And they are wholly secular. As people heard Jesus tell these stories, they saw at once that they weren't about God, so there was nothing in them threatening their own sovereignty. They relaxed their defenses. They walked away perplexed, wondering what they meant, the stories lodged in their imagination. And then, like a time bomb, they would explode in their unprotected hearts."
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]]>Luke 8:9–10 (NRSVUE)
Then his disciples asked him
what this parable meant.
He said, "To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of God;
but to others I speak in parables,
so that 'looking they may not perceive,
and hearing they may not understand.'"
The story is working in me before I understand it.
Eugene Peterson, from The Contemplative Pastor
"Jesus' favorite speech form, the parable, was subversive. Parables sound absolutely ordinary: casual stories about soil and seeds, meals and coins and sheep, bandits and victims, farmers and merchants. And they are wholly secular. As people heard Jesus tell these stories, they saw at once that they weren't about God, so there was nothing in them threatening their own sovereignty. They relaxed their defenses. They walked away perplexed, wondering what they meant, the stories lodged in their imagination. And then, like a time bomb, they would explode in their unprotected hearts."
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]]>Hebrews 5:12–14 (NRSVUE)
You need milk, not solid food;
for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is unskilled in the word of righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature,
for those whose faculties have been trained by practice
to distinguish good from evil.
I am ready for what once would have overwhelmed me.
St. John of the Cross, from Dark Night of the Soul
"The soul, after it has been definitely converted to the service of God, is, as a rule, spiritually nurtured and caressed by God, even as is the tender child by its loving mother, who warms it with the heat of her bosom and nurtures it with sweet milk and soft and pleasant food, and carries it and caresses it in her arms; but, as the child grows bigger, the mother gradually ceases caressing it, and, hiding her tender love, puts bitter aloes upon her sweet breast, sets down the child from her arms and makes it walk upon its feet, so that it may lose the habits of a child and betake itself to more important and substantial occupations."
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]]>Hebrews 5:12–14 (NRSVUE)
You need milk, not solid food;
for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is unskilled in the word of righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature,
for those whose faculties have been trained by practice
to distinguish good from evil.
I am ready for what once would have overwhelmed me.
St. John of the Cross, from Dark Night of the Soul
"The soul, after it has been definitely converted to the service of God, is, as a rule, spiritually nurtured and caressed by God, even as is the tender child by its loving mother, who warms it with the heat of her bosom and nurtures it with sweet milk and soft and pleasant food, and carries it and caresses it in her arms; but, as the child grows bigger, the mother gradually ceases caressing it, and, hiding her tender love, puts bitter aloes upon her sweet breast, sets down the child from her arms and makes it walk upon its feet, so that it may lose the habits of a child and betake itself to more important and substantial occupations."
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]]>Philippians 3:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but this one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I am always being drawn further in.
Gregory of Nyssa, from The Life of Moses
"Such an experience seems to me to belong to the soul which loves what is beautiful. Hope always draws the soul from the beauty which is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for the hidden through what is constantly perceived. And the bold request which goes up the mountains of desire asks this: to enjoy the Beauty not in mirrors and reflections, but face to face."
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]]>Philippians 3:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but this one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I am always being drawn further in.
Gregory of Nyssa, from The Life of Moses
"Such an experience seems to me to belong to the soul which loves what is beautiful. Hope always draws the soul from the beauty which is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for the hidden through what is constantly perceived. And the bold request which goes up the mountains of desire asks this: to enjoy the Beauty not in mirrors and reflections, but face to face."
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)
For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
The truth dazzles gradually, so that I may see.
Emily Dickinson, "Tell All the Truth but Tell It Slant"
"Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—"
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)
For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
The truth dazzles gradually, so that I may see.
Emily Dickinson, "Tell All the Truth but Tell It Slant"
"Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—"
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]]>1 John 4:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
Love is my refusal of cynicism.
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
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]]>1 John 4:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
Love is my refusal of cynicism.
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
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]]>Genesis 1:3 (NRSVUE)
Then God said, "Let there be light";
and there was light.
I was called out of the darkness.
David Bentley Hart, from You Are Gods
"From eternity, God has brought forth spiritual creatures into existence in the only way that such creatures could be formed: by calling them to ascend out of the darkness of nonbeing into the infinite beauty of the divine nature. To exist as a spiritual creature is simply to have heard and, from the first instant, responded to this total vocation. Creation is already deification—is, in fact, theogony. For that eternal act—that summoning of all created natures out of the primordial darkness—is most certainly an entirely free and unmerited gift of being, imparted to those who were not and who in themselves had no claim to be; but it is also, and no less originally, the call that awakens the gods."
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]]>Genesis 1:3 (NRSVUE)
Then God said, "Let there be light";
and there was light.
I was called out of the darkness.
David Bentley Hart, from You Are Gods
"From eternity, God has brought forth spiritual creatures into existence in the only way that such creatures could be formed: by calling them to ascend out of the darkness of nonbeing into the infinite beauty of the divine nature. To exist as a spiritual creature is simply to have heard and, from the first instant, responded to this total vocation. Creation is already deification—is, in fact, theogony. For that eternal act—that summoning of all created natures out of the primordial darkness—is most certainly an entirely free and unmerited gift of being, imparted to those who were not and who in themselves had no claim to be; but it is also, and no less originally, the call that awakens the gods."
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]]>James 1:17 (NRSVUE)
Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift,
is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights.
It's all a gift.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"And in this he showed me a little thing,
the quantity of a hazelnut,
lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed.
And it was as round as a ball.
I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding
and thought, 'What may this be?'
And it was answered generally thus:
'It is all that is made.'
I marveled how it might last,
for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness.
And I was answered in my understanding:
It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it.
And so have all things their beginning
by the love of God."
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]]>James 1:17 (NRSVUE)
Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift,
is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights.
It's all a gift.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"And in this he showed me a little thing,
the quantity of a hazelnut,
lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed.
And it was as round as a ball.
I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding
and thought, 'What may this be?'
And it was answered generally thus:
'It is all that is made.'
I marveled how it might last,
for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness.
And I was answered in my understanding:
It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it.
And so have all things their beginning
by the love of God."
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]]>Genesis 15:5 (NRSVUE)
He brought him outside and said,
"Look toward heaven and count the stars,
if you are able to count them."
Then he said to him,
"So shall your descendants be."
Hope returns when I look up.
J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Return of the King
"Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while.
The beauty of it smote his heart,
as he looked up out of the forsaken land,
and hope returned to him.
For like a shaft, clear and cold,
the thought pierced him
that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing:
there was light and high beauty
for ever beyond its reach."
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]]>Genesis 15:5 (NRSVUE)
He brought him outside and said,
"Look toward heaven and count the stars,
if you are able to count them."
Then he said to him,
"So shall your descendants be."
Hope returns when I look up.
J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Return of the King
"Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while.
The beauty of it smote his heart,
as he looked up out of the forsaken land,
and hope returned to him.
For like a shaft, clear and cold,
the thought pierced him
that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing:
there was light and high beauty
for ever beyond its reach."
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]]>Psalm 19:1 (NRSVUE)
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.
Wendell Berry, from The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays
"The Bible is best read and understood outdoors,
and the farther outdoors the better.
Passages that within walls seem improbable or incredible,
outdoors seem merely natural.
This is because outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders;
we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary
but the common mode of existence."
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]]>Psalm 19:1 (NRSVUE)
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.
Wendell Berry, from The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays
"The Bible is best read and understood outdoors,
and the farther outdoors the better.
Passages that within walls seem improbable or incredible,
outdoors seem merely natural.
This is because outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders;
we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary
but the common mode of existence."
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]]>Romans 13:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Let us live honorably as in the day,
not in reveling and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarreling and jealousy.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh
to gratify its desires.
I want to spend my life knowing you.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Lord, as much as I can mean anything,
I mean this prayer in this moment:
I want to spend the rest of my life
seeking to know you as you are revealed in Christ. Amen."
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]]>Romans 13:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Let us live honorably as in the day,
not in reveling and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarreling and jealousy.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh
to gratify its desires.
I want to spend my life knowing you.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Lord, as much as I can mean anything,
I mean this prayer in this moment:
I want to spend the rest of my life
seeking to know you as you are revealed in Christ. Amen."
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]]>Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NRSVUE)
Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your might.
Even here, the prayers hold.
Jürgen Moltmann
"When we encounter insoluble problems and despair,
we must remember
that the Shema of Israel
and the Lord's Prayer
were prayed in Auschwitz."
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]]>Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NRSVUE)
Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your might.
Even here, the prayers hold.
Jürgen Moltmann
"When we encounter insoluble problems and despair,
we must remember
that the Shema of Israel
and the Lord's Prayer
were prayed in Auschwitz."
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]]>John 1:50–51 (NIV)
Jesus said,
"You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.
You will see greater things than that."
He then added,
"Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open,
and the angels of God ascending and descending
on the Son of Man."
God is nearer to me than my own soul.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"God is nearer to us than our own soul,
for he is ground in whom our soul stands,
and he is the means that keeps
the substance and the sensuality together
so that it shall never depart.
For our soul sits in God, in true rest,
and our soul stands in God in sure strength,
and our soul is naturally rooted in God,
in endless love."
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]]>John 1:50–51 (NIV)
Jesus said,
"You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.
You will see greater things than that."
He then added,
"Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open,
and the angels of God ascending and descending
on the Son of Man."
God is nearer to me than my own soul.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"God is nearer to us than our own soul,
for he is ground in whom our soul stands,
and he is the means that keeps
the substance and the sensuality together
so that it shall never depart.
For our soul sits in God, in true rest,
and our soul stands in God in sure strength,
and our soul is naturally rooted in God,
in endless love."
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]]>John 1:47–49 (NIV)
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him,
"Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit."
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered,
"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree
before Philip called you."
Then Nathanael declared,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the king of Israel."
I was seen before I was found.
Rabbi Johanan bar Nappaha of Tiberius
"Why were matters of Torah compared to a fig tree?
Just as this fig tree,
whenever a person searches it for figs to eat,
he finds figs in it,
as the figs on the tree do not ripen all at once,
so too, with matters of Torah.
Whenever a person meditates on them,
he finds in them new meaning."
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]]>John 1:47–49 (NIV)
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him,
"Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit."
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered,
"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree
before Philip called you."
Then Nathanael declared,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the king of Israel."
I was seen before I was found.
Rabbi Johanan bar Nappaha of Tiberius
"Why were matters of Torah compared to a fig tree?
Just as this fig tree,
whenever a person searches it for figs to eat,
he finds figs in it,
as the figs on the tree do not ripen all at once,
so too, with matters of Torah.
Whenever a person meditates on them,
he finds in them new meaning."
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]]>1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NRSVUE)
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.
Prayer is keeping company with God.
Mother Teresa
"Prayer is not asking.
Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God,
at His disposition,
and listening to His voice
in the depth of our hearts."
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]]>1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NRSVUE)
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.
Prayer is keeping company with God.
Mother Teresa
"Prayer is not asking.
Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God,
at His disposition,
and listening to His voice
in the depth of our hearts."
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]]>Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE)
For thus said the Lord God,
the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Brian Zahnd, Blessed Are the Patient
A woman in the kitchen baking bread
A farmer in the field sowing seed
Both know they must trust to
Tiny miracles of fermentation and germination
Jesus says—
This is how the kingdom of heaven comes
Quiet and slow, almost unobserved
Nothing like tramping armies on the march
Or the inane noise of political campaigns
Violence is swift and lies are loud
So the kingdom of heaven is slow and quiet
Blessed are the patient
For theirs is the way of heaven
Blessed are the patient
For they'll be proved wise
Blessed are the patient
For time is on their side
Instead of fighting, striving, conniving
They can wait for the bread to rise
They can wait for the wheat to ripen
Causes, crusades, and campaigns cannot wait
And for this reason they cannot be wise
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread"
Those in a hurry to change the world
Just make the world more of what it is—
Loud and proud and bound
To the powers that be
So Jesus alludes to something other
A woman in her kitchen sipping tea
A farmer on the porch with his pipe
She's waiting for the bread to rise
He's waiting for the rains to come
And Jesus whispers—
This is the way to be
Blessed are the patient
For they do it right
Blessed are the patient
For they keep their peace
Blessed are the patient
For they change the world
(Without even knowing it)
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]]>Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE)
For thus said the Lord God,
the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Brian Zahnd, Blessed Are the Patient
A woman in the kitchen baking bread
A farmer in the field sowing seed
Both know they must trust to
Tiny miracles of fermentation and germination
Jesus says—
This is how the kingdom of heaven comes
Quiet and slow, almost unobserved
Nothing like tramping armies on the march
Or the inane noise of political campaigns
Violence is swift and lies are loud
So the kingdom of heaven is slow and quiet
Blessed are the patient
For theirs is the way of heaven
Blessed are the patient
For they'll be proved wise
Blessed are the patient
For time is on their side
Instead of fighting, striving, conniving
They can wait for the bread to rise
They can wait for the wheat to ripen
Causes, crusades, and campaigns cannot wait
And for this reason they cannot be wise
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread"
Those in a hurry to change the world
Just make the world more of what it is—
Loud and proud and bound
To the powers that be
So Jesus alludes to something other
A woman in her kitchen sipping tea
A farmer on the porch with his pipe
She's waiting for the bread to rise
He's waiting for the rains to come
And Jesus whispers—
This is the way to be
Blessed are the patient
For they do it right
Blessed are the patient
For they keep their peace
Blessed are the patient
For they change the world
(Without even knowing it)
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]]>Mark 2:15 (NRSVUE)
And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house,
many tax collectors and sinners
were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples,
for there were many who followed him.
There is a place at the table, and it is mine.
Henri Nouwen, from Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
"To live in the world without belonging to the world
summarizes the essence of the spiritual life.
The spiritual life keeps us aware
that our true house is not the house of fear,
in which the powers of hatred and violence rule,
but the house of love, where God resides."
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]]>Mark 2:15 (NRSVUE)
And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house,
many tax collectors and sinners
were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples,
for there were many who followed him.
There is a place at the table, and it is mine.
Henri Nouwen, from Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
"To live in the world without belonging to the world
summarizes the essence of the spiritual life.
The spiritual life keeps us aware
that our true house is not the house of fear,
in which the powers of hatred and violence rule,
but the house of love, where God resides."
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]]>Hebrews 13:2 (NRSVUE)
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that
some have entertained angels without knowing it.
I welcome everything that comes to me today.
The Welcoming Prayer
Mary Mrozowski
"Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it's for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions,
persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person, or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God
and God's action within. Amen."
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]]>Hebrews 13:2 (NRSVUE)
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that
some have entertained angels without knowing it.
I welcome everything that comes to me today.
The Welcoming Prayer
Mary Mrozowski
"Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it's for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions,
persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person, or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God
and God's action within. Amen."
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]]>Genesis 18:1 (NRSVUE)
The Lord appeared to Abraham
by the oaks of Mamre,
as he sat at the entrance of his tent
in the heat of the day.
The present of our life looks different under trees.
Wendell Berry, from A Timbered Choir
"I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle."
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]]>Genesis 18:1 (NRSVUE)
The Lord appeared to Abraham
by the oaks of Mamre,
as he sat at the entrance of his tent
in the heat of the day.
The present of our life looks different under trees.
Wendell Berry, from A Timbered Choir
"I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle."
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]]>Hebrews 11:8 (NRSVUE)
By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to set out
for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance,
and he set out, not knowing where he was going.
I set out without knowing. Faith is what I carry.
Søren Kierkegaard, from Fear and Trembling
trans. L.M. Hollander
"Through the urging of his faith
Abraham left the land of his forefathers
and became a stranger in the land of promise.
He left one thing behind and took one thing along:
he left his worldly wisdom behind
and took with him faith."
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]]>Hebrews 11:8 (NRSVUE)
By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to set out
for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance,
and he set out, not knowing where he was going.
I set out without knowing. Faith is what I carry.
Søren Kierkegaard, from Fear and Trembling
trans. L.M. Hollander
"Through the urging of his faith
Abraham left the land of his forefathers
and became a stranger in the land of promise.
He left one thing behind and took one thing along:
he left his worldly wisdom behind
and took with him faith."
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]]>Luke 24:30–32 (NIV)
When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, gave thanks, broke it
and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened
and they recognized him,
and he disappeared from their sight.
They asked each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he talked with us on the road
and opened the Scriptures to us?"
My heart burns as I walk with him.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"If we will stay on the journey,
press on along the pilgrim path,
stay on the road with Jesus,
we will come to understand
the mysteries of Christ
in deeper and truer ways,
and like Cleopas and Mary,
our hearts will burn within us."
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]]>Luke 24:30–32 (NIV)
When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, gave thanks, broke it
and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened
and they recognized him,
and he disappeared from their sight.
They asked each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he talked with us on the road
and opened the Scriptures to us?"
My heart burns as I walk with him.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"If we will stay on the journey,
press on along the pilgrim path,
stay on the road with Jesus,
we will come to understand
the mysteries of Christ
in deeper and truer ways,
and like Cleopas and Mary,
our hearts will burn within us."
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]]>2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
For we live by faith,
not by sight.
I make the path by walking it.
Antonio Machado, trans. Betty Jean Craige
"Wayfarer, only your footprints
are the path, and nothing more;
wayfarer, there is no path,
you make the path as you walk.
As you walk you make the path,
and as you turn to glance behind
you see the trail that you never
shall return to tread again.
Wayfarer, there is no path,
only wake trails on the sea."
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]]>2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
For we live by faith,
not by sight.
I make the path by walking it.
Antonio Machado, trans. Betty Jean Craige
"Wayfarer, only your footprints
are the path, and nothing more;
wayfarer, there is no path,
you make the path as you walk.
As you walk you make the path,
and as you turn to glance behind
you see the trail that you never
shall return to tread again.
Wayfarer, there is no path,
only wake trails on the sea."
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]]>Philippians 3:12–14 (NRSVUE)
Not that I have already obtained this
or have already reached the goal,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own,
but this one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the heavenly call of God
in Christ Jesus.
I press on. I have not arrived.
John Bunyan, from Pilgrim's Progress
"His burden loosed from off his shoulders,
and fell from off his back,
and began to tumble,
and so continued to do,
till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre,
where it fell in,
and I saw it no more.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome."
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]]>Philippians 3:12–14 (NRSVUE)
Not that I have already obtained this
or have already reached the goal,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own,
but this one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the heavenly call of God
in Christ Jesus.
I press on. I have not arrived.
John Bunyan, from Pilgrim's Progress
"His burden loosed from off his shoulders,
and fell from off his back,
and began to tumble,
and so continued to do,
till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre,
where it fell in,
and I saw it no more.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome."
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]]>Matthew 7:13–14 (NRSVUE)
"Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road is easy
that leads to destruction,
and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard
that leads to life,
and there are few who find it."
Truth is a road, and I am walking it.
Brian Zahnd, from The Last Train Out of Monkey Town
"Truth is not a laminated card
you carry in your pocket,
Truth is a long hard road
and you have to walk it."
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]]>Matthew 7:13–14 (NRSVUE)
"Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road is easy
that leads to destruction,
and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard
that leads to life,
and there are few who find it."
Truth is a road, and I am walking it.
Brian Zahnd, from The Last Train Out of Monkey Town
"Truth is not a laminated card
you carry in your pocket,
Truth is a long hard road
and you have to walk it."
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]]>Acts 9:2 (NIV)
...and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,
so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,
whether men or women,
he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
I belong to the Way. I am on the road.
Jack Kerouac, from On the Road
"As we crossed the Colorado-Utah border
I saw God in the sky
in the form of huge gold sunburning clouds
above the desert
that seemed to point a finger at me and say,
'Pass here and go on,
you're on the road to heaven.'"
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]]>Acts 9:2 (NIV)
...and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,
so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,
whether men or women,
he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
I belong to the Way. I am on the road.
Jack Kerouac, from On the Road
"As we crossed the Colorado-Utah border
I saw God in the sky
in the form of huge gold sunburning clouds
above the desert
that seemed to point a finger at me and say,
'Pass here and go on,
you're on the road to heaven.'"
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]]>John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh. This is the greatest wonder.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"In that numinous moment I whispered a prayer:
God, I want to spend the rest of my life
in a constant state of wonder.
What happened next was wholly unanticipated.
A reply whispered back,
This is the greatest wonder of all —
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
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]]>John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh. This is the greatest wonder.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"In that numinous moment I whispered a prayer:
God, I want to spend the rest of my life
in a constant state of wonder.
What happened next was wholly unanticipated.
A reply whispered back,
This is the greatest wonder of all —
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed.
Mystery is where all knowing begins.
Albert Einstein
"The most beautiful thing we can experience
is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed.
Mystery is where all knowing begins.
Albert Einstein
"The most beautiful thing we can experience
is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science."
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]]>Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
And he said:
"Truly I tell you,
unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
I am learning to see like a child again.
George MacDonald
"To cease to wonder is to fall plumb-down
from the childlike to the commonplace —
the most undivine of all moods intellectual.
Our nature can never be at home
among things that are not wonderful to us."
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]]>Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
And he said:
"Truly I tell you,
unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
I am learning to see like a child again.
George MacDonald
"To cease to wonder is to fall plumb-down
from the childlike to the commonplace —
the most undivine of all moods intellectual.
Our nature can never be at home
among things that are not wonderful to us."
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]]>Lamentations 5:15–16 (NIV)
Joy is gone from our hearts;
our dancing has turned to mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
God has never grown tired of making the world.
G.K. Chesterton, from Orthodoxy
"But perhaps God is strong enough
to exult in monotony.
It is possible that God says every morning,
'Do it again' to the sun;
and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon.
It may not be automatic necessity
that makes all daisies alike;
it may be that God makes every daisy separately,
but has never got tired of making them.
It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy;
for we have sinned and grown old,
and our Father is younger than we."
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]]>Lamentations 5:15–16 (NIV)
Joy is gone from our hearts;
our dancing has turned to mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
God has never grown tired of making the world.
G.K. Chesterton, from Orthodoxy
"But perhaps God is strong enough
to exult in monotony.
It is possible that God says every morning,
'Do it again' to the sun;
and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon.
It may not be automatic necessity
that makes all daisies alike;
it may be that God makes every daisy separately,
but has never got tired of making them.
It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy;
for we have sinned and grown old,
and our Father is younger than we."
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Wonder is the arrow pointing me home.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"In the pilgrimage of the soul
toward the homeland where we've never been,
wonder is one of our most reliable way markers.
True wonder is a bright flecha
pointing the pilgrim toward heaven."
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Wonder is the arrow pointing me home.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"In the pilgrimage of the soul
toward the homeland where we've never been,
wonder is one of our most reliable way markers.
True wonder is a bright flecha
pointing the pilgrim toward heaven."
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]]>Revelation 21:2–4 (NRSVUE)
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
No one is finally lost. The road leads home.
C.S. Lewis, from The Problem of Pain
"I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish;
but their rescue consists
of being put back on the right road."
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]]>Revelation 21:2–4 (NRSVUE)
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
No one is finally lost. The road leads home.
C.S. Lewis, from The Problem of Pain
"I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish;
but their rescue consists
of being put back on the right road."
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]]>Philippians 3:20 (NIV)
But our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am not yet myself. I am becoming.
Pope Benedict XVI, from Introduction to Christianity
"Human persons are beings en route,
beings characterized by transition.
They are not yet themselves;
they must ultimately become themselves."
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]]>Philippians 3:20 (NIV)
But our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am not yet myself. I am becoming.
Pope Benedict XVI, from Introduction to Christianity
"Human persons are beings en route,
beings characterized by transition.
They are not yet themselves;
they must ultimately become themselves."
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]]>John 14:2–3 (NIV)
My Father's house has many rooms;
if that were not so,
would I have told you
that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back
and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am.
I press on — further up and further in.
C.S. Lewis, from The Last Battle
"I have come home at last!
This is my real country!
I belong here.
This is the land I have been looking for all my life,
though I've never seen it till now.
The reason we loved the old Narnia
is that it sometimes looked a little like this.
Come further up, come further in!"
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]]>John 14:2–3 (NIV)
My Father's house has many rooms;
if that were not so,
would I have told you
that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back
and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am.
I press on — further up and further in.
C.S. Lewis, from The Last Battle
"I have come home at last!
This is my real country!
I belong here.
This is the land I have been looking for all my life,
though I've never seen it till now.
The reason we loved the old Narnia
is that it sometimes looked a little like this.
Come further up, come further in!"
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]]>Hebrews 11:13 (KJV)
These all died in faith,
not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth.
I am an animal en route to another native land.
Gregory of Nazianzus, from an Easter Sermon
"The great Architect of the universe
conceived and produced a being
endowed with both natures,
visible and invisible.
He created a being at once earthly and heavenly,
insecure and immortal,
visible and invisible,
halfway between greatness and nothingness,
flesh and spirit at the same time —
an animal en route to another native land,
and most mysterious of all,
made to resemble God
by simple submission to the divine will."
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]]>Hebrews 11:13 (KJV)
These all died in faith,
not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth.
I am an animal en route to another native land.
Gregory of Nazianzus, from an Easter Sermon
"The great Architect of the universe
conceived and produced a being
endowed with both natures,
visible and invisible.
He created a being at once earthly and heavenly,
insecure and immortal,
visible and invisible,
halfway between greatness and nothingness,
flesh and spirit at the same time —
an animal en route to another native land,
and most mysterious of all,
made to resemble God
by simple submission to the divine will."
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
I am latent with unseen existences.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Once we acknowledge the reality of a spiritual world,
we can understand life as a pilgrimage of the soul
toward our true telos —
our true aim, our true goal, our true end:
union with God."
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
I am latent with unseen existences.
Brian Zahnd, from Unseen Existences
"Once we acknowledge the reality of a spiritual world,
we can understand life as a pilgrimage of the soul
toward our true telos —
our true aim, our true goal, our true end:
union with God."
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]]>Song of Songs 2:4 (NIV)
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
and let his banner over me be love.
I welcome the stranger who is myself.
Derek Walcott, from Love After Love
"The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Sit. Feast on your life."
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]]>Song of Songs 2:4 (NIV)
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
and let his banner over me be love.
I welcome the stranger who is myself.
Derek Walcott, from Love After Love
"The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Sit. Feast on your life."
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]]>Revelation 21:5 (NIV)
He who was seated on the throne said,
"I am making everything new!"
Then he said,
"Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true."
What was broken has become the ground of something new.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, from The Brothers Karamazov
"Love all God's creation,
the whole and every grain of sand in it.
Love every leaf, every ray of God's light.
Love the animals, love the plants, love everything.
If you love everything,
you will perceive the divine mystery in things.
Once you have perceived it,
you will begin to comprehend it better every day.
And you will come at last
to love the whole world
with an all-embracing love."
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]]>Revelation 21:5 (NIV)
He who was seated on the throne said,
"I am making everything new!"
Then he said,
"Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true."
What was broken has become the ground of something new.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, from The Brothers Karamazov
"Love all God's creation,
the whole and every grain of sand in it.
Love every leaf, every ray of God's light.
Love the animals, love the plants, love everything.
If you love everything,
you will perceive the divine mystery in things.
Once you have perceived it,
you will begin to comprehend it better every day.
And you will come at last
to love the whole world
with an all-embracing love."
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]]>Exodus 3:14 (NIV)
God said to Moses,
"I am who I am.
This is what you are to say to the Israelites:
'I am has sent me to you.'"
Simply that you are.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Anything is a sacrament
if it serves as a shortcut to the Infinite,
but it will always be hidden
in something that is very finite."
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]]>Exodus 3:14 (NIV)
God said to Moses,
"I am who I am.
This is what you are to say to the Israelites:
'I am has sent me to you.'"
Simply that you are.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Anything is a sacrament
if it serves as a shortcut to the Infinite,
but it will always be hidden
in something that is very finite."
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]]>Romans 8:18 (NIV)
I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.
C.S. Lewis, from The Problem of Pain
"We can ignore even pleasure.
But pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains:
it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
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]]>Romans 8:18 (NIV)
I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.
C.S. Lewis, from The Problem of Pain
"We can ignore even pleasure.
But pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains:
it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
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]]>Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
God saw all that he had made,
and it was very good.
And there was evening, and there was morning —
the sixth day.
I am held in a world that was made for me.
Thomas Traherne, from Centuries of Meditations
"You never enjoy the world aright,
till the Sea itself floweth in your veins,
till you are clothed with the heavens,
and crowned with the stars:
and perceive yourself to be the sole heir of the whole world,
and more than so,
because men are in it
who are every one sole heirs as well as you.
Till you love men so as to desire their happiness,
with a thirst equal to the zeal of your own:
till you delight in God for being good to all:
you never enjoy the world."
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]]>Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
God saw all that he had made,
and it was very good.
And there was evening, and there was morning —
the sixth day.
I am held in a world that was made for me.
Thomas Traherne, from Centuries of Meditations
"You never enjoy the world aright,
till the Sea itself floweth in your veins,
till you are clothed with the heavens,
and crowned with the stars:
and perceive yourself to be the sole heir of the whole world,
and more than so,
because men are in it
who are every one sole heirs as well as you.
Till you love men so as to desire their happiness,
with a thirst equal to the zeal of your own:
till you delight in God for being good to all:
you never enjoy the world."
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
And we all, who with unveiled faces
contemplate the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his image
with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit.
Heaven begins now, in being fully seen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Any loving gaze that we can dare to receive
can start the Flow:
creation itself, animals, humans —
all are the divine gaze
if we allow them to be.
One day, the mirror will reflect in both directions,
and we will see over there
what was allowed in here.
This is full-access seeing — and being seen:
most have named it 'heaven'
and it begins now.
Let this Divine Mirror fully receive you.
All of you.
And you never need be lonely again."
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
And we all, who with unveiled faces
contemplate the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his image
with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit.
Heaven begins now, in being fully seen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Any loving gaze that we can dare to receive
can start the Flow:
creation itself, animals, humans —
all are the divine gaze
if we allow them to be.
One day, the mirror will reflect in both directions,
and we will see over there
what was allowed in here.
This is full-access seeing — and being seen:
most have named it 'heaven'
and it begins now.
Let this Divine Mirror fully receive you.
All of you.
And you never need be lonely again."
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]]>Psalm 139:1–4 (NIV)
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
God receives me fully. I am redeemed in being seen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"God is a mirror big enough to receive everything,
and every single part of you,
just as it is,
rejecting nothing,
adjusting nothing.
Whatever is fully received in this Mirror
is by that very fact 'redeemed.'
God always sees and loves God in you.
It seems like God has no choice.
This is God's eternal and unilateral contract with the soul."
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]]>Psalm 139:1–4 (NIV)
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
God receives me fully. I am redeemed in being seen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"God is a mirror big enough to receive everything,
and every single part of you,
just as it is,
rejecting nothing,
adjusting nothing.
Whatever is fully received in this Mirror
is by that very fact 'redeemed.'
God always sees and loves God in you.
It seems like God has no choice.
This is God's eternal and unilateral contract with the soul."
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]]>1 John 4:16 (NIV)
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God,
and God in them.
I am known in relationship and held in love.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If that mirror is withdrawn for any reason,
it causes sadness, emptiness, or even anger.
We are normally disoriented,
even heartbroken for a while.
We die in some way. But why?
Because we only know ourselves in another's eyes.
We receive our identity — all of it — good and bad,
from another.
The other both creates us and saves us.
The universe is relational at every level,
and even between levels.
Relationship is the core and foundational shape of Reality."
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]]>1 John 4:16 (NIV)
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God,
and God in them.
I am known in relationship and held in love.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If that mirror is withdrawn for any reason,
it causes sadness, emptiness, or even anger.
We are normally disoriented,
even heartbroken for a while.
We die in some way. But why?
Because we only know ourselves in another's eyes.
We receive our identity — all of it — good and bad,
from another.
The other both creates us and saves us.
The universe is relational at every level,
and even between levels.
Relationship is the core and foundational shape of Reality."
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]]>Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
In God's gaze, I come alive.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"When we learn to love anyone or anything,
it is because they have somehow,
if just for a moment,
mirrored us truthfully yet compassionately to ourselves.
And we grab on to it! Why wouldn't we?
In this resonance, we literally 'come to life.'
But have no doubt, it is an allowing from our side.
And such pure, unfiltered Presence
is accessed only by presence in return.
Nothing more is needed."
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]]>Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
In God's gaze, I come alive.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"When we learn to love anyone or anything,
it is because they have somehow,
if just for a moment,
mirrored us truthfully yet compassionately to ourselves.
And we grab on to it! Why wouldn't we?
In this resonance, we literally 'come to life.'
But have no doubt, it is an allowing from our side.
And such pure, unfiltered Presence
is accessed only by presence in return.
Nothing more is needed."
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
we see only a part,
but then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
God sees me clearly and loves what God sees.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"A mirror receives and reflects back what it sees.
It does not judge, adjust, or write commentary.
We are the ones who do that.
A mirror simply reveals.
And invites responsibility.
A mirror, the sun, and God are all the same.
They are all there, fully shining forth.
Their very nature is light, love, and infinite giving.
You can't offend them or make them stop shining.
You can only choose to stop receiving and enjoying.
As soon as you look, you will see they are there.
And fully radiating.
And always have been."
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
we see only a part,
but then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
God sees me clearly and loves what God sees.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"A mirror receives and reflects back what it sees.
It does not judge, adjust, or write commentary.
We are the ones who do that.
A mirror simply reveals.
And invites responsibility.
A mirror, the sun, and God are all the same.
They are all there, fully shining forth.
Their very nature is light, love, and infinite giving.
You can't offend them or make them stop shining.
You can only choose to stop receiving and enjoying.
As soon as you look, you will see they are there.
And fully radiating.
And always have been."
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]]>Colossians 1:16–17 (NIV)
For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
I am a willing traveler in something larger than myself.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"That the way things work
and Christ are one and the same.
This is not a religion
to be either fervently joined or angrily rejected.
It is a train ride already in motion.
The tracks are visible everywhere.
You can be a willing and happy traveler,
or not."
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]]>Colossians 1:16–17 (NIV)
For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
I am a willing traveler in something larger than myself.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"That the way things work
and Christ are one and the same.
This is not a religion
to be either fervently joined or angrily rejected.
It is a train ride already in motion.
The tracks are visible everywhere.
You can be a willing and happy traveler,
or not."
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]]>Romans 8:22 (NIV)
We know that the whole creation
has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth
right up to the present time.
The pattern of death and rising is everywhere.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, from How I Believe
"I believe the universe is an evolution;
I believe evolution proceeds towards spirit;
I believe spirit, in human beings,
completes itself in the personal;
I believe the supreme personal
is the Universal Christ."
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]]>Romans 8:22 (NIV)
We know that the whole creation
has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth
right up to the present time.
The pattern of death and rising is everywhere.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, from How I Believe
"I believe the universe is an evolution;
I believe evolution proceeds towards spirit;
I believe spirit, in human beings,
completes itself in the personal;
I believe the supreme personal
is the Universal Christ."
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]]>John 12:24 (NIV)
"Very truly I tell you,
unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies,
it produces many seeds."
In letting go, I find what truly lives.
C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity
"The more we let God take us over,
the more truly ourselves we become —
because He made us. He invented us.
He invented all the different people
that you and I were intended to be.
It is when I turn to Christ,
when I give up myself to His personality,
that I first begin to have a real personality of my own."
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]]>John 12:24 (NIV)
"Very truly I tell you,
unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies,
it produces many seeds."
In letting go, I find what truly lives.
C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity
"The more we let God take us over,
the more truly ourselves we become —
because He made us. He invented us.
He invented all the different people
that you and I were intended to be.
It is when I turn to Christ,
when I give up myself to His personality,
that I first begin to have a real personality of my own."
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]]>Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
Jesus is the path. I choose to follow.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If Christ represents the resurrected state,
then Jesus represents the crucified/resurrecting path
of getting there.
If Christ is the source and goal,
then Jesus is the path
from that source
toward the goal of divine unity
with all things."
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]]>Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
Jesus is the path. I choose to follow.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If Christ represents the resurrected state,
then Jesus represents the crucified/resurrecting path
of getting there.
If Christ is the source and goal,
then Jesus is the path
from that source
toward the goal of divine unity
with all things."
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]]>Matthew 5:3 (NIV)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The way down is the way in.
Francis of Assisi, from The Peace Prayer
"O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.
Amen."
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]]>Matthew 5:3 (NIV)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The way down is the way in.
Francis of Assisi, from The Peace Prayer
"O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.
Amen."
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]]>James 2:17 (NIV)
In the same way,
faith by itself,
if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
My faith is alive when it is lived.
Howard Thurman, from Jesus and the Disinherited
"The religion of Jesus says to the disinherited:
'Love your enemy.
Take the initiative in seeking ways by which you can have the experience
of a common sharing of mutual worth and value.
It may be hazardous,
but you must do it.'"
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]]>James 2:17 (NIV)
In the same way,
faith by itself,
if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
My faith is alive when it is lived.
Howard Thurman, from Jesus and the Disinherited
"The religion of Jesus says to the disinherited:
'Love your enemy.
Take the initiative in seeking ways by which you can have the experience
of a common sharing of mutual worth and value.
It may be hazardous,
but you must do it.'"
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]]>Colossians 1:17 (NIV)
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
I am awake to God in all things.
Mechtild of Magdeburg, from The Flowing Light of the Godhead
"The day of my spiritual awakening
was the day I saw —
and knew I saw —
all things in God
and God in all things."
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]]>Colossians 1:17 (NIV)
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
I am awake to God in all things.
Mechtild of Magdeburg, from The Flowing Light of the Godhead
"The day of my spiritual awakening
was the day I saw —
and knew I saw —
all things in God
and God in all things."
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]]>Exodus 3:5 (NIV)
"Do not come any closer," God said.
"Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing
is holy ground."
God comes to me disguised as my life.
Thich Nhat Hanh, from The Miracle of Mindfulness
"Wash the dishes relaxingly,
as though each bowl is an object of contemplation.
Consider each bowl as sacred.
Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying.
Do not try to hurry to get the job over with.
Consider washing the dishes the most important thing in life.
Washing the dishes is meditation.
If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness,
neither can you meditate while sitting in silence."
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]]>Exodus 3:5 (NIV)
"Do not come any closer," God said.
"Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing
is holy ground."
God comes to me disguised as my life.
Thich Nhat Hanh, from The Miracle of Mindfulness
"Wash the dishes relaxingly,
as though each bowl is an object of contemplation.
Consider each bowl as sacred.
Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying.
Do not try to hurry to get the job over with.
Consider washing the dishes the most important thing in life.
Washing the dishes is meditation.
If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness,
neither can you meditate while sitting in silence."
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]]>Romans 5:3–5 (NIV)
We also glory in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame,
because God's love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Love and suffering are teaching me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"In the practical order of life,
if we have never loved deeply or suffered deeply,
we are unable to understand spiritual things at any depth.
Any healthy and true religion is teaching you
how to deal with suffering and how to deal with love.
And if you allow this process with sincerity,
you will soon recognize
that it is actually love and suffering
that are dealing with you."
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]]>Romans 5:3–5 (NIV)
We also glory in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame,
because God's love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Love and suffering are teaching me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"In the practical order of life,
if we have never loved deeply or suffered deeply,
we are unable to understand spiritual things at any depth.
Any healthy and true religion is teaching you
how to deal with suffering and how to deal with love.
And if you allow this process with sincerity,
you will soon recognize
that it is actually love and suffering
that are dealing with you."
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]]>1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
The person without the Spirit
does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,
but considers them foolishness,
and cannot understand them
because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
I am learning to see with new eyes.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"Contemplation is the highest expression
of man's intellectual and spiritual life.
It is that life itself,
fully awake, fully active,
fully aware that it is alive.
It is spiritual wonder.
It is spontaneous awe
at the sacredness of life, of being."
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]]>1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
The person without the Spirit
does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,
but considers them foolishness,
and cannot understand them
because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
I am learning to see with new eyes.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"Contemplation is the highest expression
of man's intellectual and spiritual life.
It is that life itself,
fully awake, fully active,
fully aware that it is alive.
It is spiritual wonder.
It is spontaneous awe
at the sacredness of life, of being."
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]]>John 20:18 (NIV)
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples
with the news:
"I have seen the Lord!"
And she told them
that he had said these things to her.
Attention is the beginning of devotion
Mary Oliver, from Sometimes
"Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
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]]>John 20:18 (NIV)
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples
with the news:
"I have seen the Lord!"
And she told them
that he had said these things to her.
Attention is the beginning of devotion
Mary Oliver, from Sometimes
"Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>John 20:1–2 (NIV)
Early on the first day of the week,
while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
So she came running to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,
and said,
"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,
and we don't know where they have put him!"
Love is the path and love is the guide.
Dante, from Paradiso, Canto 33
trans. Allen Mandelbaum
"But already my desire and my will
were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed,
by the Love that moves the sun and the other stars."
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]]>John 20:1–2 (NIV)
Early on the first day of the week,
while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
So she came running to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,
and said,
"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,
and we don't know where they have put him!"
Love is the path and love is the guide.
Dante, from Paradiso, Canto 33
trans. Allen Mandelbaum
"But already my desire and my will
were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed,
by the Love that moves the sun and the other stars."
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]]>John 20:17 (NIV)
Jesus said,
"Do not hold on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
Go instead to my brothers and tell them,
'I am ascending to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
I release what was to receive what is.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus of Nazareth, an individual man,
has become Christ, the Corporate Personality.
We used to know him primarily by outer observation,
but now we know him primarily by interior exchange.
Which is how we all know Christ,
and is commonly called 'prayer.'"
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]]>John 20:17 (NIV)
Jesus said,
"Do not hold on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
Go instead to my brothers and tell them,
'I am ascending to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
I release what was to receive what is.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus of Nazareth, an individual man,
has become Christ, the Corporate Personality.
We used to know him primarily by outer observation,
but now we know him primarily by interior exchange.
Which is how we all know Christ,
and is commonly called 'prayer.'"
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]]>John 20:29 (NIV)
Then Jesus told him,
"Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed."
I know God from the inside out.
Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude
"The only true joy on earth
is to escape from the prison of our own false self,
and enter by love into union
with the Life who dwells and sings
within the essence of every creature
and in the core of our own souls."
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]]>John 20:29 (NIV)
Then Jesus told him,
"Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed."
I know God from the inside out.
Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude
"The only true joy on earth
is to escape from the prison of our own false self,
and enter by love into union
with the Life who dwells and sings
within the essence of every creature
and in the core of our own souls."
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]]>John 20:15–16 (NIV)
He asked her,
"Woman, why are you crying?
Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener,
she said,
"Sir, if you have carried him away,
tell me where you have put him,
and I will get him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,
"Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").
Love speaks my name and I am found.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Like Mary, we must somehow hear our name pronounced,
must hear ourselves being addressed and regarded by Love,
before we can recognize this Christ in our midst."
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]]>John 20:15–16 (NIV)
He asked her,
"Woman, why are you crying?
Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener,
she said,
"Sir, if you have carried him away,
tell me where you have put him,
and I will get him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,
"Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").
Love speaks my name and I am found.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Like Mary, we must somehow hear our name pronounced,
must hear ourselves being addressed and regarded by Love,
before we can recognize this Christ in our midst."
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]]>Luke 2:10 (NIV)
But the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news
that will cause great joy
for all the people."
The Gospel is good news for all the people.
Jurgen Moltmann, from Theology of Hope
"From first to last,
and not merely in the epilogue,
Christianity is eschatology, is hope,
forward moving
and therefore also revolutionising the present."
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]]>Luke 2:10 (NIV)
But the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news
that will cause great joy
for all the people."
The Gospel is good news for all the people.
Jurgen Moltmann, from Theology of Hope
"From first to last,
and not merely in the epilogue,
Christianity is eschatology, is hope,
forward moving
and therefore also revolutionising the present."
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]]>Luke 6:38 (NIV)
"Give, and it will be given to you.
A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together
and running over,
will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you."
I cannot be separated from the pattern of love.
Gregory Palamas
"God revealed the Christ in Jesus
so that humanity could never be separated
from the pattern that he portrayed."
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]]>Luke 6:38 (NIV)
"Give, and it will be given to you.
A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together
and running over,
will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you."
I cannot be separated from the pattern of love.
Gregory Palamas
"God revealed the Christ in Jesus
so that humanity could never be separated
from the pattern that he portrayed."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NIV)
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Love could not bear that.
St. Silouan, from St. Silouan the Athonite
by Archimandrite Sophrony
"A certain hermit said with evident satisfaction,
'God will punish all atheists.
They will burn in everlasting fire.'
Silouan was clearly upset.
He said,
'Tell me — supposing you went to paradise,
and there you looked down
and saw someone burning in hell-fire —
would you feel happy?'
'It can't be helped,' said the hermit.
'It would be their own fault.'
Silouan answered with a sorrowful countenance:
'Love could not bear that.
We must pray for all.'"
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]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NIV)
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Love could not bear that.
St. Silouan, from St. Silouan the Athonite
by Archimandrite Sophrony
"A certain hermit said with evident satisfaction,
'God will punish all atheists.
They will burn in everlasting fire.'
Silouan was clearly upset.
He said,
'Tell me — supposing you went to paradise,
and there you looked down
and saw someone burning in hell-fire —
would you feel happy?'
'It can't be helped,' said the hermit.
'It would be their own fault.'
Silouan answered with a sorrowful countenance:
'Love could not bear that.
We must pray for all.'"
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]]>1 John 4:18 (NIV)
There is no fear in love.
But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears
is not made perfect in love.
I am drawn by love, not driven by fear.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If you are frightened into God,
it is never the true God that you meet.
If you are loved into God,
you meet a God worthy of both Jesus and Christ.
How you get there
is where you arrive."
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]]>1 John 4:18 (NIV)
There is no fear in love.
But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears
is not made perfect in love.
I am drawn by love, not driven by fear.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If you are frightened into God,
it is never the true God that you meet.
If you are loved into God,
you meet a God worthy of both Jesus and Christ.
How you get there
is where you arrive."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
Christ descends to where I am and brings me up.
John Chrysostom, from Paschal Homily
"Let those who have fasted
and those who have not fasted
rejoice today.
The table is fully laden; feast sumptuously.
Let no one grieve poverty,
for the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one fear death,
for the Savior's death has set us free.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw,
and was overcome by what it did not see.
Christ is Risen, and the demons are fallen.
Christ is Risen, and life is freed.
Christ is Risen,
and the tomb is emptied of its dead."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
Christ descends to where I am and brings me up.
John Chrysostom, from Paschal Homily
"Let those who have fasted
and those who have not fasted
rejoice today.
The table is fully laden; feast sumptuously.
Let no one grieve poverty,
for the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one fear death,
for the Savior's death has set us free.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw,
and was overcome by what it did not see.
Christ is Risen, and the demons are fallen.
Christ is Risen, and life is freed.
Christ is Risen,
and the tomb is emptied of its dead."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed.
I have a place in the family of things.
Mary Oliver, from Wild Geese
"Meanwhile the world goes on...
meanwhile the wild geese,
high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese,
harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed.
I have a place in the family of things.
Mary Oliver, from Wild Geese
"Meanwhile the world goes on...
meanwhile the wild geese,
high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese,
harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things."
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]]>John 12:36 (NIV)
"Believe in the light
while you have the light,
so that you may become children of light."
Christ is the light in whom I live and move.
Athanasius
"God in Christ became the bearer of flesh for a time,
so that humanity could become
the bearer of Spirit forever."
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]]>John 12:36 (NIV)
"Believe in the light
while you have the light,
so that you may become children of light."
Christ is the light in whom I live and move.
Athanasius
"God in Christ became the bearer of flesh for a time,
so that humanity could become
the bearer of Spirit forever."
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]]>Matthew 22:10 (NIV)
So the servants went out into the streets
and gathered all the people they could find,
the bad as well as the good,
and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
There is room for everyone at this table.
Maximus the Confessor
"God made all beings to this end,
to enjoy the same union of humanity and divinity
that was united in Christ."
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]]>Matthew 22:10 (NIV)
So the servants went out into the streets
and gathered all the people they could find,
the bad as well as the good,
and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
There is room for everyone at this table.
Maximus the Confessor
"God made all beings to this end,
to enjoy the same union of humanity and divinity
that was united in Christ."
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]]>Romans 4:17 (NIV)
As it is written:
"I have made you a father of many nations."
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed —
the God who gives life to the dead
and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
I am always becoming, never ending.
Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself
"All goes onward and outward...
and nothing collapses,
and to die is different from what any one supposed,
and luckier."
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]]>Romans 4:17 (NIV)
As it is written:
"I have made you a father of many nations."
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed —
the God who gives life to the dead
and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
I am always becoming, never ending.
Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself
"All goes onward and outward...
and nothing collapses,
and to die is different from what any one supposed,
and luckier."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:13 (NIV)
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then not even Christ has been raised.
Nothing truly good can die.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"'Resurrection' is another word for change,
but particularly positive change —
which we tend to see only in the long run.
In the short run,
it often just looks like death."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:13 (NIV)
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then not even Christ has been raised.
Nothing truly good can die.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"'Resurrection' is another word for change,
but particularly positive change —
which we tend to see only in the long run.
In the short run,
it often just looks like death."
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]]>Colossians 3:4 (NIV)
When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
I am connected, and that is enough.
Henri Nouwen, from Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry
"Community is not loneliness grabbing onto loneliness:
'I'm so lonely, and you're so lonely.'
It's solitude grabbing onto solitude:
'I am the beloved; you are the beloved;
together we can build a home.'"
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]]>Colossians 3:4 (NIV)
When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
I am connected, and that is enough.
Henri Nouwen, from Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry
"Community is not loneliness grabbing onto loneliness:
'I'm so lonely, and you're so lonely.'
It's solitude grabbing onto solitude:
'I am the beloved; you are the beloved;
together we can build a home.'"
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:28 (NIV)
When he has done this,
then the Son himself will be made subject
to him who put everything under him,
so that God may be all in all.
I am caught up in something larger than myself.
Thomas Merton, from No Man Is an Island
"We do not exist for ourselves alone,
and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact
that we begin to love ourselves properly
and thus also love others.
What do I mean by loving ourselves properly?
I mean, first of all, desiring to live,
accepting life as a very great gift and a great good,
not because of what it gives us,
but because of what it enables us to give to others."
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]]>1 Corinthians 15:28 (NIV)
When he has done this,
then the Son himself will be made subject
to him who put everything under him,
so that God may be all in all.
I am caught up in something larger than myself.
Thomas Merton, from No Man Is an Island
"We do not exist for ourselves alone,
and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact
that we begin to love ourselves properly
and thus also love others.
What do I mean by loving ourselves properly?
I mean, first of all, desiring to live,
accepting life as a very great gift and a great good,
not because of what it gives us,
but because of what it enables us to give to others."
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]]>John 17:21 (NIV)
"…that all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us
so that the world may believe
that you have sent me."
We are all in this together.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
When we carry our small suffering in solidarity with the one universal longing of all humanity, it helps keep us from self-pity or self-preoccupation. We know that we are all in this together, and it is just as hard for everybody else.
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]]>John 17:21 (NIV)
"…that all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us
so that the world may believe
that you have sent me."
We are all in this together.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
When we carry our small suffering in solidarity with the one universal longing of all humanity, it helps keep us from self-pity or self-preoccupation. We know that we are all in this together, and it is just as hard for everybody else.
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]]>Colossians 1:24 (NIV)
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you,
and I fill up in my flesh
what is still lacking
in regard to Christ's afflictions,
for the sake of his body,
which is the church.
My suffering is held within something larger.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"Living and dying, sorrow and joy...
it is all as one in me,
and I accept it all as one mighty whole...
I wish I could live for a long time
so that one day I may know how to explain it...
And that is why I must try to live
a good and faithful life to my last breath:
so that those who come after me
do not have to start all over again,
need not face the same difficulties.
Isn't that doing something for future generations?"
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]]>Colossians 1:24 (NIV)
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you,
and I fill up in my flesh
what is still lacking
in regard to Christ's afflictions,
for the sake of his body,
which is the church.
My suffering is held within something larger.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"Living and dying, sorrow and joy...
it is all as one in me,
and I accept it all as one mighty whole...
I wish I could live for a long time
so that one day I may know how to explain it...
And that is why I must try to live
a good and faithful life to my last breath:
so that those who come after me
do not have to start all over again,
need not face the same difficulties.
Isn't that doing something for future generations?"
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]]>Ephesians 4:4, 7 (NIV)
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called
to one hope when you were called.
But to each one of us
grace has been given
as Christ apportioned it.
I am because we are.
Desmond Tutu, from Ubuntu: On the Nature of Human Community
"A person is a person through other persons.
None of us comes into the world fully formed.
We would not know how to think, or walk, or speak,
or behave as human beings
unless we learned it from other human beings.
We need other human beings in order to be human.
I am because of other people."
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]]>Ephesians 4:4, 7 (NIV)
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called
to one hope when you were called.
But to each one of us
grace has been given
as Christ apportioned it.
I am because we are.
Desmond Tutu, from Ubuntu: On the Nature of Human Community
"A person is a person through other persons.
None of us comes into the world fully formed.
We would not know how to think, or walk, or speak,
or behave as human beings
unless we learned it from other human beings.
We need other human beings in order to be human.
I am because of other people."
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]]>Galatians 6:15 (NIV)
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
God saves by loving and including.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"God is the ultimate nonviolent one, so we dare not accept any theory of salvation that is based on violence, exclusion, social pressure, or moral coercion. When we do, these are legitimated as a proper way of life. God saves by loving and including, not by excluding or punishing."
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]]>Galatians 6:15 (NIV)
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
God saves by loving and including.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"God is the ultimate nonviolent one, so we dare not accept any theory of salvation that is based on violence, exclusion, social pressure, or moral coercion. When we do, these are legitimated as a proper way of life. God saves by loving and including, not by excluding or punishing."
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]]>Philippians 3:10 (NIV)
I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
I love God as much as I love the person I love the least.
Dorothy Day
"I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least."
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]]>Philippians 3:10 (NIV)
I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
I love God as much as I love the person I love the least.
Dorothy Day
"I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least."
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]]>Ephesians 3:8–10 (NIV)
8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of Godshould be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms
I hold what cannot yet be resolved.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Following Jesus is a vocation to share the fate of God for the life of the world. To allow what God for some reason allows — and uses. And to suffer ever so slightly what God suffers eternally."
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]]>Ephesians 3:8–10 (NIV)
8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of Godshould be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms
I hold what cannot yet be resolved.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Following Jesus is a vocation to share the fate of God for the life of the world. To allow what God for some reason allows — and uses. And to suffer ever so slightly what God suffers eternally."
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]]>John 1:29 (NIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
Love takes away what I cannot carry alone.
Flannery O'Connor, from The Habit of Being
"All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful."
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]]>John 1:29 (NIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
Love takes away what I cannot carry alone.
Flannery O'Connor, from The Habit of Being
"All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful."
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]]>Luke 23:34 (NIV)
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Lord, show me what I cannot yet see in myself.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, from The Gulag Archipelago
"Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains an unuprooted small corner of evil."
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]]>Luke 23:34 (NIV)
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Lord, show me what I cannot yet see in myself.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, from The Gulag Archipelago
"Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains an unuprooted small corner of evil."
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]]>John 12:47 (NIV)
"If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world."
God is not violent. God is love.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"It is not God who is violent. We are.
It is not that God demands suffering of humans. We do.
God does not need or want suffering — neither in Jesus nor in us."
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]]>John 12:47 (NIV)
"If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world."
God is not violent. God is love.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"It is not God who is violent. We are.
It is not that God demands suffering of humans. We do.
God does not need or want suffering — neither in Jesus nor in us."
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]]>John 10:10 (NIV)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
I am fully alive in the presence of God.
Irenaeus of Lyon, from Against Heresies (4.20.7)
"For the glory of God is a living human being; and the life of the human consists in beholding God."
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]]>John 10:10 (NIV)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
I am fully alive in the presence of God.
Irenaeus of Lyon, from Against Heresies (4.20.7)
"For the glory of God is a living human being; and the life of the human consists in beholding God."
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]]>Hosea 6:6 / Matthew 9:13 (NIV)
"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
God wants mercy, not sacrifice.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus did not come to change God's mind about us. It did not need changing. Jesus came to change our minds about God — and about ourselves — and about where goodness and evil really lie."
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]]>Hosea 6:6 / Matthew 9:13 (NIV)
"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
God wants mercy, not sacrifice.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus did not come to change God's mind about us. It did not need changing. Jesus came to change our minds about God — and about ourselves — and about where goodness and evil really lie."
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]]>Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I come as I am and find grace here.
George MacDonald, from Unspoken Sermons
"The Son of God suffered unto death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like His."
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]]>Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I come as I am and find grace here.
George MacDonald, from Unspoken Sermons
"The Son of God suffered unto death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like His."
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]]>Ephesians 1:9–10 (NIV)
He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment — to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
I was loved before anything went wrong.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus never punished anybody. Yes, he challenged people, but always for the sake of insight, healing, and restoration of people and situations to their divine origin and source."
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]]>Ephesians 1:9–10 (NIV)
He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment — to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
I was loved before anything went wrong.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Jesus never punished anybody. Yes, he challenged people, but always for the sake of insight, healing, and restoration of people and situations to their divine origin and source."
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]]>Acts 1:14 (NIV)
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
I receive what God offers and hand it on.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If Christ and Jesus are the archetypes of what God is doing, Mary is the archetype of how to receive what God is doing and hand it on to others.
Mary is the Great Yes that humanity forever needs for Christ to be born into the world."
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]]>Acts 1:14 (NIV)
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
I receive what God offers and hand it on.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"If Christ and Jesus are the archetypes of what God is doing, Mary is the archetype of how to receive what God is doing and hand it on to others.
Mary is the Great Yes that humanity forever needs for Christ to be born into the world."
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]]>Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
God waits for my yes.
Denise Levertov, from Annunciation
"The engendering Spirit did not enter her without consent. God waited.
She was free to accept or to refuse, choice is integral to humanness.
She did not cry, 'I cannot. I am not worthy,' Nor, 'I have not the strength.' She did not submit with gritted teeth, raging, coerced. Bravest of all humans, consent illuminated her. The room filled with its light, the lily glowed in it, and the iridescent wings. Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly."
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]]>Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
God waits for my yes.
Denise Levertov, from Annunciation
"The engendering Spirit did not enter her without consent. God waited.
She was free to accept or to refuse, choice is integral to humanness.
She did not cry, 'I cannot. I am not worthy,' Nor, 'I have not the strength.' She did not submit with gritted teeth, raging, coerced. Bravest of all humans, consent illuminated her. The room filled with its light, the lily glowed in it, and the iridescent wings. Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly."
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]]>John 19:25 (NIV)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
I find power in presence and in stillness.
Edwina Gateley, from Soul Sisters
"Be silent. Be still. Alone. Empty before your God. Say nothing. Ask nothing. Be silent. Be still. Let your God look upon you. That is all. God knows. God understands. God loves you with an enormous love, and only wants to look upon you with that love. Quiet. Be still. Be silent. Let your God love you."
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]]>John 19:25 (NIV)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
I find power in presence and in stillness.
Edwina Gateley, from Soul Sisters
"Be silent. Be still. Alone. Empty before your God. Say nothing. Ask nothing. Be silent. Be still. Let your God look upon you. That is all. God knows. God understands. God loves you with an enormous love, and only wants to look upon you with that love. Quiet. Be still. Be silent. Let your God love you."
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
I open myself to what God wants to bring to birth in me.
Meister Eckhart
"We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us."
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
I open myself to what God wants to bring to birth in me.
Meister Eckhart
"We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us."
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]]>Romans 1:20 (NIV)
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
God is more than any image I have been given.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Although Jesus was clearly of the masculine gender, the Christ is beyond gender, and so it should be expected that the Big Tradition would have found feminine ways, consciously or unconsciously, to symbolize the full Divine Incarnation and to give God a more feminine character — as the Bible itself often does."
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]]>Romans 1:20 (NIV)
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
God is more than any image I have been given.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Although Jesus was clearly of the masculine gender, the Christ is beyond gender, and so it should be expected that the Big Tradition would have found feminine ways, consciously or unconsciously, to symbolize the full Divine Incarnation and to give God a more feminine character — as the Bible itself often does."
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]]>Isaiah 45:15 (NIV)
Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel.
God is at the depth of all things, including me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I doubt if you can see the image of God in your fellow humans if you cannot first see it in rudimentary forms in stones, in plants and flowers, in strange little animals, in bread and wine, and most especially cannot honor this objective divine image in yourself. It is a full-body tune-up, this spiritual journey. It really ends up being all or nothing, here and then everywhere."
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]]>Isaiah 45:15 (NIV)
Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel.
God is at the depth of all things, including me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I doubt if you can see the image of God in your fellow humans if you cannot first see it in rudimentary forms in stones, in plants and flowers, in strange little animals, in bread and wine, and most especially cannot honor this objective divine image in yourself. It is a full-body tune-up, this spiritual journey. It really ends up being all or nothing, here and then everywhere."
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]]>Ephesians 2:4–6 (NIV)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
The image of God cannot be extinguished.
Walter Wink, from Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way
"There is no one, and surely no entire people, in whom the image of God has been utterly extinguished. Faith in God means believing that anyone can be transformed, regardless of the past. To write off whole groups of people as intrinsically racist and violent is to accept the very same premise that upholds racist and oppressive regimes."
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]]>Ephesians 2:4–6 (NIV)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
The image of God cannot be extinguished.
Walter Wink, from Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way
"There is no one, and surely no entire people, in whom the image of God has been utterly extinguished. Faith in God means believing that anyone can be transformed, regardless of the past. To write off whole groups of people as intrinsically racist and violent is to accept the very same premise that upholds racist and oppressive regimes."
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]]>Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.
Christ is present in the depth of all things.
St. Bonaventure
"As a human being Christ has something in common with all creatures. With the stones he shares existence, with plants he shares life, with animals he shares sensation, and with the angels he shares intelligence."
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]]>Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.
Christ is present in the depth of all things.
St. Bonaventure
"As a human being Christ has something in common with all creatures. With the stones he shares existence, with plants he shares life, with animals he shares sensation, and with the angels he shares intelligence."
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]]>Philippians 2:7 (NIV)
Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Christ came for all of me.
Nikos Kazantzakis, from Report to Greco
"One day the religion of Christ will take another step forward on earth. It will embrace the whole man, all of him, not just half as it does now in embracing only the soul."
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]]>Philippians 2:7 (NIV)
Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Christ came for all of me.
Nikos Kazantzakis, from Report to Greco
"One day the religion of Christ will take another step forward on earth. It will embrace the whole man, all of him, not just half as it does now in embracing only the soul."
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]]>Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
The gate of heaven is everywhere.
Thomas Merton
"We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and God is shining through it all the time. God manifests Himself everywhere, in everything — in people and in things and in nature and in events. The only thing is we don't see it. I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere."
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]]>Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
The gate of heaven is everywhere.
Thomas Merton
"We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and God is shining through it all the time. God manifests Himself everywhere, in everything — in people and in things and in nature and in events. The only thing is we don't see it. I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere."
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]]>Luke 12:49 (NIV)
"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"
The fire that refines me is taking me somewhere good.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I am afraid many of us have failed to honor God's always unfolding future and the process of getting there, which usually includes some form of dying to the old. In practical effect, we end up resisting and opposing the very thing we want. The great irony is that we have often done this in the name of praying to God, as though God would protect us from the very process that refines us!"
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]]>Luke 12:49 (NIV)
"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"
The fire that refines me is taking me somewhere good.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I am afraid many of us have failed to honor God's always unfolding future and the process of getting there, which usually includes some form of dying to the old. In practical effect, we end up resisting and opposing the very thing we want. The great irony is that we have often done this in the name of praying to God, as though God would protect us from the very process that refines us!"
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]]>Romans 8:28–30 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
I am being changed into something good.
John Henry Newman, from An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
"To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often."
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]]>Romans 8:28–30 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
I am being changed into something good.
John Henry Newman, from An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
"To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often."
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]]>Ephesians 2:7–10 (NIV)
In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I was made for more than I can currently see.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (attributed)
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
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]]>Ephesians 2:7–10 (NIV)
In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I was made for more than I can currently see.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (attributed)
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
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]]>Matthew 5:8 (NIV)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Everything, rightly seen, is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
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]]>Matthew 5:8 (NIV)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Everything, rightly seen, is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
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]]>Mark 1:15 (NIV)
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
The kingdom is here. Love is already moving.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Love is the energy that sustains the universe, moving us toward a future of resurrection. We do not even need to call it love or God or resurrection for its work to be done."
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]]>Mark 1:15 (NIV)
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
The kingdom is here. Love is already moving.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Love is the energy that sustains the universe, moving us toward a future of resurrection. We do not even need to call it love or God or resurrection for its work to be done."
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]]>Matthew 7:7–8 (NIV)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
God speaks. I am learning to listen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"But think about it: If the incarnation is true, then of course God speaks to you through your own thoughts! As Joan of Arc brilliantly replied when the judge accused her of being the victim of her own imagination, 'How else would God speak to me?'"
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]]>Matthew 7:7–8 (NIV)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
God speaks. I am learning to listen.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"But think about it: If the incarnation is true, then of course God speaks to you through your own thoughts! As Joan of Arc brilliantly replied when the judge accused her of being the victim of her own imagination, 'How else would God speak to me?'"
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]]>1 Kings 19:12 (NRSVUE)
…and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
I climb down into who I truly am.
Carl Jung, from Letters, vol. 1
"My pilgrim's progress has been to climb down a thousand ladders until I could finally reach out a hand of friendship to the little clod of earth that I am."
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]]>1 Kings 19:12 (NRSVUE)
…and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
I climb down into who I truly am.
Carl Jung, from Letters, vol. 1
"My pilgrim's progress has been to climb down a thousand ladders until I could finally reach out a hand of friendship to the little clod of earth that I am."
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
The eternal satisfies what nothing else can.
Augustine, from On Christian Doctrine
"A temporal thing is loved before we have it, and it grows worthless when we gain it, for it does not satisfy the soul. But the eternal is more ardently loved the more it is acquired. The soul will find the eternal even more valuable after once tasting it."
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
The eternal satisfies what nothing else can.
Augustine, from On Christian Doctrine
"A temporal thing is loved before we have it, and it grows worthless when we gain it, for it does not satisfy the soul. But the eternal is more ardently loved the more it is acquired. The soul will find the eternal even more valuable after once tasting it."
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]]>James 4:8 (NIV)
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Even now, life is good.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"In spite of everything you always end up with the same conviction: life is good after all, it's not God's fault that things go awry sometimes, the cause lies in ourselves. And that's what stays with me, even now, even when I'm about to be packed off to Poland with my whole family."
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]]>James 4:8 (NIV)
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Even now, life is good.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"In spite of everything you always end up with the same conviction: life is good after all, it's not God's fault that things go awry sometimes, the cause lies in ourselves. And that's what stays with me, even now, even when I'm about to be packed off to Poland with my whole family."
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]]>John 10:27 (NIV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I hearken. God hearkens within me.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"Truly, my life is one long hearkening unto myself and unto others, unto God. And if I say that I hearken, it is really God who hearkens inside me. The most essential and deepest in the other. God to God."
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]]>John 10:27 (NIV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I hearken. God hearkens within me.
Etty Hillesum, from An Interrupted Life
"Truly, my life is one long hearkening unto myself and unto others, unto God. And if I say that I hearken, it is really God who hearkens inside me. The most essential and deepest in the other. God to God."
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Love flows unstoppably toward me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Love is constantly creating future possibilities for the good of all concerned — even, and especially, when things go wrong. Love allows and accommodates everything in human experience, both the good and the bad, and nothing else can really do this. Nothing. Love flows unstoppably downward, around every obstacle — like water. Love and water seek not the higher place but always the lower."
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Love flows unstoppably toward me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Love is constantly creating future possibilities for the good of all concerned — even, and especially, when things go wrong. Love allows and accommodates everything in human experience, both the good and the bad, and nothing else can really do this. Nothing. Love flows unstoppably downward, around every obstacle — like water. Love and water seek not the higher place but always the lower."
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]]>Matthew 16:16–17 (NIV)
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."
God is always more than I can hold.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, from The Divine Milieu
"God does not offer Himself to our finite beings as a thing all complete and ready to be embraced. For us, He is eternal discovery and eternal growth. The more we think we understand Him, the more he reveals himself as otherwise. The more we think we hold him, the further He withdraws, drawing us into the depths of himself."
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]]>Matthew 16:16–17 (NIV)
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."
God is always more than I can hold.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, from The Divine Milieu
"God does not offer Himself to our finite beings as a thing all complete and ready to be embraced. For us, He is eternal discovery and eternal growth. The more we think we understand Him, the more he reveals himself as otherwise. The more we think we hold him, the further He withdraws, drawing us into the depths of himself."
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]]>Mark 5:34 (NIV)
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
I turn toward Love and find my peace.
Eloi Leclerc, from The Wisdom of the Poor One of Assisi
"If we knew how to adore, then nothing could truly disturb our peace.
We would travel through the world with the tranquility of the great rivers.
But only if we know how to adore."
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]]>Mark 5:34 (NIV)
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
I turn toward Love and find my peace.
Eloi Leclerc, from The Wisdom of the Poor One of Assisi
"If we knew how to adore, then nothing could truly disturb our peace.
We would travel through the world with the tranquility of the great rivers.
But only if we know how to adore."
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]]>Matthew 28:7 (NIV)
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him."
Love is always ahead, drawing me forward.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
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]]>Matthew 28:7 (NIV)
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him."
Love is always ahead, drawing me forward.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
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]]>Romans 8:28–29 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Love is the meaning of everything.
Julian of Norwich, from Showings
"Know it well, love is its meaning. Who reveals this to you? Love. What does he reveal? Love. Why? For Love. Remain in this and you will know more of the same."
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]]>Romans 8:28–29 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Love is the meaning of everything.
Julian of Norwich, from Showings
"Know it well, love is its meaning. Who reveals this to you? Love. What does he reveal? Love. Why? For Love. Remain in this and you will know more of the same."
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]]>1 John 4:20 (NIV)
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
I choose to see the good.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"We must — yes, must — make a daily and even hourly choice to focus on the good, the true, and the beautiful."
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]]>1 John 4:20 (NIV)
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
I choose to see the good.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"We must — yes, must — make a daily and even hourly choice to focus on the good, the true, and the beautiful."
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]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring."
I am made to participate in beauty.
C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory
"We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it."
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]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring."
I am made to participate in beauty.
C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory
"We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it."
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]]>Romans 5:5 (NIV)
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Love has been poured into me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I have never met a truly compassionate or loving human being who did not have a foundational and even deep trust in the inherent goodness of human nature."
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]]>Romans 5:5 (NIV)
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Love has been poured into me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I have never met a truly compassionate or loving human being who did not have a foundational and even deep trust in the inherent goodness of human nature."
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]]>Philippians 4:8–9 (NIV)
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Creation mirrors the goodness of God.
St. Bonaventure, from The Soul's Journey into God
"Let us place our first step in the ascent at the bottom,
presenting to ourselves the whole material world as a mirror, through which we may pass over to God, who is the Supreme Craftsman.
The Creator's supreme power, wisdom and benevolence shine forth through all created things."
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]]>Philippians 4:8–9 (NIV)
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Creation mirrors the goodness of God.
St. Bonaventure, from The Soul's Journey into God
"Let us place our first step in the ascent at the bottom,
presenting to ourselves the whole material world as a mirror, through which we may pass over to God, who is the Supreme Craftsman.
The Creator's supreme power, wisdom and benevolence shine forth through all created things."
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]]>Romans 8:14–17 (NIV)
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Goodness was planted in me from the beginning.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"From the very beginning, faith, hope, and love are planted deep within our nature — indeed they are our very nature. The Christian life is simply a matter of becoming who we already are."
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]]>Romans 8:14–17 (NIV)
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Goodness was planted in me from the beginning.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"From the very beginning, faith, hope, and love are planted deep within our nature — indeed they are our very nature. The Christian life is simply a matter of becoming who we already are."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Colossians 3:11 (NLT)
In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
In every face I see, Christ is there.
Elizabeth Bowen, from The Heat of the Day
"To turn from everything to one face
is to find oneself face to face with everything."
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]]>Colossians 3:11 (NLT)
In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
In every face I see, Christ is there.
Elizabeth Bowen, from The Heat of the Day
"To turn from everything to one face
is to find oneself face to face with everything."
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]]>Genesis 28:16-17 (The Message)
Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”
God is here. I am waking up to it.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"In God you do not include less and less;
you always see and love more and more.
The more you transcend your small ego,
the more you can include.
When you look at any other person,
a flower, a honeybee, a mountain — anything —
you are seeing the incarnation of God's love
for you and the universe you call home."
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]]>Genesis 28:16-17 (The Message)
Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”
God is here. I am waking up to it.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"In God you do not include less and less;
you always see and love more and more.
The more you transcend your small ego,
the more you can include.
When you look at any other person,
a flower, a honeybee, a mountain — anything —
you are seeing the incarnation of God's love
for you and the universe you call home."
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]]>Ephesians 3:10–11 (NRSVUE)
So that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am part of something larger than myself.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"When you can honor and receive your own moment of sadness or fullness
as a gracious participation in the eternal sadness or fullness of God,
you are beginning to recognize yourself
as a participating member of this one universal Body.
You are moving from I to We."
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]]>Ephesians 3:10–11 (NRSVUE)
So that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am part of something larger than myself.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"When you can honor and receive your own moment of sadness or fullness
as a gracious participation in the eternal sadness or fullness of God,
you are beginning to recognize yourself
as a participating member of this one universal Body.
You are moving from I to We."
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]]>Ephesians 1:9 (NLT)
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ — which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth.
God's yes to me is older than time.
Augustine, from Retractions
"For what is now called the Christian religion existed even among the ancients and was not lacking from the beginning of the human race."
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]]>Ephesians 1:9 (NLT)
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ — which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth.
God's yes to me is older than time.
Augustine, from Retractions
"For what is now called the Christian religion existed even among the ancients and was not lacking from the beginning of the human race."
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]]>Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
In God I live and move and have my being.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I have never been separate from God, nor can I be, except in my mind."
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]]>Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
In God I live and move and have my being.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"I have never been separate from God, nor can I be, except in my mind."
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]]>Luke 20:38 (NIV)
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
I have nothing left to prove.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
"God loves you as you are and not as you should be, because none of us are as we should be."
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]]>Luke 20:38 (NIV)
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
I have nothing left to prove.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
"God loves you as you are and not as you should be, because none of us are as we should be."
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]]>Revelation 21:5–6 (NRSVUE)
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."
God is making all things new — including me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Faith at its essential core is accepting that you are accepted. We cannot deeply know ourselves without also knowing the One who made us, and we cann
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]]>Revelation 21:5–6 (NRSVUE)
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."
God is making all things new — including me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Faith at its essential core is accepting that you are accepted. We cannot deeply know ourselves without also knowing the One who made us, and we cann
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]]>2 Peter 1:4 (NRSVUE)
Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.
I am a participant in the divine nature.
Athanasius
"God was consistent in working through one man to reveal himself everywhere, as well as through the other parts of His creation, so that nothing was left devoid of his Divinity and his self-knowledge... so that the whole universe was filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters fill the sea."
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]]>2 Peter 1:4 (NRSVUE)
Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.
I am a participant in the divine nature.
Athanasius
"God was consistent in working through one man to reveal himself everywhere, as well as through the other parts of His creation, so that nothing was left devoid of his Divinity and his self-knowledge... so that the whole universe was filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters fill the sea."
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]]>John 8:58 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am."
Before I knew God, God knew me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Christ is the light that allows people to see things in their fullness. The precise and intended effect of such a light is to see Christ everywhere else. In fact, that is my only definition of a true Christian. A mature Christian sees Christ in everything and everyone else."
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]]>John 8:58 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am."
Before I knew God, God knew me.
Richard Rohr, from The Universal Christ
"Christ is the light that allows people to see things in their fullness. The precise and intended effect of such a light is to see Christ everywhere else. In fact, that is my only definition of a true Christian. A mature Christian sees Christ in everything and everyone else."
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]]>Hebrews 12:2 (NRSVUE)
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
I am accepted, just as I am.
Paul Tillich, from The Shaking of the Foundations
"Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted. If that happens to us, we experience grace. After such an experience we may not be better than before, and we may not believe more than before. But everything is transformed."
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]]>Hebrews 12:2 (NRSVUE)
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
I am accepted, just as I am.
Paul Tillich, from The Shaking of the Foundations
"Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted. If that happens to us, we experience grace. After such an experience we may not be better than before, and we may not believe more than before. But everything is transformed."
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]]>Romans 6:4 (NRSVUE)
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
I carry resurrection into this day.
Wendell Berry, from Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts. Practice resurrection."
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]]>Romans 6:4 (NRSVUE)
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
I carry resurrection into this day.
Wendell Berry, from Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts. Practice resurrection."
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]]>John 20:19–21 (NRSVUE)
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
Peace be with me, even here.
St. Seraphim of Sarov
"Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will find their salvation."
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]]>John 20:19–21 (NRSVUE)
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
Peace be with me, even here.
St. Seraphim of Sarov
"Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will find their salvation."
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]]>Luke 24:30–31 (NRSVUE)
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Open my eyes to what is already here.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh
"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit round and pluck blackberries."
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]]>Luke 24:30–31 (NRSVUE)
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Open my eyes to what is already here.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh
"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit round and pluck blackberries."
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]]>Luke 24:13–16 (NRSVUE)
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
Even in disappointment, You are near.
Frederick Buechner
"Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing."
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]]>Luke 24:13–16 (NRSVUE)
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
Even in disappointment, You are near.
Frederick Buechner
"Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing."
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]]>Luke 24:1–6 (NRSVUE)
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb,
taking the spices that they had prepared.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they went in, they did not find the body.
While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.
The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
The tomb is empty. Everything is different.
N.T. Wright, from Surprised by Hope
"Resurrection is not the reversal of death. It is the defeat of death. Not undoing what happened, but transforming it into something that opens onto a new world."
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]]>Luke 24:1–6 (NRSVUE)
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb,
taking the spices that they had prepared.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they went in, they did not find the body.
While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.
The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
The tomb is empty. Everything is different.
N.T. Wright, from Surprised by Hope
"Resurrection is not the reversal of death. It is the defeat of death. Not undoing what happened, but transforming it into something that opens onto a new world."
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]]>Philippians 3:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I press on toward what is ahead.
Frederick Buechner, from Wishful Thinking
"The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”
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]]>Philippians 3:13–14 (NRSVUE)
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I press on toward what is ahead.
Frederick Buechner, from Wishful Thinking
"The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”
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]]>Philippians 3:10–11 (NRSVUE)
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
In my suffering, Christ is with me.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, from Lament for a Son
"God is not only the God of the sufferers but the God who suffers. The one who suffers beside us."
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]]>Philippians 3:10–11 (NRSVUE)
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
In my suffering, Christ is with me.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, from Lament for a Son
"God is not only the God of the sufferers but the God who suffers. The one who suffers beside us."
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]]>Philippians 3:10 (NRSVUE)
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
I surrender in order to know You.
Brennan Manning, from Abba's Child
"Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."
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]]>Philippians 3:10 (NRSVUE)
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
I surrender in order to know You.
Brennan Manning, from Abba's Child
"Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."
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]]>Philippians 3:8–9 (NRSVUE)
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ.
In losing, I find what truly lasts.
Richard Rohr, from Falling Upward
"The supposed achievements of the first half of life have to fall apart and show themselves to be wanting in some way, or we will not move further. Why would we?"
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]]>Philippians 3:8–9 (NRSVUE)
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ.
In losing, I find what truly lasts.
Richard Rohr, from Falling Upward
"The supposed achievements of the first half of life have to fall apart and show themselves to be wanting in some way, or we will not move further. Why would we?"
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]]>Philippians 3:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
I release what I once held as gain.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell."
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]]>Philippians 3:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
I release what I once held as gain.
Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation
"To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell."
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]]>Psalm 84:11–12 (NRSVUE)
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
God withholds no good thing from me.
George Herbert, from The Pulley
"When God at first made man, having a glass of blessings standing by,
let us, said he, pour on him all we can."
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]]>Psalm 84:11–12 (NRSVUE)
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
God withholds no good thing from me.
George Herbert, from The Pulley
"When God at first made man, having a glass of blessings standing by,
let us, said he, pour on him all we can."
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]]>Psalm 84:10 (NRSVUE)
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.
One day in your presence is enough.
C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory
"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.
We are half-hearted creatures,
fooling about with drink and sex and ambition
when infinite joy is offered us,
like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum
because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."
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]]>Psalm 84:10 (NRSVUE)
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.
One day in your presence is enough.
C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory
"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.
We are half-hearted creatures,
fooling about with drink and sex and ambition
when infinite joy is offered us,
like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum
because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."
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]]>Psalm 84:5–7 (NRSVUE)
Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
Strength rises in me as I walk.
Eugene Peterson, from A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
"The life of faith is not a sprint but a long obedience in the same direction."
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]]>Psalm 84:5–7 (NRSVUE)
Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
Strength rises in me as I walk.
Eugene Peterson, from A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
"The life of faith is not a sprint but a long obedience in the same direction."
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]]>Psalm 84:3 (NRSVUE)
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
I have found a place to belong.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
"Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says:
'You are my beloved, on you my favor rests.'"
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]]>Psalm 84:3 (NRSVUE)
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
I have found a place to belong.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
"Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says:
'You are my beloved, on you my favor rests.'"
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]]>Psalm 84:1–2 (NRSVUE)
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
My soul longs for the living God.
Augustine of Hippo, from Confessions
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
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]]>Psalm 84:1–2 (NRSVUE)
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
My soul longs for the living God.
Augustine of Hippo, from Confessions
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
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]]>John 15:9–10 (NRSVUE)
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
I remain in love.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
"Jesus comes not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don't have it all together and are not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace."
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]]>John 15:9–10 (NRSVUE)
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
I remain in love.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
"Jesus comes not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don't have it all together and are not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace."
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]]>John 15:16 (NRSVUE)
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
I did not choose first — I was chosen.
Henri Nouwen, from Life of the Beloved
"Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God's loving eyes. Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by our God who is all ears for us. Long before any person spoke to us in this world, we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love."
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]]>John 15:16 (NRSVUE)
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
I did not choose first — I was chosen.
Henri Nouwen, from Life of the Beloved
"Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God's loving eyes. Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by our God who is all ears for us. Long before any person spoke to us in this world, we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love."
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]]>John 15:7–8 (NRSVUE)
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Fruit grows when I remain.
Frederick Buechner, from Wishful Thinking
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
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]]>John 15:7–8 (NRSVUE)
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Fruit grows when I remain.
Frederick Buechner, from Wishful Thinking
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
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]]>John 15:5 (NRSVUE)
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
I am rooted in the vine.
John of the Cross, from The Ascent of Mount Carmel
"The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union."
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]]>John 15:5 (NRSVUE)
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
I am rooted in the vine.
John of the Cross, from The Ascent of Mount Carmel
"The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union."
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]]>John 15:4 (NRSVUE)
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I choose to abide.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
"For God Himself works in our souls, in the deepest depths, taking increasing control as we are progressively willing to be prepared for His wonder."
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]]>John 15:4 (NRSVUE)
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I choose to abide.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
"For God Himself works in our souls, in the deepest depths, taking increasing control as we are progressively willing to be prepared for His wonder."
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]]>Galatians 5:22–25 (NRSVUE)
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
I walk in step with the Spirit.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
"There is a way of ordering our mental life on more than one level at once. On one level we may be thinking, discussing, seeing, calculating, meeting all the demands of external affairs. But deep within, behind the scenes, at a profounder level, we may also be in prayer and adoration, song and worship, and a gentle receptiveness to divine breathings."
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]]>Galatians 5:22–25 (NRSVUE)
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
I walk in step with the Spirit.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
"There is a way of ordering our mental life on more than one level at once. On one level we may be thinking, discussing, seeing, calculating, meeting all the demands of external affairs. But deep within, behind the scenes, at a profounder level, we may also be in prayer and adoration, song and worship, and a gentle receptiveness to divine breathings."
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]]>1 John 4:18 (NRSVUE)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
Love has moved in where fear used to live.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"Love was His meaning. Who showed it thee? Love. What showed He thee? Love. Wherefore was it showed? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same. But thou shalt never know nor learn therein other thing without end."
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]]>1 John 4:18 (NRSVUE)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
Love has moved in where fear used to live.
Julian of Norwich, from Revelations of Divine Love
"Love was His meaning. Who showed it thee? Love. What showed He thee? Love. Wherefore was it showed? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same. But thou shalt never know nor learn therein other thing without end."
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]]>Galatians 5:13 (NRSVUE)
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become servants to one another.
Free to love, I turn toward others.
Dorothy Day, from The Long Loneliness
"We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community."
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]]>Galatians 5:13 (NRSVUE)
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become servants to one another.
Free to love, I turn toward others.
Dorothy Day, from The Long Loneliness
"We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community."
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
I have nothing left to prove.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
"Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the Beloved. Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence."
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
I have nothing left to prove.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
"Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the Beloved. Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence."
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]]>Galatians 5:13–14 (NRSVUE)
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
I was made for this freedom.
Meister Eckhart
"The most powerful prayer, one well-nigh omnipotent, and the worthiest work of all is the outcome of a quiet mind. The quieter it is the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect the prayer is. To the quiet mind all things are possible. What is a quiet mind? A quiet mind is one which nothing weighs on, nothing worries, which, free from ties and from all self-seeking, is wholly merged into the will of God and dead to its own."
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]]>Galatians 5:13–14 (NRSVUE)
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
I was made for this freedom.
Meister Eckhart
"The most powerful prayer, one well-nigh omnipotent, and the worthiest work of all is the outcome of a quiet mind. The quieter it is the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect the prayer is. To the quiet mind all things are possible. What is a quiet mind? A quiet mind is one which nothing weighs on, nothing worries, which, free from ties and from all self-seeking, is wholly merged into the will of God and dead to its own."
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NRSVUE)
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work among you
will bring it to completion
by the day of Jesus Christ.
I am learning to trust what is unfinished.
R. S. Thomas
There are nights when the darkness presses so close
that I can hear my own heart questioning.
I have learned not to force an answer,
not to demand a voice.
Faith is not the absence of uncertainty,
but the decision to live with it,
to continue without seeing,
to remain when clarity does not come.
I stay, not because I understand,
but because something in me knows
this waiting is itself a form of prayer.
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NRSVUE)
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work among you
will bring it to completion
by the day of Jesus Christ.
I am learning to trust what is unfinished.
R. S. Thomas
There are nights when the darkness presses so close
that I can hear my own heart questioning.
I have learned not to force an answer,
not to demand a voice.
Faith is not the absence of uncertainty,
but the decision to live with it,
to continue without seeing,
to remain when clarity does not come.
I stay, not because I understand,
but because something in me knows
this waiting is itself a form of prayer.
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]]>Hebrews 10:36 (NRSVUE)
For you need endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God,
you may receive what was promised.
I am learning to stay in the middle.
Henri Nouwen
Every time you listen with great attentiveness
to the voice that calls you the Beloved,
you will discover within yourself
a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply.
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]]>Hebrews 10:36 (NRSVUE)
For you need endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God,
you may receive what was promised.
I am learning to stay in the middle.
Henri Nouwen
Every time you listen with great attentiveness
to the voice that calls you the Beloved,
you will discover within yourself
a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply.
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]]>Proverbs 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
I am learning to trust without certainty.
Simone Weil
We do not obtain the most precious gifts
by going in search of them,
but by waiting for them.
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]]>Proverbs 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
I am learning to trust without certainty.
Simone Weil
We do not obtain the most precious gifts
by going in search of them,
but by waiting for them.
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]]>Psalm 42:7 (NRSVUE)
Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
I am learning to stay with the silence.
R. S. Thomas
But the silence in the mind
is when we live best, within
listening distance of the silence
we call God. This is the deep
calling to deep of the psalm-writer,
the bottomless ocean.
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]]>Psalm 42:7 (NRSVUE)
Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
I am learning to stay with the silence.
R. S. Thomas
But the silence in the mind
is when we live best, within
listening distance of the silence
we call God. This is the deep
calling to deep of the psalm-writer,
the bottomless ocean.
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]]>John 6:68 (NRSVUE)
Simon Peter answered him,
“Lord, to whom can we go?
You have the words of eternal life.”
I am learning to stay.
Thomas Merton
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
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]]>John 6:68 (NRSVUE)
Simon Peter answered him,
“Lord, to whom can we go?
You have the words of eternal life.”
I am learning to stay.
Thomas Merton
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
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]]>Habakkuk 2:3 (NRSVUE)
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
I am learning to wait with trust.
John of the Cross
In order to arrive at what you do not know,
you must go by a way which you do not know.
In order to arrive at what you do not possess,
you must go by a way in which you do not possess.
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]]>Habakkuk 2:3 (NRSVUE)
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
I am learning to wait with trust.
John of the Cross
In order to arrive at what you do not know,
you must go by a way which you do not know.
In order to arrive at what you do not possess,
you must go by a way in which you do not possess.
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]]>Isaiah 43:18–19 (NRSVUE)
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
I am learning to make room.
Meister Eckhart
To be empty of all things is to be full of God.
To be full of all things is to be empty of God.
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]]>Isaiah 43:18–19 (NRSVUE)
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
I am learning to make room.
Meister Eckhart
To be empty of all things is to be full of God.
To be full of all things is to be empty of God.
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]]>Psalm 62:8 (NRSVUE)
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
---
I am learning to name what is true.
---
Julian of Norwich
For I saw no wrath in God,
nor ever shall.
For our Lord is God, and God is good,
and goodness is enough to answer for all.
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]]>Psalm 62:8 (NRSVUE)
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
---
I am learning to name what is true.
---
Julian of Norwich
For I saw no wrath in God,
nor ever shall.
For our Lord is God, and God is good,
and goodness is enough to answer for all.
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSVUE)
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
---
I am learning to notice what is here.
---
George Herbert
Prayer the Church’s banquet, Angel’s age,
God’s breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage.
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSVUE)
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
---
I am learning to notice what is here.
---
George Herbert
Prayer the Church’s banquet, Angel’s age,
God’s breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage.
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]]>Psalm 131:2 (NRSVUE)
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
---
I am learning to pay attention.
---
Simone Weil, Waiting for God
The key to a Christian conception of studies is the realization that prayer consists of attention.
It is the orientation of all the attention of which the soul is capable toward God.
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]]>Psalm 131:2 (NRSVUE)
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
---
I am learning to pay attention.
---
Simone Weil, Waiting for God
The key to a Christian conception of studies is the realization that prayer consists of attention.
It is the orientation of all the attention of which the soul is capable toward God.
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]]>Galatians 6:9 (NRSVUE)
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right,
for we will reap at harvest time,
if we do not give up.
I am learning to stay with the work.
Benedict of Nursia
Let us set out on this way with the Gospel for our guide,
that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom.
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]]>Galatians 6:9 (NRSVUE)
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right,
for we will reap at harvest time,
if we do not give up.
I am learning to stay with the work.
Benedict of Nursia
Let us set out on this way with the Gospel for our guide,
that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom.
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]]>Luke 19:8–9 (NRSVUE)
Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor;
and if I have defrauded anyone of anything,
I will pay back four times as much.”
Then Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house.”
I am learning to turn again.
Julian of Norwich
Our Lord does not say, “You shall not be tempted,
you shall not be troubled,
you shall not be distressed,”
but he says, “You shall not be overcome.”
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]]>Luke 19:8–9 (NRSVUE)
Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor;
and if I have defrauded anyone of anything,
I will pay back four times as much.”
Then Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house.”
I am learning to turn again.
Julian of Norwich
Our Lord does not say, “You shall not be tempted,
you shall not be troubled,
you shall not be distressed,”
but he says, “You shall not be overcome.”
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]]>Joel 2:12–13 (NRSVUE)
Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
I return to what is true.
Augustine of Hippo
Remember, you are dust.
Yet you are dust breathed upon by God.
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]]>Joel 2:12–13 (NRSVUE)
Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
I return to what is true.
Augustine of Hippo
Remember, you are dust.
Yet you are dust breathed upon by God.
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]]>Psalm 103:14 (NRSVUE)
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
I am learning to receive my limits.
Meister Eckhart
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life
is thank you,
it will be enough.
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]]>Psalm 103:14 (NRSVUE)
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
I am learning to receive my limits.
Meister Eckhart
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life
is thank you,
it will be enough.
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]]>Joshua 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Then Joshua said to the people,
“Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
I am learning to return.
T. S. Eliot
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
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]]>Joshua 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Then Joshua said to the people,
“Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
I am learning to return.
T. S. Eliot
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
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]]>Psalm 4:8 (NRSVUE)
I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.
Tomorrow is held.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
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]]>Psalm 4:8 (NRSVUE)
I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.
Tomorrow is held.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5–6 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
I choose trust today.
Charles R. Swindoll
“We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5–6 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
I choose trust today.
Charles R. Swindoll
“We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.”
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]]>Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE)
“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
You are near.
Thomas Merton
“In a world of noise, confusion and conflict – it is necessary that there be places of silence, inner discipline and peace. In such places love can blossom.”
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]]>Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE)
“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
You are near.
Thomas Merton
“In a world of noise, confusion and conflict – it is necessary that there be places of silence, inner discipline and peace. In such places love can blossom.”
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]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I trust what remains.
Václav Havel
“The kind of hope that I often think about…
I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of the world.
Either we have hope within us, or we don’t.
It is a dimension of the soul
It’s not essentially dependent upon some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation.
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
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]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I trust what remains.
Václav Havel
“The kind of hope that I often think about…
I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of the world.
Either we have hope within us, or we don’t.
It is a dimension of the soul
It’s not essentially dependent upon some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation.
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
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]]>Psalm 62:8 (NRSVUE)
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
I release what I cannot carry.
Richard Rohr
“Religion has largely become ‘holding on’ instead of letting go. God, it seems to me, does the holding on (to us!), and we must learn the letting go.”
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]]>Psalm 62:8 (NRSVUE)
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
I release what I cannot carry.
Richard Rohr
“Religion has largely become ‘holding on’ instead of letting go. God, it seems to me, does the holding on (to us!), and we must learn the letting go.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Romans 8:24–25
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
I listen for what is true.
Howard Thurman,
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings
that somebody else pulls.”
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]]>Romans 8:24–25
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
I listen for what is true.
Howard Thurman,
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings
that somebody else pulls.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:2 (NRSVUE)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
I am not alone in this.
Thomas Merton
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going.
What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment,
and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:2 (NRSVUE)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
I am not alone in this.
Thomas Merton
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going.
What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment,
and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”
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]]>Psalm 13:1-2…5-6
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
…
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Courage is possible here.
Pádraig Ó Tuama
“It occurs to me that courage comes from the same place as fear, and where there is fear, there is the possibility of courage.”
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]]>Psalm 13:1-2…5-6
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
…
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Courage is possible here.
Pádraig Ó Tuama
“It occurs to me that courage comes from the same place as fear, and where there is fear, there is the possibility of courage.”
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]]>Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
God is forming me, even now.
Eugene H. Peterson,
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”
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]]>Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
God is forming me, even now.
Eugene H. Peterson,
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>1 John 4:12 (NRSVUE)
No one has ever seen God;
if we love one another,
God lives in us,
and his love is perfected in us.
There are no ordinary people.
C. S. Lewis
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”
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]]>1 John 4:12 (NRSVUE)
No one has ever seen God;
if we love one another,
God lives in us,
and his love is perfected in us.
There are no ordinary people.
C. S. Lewis
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lord, your mercies are enough for today.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
“Each day holds a surprise.
But only if we expect it
can we see, hear, or feel it
when it comes to us.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lord, your mercies are enough for today.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
“Each day holds a surprise.
But only if we expect it
can we see, hear, or feel it
when it comes to us.”
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]]>Matthew 6:26–29 (NRSVUE)
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And which of you by worrying
can add a single hour to your span of life?
And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin,
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these.
Open my eyes to what is already here.
Annie Dillard
“We are here to abet creation and to witness it,
to notice each thing so each thing gets noticed.
Together we notice not only each mountain shadow
and each stone on the beach
but we notice each other’s beautiful face
and complex nature
so that creation need not play
to an empty house.”
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]]>Matthew 6:26–29 (NRSVUE)
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And which of you by worrying
can add a single hour to your span of life?
And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin,
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these.
Open my eyes to what is already here.
Annie Dillard
“We are here to abet creation and to witness it,
to notice each thing so each thing gets noticed.
Together we notice not only each mountain shadow
and each stone on the beach
but we notice each other’s beautiful face
and complex nature
so that creation need not play
to an empty house.”
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]]>Luke 16:10 (NRSV)
Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much;
and whoever is dishonest in a very little
is dishonest also in much.
In every small thing, love can shine.
St. Teresa of Ávila
“If you would progress a long way along this road,
the important thing is not to think much,
but to love much.
Do then whatever arouses you to love.
It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”
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]]>Luke 16:10 (NRSV)
Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much;
and whoever is dishonest in a very little
is dishonest also in much.
In every small thing, love can shine.
St. Teresa of Ávila
“If you would progress a long way along this road,
the important thing is not to think much,
but to love much.
Do then whatever arouses you to love.
It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”
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]]>Psalm 92:1–2 (NRSVUE)
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High,
to declare your steadfast love in the morning
and your faithfulness by night.
God meets me in the everyday.
Brother Lawrence
“That we ought not to be weary
of doing little things for the love of God,
who regards not the greatness of the work,
but the love with which it is performed.”
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]]>Psalm 92:1–2 (NRSVUE)
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High,
to declare your steadfast love in the morning
and your faithfulness by night.
God meets me in the everyday.
Brother Lawrence
“That we ought not to be weary
of doing little things for the love of God,
who regards not the greatness of the work,
but the love with which it is performed.”
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]]>Colossians 3:17 (NRSV)
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
God is present here.
Thomas Merton
“Life is this simple.
We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent
and God is shining through it all the time.
This is not just a fable or a nice story.
It is true.
God manifests himself everywhere, in everything—
in people and in things and in nature and in events.
The only thing is that we do not see it.
...But the gate of heaven is everywhere.”
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]]>Colossians 3:17 (NRSV)
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
God is present here.
Thomas Merton
“Life is this simple.
We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent
and God is shining through it all the time.
This is not just a fable or a nice story.
It is true.
God manifests himself everywhere, in everything—
in people and in things and in nature and in events.
The only thing is that we do not see it.
...But the gate of heaven is everywhere.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:11–13 (NRSV)
11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Be with us, O God,
in all things.
Wendell Berry
“Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:11–13 (NRSV)
11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Be with us, O God,
in all things.
Wendell Berry
“Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Teach us to trust, O God,
the work you are doing in us.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“For this is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God,
to wait in stillness and in trust.
Not striving to see clearly,
nor desiring to feel greatly,
but choosing to rest in the dark knowing
that God is at work beyond our understanding.
For love may reach God in this life,
but knowing never can.
And therefore, be content to remain in this cloud,
trusting that God is nearer than you know.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Teach us to trust, O God,
the work you are doing in us.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“For this is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God,
to wait in stillness and in trust.
Not striving to see clearly,
nor desiring to feel greatly,
but choosing to rest in the dark knowing
that God is at work beyond our understanding.
For love may reach God in this life,
but knowing never can.
And therefore, be content to remain in this cloud,
trusting that God is nearer than you know.”
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]]>Mark 4:26–29 (NRSV)
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow,
he does not know how.
The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Teach us to see, O God,
what is already before us.
Meister Eckhart
“The soul must forget itself and all things
and must be empty of all images.
For where there is emptiness,
there is room for God to work.
Nothing is so unlike God as distraction,
and nothing so like God
as stillness.”
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]]>Mark 4:26–29 (NRSV)
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow,
he does not know how.
The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Teach us to see, O God,
what is already before us.
Meister Eckhart
“The soul must forget itself and all things
and must be empty of all images.
For where there is emptiness,
there is room for God to work.
Nothing is so unlike God as distraction,
and nothing so like God
as stillness.”
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]]>Psalm 131:1–2 (NRSV)
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
Here I am, O God.
I make room for you.
Julian of Norwich
Revelations of Divine Love
“For I saw truly that God does all things, however small they may be,
and that nothing is done by chance,
but all by the foreseeing wisdom of God.
I saw that God is in all things,
and that God does all things,
and that God is all things.
And I saw that God’s love was never absent,
nor ever shall be,
and that all shall be gathered and held
in this love forever.”
Refrain
Here I am, O God.
I make room for you.
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]]>Psalm 131:1–2 (NRSV)
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
Here I am, O God.
I make room for you.
Julian of Norwich
Revelations of Divine Love
“For I saw truly that God does all things, however small they may be,
and that nothing is done by chance,
but all by the foreseeing wisdom of God.
I saw that God is in all things,
and that God does all things,
and that God is all things.
And I saw that God’s love was never absent,
nor ever shall be,
and that all shall be gathered and held
in this love forever.”
Refrain
Here I am, O God.
I make room for you.
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]]>Job 33:4 (NRSV)
The spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
God of breath and nearness,
you are closer than our next inhale.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
The Practice of the Presence of God
“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God: those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive; it is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us.
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]]>Job 33:4 (NRSV)
The spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
God of breath and nearness,
you are closer than our next inhale.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
The Practice of the Presence of God
“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God: those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive; it is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us.
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]]>Lamentations 3:31–33 (NRSVUE, abridged)
For the Lord will not reject forever.
Although he causes grief,
he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.
I return again and again.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully
in each moment to being present;
inviting ourselves to interface
with this moment in full awareness.
We do this by returning again and again
to the anchor of the breath,
no matter how many times the mind wanders.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:31–33 (NRSVUE, abridged)
For the Lord will not reject forever.
Although he causes grief,
he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.
I return again and again.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully
in each moment to being present;
inviting ourselves to interface
with this moment in full awareness.
We do this by returning again and again
to the anchor of the breath,
no matter how many times the mind wanders.”
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]]>Psalm 23:4 (NRSVUE)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
I stay with what is.
Pema Chödrön, from When Things Fall Apart
“To stay present with pain and not run away from it
is the key to awakening.
When we stop struggling against what we feel,
we begin to find freedom
right where we are.”
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]]>Psalm 23:4 (NRSVUE)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
I stay with what is.
Pema Chödrön, from When Things Fall Apart
“To stay present with pain and not run away from it
is the key to awakening.
When we stop struggling against what we feel,
we begin to find freedom
right where we are.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19 (NRSVUE, abridged)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God…
and that you are not your own?
God meets me in my body.
Bessel van der Kolk
“The body keeps the score:
if the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera,
in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching sensations,
in autoimmune disorders and skeletal and muscular problems,
then talking about it may not be enough.
The body must feel safe again.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19 (NRSVUE, abridged)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God…
and that you are not your own?
God meets me in my body.
Bessel van der Kolk
“The body keeps the score:
if the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera,
in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching sensations,
in autoimmune disorders and skeletal and muscular problems,
then talking about it may not be enough.
The body must feel safe again.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSVUE)
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
I notice without fixing.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, from Wherever You Go, There You Are
“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives.
It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness
of each moment.
We also gain immediate access
to our own powerful inner resources
for insight, transformation,
and healing.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSVUE)
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
I notice without fixing.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, from Wherever You Go, There You Are
“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives.
It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness
of each moment.
We also gain immediate access
to our own powerful inner resources
for insight, transformation,
and healing.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Genesis 2:7 (NRSVUE)
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and the man became a living being.
I return to the breath.
George Herbert
“Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see;
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee.
A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine.”
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]]>Genesis 2:7 (NRSVUE)
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and the man became a living being.
I return to the breath.
George Herbert
“Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see;
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee.
A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine.”
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]]>Matthew 2:12 (NRSVUE)
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they left for their own country
by another road.
I walk by the light I have been given.
Teresa of Ávila
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
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]]>Matthew 2:12 (NRSVUE)
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they left for their own country
by another road.
I walk by the light I have been given.
Teresa of Ávila
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
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]]>Psalm 139:1–5 (NRSVUE, abridged)
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
I am seen and known by God.
George Herbert
“Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked anything.”
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]]>Psalm 139:1–5 (NRSVUE, abridged)
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
I am seen and known by God.
George Herbert
“Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked anything.”
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]]>Luke 24:30–31 (NRSVUE, abridged)
When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him…
and he vanished from their sight.
My eyes are opening.
Emily Dickinson
“The Soul should always stand ajar,
That if the Heaven inquire,
He will not be obliged to wait,
Or shy of troubling her.
Depart, before the Host has slid
The bolt unto the Door—
Then will the Soul return her trust
Without distrust or more.”
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]]>Luke 24:30–31 (NRSVUE, abridged)
When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him…
and he vanished from their sight.
My eyes are opening.
Emily Dickinson
“The Soul should always stand ajar,
That if the Heaven inquire,
He will not be obliged to wait,
Or shy of troubling her.
Depart, before the Host has slid
The bolt unto the Door—
Then will the Soul return her trust
Without distrust or more.”
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]]>Exodus 3:1–6 (NRSVUE)
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian;
he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up.”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
I am learning to see.
William Blake, from Auguries of Innocence (c. 1803)
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.”
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]]>Exodus 3:1–6 (NRSVUE)
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian;
he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up.”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
I am learning to see.
William Blake, from Auguries of Innocence (c. 1803)
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.”
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]]>Isaiah 60:1–2 (NRSVUE)
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
God’s light meets me where I am.
Charles Wesley
“Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Day-spring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.”
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]]>Isaiah 60:1–2 (NRSVUE)
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
God’s light meets me where I am.
Charles Wesley
“Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Day-spring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.”
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]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
What I offer is enough.
Dorothy Day
“We cannot love God
unless we love each other,
and to love we must know each other.
We know Him in the breaking of bread,
and we are not alone anymore.
He has given us each other.”
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]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
What I offer is enough.
Dorothy Day
“We cannot love God
unless we love each other,
and to love we must know each other.
We know Him in the breaking of bread,
and we are not alone anymore.
He has given us each other.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSVUE)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I begin again in grace.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
“Returning is not a one-time event.
It is a long and painful process.
It is the continuous choice
to trust that there will be a homecoming,
even when you feel lost.
The movement of returning
is not a straight line.
It is a series of small choices,
often made in weakness,
to step toward love again and again.
The great gift of God
is that we are always welcomed home.
No matter how far we have wandered,
no matter how often we have failed,
the arms of mercy remain open.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSVUE)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I begin again in grace.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
“Returning is not a one-time event.
It is a long and painful process.
It is the continuous choice
to trust that there will be a homecoming,
even when you feel lost.
The movement of returning
is not a straight line.
It is a series of small choices,
often made in weakness,
to step toward love again and again.
The great gift of God
is that we are always welcomed home.
No matter how far we have wandered,
no matter how often we have failed,
the arms of mercy remain open.”
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]]>Proverbs 16:9 (NRSVUE)
The human mind plans the way,
but the Lord directs the steps.
I set my heart toward love.
Howard Thurman
“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive,
and go do it.
Because what the world needs
is people who have come alive.”
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]]>Proverbs 16:9 (NRSVUE)
The human mind plans the way,
but the Lord directs the steps.
I set my heart toward love.
Howard Thurman
“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive,
and go do it.
Because what the world needs
is people who have come alive.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSVUE)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
This moment is where God meets me.
Brother Lawrence
“We can do little things for God;
I turn the cake that is frying on the pan
for love of Him,
and that done,
if there is nothing else to call me,
I prostrate myself in worship
before Him who has given me grace to work.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSVUE)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
This moment is where God meets me.
Brother Lawrence
“We can do little things for God;
I turn the cake that is frying on the pan
for love of Him,
and that done,
if there is nothing else to call me,
I prostrate myself in worship
before Him who has given me grace to work.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:18–19 (NRSVUE)
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
I release what no longer gives life.
Thomas Merton
“To let go does not mean to get rid of.
To let go means to let be.
When we let be with compassion,
things come and go on their own.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:18–19 (NRSVUE)
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
I release what no longer gives life.
Thomas Merton
“To let go does not mean to get rid of.
To let go means to let be.
When we let be with compassion,
things come and go on their own.”
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]]>Colossians 1:27 (NRSVUE)
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ lives in me.
Richard Rohr
“The Christ Mystery
is not something to admire from a distance.
It is something to participate in.
God has chosen to dwell
not merely among us,
but within us—
so that divine love
might continue to take flesh
in the world.”
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]]>Colossians 1:27 (NRSVUE)
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ lives in me.
Richard Rohr
“The Christ Mystery
is not something to admire from a distance.
It is something to participate in.
God has chosen to dwell
not merely among us,
but within us—
so that divine love
might continue to take flesh
in the world.”
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]]>Matthew 1:23 (NRSVUE)
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”
God is with us.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from God Is in the Manger
“God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings.
God marches right in.
God chooses people as his instruments
and performs wonders where one would least expect them.
God is near us—
in the midst of our lives.”
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]]>Matthew 1:23 (NRSVUE)
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”
God is with us.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from God Is in the Manger
“God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings.
God marches right in.
God chooses people as his instruments
and performs wonders where one would least expect them.
God is near us—
in the midst of our lives.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Luke 2:6–7
While they were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place in the guest room.
God is found in the ordinary.
Madeleine L’Engle, from Walking on Water
“There is nothing so secular
that it cannot be sacred.
And nothing so ordinary
that it cannot be filled with God.
If we believe that God took on flesh,
then every place
where life unfolds
is holy ground.”
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]]>Luke 2:6–7
While they were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place in the guest room.
God is found in the ordinary.
Madeleine L’Engle, from Walking on Water
“There is nothing so secular
that it cannot be sacred.
And nothing so ordinary
that it cannot be filled with God.
If we believe that God took on flesh,
then every place
where life unfolds
is holy ground.”
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]]>John 1:14 (NRSVUE)
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
God is closer than I imagined.
Meister Eckhart
“God is nearer to me than I am to myself.
My being depends on God’s nearness
and God’s presence within me.
God does not come and go.
God is always here.”
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]]>John 1:14 (NRSVUE)
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
God is closer than I imagined.
Meister Eckhart
“God is nearer to me than I am to myself.
My being depends on God’s nearness
and God’s presence within me.
God does not come and go.
God is always here.”
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
I make room for God.
Jan Richardson
“This is a season
for making room—
for letting the heart
be opened
not by force
but by consent.
The Holy does not arrive
with demands,
but with an invitation
that waits patiently
to be welcomed.”
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]]>Luke 1:38 (NRSVUE)
Then Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
I make room for God.
Jan Richardson
“This is a season
for making room—
for letting the heart
be opened
not by force
but by consent.
The Holy does not arrive
with demands,
but with an invitation
that waits patiently
to be welcomed.”
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]]>Deuteronomy 33:27 (NRSVUE)
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
I am held in God.
Julian of Norwich
“For I saw no wrath in God,
only mercy.
And I saw that we are all held,
and shall be held,
in love—
and this holding never fails.”
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]]>Deuteronomy 33:27 (NRSVUE)
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
I am held in God.
Julian of Norwich
“For I saw no wrath in God,
only mercy.
And I saw that we are all held,
and shall be held,
in love—
and this holding never fails.”
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]]>1 John 4:16 (NRSVUE)
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God,
and God abides in them.
God’s love moves through me.
Howard Thurman
“When love is present,
it does not force its way.
It creates space.
It releases fear,
loosens the grip of control,
and invites life to unfold as it must.
Love does not originate with us.
It passes through us,
shaping the world
as it goes.”
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]]>1 John 4:16 (NRSVUE)
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God,
and God abides in them.
God’s love moves through me.
Howard Thurman
“When love is present,
it does not force its way.
It creates space.
It releases fear,
loosens the grip of control,
and invites life to unfold as it must.
Love does not originate with us.
It passes through us,
shaping the world
as it goes.”
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]]>Philippians 2:3 (NRSVUE)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
I am free to be small and loved.
Meister Eckhart
“The more completely you are able
to empty yourself,
the more room God has to act within you.
True humility is not weakness.
It is the spaciousness
that allows divine love to move freely.”
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]]>Philippians 2:3 (NRSVUE)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
I am free to be small and loved.
Meister Eckhart
“The more completely you are able
to empty yourself,
the more room God has to act within you.
True humility is not weakness.
It is the spaciousness
that allows divine love to move freely.”
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]]>Habakkuk 2:3 (NRSVUE)
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
I trust the slow work of God.
Parker J. Palmer, from Let Your Life Speak
“Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it,
listen for what it intends to do with you.
Before you tell your life what truths you have decided to live up to,
let your life tell you what truths you embody.
Vocation does not come from willfulness.
It comes from listening.
Listening to the quiet, persistent voice
that invites you to become
the person you already are.”
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]]>Habakkuk 2:3 (NRSVUE)
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
I trust the slow work of God.
Parker J. Palmer, from Let Your Life Speak
“Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it,
listen for what it intends to do with you.
Before you tell your life what truths you have decided to live up to,
let your life tell you what truths you embody.
Vocation does not come from willfulness.
It comes from listening.
Listening to the quiet, persistent voice
that invites you to become
the person you already are.”
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]]>John 15:4 (NRSVUE)
Abide in me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself
unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in me.
I choose to abide in love.
Evelyn Underhill
“The spiritual life is not a career of effort
but a condition of being.
It is not attained by strain
but by consent.
We do not need to rush ahead of God.
We are invited to remain—
to stay rooted in love,
and let that love do its quiet work.”
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]]>John 15:4 (NRSVUE)
Abide in me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself
unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in me.
I choose to abide in love.
Evelyn Underhill
“The spiritual life is not a career of effort
but a condition of being.
It is not attained by strain
but by consent.
We do not need to rush ahead of God.
We are invited to remain—
to stay rooted in love,
and let that love do its quiet work.”
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]]>Romans 15:13 (NRSVUE)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hope rises within me by the Spirit of God.
John O’Donohue
“Hope is not a prediction of the future.
It is a companion for the present.
It whispers that meaning is still unfolding,
that grace is still moving,
that God is not finished
with any part of your story.”
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]]>Romans 15:13 (NRSVUE)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hope rises within me by the Spirit of God.
John O’Donohue
“Hope is not a prediction of the future.
It is a companion for the present.
It whispers that meaning is still unfolding,
that grace is still moving,
that God is not finished
with any part of your story.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Psalm 103:8 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
God’s love is patient with my becoming.
Julian of Norwich
“God is never surprised by our weakness,
never offended by our slowness.
For He sees us not merely as we are,
but as we are becoming—
and He loves us
with a patient love
that cannot be hurried or diminished.”
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]]>Psalm 103:8 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
God’s love is patient with my becoming.
Julian of Norwich
“God is never surprised by our weakness,
never offended by our slowness.
For He sees us not merely as we are,
but as we are becoming—
and He loves us
with a patient love
that cannot be hurried or diminished.”
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]]>Psalm 34:17 (NRSVUE)
When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears
and rescues them from all their troubles.
God hears me in every breath.
Teresa of Ávila
“Prayer is not thinking much,
but loving much.
It is the quiet turning of the heart
toward the One
who has been listening
since before you learned to speak.”
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]]>Psalm 34:17 (NRSVUE)
When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears
and rescues them from all their troubles.
God hears me in every breath.
Teresa of Ávila
“Prayer is not thinking much,
but loving much.
It is the quiet turning of the heart
toward the One
who has been listening
since before you learned to speak.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Psalm 16:5 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
In God, this moment is enough.
Richard Rohr
“We do not find God
in the future we are anxiously building,
but in the present we are constantly overlooking.
Grace is not what we earn or achieve—
it is what is already given,
what is quietly present,
what has always been enough.”
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]]>Psalm 16:5 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
In God, this moment is enough.
Richard Rohr
“We do not find God
in the future we are anxiously building,
but in the present we are constantly overlooking.
Grace is not what we earn or achieve—
it is what is already given,
what is quietly present,
what has always been enough.”
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]]>Psalm 143:10 (NRSVUE)
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
God leads me even when the path is unclear.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“Guide me, O God of the journey,
for in the mystery that lies ahead
I cannot travel by sight.
But if You walk with me,
uncertainty becomes a holy place—
a doorway
where trust is born.”
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]]>Psalm 143:10 (NRSVUE)
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
God leads me even when the path is unclear.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“Guide me, O God of the journey,
for in the mystery that lies ahead
I cannot travel by sight.
But if You walk with me,
uncertainty becomes a holy place—
a doorway
where trust is born.”
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]]>Revelation 21:5 (NRSVUE)
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
“See, I am making all things new.”
God is making all things new—including me.
Thomas Merton
“There is in all visible things
a hidden wholeness—
a divine seed
waiting for the moment
it will break open in glory.
Nothing is lost in God’s renewal.
Everything,
in its own time,
is made new.”
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]]>Revelation 21:5 (NRSVUE)
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
“See, I am making all things new.”
God is making all things new—including me.
Thomas Merton
“There is in all visible things
a hidden wholeness—
a divine seed
waiting for the moment
it will break open in glory.
Nothing is lost in God’s renewal.
Everything,
in its own time,
is made new.”
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]]>Genesis 28:16 (NRSVUE)
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the Lord is in this place—
and I did not know it!”
God is here, in this very moment.
David Whyte
“Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
To walk the world awake
is to see the miracle
in what we have come to call ordinary.
The sacred is not elsewhere—
it is here,
waiting for our eyes
to finally open.”
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]]>Genesis 28:16 (NRSVUE)
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the Lord is in this place—
and I did not know it!”
God is here, in this very moment.
David Whyte
“Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
To walk the world awake
is to see the miracle
in what we have come to call ordinary.
The sacred is not elsewhere—
it is here,
waiting for our eyes
to finally open.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>John 17:21 (NRSVUE)
“…that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,
may they also be in us…”
I am invited into union with God.
Meister Eckhart
“God is always at home.
It is we who have gone out for a walk.
Yet the soul that returns to itself
returns to God,
for the ground of the soul
and the ground of God
are one and the same.
To awaken is to realize
you have never been separate.”
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]]>John 17:21 (NRSVUE)
“…that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,
may they also be in us…”
I am invited into union with God.
Meister Eckhart
“God is always at home.
It is we who have gone out for a walk.
Yet the soul that returns to itself
returns to God,
for the ground of the soul
and the ground of God
are one and the same.
To awaken is to realize
you have never been separate.”
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]]>Romans 8:16 (NRSVUE)
It is that very Spirit
bearing witness with our spirit
that we are children of God.
The Spirit speaks within me.
St. Symeon the New Theologian
“God is not far away.
The fire of the Spirit
shines within your heart,
warming, illuminating,
revealing who you truly are.
Look within,
and you will find the One
who has been looking for you.”
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]]>Romans 8:16 (NRSVUE)
It is that very Spirit
bearing witness with our spirit
that we are children of God.
The Spirit speaks within me.
St. Symeon the New Theologian
“God is not far away.
The fire of the Spirit
shines within your heart,
warming, illuminating,
revealing who you truly are.
Look within,
and you will find the One
who has been looking for you.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For “In him we live and move and have our being,”
as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
God is in all things, and all things are in God.
Teilhard de Chardin
“By virtue of creation,
not one of us is ever far from God.
The divine presence
is at the heart of matter
and at the center of our soul.
To live is to sense that Presence—
to discover God
in everything that is growing,
everything that is moving,
everything that simply is.”
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]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For “In him we live and move and have our being,”
as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
God is in all things, and all things are in God.
Teilhard de Chardin
“By virtue of creation,
not one of us is ever far from God.
The divine presence
is at the heart of matter
and at the center of our soul.
To live is to sense that Presence—
to discover God
in everything that is growing,
everything that is moving,
everything that simply is.”
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]]>Genesis 12:2 (NRSVUE)
I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you, and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
The blessing I receive becomes the blessing I give.
John O’Donohue
“May the gifts you have been given
find their way into the world.
May your life be a channel of grace,
a quiet river of blessing
that nourishes what is withering
and awakens what is waiting to bloom.”
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]]>Genesis 12:2 (NRSVUE)
I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you, and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
The blessing I receive becomes the blessing I give.
John O’Donohue
“May the gifts you have been given
find their way into the world.
May your life be a channel of grace,
a quiet river of blessing
that nourishes what is withering
and awakens what is waiting to bloom.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Isaiah 41:10 (NRSVUE)
Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God holds me when I cannot hold myself.
Frederick Buechner
“Faith is not a clenched fist
but an open hand.
It is not holding on for dear life
but letting yourself be held.
For underneath our lives,
so fragile and fierce,
are the everlasting arms—
stronger than fear,
softer than grace,
wider than we can imagine.”
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]]>Isaiah 41:10 (NRSVUE)
Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God holds me when I cannot hold myself.
Frederick Buechner
“Faith is not a clenched fist
but an open hand.
It is not holding on for dear life
but letting yourself be held.
For underneath our lives,
so fragile and fierce,
are the everlasting arms—
stronger than fear,
softer than grace,
wider than we can imagine.”
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]]>Psalm 32:10 (NRSVUE)
Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds
those who trust in the Lord.
I am surrounded by mercy.
Julian of Norwich
“God is nearer to us than our own soul,
for we are endlessly held
in His vast and tender mercy.
And though we fall,
His arms surround us still—
not to punish,
but to lift,
to heal,
to bring us home.”
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]]>Psalm 32:10 (NRSVUE)
Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds
those who trust in the Lord.
I am surrounded by mercy.
Julian of Norwich
“God is nearer to us than our own soul,
for we are endlessly held
in His vast and tender mercy.
And though we fall,
His arms surround us still—
not to punish,
but to lift,
to heal,
to bring us home.”
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
God strengthens me where no one sees.
Christian Wiman
“Faith is not a fortress
but a seed in the soil—
small, hidden,
slow to rise.
Yet beneath the surface
the roots thicken,
the dark earth warms,
and strength is formed
long before it blooms.”
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
God strengthens me where no one sees.
Christian Wiman
“Faith is not a fortress
but a seed in the soil—
small, hidden,
slow to rise.
Yet beneath the surface
the roots thicken,
the dark earth warms,
and strength is formed
long before it blooms.”
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]]>Psalm 119:105 (NRSVUE)
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
God guides me one step at a time.
Eugene Peterson
“God’s direction is not a spotlight
that floods the horizon with certainty.
It is a lamp—
small enough to carry,
bright enough for the step in front of you.
Faith grows not by seeing everything,
but by trusting the One
who walks the road with you.”
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]]>Psalm 119:105 (NRSVUE)
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
God guides me one step at a time.
Eugene Peterson
“God’s direction is not a spotlight
that floods the horizon with certainty.
It is a lamp—
small enough to carry,
bright enough for the step in front of you.
Faith grows not by seeing everything,
but by trusting the One
who walks the road with you.”
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]]>Psalm 51:10 (NRSVUE)
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
God renews me from the inside out.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person
a quiet center,
a place of renewal
where God whispers life again.
Return to that center often—
for it is from the depths
that true transformation rises.”
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]]>Psalm 51:10 (NRSVUE)
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
God renews me from the inside out.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person
a quiet center,
a place of renewal
where God whispers life again.
Return to that center often—
for it is from the depths
that true transformation rises.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Isaiah 43:1 (NRSVUE)
But now thus says the Lord…
“I have called you by name,
you are mine.”
I am the one God loves.
Brennan Manning
“Define yourself radically
as one beloved by God.
This is the true self
every other voice tries to silence.
Your identity is not rooted
in what you achieve,
but in the One
who calls you beloved—
and never stops saying it.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:1 (NRSVUE)
But now thus says the Lord…
“I have called you by name,
you are mine.”
I am the one God loves.
Brennan Manning
“Define yourself radically
as one beloved by God.
This is the true self
every other voice tries to silence.
Your identity is not rooted
in what you achieve,
but in the One
who calls you beloved—
and never stops saying it.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19 (NRSVUE)
Do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God…?
God dwells in this body.
Hildegard of Bingen
“Your body is a sacred vessel,
alive with the breath of God.
Do not despise the earth you are made of—
for it is here
that the Holy One chooses to dwell.
The soul is not trapped in the body;
it sings through it.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19 (NRSVUE)
Do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God…?
God dwells in this body.
Hildegard of Bingen
“Your body is a sacred vessel,
alive with the breath of God.
Do not despise the earth you are made of—
for it is here
that the Holy One chooses to dwell.
The soul is not trapped in the body;
it sings through it.”
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]]>Psalm 27:8 (NRSVUE)
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
My desire draws me toward God.
John of the Cross
“In the desire of the heart
God is already present.
For longing is the humble doorway
through which Love enters—
not to take us away from ourselves,
but to lead us deeper within
to where God has always dwelled.”
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]]>Psalm 27:8 (NRSVUE)
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
My desire draws me toward God.
John of the Cross
“In the desire of the heart
God is already present.
For longing is the humble doorway
through which Love enters—
not to take us away from ourselves,
but to lead us deeper within
to where God has always dwelled.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:12 (NRSVUE)
…and after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire;
and after the fire
a sound of sheer silence.
God meets me in the quiet.
Kathleen Norris
“Silence is not the absence of God—
it is the presence of God unforced.
It is here we learn to listen,
to shed our illusions,
to discover the One
who has been with us all along
in the quiet places we seldom enter.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:12 (NRSVUE)
…and after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire;
and after the fire
a sound of sheer silence.
God meets me in the quiet.
Kathleen Norris
“Silence is not the absence of God—
it is the presence of God unforced.
It is here we learn to listen,
to shed our illusions,
to discover the One
who has been with us all along
in the quiet places we seldom enter.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:6 (NRSVUE)
For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
who has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Love shines through everything.
Julian of Norwich
“The love of God creates in us
such a oneness
that when it is truly seen,
no created thing can separate us from Him.
For love was His meaning from the beginning,
and love shall be His meaning to the end.
So it was,
so it is,
so it ever shall be.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:6 (NRSVUE)
For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
who has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Love shines through everything.
Julian of Norwich
“The love of God creates in us
such a oneness
that when it is truly seen,
no created thing can separate us from Him.
For love was His meaning from the beginning,
and love shall be His meaning to the end.
So it was,
so it is,
so it ever shall be.”
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]]>1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSVUE)
Give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Gratitude opens my heart to God.
Mary Oliver
“It is a serious thing
just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I give thanks for the mystery of it—
for the grass underfoot,
for the air moving through my lungs,
for the chance
to love what is before me.”
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]]>1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSVUE)
Give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Gratitude opens my heart to God.
Mary Oliver
“It is a serious thing
just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I give thanks for the mystery of it—
for the grass underfoot,
for the air moving through my lungs,
for the chance
to love what is before me.”
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]]>Colossians 1:17 (NRSVUE)
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
All things are held together in Christ.
Teilhard de Chardin
“By virtue of creation,
and still more of the Incarnation,
nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.
The divine spark is everywhere,
hidden in matter as fire is hidden in stone.
To live is to set that fire free—
to awaken to the communion of all things.”
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]]>Colossians 1:17 (NRSVUE)
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
All things are held together in Christ.
Teilhard de Chardin
“By virtue of creation,
and still more of the Incarnation,
nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.
The divine spark is everywhere,
hidden in matter as fire is hidden in stone.
To live is to set that fire free—
to awaken to the communion of all things.”
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]]>Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
I carry peace wherever I go.
John Lewis
“Peace is not simply the absence of war or tension—
it is the presence of justice,
the manifestation of compassion,
the active pursuit of reconciliation.
True peace does not come by standing still—
it comes when love steps forward.”
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]]>Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
I carry peace wherever I go.
John Lewis
“Peace is not simply the absence of war or tension—
it is the presence of justice,
the manifestation of compassion,
the active pursuit of reconciliation.
True peace does not come by standing still—
it comes when love steps forward.”
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]]>John 1:4–5 (NRSVUE)
In him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
The light within me is the life of God.
Rabindranath Tagore
“The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
And so, whenever my heart grows dim,
I remember:
the light within me is the life of God.”
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]]>John 1:4–5 (NRSVUE)
In him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
The light within me is the life of God.
Rabindranath Tagore
“The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
And so, whenever my heart grows dim,
I remember:
the light within me is the life of God.”
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]]>Scripture:
Ephesians 5:8-9 (NRSVUE) — “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light; for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.”
Refrain:
I turn toward the light and walk in grace.
Quote:
Wendell Berry: “It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
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]]>Scripture:
Ephesians 5:8-9 (NRSVUE) — “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light; for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.”
Refrain:
I turn toward the light and walk in grace.
Quote:
Wendell Berry: “It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
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]]>Scripture:
Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE) — “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”
Refrain:
I surrender into love.
Quote:
Thomas Merton: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. But I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.”
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]]>Scripture:
Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE) — “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”
Refrain:
I surrender into love.
Quote:
Thomas Merton: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. But I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.”
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]]>Scripture:
Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE) — “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Refrain: In stillness, I remember who I am.
Quote:
Thomas Keating: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In the silence of the heart, God speaks more than words—She is not limited to sound. Be still and let Him be God in you.”
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]]>Scripture:
Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE) — “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Refrain: In stillness, I remember who I am.
Quote:
Thomas Keating: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In the silence of the heart, God speaks more than words—She is not limited to sound. Be still and let Him be God in you.”
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]]>Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE) — “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Refrain:
I release what no longer brings life.
Quote:
Rainer Maria Rilke: “I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, and I have been circling for thousands of years, and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song. All that matters is that I keep circling, that I keep releasing what keeps me from flight.”
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]]>Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE) — “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Refrain:
I release what no longer brings life.
Quote:
Rainer Maria Rilke: “I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, and I have been circling for thousands of years, and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song. All that matters is that I keep circling, that I keep releasing what keeps me from flight.”
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]]>Scripture:
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSVUE) — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Refrain:
Grace meets me in the new beginning.
Quote:
Jan Richardson
“Still, this blessing comes— a quiet breath, a gentle nudge, a hand placed lightly at the small of your back as you move toward what is waiting for you. This blessing is not a map. It is not a cure. But it is a beginning, and it says start here.”
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]]>Scripture:
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSVUE) — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Refrain:
Grace meets me in the new beginning.
Quote:
Jan Richardson
“Still, this blessing comes— a quiet breath, a gentle nudge, a hand placed lightly at the small of your back as you move toward what is waiting for you. This blessing is not a map. It is not a cure. But it is a beginning, and it says start here.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:18 (NRSVUE)
And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,
are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another;
for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
I become what I behold in love.
St. Clare of Assisi
“Gaze upon Christ.
Consider Him.
Contemplate Him.
As you gaze,
you will mirror His love—
not by trying,
but by resting.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:18 (NRSVUE)
And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,
are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another;
for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
I become what I behold in love.
St. Clare of Assisi
“Gaze upon Christ.
Consider Him.
Contemplate Him.
As you gaze,
you will mirror His love—
not by trying,
but by resting.”
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]]>Romans 12:5 (NRSVUE)
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
I was made to belong.
Jean Vanier
“Community is a place of belonging,
a place of vulnerability and trust,
a place where each person’s gift
can be revealed and shared.
It is not a dreamland—
but a school of love.
To live in community is to say to one another:
‘You are not alone.
We are in this together.’”
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]]>Romans 12:5 (NRSVUE)
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
I was made to belong.
Jean Vanier
“Community is a place of belonging,
a place of vulnerability and trust,
a place where each person’s gift
can be revealed and shared.
It is not a dreamland—
but a school of love.
To live in community is to say to one another:
‘You are not alone.
We are in this together.’”
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]]>John 20:27 (NRSVUE)
Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe.”
Even in my wounds, I am becoming whole.
Wendell Berry
“Even in the dark,
the hand may be held,
the wound may be tended.
To walk wounded
is not to walk without grace.
It is to know
the deeper healing that comes
not in spite of pain,
but through it.”
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]]>John 20:27 (NRSVUE)
Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe.”
Even in my wounds, I am becoming whole.
Wendell Berry
“Even in the dark,
the hand may be held,
the wound may be tended.
To walk wounded
is not to walk without grace.
It is to know
the deeper healing that comes
not in spite of pain,
but through it.”
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]]>Matthew 11:29 (NRSVUE)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
I open my heart to gentleness.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“I will believe the truth about myself
no matter how beautiful it is.
I will believe that gentleness is not a luxury—
it is a way of being holy.
The soft heart,
the quiet word,
the listening soul—
these are sacred things
in a hardened world.”
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]]>Matthew 11:29 (NRSVUE)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
I open my heart to gentleness.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“I will believe the truth about myself
no matter how beautiful it is.
I will believe that gentleness is not a luxury—
it is a way of being holy.
The soft heart,
the quiet word,
the listening soul—
these are sacred things
in a hardened world.”
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]]>Colossians 3:3 (NRSVUE)
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
I am held in the mystery of who I truly am.
Henri Nouwen
“Spiritual identity means we are not what we do,
not what we have,
not what others say about us.
We are the beloved daughters and sons of God.
That is the voice we need to hear most.
That is the truth that sets us free.”
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]]>Colossians 3:3 (NRSVUE)
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
I am held in the mystery of who I truly am.
Henri Nouwen
“Spiritual identity means we are not what we do,
not what we have,
not what others say about us.
We are the beloved daughters and sons of God.
That is the voice we need to hear most.
That is the truth that sets us free.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
God leads me in simplicity and peace.
Simone Weil
“Simplicity is the sign of the divine.
It is not the absence of depth,
but the presence of clarity.
The soul is purified not by addition,
but by subtraction.
God does not shout—
He whispers in what remains.”
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]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
God leads me in simplicity and peace.
Simone Weil
“Simplicity is the sign of the divine.
It is not the absence of depth,
but the presence of clarity.
The soul is purified not by addition,
but by subtraction.
God does not shout—
He whispers in what remains.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Psalm 42:1 (NRSVUE)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My longing is a prayer.
Kahlil Gibran
“It is the desire in your heart that is your guide.
And though you may not always find what you seek,
your longing will lead you.
Trust the ache within—
it is the echo of God
calling you home.”
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]]>Psalm 42:1 (NRSVUE)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My longing is a prayer.
Kahlil Gibran
“It is the desire in your heart that is your guide.
And though you may not always find what you seek,
your longing will lead you.
Trust the ache within—
it is the echo of God
calling you home.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Matthew 6:11 (NRSVUE)
Give us this day our daily bread.
In bread and breath, God is near.
Barbara Brown Taylor
“The practice of wearing skin,
of touching and tasting and smelling your way toward the Holy—
this is the invitation.
Earth is so thick with divine possibility
that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere
without cracking our shins on altars.”
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]]>Matthew 6:11 (NRSVUE)
Give us this day our daily bread.
In bread and breath, God is near.
Barbara Brown Taylor
“The practice of wearing skin,
of touching and tasting and smelling your way toward the Holy—
this is the invitation.
Earth is so thick with divine possibility
that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere
without cracking our shins on altars.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)
Do not despise these small beginnings,
for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...
God is in the small and the slow.
Mary Oliver
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
To see a world in a blade of grass,
a grace note in the call of a bird—
this is wisdom.
This is enough.”
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]]>Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)
Do not despise these small beginnings,
for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...
God is in the small and the slow.
Mary Oliver
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
To see a world in a blade of grass,
a grace note in the call of a bird—
this is wisdom.
This is enough.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Exodus 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Then he said,
“Come no closer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
This moment is holy ground.
Brother Lawrence
“We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence
by continually conversing with Him.
It is not necessary to have great things to do.
I turn the little omelet in the pan for the love of God.
When I cannot do more,
I thank Him.
He is there in the midst of it all.”
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]]>Exodus 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Then he said,
“Come no closer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
This moment is holy ground.
Brother Lawrence
“We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence
by continually conversing with Him.
It is not necessary to have great things to do.
I turn the little omelet in the pan for the love of God.
When I cannot do more,
I thank Him.
He is there in the midst of it all.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Philippians 4:11 (NRSVUE)
Not that I am referring to being in need,
for I have learned to be content
with whatever I have.
This moment is enough. God is enough.
Mary Oliver
“I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
I want to walk slowly through the fields,
feeling the ground under my feet,
listening to the small voice that says:
this is it—
this is life—
let it be enough.”
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]]>Philippians 4:11 (NRSVUE)
Not that I am referring to being in need,
for I have learned to be content
with whatever I have.
This moment is enough. God is enough.
Mary Oliver
“I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
I want to walk slowly through the fields,
feeling the ground under my feet,
listening to the small voice that says:
this is it—
this is life—
let it be enough.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>John 13:34 (NRSVUE)
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another.
Love is the path. Love is the way.
St. Teresa of Avila
“The important thing is not to think much,
but to love much;
and so do that which best stirs you to love.
Love is not great feeling.
It is great willingness.
If you fall, rise again.
And walk in love.”
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]]>John 13:34 (NRSVUE)
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another.
Love is the path. Love is the way.
St. Teresa of Avila
“The important thing is not to think much,
but to love much;
and so do that which best stirs you to love.
Love is not great feeling.
It is great willingness.
If you fall, rise again.
And walk in love.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Psalm 139:7–10 (NRSVUE)
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
God is closer than my next breath.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O Eternal One,
You are the deep music I hear
when all the world falls silent.
You are the voice that calls
from within my own breath.
I turn inward,
and I find You waiting.”
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]]>Psalm 139:7–10 (NRSVUE)
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
God is closer than my next breath.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O Eternal One,
You are the deep music I hear
when all the world falls silent.
You are the voice that calls
from within my own breath.
I turn inward,
and I find You waiting.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>2 Corinthians 3:16 (NRSVUE)
But when one turns to the Lord,
the veil is removed.
Let me see with the eyes of my soul.
Madeleine L’Engle
“Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason.
Faith is what makes life bearable,
with all its tragedies and ambiguities
and sudden, startling joys.
There is always more to see.
We just need the courage
to keep our eyes open
long enough for the veil to lift.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:16 (NRSVUE)
But when one turns to the Lord,
the veil is removed.
Let me see with the eyes of my soul.
Madeleine L’Engle
“Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason.
Faith is what makes life bearable,
with all its tragedies and ambiguities
and sudden, startling joys.
There is always more to see.
We just need the courage
to keep our eyes open
long enough for the veil to lift.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
I lean not on what I see, but who You are.
Thomas R. Kelly
“Faith is not a speculation,
but a venture.
It is not an inference from the facts around us,
but a grasping of the facts beyond us.
It is not the deduction of something unseen,
but the conviction of someone unseen—
who has spoken and still speaks
in the depths of our souls.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5 (NRSVUE)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
I lean not on what I see, but who You are.
Thomas R. Kelly
“Faith is not a speculation,
but a venture.
It is not an inference from the facts around us,
but a grasping of the facts beyond us.
It is not the deduction of something unseen,
but the conviction of someone unseen—
who has spoken and still speaks
in the depths of our souls.”
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, therefore,
and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
I am free to live in love.
John O’Donohue
“May you awaken to the mystery of being here
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
May you experience each day
as a sacred gift
woven around the heart of wonder.
May you live compassionately
with yourself and others
and travel beyond the familiar field of fear
into the new frontier of your freedom.”
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]]>Galatians 5:1 (NRSVUE)
For freedom Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, therefore,
and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
I am free to live in love.
John O’Donohue
“May you awaken to the mystery of being here
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
May you experience each day
as a sacred gift
woven around the heart of wonder.
May you live compassionately
with yourself and others
and travel beyond the familiar field of fear
into the new frontier of your freedom.”
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]]>Romans 2:4 (NRSVUE)
Do you not realize that God’s kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance?
I turn, and Love meets me there.
James Finley
“Repentance is the interior posture
of one who is willing to be undone by love—
to surrender all that is not yet free
into the mercy of God.
It is the grace
to see yourself honestly
and still believe
you are deeply loved.”
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]]>Romans 2:4 (NRSVUE)
Do you not realize that God’s kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance?
I turn, and Love meets me there.
James Finley
“Repentance is the interior posture
of one who is willing to be undone by love—
to surrender all that is not yet free
into the mercy of God.
It is the grace
to see yourself honestly
and still believe
you are deeply loved.”
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.
Grace meets me in the middle.
Rabindranath Tagore
“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life,
your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
Let the unfinished be the ground for hope,
not despair.
The bud does not worry it has not yet bloomed.
It simply grows—
slowly, inwardly,
in the rhythm of grace.”
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.
Grace meets me in the middle.
Rabindranath Tagore
“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life,
your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
Let the unfinished be the ground for hope,
not despair.
The bud does not worry it has not yet bloomed.
It simply grows—
slowly, inwardly,
in the rhythm of grace.”
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]]>Psalm 46:5 (NRSVUE)
God is in the midst of the city;
it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
Even now, the center holds.
Thomas Merton
“There is in all visible things
an invisible fecundity,
a dimmed light,
a hidden wholeness.
This mysterious unity and integrity
is wisdom, the mother of all things.
There is in all things a hidden center,
a point of stillness and truth.
To live from that place—
this is prayer.”
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]]>Psalm 46:5 (NRSVUE)
God is in the midst of the city;
it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
Even now, the center holds.
Thomas Merton
“There is in all visible things
an invisible fecundity,
a dimmed light,
a hidden wholeness.
This mysterious unity and integrity
is wisdom, the mother of all things.
There is in all things a hidden center,
a point of stillness and truth.
To live from that place—
this is prayer.”
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]]>Joel 2:13 (NRSVUE)
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
I am always welcome in Love.
Henri Nouwen
“The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge
to let God be God,
to trust in his love unconditionally,
to stop clinging to my own self-sufficiency,
and to rest in the truth that I am already found,
already forgiven,
already loved beyond measure.”
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]]>Joel 2:13 (NRSVUE)
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
I am always welcome in Love.
Henri Nouwen
“The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge
to let God be God,
to trust in his love unconditionally,
to stop clinging to my own self-sufficiency,
and to rest in the truth that I am already found,
already forgiven,
already loved beyond measure.”
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]]>Hebrews 13:8 (NRSVUE)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
I am rooted in what cannot be shaken.
Julian of Norwich
“God is the still point at the center.
He holds us fast in His love
and will never let us go.
The soul may be tossed by winds of change,
but she is not lost—
for beneath her feet is the ground of God.”
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]]>Hebrews 13:8 (NRSVUE)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
I am rooted in what cannot be shaken.
Julian of Norwich
“God is the still point at the center.
He holds us fast in His love
and will never let us go.
The soul may be tossed by winds of change,
but she is not lost—
for beneath her feet is the ground of God.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>2 Corinthians 4:16 (NRSVUE)
So we do not lose heart.
Even though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
God gives me strength for today.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person something that waits and listens
for the sound of the genuine in herself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will spend all of your days
on the ends of strings
that someone else pulls.
But when you find that strength,
you will endure with grace.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:16 (NRSVUE)
So we do not lose heart.
Even though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
God gives me strength for today.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person something that waits and listens
for the sound of the genuine in herself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will spend all of your days
on the ends of strings
that someone else pulls.
But when you find that strength,
you will endure with grace.”
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]]>Psalm 13:1 (NRSVUE)
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
In silence, I lean closer.
Mother Teresa
“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.
God is the friend of silence.
See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence.
See the stars, the moon and the sun,
how they move in silence…
We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
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]]>Psalm 13:1 (NRSVUE)
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
In silence, I lean closer.
Mother Teresa
“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.
God is the friend of silence.
See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence.
See the stars, the moon and the sun,
how they move in silence…
We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
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]]>Mark 4:27 (NRSVUE)
Night and day, while the farmer sleeps and rises,
the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.
Even now, God is growing something in me.
Rainer Maria Rilke
“Everything is gestation and then bringing forth.
To let each impression and each seed of a feeling
come to completion entirely in itself,
in the dark,
in the unsayable,
the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own understanding,
and with deep humility and patience to wait
for the hour when a new clarity is born:
this alone is living the artist’s life—
in understanding as in creating.”
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]]>Mark 4:27 (NRSVUE)
Night and day, while the farmer sleeps and rises,
the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.
Even now, God is growing something in me.
Rainer Maria Rilke
“Everything is gestation and then bringing forth.
To let each impression and each seed of a feeling
come to completion entirely in itself,
in the dark,
in the unsayable,
the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own understanding,
and with deep humility and patience to wait
for the hour when a new clarity is born:
this alone is living the artist’s life—
in understanding as in creating.”
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]]>Isaiah 30:18 (NRSVUE)
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
God is not in a hurry. And He is not far.
Henri Nouwen
“Patience is not waiting passively until something happens.
Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest,
to be completely present to the moment,
to taste the here and now,
to be where we are.
When we are impatient,
we try to get away from where we are.
We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow,
later, and somewhere else.
Let’s be patient and trust
that the treasure we look for is hidden
in the ground on which we stand.”
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]]>Isaiah 30:18 (NRSVUE)
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
God is not in a hurry. And He is not far.
Henri Nouwen
“Patience is not waiting passively until something happens.
Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest,
to be completely present to the moment,
to taste the here and now,
to be where we are.
When we are impatient,
we try to get away from where we are.
We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow,
later, and somewhere else.
Let’s be patient and trust
that the treasure we look for is hidden
in the ground on which we stand.”
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]]>Psalm 27:4 (NRSVUE)
One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
Beauty is how God speaks to my soul.
St. John of the Cross
“I did not know the source of the stream
that flowed so gently and sweetly within me.
But in its clarity I came to see:
the Beloved was near.
And in that beauty,
my soul became still,
and the stillness spoke more than words.”
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]]>Psalm 27:4 (NRSVUE)
One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
Beauty is how God speaks to my soul.
St. John of the Cross
“I did not know the source of the stream
that flowed so gently and sweetly within me.
But in its clarity I came to see:
the Beloved was near.
And in that beauty,
my soul became still,
and the stillness spoke more than words.”
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]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For “In him we live and move and have our being”;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
God is here. Everywhere. Always.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“There is nothing profane
for those who have learned to see.
The presence of God
is not more in the sanctuary
than it is in the city street,
or in the quiet breath before sleep.
We are not waiting for the sacred to appear—
we are learning to recognize it.”
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]]>Acts 17:28 (NRSVUE)
For “In him we live and move and have our being”;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
God is here. Everywhere. Always.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“There is nothing profane
for those who have learned to see.
The presence of God
is not more in the sanctuary
than it is in the city street,
or in the quiet breath before sleep.
We are not waiting for the sacred to appear—
we are learning to recognize it.”
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]]>Luke 24:32 (NRSVUE)
They said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he was talking to us on the road,
while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
My heart burns with divine presence.
Frederick Buechner
“Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye
or a lump in your throat.
They are signs that the holy is drawing near.
God speaks through our hunger,
our ache,
our awe.
And sometimes,
a burning heart is the clearest sign
that He has been walking beside us all along.”
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]]>Luke 24:32 (NRSVUE)
They said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he was talking to us on the road,
while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
My heart burns with divine presence.
Frederick Buechner
“Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye
or a lump in your throat.
They are signs that the holy is drawing near.
God speaks through our hunger,
our ache,
our awe.
And sometimes,
a burning heart is the clearest sign
that He has been walking beside us all along.”
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Let wonder wake me to God.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement...
to get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted.
Everything is phenomenal;
everything is incredible;
never treat life casually.
To be spiritual is to be amazed.”
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Let wonder wake me to God.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement...
to get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted.
Everything is phenomenal;
everything is incredible;
never treat life casually.
To be spiritual is to be amazed.”
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]]>Ephesians 1:18 (NRSVUE)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.
God, open the eyes of my heart.
St. Augustine
“Late have I loved you, Beauty so old and so new,
late have I loved you!
And see, you were within me, and I was in the external world
and sought you there,
and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things
which you made.
You were with me,
but I was not with you.”
Open our eyes, O God,
to the beauty that has always been near.
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]]>Ephesians 1:18 (NRSVUE)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.
God, open the eyes of my heart.
St. Augustine
“Late have I loved you, Beauty so old and so new,
late have I loved you!
And see, you were within me, and I was in the external world
and sought you there,
and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things
which you made.
You were with me,
but I was not with you.”
Open our eyes, O God,
to the beauty that has always been near.
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]]>Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE)
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me;
yet, not my will but yours be done.”
I let go, and God holds what I release.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
“You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow,
your heart dreams of spring.”
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]]>Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE)
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me;
yet, not my will but yours be done.”
I let go, and God holds what I release.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
“You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow,
your heart dreams of spring.”
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]]>Isaiah 26:3 (NRSVUE)
You keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are stayed on you,
because they trust in you.
My soul is held in stillness.
Rabindranath Tagore
“The storm whispers,
but the heart must listen for the stillness.
Peace does not come when the world grows quiet.
It comes when the soul grows deep.
Do not chase peace.
Dig for it.
Find it beneath your striving,
beneath your fear.
It has been waiting for you all along.”
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]]>Isaiah 26:3 (NRSVUE)
You keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are stayed on you,
because they trust in you.
My soul is held in stillness.
Rabindranath Tagore
“The storm whispers,
but the heart must listen for the stillness.
Peace does not come when the world grows quiet.
It comes when the soul grows deep.
Do not chase peace.
Dig for it.
Find it beneath your striving,
beneath your fear.
It has been waiting for you all along.”
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]]>Psalm 23:1 (NIV)
The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
In God, I have enough.
Dallas Willard
“The Lord is my Shepherd
is a sentiment that has become so familiar
we often miss the audacity of it.
To say, 'I shall not want,'
is to live as if everything I need
will be provided
when I need it—
not in anxiety,
but in sufficiency.
Not in scarcity,
but in trust.”
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]]>Psalm 23:1 (NIV)
The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
In God, I have enough.
Dallas Willard
“The Lord is my Shepherd
is a sentiment that has become so familiar
we often miss the audacity of it.
To say, 'I shall not want,'
is to live as if everything I need
will be provided
when I need it—
not in anxiety,
but in sufficiency.
Not in scarcity,
but in trust.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE)
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
Rest is a sacred act of trust.
Wayne Muller
“In the relentless busyness of modern life,
we have lost the rhythm between work and rest.
All life requires a rhythm of rest.
There is rhythm in our waking and sleeping,
there is rhythm in the way day follows night and night follows day.
We have forgotten the Sabbath,
the day of rest,
the gift of sacred stillness.
It is not a reward for finishing.
It is a gift given,
whether we’ve finished or not.”
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]]>Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE)
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
Rest is a sacred act of trust.
Wayne Muller
“In the relentless busyness of modern life,
we have lost the rhythm between work and rest.
All life requires a rhythm of rest.
There is rhythm in our waking and sleeping,
there is rhythm in the way day follows night and night follows day.
We have forgotten the Sabbath,
the day of rest,
the gift of sacred stillness.
It is not a reward for finishing.
It is a gift given,
whether we’ve finished or not.”
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]]>John 20:21 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.”
I am sent in love to love.
Teresa of Avila
“Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.”
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]]>John 20:21 (NRSVUE)
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.”
I am sent in love to love.
Teresa of Avila
“Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.”
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]]>Jude 1:1 (NRSVUE)
To those who are called,
who are beloved in God the Father
and kept safe for Jesus Christ.
I am kept by Love that does not let go.
Julian of Norwich
“God did not say, ‘You will not be troubled.’
He did not say, ‘You will not be tempted, you will not be distressed.’
But He said, ‘You will not be overcome.’
All shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.”
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]]>Jude 1:1 (NRSVUE)
To those who are called,
who are beloved in God the Father
and kept safe for Jesus Christ.
I am kept by Love that does not let go.
Julian of Norwich
“God did not say, ‘You will not be troubled.’
He did not say, ‘You will not be tempted, you will not be distressed.’
But He said, ‘You will not be overcome.’
All shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.”
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]]>Matthew 6:22 (NRSVUE)
The eye is the lamp of the body.
So, if your eye is healthy,
your whole body will be full of light.
In simplicity, I find God again.
Thomas R. Kelly
“Life is meant to be lived from a Center,
a divine Center.
Each of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace,
of integration and confidence and simplicity.
We need not get frantic.
He is at the helm.
And when our little day is done
we lie down quietly in peace,
for all is well.”
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]]>Matthew 6:22 (NRSVUE)
The eye is the lamp of the body.
So, if your eye is healthy,
your whole body will be full of light.
In simplicity, I find God again.
Thomas R. Kelly
“Life is meant to be lived from a Center,
a divine Center.
Each of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace,
of integration and confidence and simplicity.
We need not get frantic.
He is at the helm.
And when our little day is done
we lie down quietly in peace,
for all is well.”
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]]>Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
Since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I move in rhythm with the Spirit.
Howard Thurman
“There is something in every one of you
that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will spend your days on the ends of strings
that someone else pulls.”
The Spirit leads from within.
Not with fear,
but with the rhythm of grace.
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]]>Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
Since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I move in rhythm with the Spirit.
Howard Thurman
“There is something in every one of you
that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.
It is the only true guide you will ever have.
And if you cannot hear it,
you will spend your days on the ends of strings
that someone else pulls.”
The Spirit leads from within.
Not with fear,
but with the rhythm of grace.
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]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
One step at a time, I walk with God.
Eugene Peterson
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world;
there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue,
little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship
in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.
But every step we take in the obedience of faith
is a miracle of grace—
a moment when eternity touches earth.”
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]]>Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
One step at a time, I walk with God.
Eugene Peterson
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world;
there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue,
little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship
in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.
But every step we take in the obedience of faith
is a miracle of grace—
a moment when eternity touches earth.”
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]]>Job 11:7 (NRSVUE)
Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
I am held by the mystery, not separate from it.
Thomas Merton
“My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.”
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]]>Job 11:7 (NRSVUE)
Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
I am held by the mystery, not separate from it.
Thomas Merton
“My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.”
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]]>John 14:23 (NRSVUE)
Jesus answered him,
“Those who love me will keep my word,
and my Father will love them,
and we will come to them
and make our home with them.”
I belong to God, and God belongs with me.
Jean Vanier
“To be lonely is to feel unwanted and unloved,
and when one is lonely,
the heart cries out,
‘Where do I belong?’
God’s answer is not a place—
but presence.
Belonging begins
when we allow ourselves to be loved as we are.”
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]]>John 14:23 (NRSVUE)
Jesus answered him,
“Those who love me will keep my word,
and my Father will love them,
and we will come to them
and make our home with them.”
I belong to God, and God belongs with me.
Jean Vanier
“To be lonely is to feel unwanted and unloved,
and when one is lonely,
the heart cries out,
‘Where do I belong?’
God’s answer is not a place—
but presence.
Belonging begins
when we allow ourselves to be loved as we are.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:1 (NRSVUE)
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
I am known, I am named, I am loved.
Henri Nouwen
“Long before any human being saw us,
we are seen by God’s loving eyes.
Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh,
we are heard by God who is all ears for us.
Long before any person spoke to us in this world,
we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love.
You are not what others say about you.
You are God’s beloved.”
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]]>Isaiah 43:1 (NRSVUE)
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
I am known, I am named, I am loved.
Henri Nouwen
“Long before any human being saw us,
we are seen by God’s loving eyes.
Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh,
we are heard by God who is all ears for us.
Long before any person spoke to us in this world,
we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love.
You are not what others say about you.
You are God’s beloved.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)
For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
I am safe even when I do not understand.
From The Cloud of Unknowing
“God may be loved,
but not thought.
He may be grasped
through love,
but never through the mind.
And so, rest in the cloud—
not with anxiety,
but with openness.
Let love lead where reason ends.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)
For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
I am safe even when I do not understand.
From The Cloud of Unknowing
“God may be loved,
but not thought.
He may be grasped
through love,
but never through the mind.
And so, rest in the cloud—
not with anxiety,
but with openness.
Let love lead where reason ends.”
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]]>Romans 5:3–5 (NIV)
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Hope is rising in me again.
Oscar Romero
“We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
This is what we are about:
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.”
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]]>Romans 5:3–5 (NIV)
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Hope is rising in me again.
Oscar Romero
“We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
This is what we are about:
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God meets me in my weakness.
Brené Brown
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing.
It’s having the courage to show up
when you can’t control the outcome.
It's the willingness to be seen—
even when you're not sure how you'll be received.
That’s where love begins.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God meets me in my weakness.
Brené Brown
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing.
It’s having the courage to show up
when you can’t control the outcome.
It's the willingness to be seen—
even when you're not sure how you'll be received.
That’s where love begins.”
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]]>Mark 2:3–5 (NIV)
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,
carried by four of them.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it
and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralyzed man,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
I am healed by love that carries me.
Rumi
“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder.
Help someone’s soul heal.
Walk out of your house like a shepherd.”
And when you cannot walk,
may someone carry you.
This is how grace moves—
from hand to hand,
heart to heart.
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]]>Mark 2:3–5 (NIV)
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,
carried by four of them.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it
and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralyzed man,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
I am healed by love that carries me.
Rumi
“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder.
Help someone’s soul heal.
Walk out of your house like a shepherd.”
And when you cannot walk,
may someone carry you.
This is how grace moves—
from hand to hand,
heart to heart.
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]]>Romans 12:1 (NRSVUE)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.
My body is held in the love of God.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“Before I knew words for God,
I knew what it was to feel safe in someone’s arms.
That was holy.
And maybe healing
begins not with fixing what we’ve been told is broken,
but by naming what has always been sacred—
even in the ache.”
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]]>Romans 12:1 (NRSVUE)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.
My body is held in the love of God.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“Before I knew words for God,
I knew what it was to feel safe in someone’s arms.
That was holy.
And maybe healing
begins not with fixing what we’ve been told is broken,
but by naming what has always been sacred—
even in the ache.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1,3 (NRSVUE)
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
…a time to heal,
a time to break down,
and a time to build up.
I trust God in the in-between.
Pádraig Ó Tuama, from In the Shelter
“Sometimes healing
does not look like sunlight breaking through.
Sometimes it looks like sitting in the dark,
learning to breathe again,
not alone.
Grace does not always shout.
Often,
it whispers,
‘Still here.’”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1,3 (NRSVUE)
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
…a time to heal,
a time to break down,
and a time to build up.
I trust God in the in-between.
Pádraig Ó Tuama, from In the Shelter
“Sometimes healing
does not look like sunlight breaking through.
Sometimes it looks like sitting in the dark,
learning to breathe again,
not alone.
Grace does not always shout.
Often,
it whispers,
‘Still here.’”
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]]>Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
I have the courage to be here.
Henri Nouwen
“Courage is not the absence of fear.
It is the presence of love.
It is choosing to live with your heart open
even when it trembles.
It is saying yes
to the gift of this day,
to the mystery of God,
and to the sacredness
of simply being.”
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]]>Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
I have the courage to be here.
Henri Nouwen
“Courage is not the absence of fear.
It is the presence of love.
It is choosing to live with your heart open
even when it trembles.
It is saying yes
to the gift of this day,
to the mystery of God,
and to the sacredness
of simply being.”
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Wonder opens me to God.
Annie Dillard, from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
“There is no shortage of good days.
It is good lives that are hard to come by.
A life of wonder is not one of spectacle,
but of sustained attention.
To see a single moment
as more than just a means to the next—
this is the beginning of seeing God everywhere.”
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]]>Psalm 8:3–4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Wonder opens me to God.
Annie Dillard, from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
“There is no shortage of good days.
It is good lives that are hard to come by.
A life of wonder is not one of spectacle,
but of sustained attention.
To see a single moment
as more than just a means to the next—
this is the beginning of seeing God everywhere.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:25 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
Waiting is still a place where God meets me.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
But grace and transformation grow slowly—
step by step,
unfolding like dawn.
Let your heart remain open to what takes time.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:25 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
Waiting is still a place where God meets me.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
But grace and transformation grow slowly—
step by step,
unfolding like dawn.
Let your heart remain open to what takes time.”
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]]>Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
God does not rush my sorrow.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, from Lament for a Son
“I shall look at the world through tears.
Perhaps I shall see things
that dry-eyed I could not see.
The wounds of the soul take time,
and time does not heal all—
but God enters even what time cannot touch.”
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]]>Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
God does not rush my sorrow.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, from Lament for a Son
“I shall look at the world through tears.
Perhaps I shall see things
that dry-eyed I could not see.
The wounds of the soul take time,
and time does not heal all—
but God enters even what time cannot touch.”
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]]>Song of Songs 8:5 (NIV)
Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning on her beloved?
I lean on the One who carries me.
Julian of Norwich
“He did not say: You will not be troubled,
you will not be tempted,
you will not be distressed.
But he said: You will not be overcome.
Lean into love,
not because you are strong—
but because love is stronger.”
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]]>Song of Songs 8:5 (NIV)
Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning on her beloved?
I lean on the One who carries me.
Julian of Norwich
“He did not say: You will not be troubled,
you will not be tempted,
you will not be distressed.
But he said: You will not be overcome.
Lean into love,
not because you are strong—
but because love is stronger.”
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]]>Mark 8:25 (NIV)
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes.
Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored,
and he saw everything clearly.
In time, the light returns.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“I have learned things in the dark
that I could never have learned in the light.
Things that have saved my life,
over and over again.
So there is really only one logical conclusion.
I need darkness as much as I need light.”
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]]>Mark 8:25 (NIV)
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes.
Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored,
and he saw everything clearly.
In time, the light returns.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“I have learned things in the dark
that I could never have learned in the light.
Things that have saved my life,
over and over again.
So there is really only one logical conclusion.
I need darkness as much as I need light.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Matthew 5:6 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
My hunger is sacred ground.
Teresa of Avila
“God, if You are love,
then I am hunger.
And in this longing,
I find not emptiness,
but promise.
You do not come only to the satisfied—
You are drawn to the ache,
to the honest heart that admits its need.”
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]]>Matthew 5:6 (NRSVUE)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
My hunger is sacred ground.
Teresa of Avila
“God, if You are love,
then I am hunger.
And in this longing,
I find not emptiness,
but promise.
You do not come only to the satisfied—
You are drawn to the ache,
to the honest heart that admits its need.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
I meet God in the quiet.
Thomas Merton
“True silence is the rest of the mind,
and it is to the soul what sleep is to the body—
nourishment, restoration, awakening.
In silence, we find not the absence of something,
but the presence of Someone.
The quieter you become,
the more you will hear.”
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]]>Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
I meet God in the quiet.
Thomas Merton
“True silence is the rest of the mind,
and it is to the soul what sleep is to the body—
nourishment, restoration, awakening.
In silence, we find not the absence of something,
but the presence of Someone.
The quieter you become,
the more you will hear.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV)
If I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
The fire within me is from God.
St. Catherine of Siena
“Be who God meant you to be,
and you will set the world on fire.
There is nothing more necessary
than to wake up to your life,
to the flame already lit within you—
and to let it burn,
not for your glory,
but for love’s sake.”
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]]>Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV)
If I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
The fire within me is from God.
St. Catherine of Siena
“Be who God meant you to be,
and you will set the world on fire.
There is nothing more necessary
than to wake up to your life,
to the flame already lit within you—
and to let it burn,
not for your glory,
but for love’s sake.”
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]]>Exodus 33:14 (NIV)
The Lord replied,
“My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.”
In the pause, God is present.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O God,
help me to believe
the truth about myself—
no matter how beautiful it is.
And help me move
at the pace of grace,
that I might not miss
the quiet visitation
of your presence
in the ordinary pause.”
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]]>Exodus 33:14 (NIV)
The Lord replied,
“My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.”
In the pause, God is present.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O God,
help me to believe
the truth about myself—
no matter how beautiful it is.
And help me move
at the pace of grace,
that I might not miss
the quiet visitation
of your presence
in the ordinary pause.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Hosea 6:1 (NIV)
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.”
I return to the God who never left.
Rumi
“Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving—
it doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times.
Come, yet again, come.”
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]]>Hosea 6:1 (NIV)
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.”
I return to the God who never left.
Rumi
“Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving—
it doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times.
Come, yet again, come.”
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]]>Psalm 16:5–6 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
My limits are places where grace meets me.
Hildegard of Bingen
“Everything that is in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth
is penetrated with connectedness,
penetrated with relatedness.
And it is within the harmony of limits
that each thing finds its purpose—
not by striving to be all things,
but by being deeply what it was made to be.”
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]]>Psalm 16:5–6 (NRSVUE)
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
My limits are places where grace meets me.
Hildegard of Bingen
“Everything that is in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth
is penetrated with connectedness,
penetrated with relatedness.
And it is within the harmony of limits
that each thing finds its purpose—
not by striving to be all things,
but by being deeply what it was made to be.”
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]]>Isaiah 37:31 (ESV)
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah
shall again take root downward
and bear fruit upward.
God is moving in the unseen roots.
Rabindranath Tagore
“Trees are the poems that the earth writes upon the sky.
But their roots—hidden, patient, strong—
speak the language of trust.
May your life be like that:
deeply grounded,
growing slowly,
reaching quietly toward light.”
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]]>Isaiah 37:31 (ESV)
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah
shall again take root downward
and bear fruit upward.
God is moving in the unseen roots.
Rabindranath Tagore
“Trees are the poems that the earth writes upon the sky.
But their roots—hidden, patient, strong—
speak the language of trust.
May your life be like that:
deeply grounded,
growing slowly,
reaching quietly toward light.”
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]]>Isaiah 38:14 (NIV)
I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!
When I have no words, the Spirit still prays.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“There are prayers that are not prayers
until they are torn from us.
There are silences
more faithful than speech.
And when all we can offer is a groan,
we can be sure that God is closer
than we ever imagined.”
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]]>Isaiah 38:14 (NIV)
I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!
When I have no words, the Spirit still prays.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“There are prayers that are not prayers
until they are torn from us.
There are silences
more faithful than speech.
And when all we can offer is a groan,
we can be sure that God is closer
than we ever imagined.”
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]]>Psalm 90:2 (NIV)
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting
you are God.
I belong to the eternal now.
John O’Donohue, from Eternal Echoes
“Time is a relentless river.
But eternity is not later.
It is not elsewhere.
Eternity is the depth of the now.
The eternal is not beyond us—
it is within us,
carried like breath,
sounding quietly beneath
the ticking clock.”
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]]>Psalm 90:2 (NIV)
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting
you are God.
I belong to the eternal now.
John O’Donohue, from Eternal Echoes
“Time is a relentless river.
But eternity is not later.
It is not elsewhere.
Eternity is the depth of the now.
The eternal is not beyond us—
it is within us,
carried like breath,
sounding quietly beneath
the ticking clock.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
I am carried by what cannot be seen.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
There is a lightness beneath the weight.
A stillness beneath the noise.
A deeper life we are always returning to—
not by looking harder,
but by trusting more.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
I am carried by what cannot be seen.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
There is a lightness beneath the weight.
A stillness beneath the noise.
A deeper life we are always returning to—
not by looking harder,
but by trusting more.”
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]]>Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her:
“You are the God who sees me,”
for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
I am fully seen and deeply loved.
Emily Dickinson
“They say that God is everywhere,
and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse.
But when the soul is still enough,
quiet enough,
present enough—
even a sparrow’s wing
can remind us
that we are not unseen.”
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]]>Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her:
“You are the God who sees me,”
for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
I am fully seen and deeply loved.
Emily Dickinson
“They say that God is everywhere,
and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse.
But when the soul is still enough,
quiet enough,
present enough—
even a sparrow’s wing
can remind us
that we are not unseen.”
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]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NRSVUE)
Though the fig tree does not blossom
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
Even now, joy rises in me.
Desmond Tutu
“Discovering more joy does not, I’m sorry to say,
save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak.
In fact, we may cry more easily,
but we will laugh more easily, too.
Joy is a discipline.
Not a denial of pain,
but a way of holding it with grace.
It is how we lean into the promise
that suffering does not have the final word.”
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]]>Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NRSVUE)
Though the fig tree does not blossom
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
Even now, joy rises in me.
Desmond Tutu
“Discovering more joy does not, I’m sorry to say,
save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak.
In fact, we may cry more easily,
but we will laugh more easily, too.
Joy is a discipline.
Not a denial of pain,
but a way of holding it with grace.
It is how we lean into the promise
that suffering does not have the final word.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (NIV)
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
God moves through the people beside me.
Henri Nouwen
“Community is the place
where the person you least want to be
is always present.
But so is grace.
It is in this place of friction and forgiveness,
of celebration and grief,
that we learn how to love,
how to be loved,
and how to discover the face of Christ
in the face of one another.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (NIV)
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
God moves through the people beside me.
Henri Nouwen
“Community is the place
where the person you least want to be
is always present.
But so is grace.
It is in this place of friction and forgiveness,
of celebration and grief,
that we learn how to love,
how to be loved,
and how to discover the face of Christ
in the face of one another.”
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]]>Mark 4:27 (NIV)
Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up,
the seed sprouts and grows,
though he does not know how.
Grace is at work, even when I can’t see it.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
“Everything is gestation and then bringing forth.
To let each impression and each seed of a feeling
come to completion in itself,
in the dark,
in the unsayable,
the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own understanding—
and with deep humility and patience
to wait for the hour
when a new clarity is born.”
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]]>Mark 4:27 (NIV)
Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up,
the seed sprouts and grows,
though he does not know how.
Grace is at work, even when I can’t see it.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
“Everything is gestation and then bringing forth.
To let each impression and each seed of a feeling
come to completion in itself,
in the dark,
in the unsayable,
the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own understanding—
and with deep humility and patience
to wait for the hour
when a new clarity is born.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Your mercy meets me here.
Julian of Norwich
“Often I wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God,
the beginning of sin was not prevented.
But Jesus answered:
Sin is necessary,
but all shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.
For mercy is not given only when we ask.
It flows endlessly,
from the deep ground of love.”
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]]>Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Your mercy meets me here.
Julian of Norwich
“Often I wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God,
the beginning of sin was not prevented.
But Jesus answered:
Sin is necessary,
but all shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.
For mercy is not given only when we ask.
It flows endlessly,
from the deep ground of love.”
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]]>Zechariah 14:20 (NIV)
On that day,
“HOLY TO THE LORD”
will be inscribed on the bells of the horses,
and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house
will be like the sacred bowls
in front of the altar.
Nothing is too ordinary for wonder.
Annie Dillard, from Teaching a Stone to Talk
“There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
Every step you take is on holy ground.
The world is filled with the glory of God—
not in rare moments,
but in every moment
we choose to see.”
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]]>Zechariah 14:20 (NIV)
On that day,
“HOLY TO THE LORD”
will be inscribed on the bells of the horses,
and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house
will be like the sacred bowls
in front of the altar.
Nothing is too ordinary for wonder.
Annie Dillard, from Teaching a Stone to Talk
“There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
Every step you take is on holy ground.
The world is filled with the glory of God—
not in rare moments,
but in every moment
we choose to see.”
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]]>John 1:5 (CSB)
That light shines in the darkness,
and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
Your light finds me, even here.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“Even when light fades and darkness falls—
as it does every single day,
in every single life—
God does not turn the world over to the dark.
God is not absent.
Our sight is just limited.
Faith is the practice of trusting
that the light is still there,
even when we cannot see it.”
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]]>John 1:5 (CSB)
That light shines in the darkness,
and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
Your light finds me, even here.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“Even when light fades and darkness falls—
as it does every single day,
in every single life—
God does not turn the world over to the dark.
God is not absent.
Our sight is just limited.
Faith is the practice of trusting
that the light is still there,
even when we cannot see it.”
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]]>Romans 8:23 (ESV)
And not only the creation,
but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly
for adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies.
Even my longing is a form of prayer.
St. John of the Cross
“In the dark night of the soul,
bright flows the river of God.
The deeper the longing,
the more spacious the soul.
Love is not found in understanding—
but in surrender.
And when all else is stripped away,
Desire alone becomes the door to union.”
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]]>Romans 8:23 (ESV)
And not only the creation,
but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly
for adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies.
Even my longing is a form of prayer.
St. John of the Cross
“In the dark night of the soul,
bright flows the river of God.
The deeper the longing,
the more spacious the soul.
Love is not found in understanding—
but in surrender.
And when all else is stripped away,
Desire alone becomes the door to union.”
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]]>Genesis 2:7 (NRSVUE)
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.
The breath in me is holy.
Hildegard von Bingen
“Holy Spirit,
making life alive,
moving in all things,
root of all created being,
cleansing the cosmos of every impurity,
washing guilt away,
anointing wounds.
You are our true life—
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart
from its ancient sleep.”
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]]>Genesis 2:7 (NRSVUE)
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.
The breath in me is holy.
Hildegard von Bingen
“Holy Spirit,
making life alive,
moving in all things,
root of all created being,
cleansing the cosmos of every impurity,
washing guilt away,
anointing wounds.
You are our true life—
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart
from its ancient sleep.”
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
I am rooted in love that never dries out.
Rabindranath Tagore
“Trees are the earth’s endless effort
to speak to the listening heaven.
And every root, every leaf,
every breath of green
is a wordless prayer,
reaching deep into the dark,
yet always leaning toward the light.”
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
I am rooted in love that never dries out.
Rabindranath Tagore
“Trees are the earth’s endless effort
to speak to the listening heaven.
And every root, every leaf,
every breath of green
is a wordless prayer,
reaching deep into the dark,
yet always leaning toward the light.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Luke 17:21 (ESV)
“…the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’
for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
This moment is a meeting place.
Thich Nhat Hanh
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves—
slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.
Live the actual moment.
Only this actual moment is life.”
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]]>Luke 17:21 (ESV)
“…the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’
for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
This moment is a meeting place.
Thich Nhat Hanh
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves—
slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.
Live the actual moment.
Only this actual moment is life.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT)
Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind
or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the activity of God,
who does all things.
I am held by the One I cannot explain.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves.
Do not seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually,
without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT)
Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind
or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the activity of God,
who does all things.
I am held by the One I cannot explain.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves.
Do not seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually,
without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.”
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]]>Psalm 23:2–3 (CSB)
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Lead me to the stillness that restores.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“Silence is not absence.
It is presence—
alert and aching and aware.
In silence, God does not shout over the chaos
but waits beneath it,
holding all things
in quiet love.
You do not have to feel still to be still.
You only have to return.”
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]]>Psalm 23:2–3 (CSB)
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Lead me to the stillness that restores.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“Silence is not absence.
It is presence—
alert and aching and aware.
In silence, God does not shout over the chaos
but waits beneath it,
holding all things
in quiet love.
You do not have to feel still to be still.
You only have to return.”
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]]>John 16:13 (NIV)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on his own;
he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come.
I listen for the voice that leads with love.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart,
you live in your lips,
and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space,
that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings
but cannot fly.”
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]]>John 16:13 (NIV)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on his own;
he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come.
I listen for the voice that leads with love.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart,
you live in your lips,
and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space,
that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings
but cannot fly.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (The Message)
Didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place,
the place of the Holy Spirit?
Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please,
squandering what God paid such a high price for?
The physical part of you is not some piece of property
belonging to the spiritual part.
God owns the whole works.
So let people see God in and through your body.
This body is not a burden—it is beloved.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“I believe in a God who made the body good.
Who took on skin and bone
and didn’t see it as a compromise.
A God who touched and tasted,
who bent down and breathed into dirt
until it pulsed with sacred breath.
To be spiritual is not to escape the body—
it is to live more deeply in it.
To inhabit it as God does:
with love.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (The Message)
Didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place,
the place of the Holy Spirit?
Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please,
squandering what God paid such a high price for?
The physical part of you is not some piece of property
belonging to the spiritual part.
God owns the whole works.
So let people see God in and through your body.
This body is not a burden—it is beloved.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“I believe in a God who made the body good.
Who took on skin and bone
and didn’t see it as a compromise.
A God who touched and tasted,
who bent down and breathed into dirt
until it pulsed with sacred breath.
To be spiritual is not to escape the body—
it is to live more deeply in it.
To inhabit it as God does:
with love.”
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]]>Ephesians 1:18 (NRSV)
…so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
Open my eyes to what is already holy.
Lucille Clifton, from Eyes
“may you open your eyes
to water,
to trees,
to air,
to light—
and not just see them,
but see them.
everything holds a sermon.
every leaf contains a psalm.
do not close your eyes to what has been singing your name
since the beginning.”
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]]>Ephesians 1:18 (NRSV)
…so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
Open my eyes to what is already holy.
Lucille Clifton, from Eyes
“may you open your eyes
to water,
to trees,
to air,
to light—
and not just see them,
but see them.
everything holds a sermon.
every leaf contains a psalm.
do not close your eyes to what has been singing your name
since the beginning.”
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]]>Exodus 3:2–4 (NRSV)
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire
out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said,
“I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up.”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush,
“Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
The flame that calls is the flame that heals.
Thomas Merton
“There is no way of telling people
that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
But it is true.
If only they could see themselves as they truly are.
If only we could see each other that way all the time.
There would be no more war,
no more hatred, no more cruelty,
no more greed...
But this cannot be seen with ordinary eyes.”
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]]>Exodus 3:2–4 (NRSV)
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire
out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said,
“I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up.”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush,
“Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
The flame that calls is the flame that heals.
Thomas Merton
“There is no way of telling people
that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
But it is true.
If only they could see themselves as they truly are.
If only we could see each other that way all the time.
There would be no more war,
no more hatred, no more cruelty,
no more greed...
But this cannot be seen with ordinary eyes.”
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]]>Isaiah 61:3 (NRSV)
...to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
Grace grows where the soul has been scorched.
Henri Nouwen
“Hope means to keep living amid desperation
and to keep humming in the darkness.
Hope is knowing that there is love,
it is trust in tomorrow,
it is falling asleep and waking again
when the sun rises.
In the midst of a broken world,
hope is the gift of grace—
the quiet knowing that ashes are not the end.”
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]]>Isaiah 61:3 (NRSV)
...to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
Grace grows where the soul has been scorched.
Henri Nouwen
“Hope means to keep living amid desperation
and to keep humming in the darkness.
Hope is knowing that there is love,
it is trust in tomorrow,
it is falling asleep and waking again
when the sun rises.
In the midst of a broken world,
hope is the gift of grace—
the quiet knowing that ashes are not the end.”
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]]>Psalm 5:1–3 (NRSV)
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
God hears what I cannot say.
Barbara Brown Taylor
“Prayer is not a production;
it is not something you perform or complete.
It is the practice of attending.
Sometimes to the stillness.
Sometimes to your own breath.
Sometimes to the ache that will not speak.
And always—to the presence of God,
who listens even when you forget to speak.”
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]]>Psalm 5:1–3 (NRSV)
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
God hears what I cannot say.
Barbara Brown Taylor
“Prayer is not a production;
it is not something you perform or complete.
It is the practice of attending.
Sometimes to the stillness.
Sometimes to your own breath.
Sometimes to the ache that will not speak.
And always—to the presence of God,
who listens even when you forget to speak.”
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]]>Romans 8:38–39 (NRSV)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even this is not beyond redemption.
Julian of Norwich
“All shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.
He said not:
‘Thou shalt not be tempted,
thou shalt not be travailed,
thou shalt not be afflicted.’
But he said: ‘Thou shalt not be overcome.’”
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]]>Romans 8:38–39 (NRSV)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even this is not beyond redemption.
Julian of Norwich
“All shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.
He said not:
‘Thou shalt not be tempted,
thou shalt not be travailed,
thou shalt not be afflicted.’
But he said: ‘Thou shalt not be overcome.’”
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]]>Isaiah 30:21 (NRSV)
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,
your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
The voice of God is gentle and trustworthy.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O God,
help me to believe the truth about myself—
no matter how beautiful it is.
Help me to hear Your voice
in the small, in the slow,
in the silence between my doubts.
You do not scream Your love.
You whisper it—
so I will learn to lean in.”
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]]>Isaiah 30:21 (NRSV)
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,
your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
The voice of God is gentle and trustworthy.
Macrina Wiederkehr
“O God,
help me to believe the truth about myself—
no matter how beautiful it is.
Help me to hear Your voice
in the small, in the slow,
in the silence between my doubts.
You do not scream Your love.
You whisper it—
so I will learn to lean in.”
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]]>Matthew 6:25–27 (NRSV)
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
I am enough, and this moment is enough.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Life is meant to be lived from a Center,
a divine Center.
Each one of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace,
of integration and confidence and simplicity.
We need not get frantic.
He is at the helm.
And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace,
for all is well.”
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]]>Matthew 6:25–27 (NRSV)
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
I am enough, and this moment is enough.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Life is meant to be lived from a Center,
a divine Center.
Each one of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace,
of integration and confidence and simplicity.
We need not get frantic.
He is at the helm.
And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace,
for all is well.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)
Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.
In stillness, I remember who I am.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person an inward sea,
and in that sea there is an island,
and on that island is an altar,
and standing guard before that altar is the ‘angel with the flaming sword.’
Nothing can get by that angel to be placed upon that altar
unless it has the mark of your inner authority.
Nothing passes ‘the angel with the flaming sword’
to be placed upon your altar
unless it be a part of ‘the fluid area of your consent.’”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)
Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.
In stillness, I remember who I am.
Howard Thurman
“There is in every person an inward sea,
and in that sea there is an island,
and on that island is an altar,
and standing guard before that altar is the ‘angel with the flaming sword.’
Nothing can get by that angel to be placed upon that altar
unless it has the mark of your inner authority.
Nothing passes ‘the angel with the flaming sword’
to be placed upon your altar
unless it be a part of ‘the fluid area of your consent.’”
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]]>Psalm 94:18–19 (NRSV)
When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
Mercy is holding me now.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
“You have to trust that the place where you are being held,
even when it feels broken or unclear,
is exactly where God’s love is reaching you.
Not because you have it all together,
but because His love is bigger than your fear,
your wounds, and even your resistance.
To be held by God
is to allow grace to do what striving never could.”
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]]>Psalm 94:18–19 (NRSV)
When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
Mercy is holding me now.
Henri Nouwen, from The Return of the Prodigal Son
“You have to trust that the place where you are being held,
even when it feels broken or unclear,
is exactly where God’s love is reaching you.
Not because you have it all together,
but because His love is bigger than your fear,
your wounds, and even your resistance.
To be held by God
is to allow grace to do what striving never could.”
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NRSV)
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work among you
will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
I am being shaped by grace.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
But growth is a process of becoming,
and it takes time.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that His hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.”
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]]>Philippians 1:6 (NRSV)
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work among you
will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
I am being shaped by grace.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
But growth is a process of becoming,
and it takes time.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that His hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.”
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]]>Luke 18:13–14 (NRSV)
But the tax collector, standing far off,
would not even look up to heaven,
but was beating his breast and saying,
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;
for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.
I bring my true self into the light.
St. Teresa of Avila
“However quietly we speak,
He is so near that He will hear us.
We need no wings to go in search of Him,
but have only to look upon Him present within us.”
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]]>Luke 18:13–14 (NRSV)
But the tax collector, standing far off,
would not even look up to heaven,
but was beating his breast and saying,
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;
for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.
I bring my true self into the light.
St. Teresa of Avila
“However quietly we speak,
He is so near that He will hear us.
We need no wings to go in search of Him,
but have only to look upon Him present within us.”
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]]>Romans 8:26 (NRSV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
What I can’t say, God still receives.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“Lift up your heart to God
with a gentle stirring of love,
desiring Him for His own sake
and not for His gifts.
Center all your attention
and desire on Him
and let this be the sole concern of your mind and heart.
Do not try to go down to Him,
but simply let yourself be drawn by grace.”
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]]>Romans 8:26 (NRSV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
What I can’t say, God still receives.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“Lift up your heart to God
with a gentle stirring of love,
desiring Him for His own sake
and not for His gifts.
Center all your attention
and desire on Him
and let this be the sole concern of your mind and heart.
Do not try to go down to Him,
but simply let yourself be drawn by grace.”
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]]>Zephaniah 3:17 (NRSV)
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will renew you in His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
I am the object of divine delight.
Julian of Norwich
“The greatest honor we can give Almighty God
is to live gladly
because of the knowledge of His love.
God is not distant,
but the ground of our being.
He is our clothing,
wrapping us in warmth and light.
And He looks upon us
with such joy and such tenderness,
it would break your heart with peace.”
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]]>Zephaniah 3:17 (NRSV)
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will renew you in His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
I am the object of divine delight.
Julian of Norwich
“The greatest honor we can give Almighty God
is to live gladly
because of the knowledge of His love.
God is not distant,
but the ground of our being.
He is our clothing,
wrapping us in warmth and light.
And He looks upon us
with such joy and such tenderness,
it would break your heart with peace.”
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]]>Psalm 23:5 (NRSV)
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Even here, I am welcome at the table.
Henri Nouwen, from Life of the Beloved
“The world says, ‘Prove that you are worth something—fight, climb, earn.’
But the Voice of God says something else:
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.
You are My Beloved.
Not because you have proven yourself,
but because you are Mine.’
At the table of grace, there is no competition.
Only communion.”
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]]>Psalm 23:5 (NRSV)
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Even here, I am welcome at the table.
Henri Nouwen, from Life of the Beloved
“The world says, ‘Prove that you are worth something—fight, climb, earn.’
But the Voice of God says something else:
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.
You are My Beloved.
Not because you have proven yourself,
but because you are Mine.’
At the table of grace, there is no competition.
Only communion.”
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]]>Nehemiah 8:10 (NRSV)
Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine
and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared,
for this day is holy to our Lord;
and do not be grieved,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is not naive—it’s courageous.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“Joy has nothing to do with ease
and everything to do with presence.
It is born in the tension,
the ache,
the yes that says:
I will live fully, even here.
To claim joy in a world that prefers despair
is not indulgence.
It is resistance.
It is how we survive.”
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]]>Nehemiah 8:10 (NRSV)
Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine
and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared,
for this day is holy to our Lord;
and do not be grieved,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is not naive—it’s courageous.
Cole Arthur Riley, from This Here Flesh
“Joy has nothing to do with ease
and everything to do with presence.
It is born in the tension,
the ache,
the yes that says:
I will live fully, even here.
To claim joy in a world that prefers despair
is not indulgence.
It is resistance.
It is how we survive.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NRSV)
He has made everything suitable for its time;
moreover, He has put a sense of eternity into their minds,
yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Beauty blesses me when I slow down to see.
Makoto Fujimura, from Art + Faith
“Beauty is not a luxury.
It is not an afterthought.
Beauty is a door into transcendence.
It is how God heals what is broken.
To create is to lean into hope.
To behold beauty is to say—
even if only for a moment—
that life is worth living.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NRSV)
He has made everything suitable for its time;
moreover, He has put a sense of eternity into their minds,
yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Beauty blesses me when I slow down to see.
Makoto Fujimura, from Art + Faith
“Beauty is not a luxury.
It is not an afterthought.
Beauty is a door into transcendence.
It is how God heals what is broken.
To create is to lean into hope.
To behold beauty is to say—
even if only for a moment—
that life is worth living.”
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]]>Psalm 30:5 (NRSV)
For His anger is but for a moment;
His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Even here, joy is still possible.
Frederick Buechner, from Secrets in the Dark
“Joy is home.
And I think the reason we sometimes have the feeling that it is not of this world
is that it’s not.
But it is a home we remember,
and it’s a home that remembers us.
Joy is where the whole thing began,
and where we will all return in the end.”
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]]>Psalm 30:5 (NRSV)
For His anger is but for a moment;
His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Even here, joy is still possible.
Frederick Buechner, from Secrets in the Dark
“Joy is home.
And I think the reason we sometimes have the feeling that it is not of this world
is that it’s not.
But it is a home we remember,
and it’s a home that remembers us.
Joy is where the whole thing began,
and where we will all return in the end.”
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]]>Psalm 18:28 (NRSV)
It is You who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
Even here, Your light finds me.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“God goes, belonging to every riven thing He’s made
singing without sound,
a light so terrible it will erase the darkness you have known,
a light so gentle it will embrace the darkness you have become.
Tell me, how could the soul not sing
when it touches that which gives it life?
Even in the sorrow, even in the silence—
the music is already there.”
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]]>Psalm 18:28 (NRSV)
It is You who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
Even here, Your light finds me.
Christian Wiman, from My Bright Abyss
“God goes, belonging to every riven thing He’s made
singing without sound,
a light so terrible it will erase the darkness you have known,
a light so gentle it will embrace the darkness you have become.
Tell me, how could the soul not sing
when it touches that which gives it life?
Even in the sorrow, even in the silence—
the music is already there.”
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]]>Hosea 2:14 (NRSV)
Therefore, I will now allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
The wilderness may feel empty but God is here.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“New life starts in the dark.
Whether it is a seed in the ground,
a baby in the womb,
or Jesus in the tomb—
it starts in the dark.
The wilderness is not the absence of God.
It is the place where we meet the God we did not know we needed,
on terms we did not expect,
but cannot live without.”
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]]>Hosea 2:14 (NRSV)
Therefore, I will now allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
The wilderness may feel empty but God is here.
Barbara Brown Taylor, from Learning to Walk in the Dark
“New life starts in the dark.
Whether it is a seed in the ground,
a baby in the womb,
or Jesus in the tomb—
it starts in the dark.
The wilderness is not the absence of God.
It is the place where we meet the God we did not know we needed,
on terms we did not expect,
but cannot live without.”
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]]>John 15:4–5 (NRSV)
Abide in Me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from Me you can do nothing.
I am in You, and You are in me.
Julian of Norwich
“Between God and the soul there is no between.
God is nearer to us than our own soul.
For we are in God and God is in us,
and that which is in God is whole.
He is the foundation,
and He is the substance and the very essence of our being.”
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]]>John 15:4–5 (NRSV)
Abide in Me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from Me you can do nothing.
I am in You, and You are in me.
Julian of Norwich
“Between God and the soul there is no between.
God is nearer to us than our own soul.
For we are in God and God is in us,
and that which is in God is whole.
He is the foundation,
and He is the substance and the very essence of our being.”
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]]>Luke 15:20 (NRSV)
But while he was still far off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion;
he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
You waited for me without shame.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
“Jesus came not for the spiritually elite but for the wobbly and weak-kneed
who know they don’t have it all together and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace.
He came for those who knew they had nothing but were willing to receive everything.
Grace means that no one is too far gone.
And God’s love means that He waits longer than we expect,
and runs faster than we deserve.”
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]]>Luke 15:20 (NRSV)
But while he was still far off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion;
he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
You waited for me without shame.
Brennan Manning, from The Ragamuffin Gospel
“Jesus came not for the spiritually elite but for the wobbly and weak-kneed
who know they don’t have it all together and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace.
He came for those who knew they had nothing but were willing to receive everything.
Grace means that no one is too far gone.
And God’s love means that He waits longer than we expect,
and runs faster than we deserve.”
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]]>Matthew 11:28–30 (NRSV)
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I lay down what no longer serves the journey.
St. Teresa of Ávila
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing; God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Jean Vanier
“To live with Jesus is to live with the poor,
to live with the broken, and to live with myself—
as I really am.
That is where healing begins,
and it always begins with letting go of what is false.”
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]]>Matthew 11:28–30 (NRSV)
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I lay down what no longer serves the journey.
St. Teresa of Ávila
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing; God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Jean Vanier
“To live with Jesus is to live with the poor,
to live with the broken, and to live with myself—
as I really am.
That is where healing begins,
and it always begins with letting go of what is false.”
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]]>Psalm 139:23–24 (NRSV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
In stillness, You show me who I truly am.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Deep within us all there is a wonderful inner sanctuary of the soul,
a holy place, a Divine Center,
a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return.
It is lighted by the presence of God
and is the sheer grace of the eternal breaking into the temporal.
When we sink down into this quiet Center,
we come to know ourselves as seen,
not with shame, but with clarity.
We are not who we perform to be,
but who we are when no one is watching.
And that person—still and surrendered—
is the one God already knows and loves.”
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]]>Psalm 139:23–24 (NRSV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
In stillness, You show me who I truly am.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Deep within us all there is a wonderful inner sanctuary of the soul,
a holy place, a Divine Center,
a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return.
It is lighted by the presence of God
and is the sheer grace of the eternal breaking into the temporal.
When we sink down into this quiet Center,
we come to know ourselves as seen,
not with shame, but with clarity.
We are not who we perform to be,
but who we are when no one is watching.
And that person—still and surrendered—
is the one God already knows and loves.”
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]]>Psalm 73:23–26 (NRSV)
Yet I am always with You;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Even when I question, You do not let go.
Simone Weil
“Faith is the experience that God’s presence is real
even when His absence feels stronger.
It is not certainty—it is fidelity.”
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]]>Psalm 73:23–26 (NRSV)
Yet I am always with You;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Even when I question, You do not let go.
Simone Weil
“Faith is the experience that God’s presence is real
even when His absence feels stronger.
It is not certainty—it is fidelity.”
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]]>Romans 12:4–5 (NRSV)
For as in one body we have many members,
and not all the members have the same function,
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
I do not walk alone, we belong to each other.
Desmond Tutu
“My humanity is bound up in yours,
for we can only be human together.”
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]]>Romans 12:4–5 (NRSV)
For as in one body we have many members,
and not all the members have the same function,
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
I do not walk alone, we belong to each other.
Desmond Tutu
“My humanity is bound up in yours,
for we can only be human together.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Mark 5:25–34 (NRSV, abridged)
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd
and touched His cloak, for she said,
“If I but touch His clothes, I will be made well.”
Immediately her bleeding stopped;
and Jesus, aware that power had gone forth from Him, turned and said,
“Who touched Me?”
The woman came in fear and trembling,
fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.
He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has made you well;
go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
In Your presence, healing begins.
Henri Nouwen
“Jesus heals, not by taking our pain away,
but by entering into it with us.
In His presence, our wounds become places where grace lives.”
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]]>Mark 5:25–34 (NRSV, abridged)
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd
and touched His cloak, for she said,
“If I but touch His clothes, I will be made well.”
Immediately her bleeding stopped;
and Jesus, aware that power had gone forth from Him, turned and said,
“Who touched Me?”
The woman came in fear and trembling,
fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.
He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has made you well;
go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
In Your presence, healing begins.
Henri Nouwen
“Jesus heals, not by taking our pain away,
but by entering into it with us.
In His presence, our wounds become places where grace lives.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NRSV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you were bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body.
God dwells in this body, I will honor it as holy.
Hildegard of Bingen
“The soul is in the body the way sap is in the tree.
It breathes through every branch,
moves through every vessel.
Your body is not a shell.
It is a sanctuary.”
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]]>1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NRSV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you were bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body.
God dwells in this body, I will honor it as holy.
Hildegard of Bingen
“The soul is in the body the way sap is in the tree.
It breathes through every branch,
moves through every vessel.
Your body is not a shell.
It is a sanctuary.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
Beneath the noise, Your breath is still here.
John Main
“In the silence, we do not pretend to find God—
we allow God to find us.
We do not reach for Him with thought or image,
we simply return, breath by breath,
to the stillness where He has already been waiting.”
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]]>Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
Beneath the noise, Your breath is still here.
John Main
“In the silence, we do not pretend to find God—
we allow God to find us.
We do not reach for Him with thought or image,
we simply return, breath by breath,
to the stillness where He has already been waiting.”
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]]>Isaiah 49:15–16 (NRSV)
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.
I rest in hands stronger than my own.
Julian of Norwich
“All shall be well, and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.”
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]]>Isaiah 49:15–16 (NRSV)
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.
I rest in hands stronger than my own.
Julian of Norwich
“All shall be well, and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.”
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]]>Romans 8:26–27 (NRSV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
When I fall silent, You are still speaking.
Meister Eckhart
“There is nothing so much like God in all the universe as silence.”
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]]>Romans 8:26–27 (NRSV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
When I fall silent, You are still speaking.
Meister Eckhart
“There is nothing so much like God in all the universe as silence.”
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]]>Exodus 3:1–5 (NRSV)
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian;
he led his flock beyond the wilderness,
and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said,
"I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up."
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush,
"Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
Then He said,
"Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
Every step is holy ground.
Mary Oliver
"Instructions for Living a Life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
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]]>Exodus 3:1–5 (NRSV)
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian;
he led his flock beyond the wilderness,
and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of a bush;
he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
Then Moses said,
"I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up."
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the bush,
"Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
Then He said,
"Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
Every step is holy ground.
Mary Oliver
"Instructions for Living a Life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NRSV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another;
for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
I am being shaped by grace.
Madeleine L’Engle, from Walking on Water
“We are all still becoming.
It is not the demands of perfection that move us forward,
but the quiet, persistent grace of being loved as we are,
even while we are not yet what we will become.”
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]]>2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NRSV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another;
for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
I am being shaped by grace.
Madeleine L’Engle, from Walking on Water
“We are all still becoming.
It is not the demands of perfection that move us forward,
but the quiet, persistent grace of being loved as we are,
even while we are not yet what we will become.”
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSV)
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
I live from the deep well within me.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Sonnets to Orpheus
"Be patient toward the difficult, for they are where the angels hide.
The seeds of change are planted in the dark.
And when you feel buried, know you are being sown."
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]]>Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSV)
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
I live from the deep well within me.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Sonnets to Orpheus
"Be patient toward the difficult, for they are where the angels hide.
The seeds of change are planted in the dark.
And when you feel buried, know you are being sown."
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]]>Hebrews 11:1–3 (NRSV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
Even when I cannot see, I trust You are leading me.
Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.”
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]]>Hebrews 11:1–3 (NRSV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
Even when I cannot see, I trust You are leading me.
Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.”
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]]>Psalm 42:1–3 (NRSV)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
My deepest longing is for You.
St. Augustine
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
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]]>Psalm 42:1–3 (NRSV)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
My deepest longing is for You.
St. Augustine
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
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]]>John 20:24–29 (NRSV)
But Thomas, who was called the Twin, one of the twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side,
I will not believe.”
A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you.”
Then He said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see My hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in My side.
Do not doubt but believe.”
Thomas answered Him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him,
“Have you believed because you have seen Me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
These wounds are becoming holy.
Kahlil Gibran
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls;
the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
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]]>John 20:24–29 (NRSV)
But Thomas, who was called the Twin, one of the twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side,
I will not believe.”
A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you.”
Then He said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see My hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in My side.
Do not doubt but believe.”
Thomas answered Him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him,
“Have you believed because you have seen Me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
These wounds are becoming holy.
Kahlil Gibran
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls;
the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
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]]>John 20:19–22 (NRSV)
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”
When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peace is not far off,
it is already within me.
Thomas Merton
“We are not at peace with others
because we are not at peace with ourselves,
and we are not at peace with ourselves
because we are not at peace with God.
When we rediscover the God who dwells within,
we discover the ground of lasting peace.”
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]]>John 20:19–22 (NRSV)
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”
When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peace is not far off,
it is already within me.
Thomas Merton
“We are not at peace with others
because we are not at peace with ourselves,
and we are not at peace with ourselves
because we are not at peace with God.
When we rediscover the God who dwells within,
we discover the ground of lasting peace.”
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]]>Psalm 23 (NRSV)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
I am being led back to myself.
Rumi
“Don’t go outside your house to see the flowers.
My friend, don’t bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sit there.
Be quiet.
You are that flower.”
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]]>Psalm 23 (NRSV)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
I am being led back to myself.
Rumi
“Don’t go outside your house to see the flowers.
My friend, don’t bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sit there.
Be quiet.
You are that flower.”
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]]>Genesis 16:7–13 (NRSV)
The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness,
the spring on the way to Shur. And he said,
“Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.”
The angel of the Lord said to her,
“Return to your mistress, and submit to her.”
The angel of the Lord also said to her,
“I will so greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted.”
And the angel of the Lord said to her,
“Now you have conceived and shall bear a son;
you shall call him Ishmael, for the Lord has given heed to your affliction.”
So she named the Lord who spoke to her,
“You are El Roi,” for she said,
“Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing Him?”
I am seen. I am known. I am loved.
Henri Nouwen
“Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God’s loving eyes.
Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by our God,
who is all ears for us.
Long before any person spoke to us in this world,
we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love.”
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]]>Genesis 16:7–13 (NRSV)
The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness,
the spring on the way to Shur. And he said,
“Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.”
The angel of the Lord said to her,
“Return to your mistress, and submit to her.”
The angel of the Lord also said to her,
“I will so greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted.”
And the angel of the Lord said to her,
“Now you have conceived and shall bear a son;
you shall call him Ishmael, for the Lord has given heed to your affliction.”
So she named the Lord who spoke to her,
“You are El Roi,” for she said,
“Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing Him?”
I am seen. I am known. I am loved.
Henri Nouwen
“Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God’s loving eyes.
Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by our God,
who is all ears for us.
Long before any person spoke to us in this world,
we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love.”
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]]>Matthew 5:14–16 (NRSV)
“You are the light of the world.
A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
The light I carry is not my own.
William Blake
Look on the rising sun: there God does live
And gives his light, and gives his heat away.
And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.
And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love...
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]]>Matthew 5:14–16 (NRSV)
“You are the light of the world.
A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
The light I carry is not my own.
William Blake
Look on the rising sun: there God does live
And gives his light, and gives his heat away.
And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.
And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love...
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]]>Isaiah 40:28–31 (NRSV)
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
God moves slowly, but never late.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown,
something new.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that His hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.”
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]]>Isaiah 40:28–31 (NRSV)
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
God moves slowly, but never late.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown,
something new.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that His hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.”
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]]>Philippians 3:7–14 (NRSV)
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
More than that, I regard everything as loss
because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things,
and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;
but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I let go, and I fall into grace.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love,
and mean God Himself, and not what you get out of it.
Do this and nothing more:
cover the naked intent with a cloud of forgetting—
forget everything else.
Let it be enough to simply rest in God,
not grasping, not reaching,
but being.”
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]]>Philippians 3:7–14 (NRSV)
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
More than that, I regard everything as loss
because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things,
and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;
but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
I let go, and I fall into grace.
The Cloud of Unknowing
“Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love,
and mean God Himself, and not what you get out of it.
Do this and nothing more:
cover the naked intent with a cloud of forgetting—
forget everything else.
Let it be enough to simply rest in God,
not grasping, not reaching,
but being.”
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]]>Genesis 28:10–16 (NRSV)
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set.
Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down.
And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth,
the top of it reaching to heaven;
and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And the Lord stood beside him and said,
“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring...
Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”
God is here, even in what I overlook.
Annie Dillard
“There is no such thing as an ordinary place.
Every place is the intersection of heaven and earth.
The Creator loves pizzazz and sparkle and everyday dirt.
If we were to truly pay attention,
we might see burning bushes all around us.”
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]]>Genesis 28:10–16 (NRSV)
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set.
Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down.
And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth,
the top of it reaching to heaven;
and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And the Lord stood beside him and said,
“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring...
Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”
God is here, even in what I overlook.
Annie Dillard
“There is no such thing as an ordinary place.
Every place is the intersection of heaven and earth.
The Creator loves pizzazz and sparkle and everyday dirt.
If we were to truly pay attention,
we might see burning bushes all around us.”
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]]>Psalm 131 (NRSV)
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
In stillness, I remember who I am.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul,
a holy place, a Divine Center,
a speaking Voice,
to which we may continuously return.
Eternity is at our hearts,
pressing upon our time-worn lives,
warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny,
calling us home unto Itself.”
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]]>Psalm 131 (NRSV)
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
In stillness, I remember who I am.
Thomas R. Kelly, from A Testament of Devotion
“Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul,
a holy place, a Divine Center,
a speaking Voice,
to which we may continuously return.
Eternity is at our hearts,
pressing upon our time-worn lives,
warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny,
calling us home unto Itself.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5–8 (NRSV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.
I do not have to understand,
I only need to remain.
St. John of the Cross
“To come to union with the Beloved,
seek not pleasure in anything created,
but only in the Beloved who is hidden within you.
The soul that is attached to anything,
however much good there may be in it,
will not arrive at the liberty of divine union.”
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]]>Proverbs 3:5–8 (NRSV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.
I do not have to understand,
I only need to remain.
St. John of the Cross
“To come to union with the Beloved,
seek not pleasure in anything created,
but only in the Beloved who is hidden within you.
The soul that is attached to anything,
however much good there may be in it,
will not arrive at the liberty of divine union.”
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]]>John 14:16–20, 26–27 (NRSV)
And I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
You know Him, because He abides with you, and He will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see Me,
but you will see Me; because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will know that I am in My Father,
and you in Me, and I in you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in My name,
will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
I return to the breath
and find that God was already here.
Henri Nouwen
“Solitude is not simply a means to recharge so we can face the world again.
It is the place where Christ remodels us in His image.
There, we become who we truly are—
not by striving, but by receiving.”
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]]>John 14:16–20, 26–27 (NRSV)
And I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
You know Him, because He abides with you, and He will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see Me,
but you will see Me; because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will know that I am in My Father,
and you in Me, and I in you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in My name,
will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
I return to the breath
and find that God was already here.
Henri Nouwen
“Solitude is not simply a means to recharge so we can face the world again.
It is the place where Christ remodels us in His image.
There, we become who we truly are—
not by striving, but by receiving.”
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, 11 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
He has made everything suitable for its time.
Moreover, He has put a sense of eternity into their minds,
yet they cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end.
I am not lost in time,
I am held in the eternal now.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves,
like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.
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]]>Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, 11 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
He has made everything suitable for its time.
Moreover, He has put a sense of eternity into their minds,
yet they cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end.
I am not lost in time,
I am held in the eternal now.
Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves,
like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.
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]]>Acts 17:24–28 (NRSV)
The God who made the world and everything in it,
He who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands,
nor is He served by human hands,
as though He needed anything,
since He Himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.
From one ancestor He made all nations to inhabit the whole earth,
and He allotted the times of their existence
and the boundaries of the places where they would live,
so that they would search for God
and perhaps grope for Him and find Him—
though indeed He is not far from each one of us.
For “In Him we live and move and have our being.”
This breath is Your gift,
I am alive in Your love.
Julian of Norwich
He showed me a little thing,
no bigger than a hazelnut,
lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed.
It was as round as a ball.
I looked at it with the eye of my understanding and thought:
“What can this be?”
And it was answered generally thus:
“It is all that is made.”
I marveled how it might last,
for it was so small I thought it might suddenly fall into nothing.
And I was answered in my understanding:
“It lasts and ever shall because God loves it.”
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]]>Acts 17:24–28 (NRSV)
The God who made the world and everything in it,
He who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands,
nor is He served by human hands,
as though He needed anything,
since He Himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.
From one ancestor He made all nations to inhabit the whole earth,
and He allotted the times of their existence
and the boundaries of the places where they would live,
so that they would search for God
and perhaps grope for Him and find Him—
though indeed He is not far from each one of us.
For “In Him we live and move and have our being.”
This breath is Your gift,
I am alive in Your love.
Julian of Norwich
He showed me a little thing,
no bigger than a hazelnut,
lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed.
It was as round as a ball.
I looked at it with the eye of my understanding and thought:
“What can this be?”
And it was answered generally thus:
“It is all that is made.”
I marveled how it might last,
for it was so small I thought it might suddenly fall into nothing.
And I was answered in my understanding:
“It lasts and ever shall because God loves it.”
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]]>1 Kings 19:11–13 (NRSV)
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord,
but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake,
but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
and after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire;
and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
When Elijah heard it,
he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out
and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Then there came a voice to him that said,
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Not in the noise, but in the quiet,
that is where I hear You best.
Emily Dickinson
Silence is all we dread.
There’s ransom in a voice—
But silence is infinity.
Himself have not a face.
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]]>1 Kings 19:11–13 (NRSV)
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord,
but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake,
but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
and after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire;
and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
When Elijah heard it,
he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out
and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Then there came a voice to him that said,
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Not in the noise, but in the quiet,
that is where I hear You best.
Emily Dickinson
Silence is all we dread.
There’s ransom in a voice—
But silence is infinity.
Himself have not a face.
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]]>Romans 8:22–27 (NRSV)
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
and not only the creation, but we ourselves,
who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
In silence and stillness, I am known—
God meets me where words fall away.
Thomas Keating
Silence is God’s first language;
everything else is a poor translation.
In order to hear that language,
we must learn to be still
and to rest in God.
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]]>Romans 8:22–27 (NRSV)
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
and not only the creation, but we ourselves,
who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
In silence and stillness, I am known—
God meets me where words fall away.
Thomas Keating
Silence is God’s first language;
everything else is a poor translation.
In order to hear that language,
we must learn to be still
and to rest in God.
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]]>Luke 12:22–32 (NRSV, abridged)
Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat,
or about your body, what you will wear.
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap,
they have neither storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feeds them.
Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these.
Do not be afraid, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Even the lilies are held—
so I will rest in the care of God.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
Rest in reason. Move in passion.
Go to your fields and your gardens,
and you shall learn that it is the pleasure of the bee
to gather honey of the flower,
but it is also the pleasure of the flower
to yield its honey to the bee.
For to the bee, a flower is a fountain of life,
And to the flower, a bee is a messenger of love.
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]]>Luke 12:22–32 (NRSV, abridged)
Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat,
or about your body, what you will wear.
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap,
they have neither storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feeds them.
Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these.
Do not be afraid, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Even the lilies are held—
so I will rest in the care of God.
Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet
Rest in reason. Move in passion.
Go to your fields and your gardens,
and you shall learn that it is the pleasure of the bee
to gather honey of the flower,
but it is also the pleasure of the flower
to yield its honey to the bee.
For to the bee, a flower is a fountain of life,
And to the flower, a bee is a messenger of love.
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]]>Psalm 139
1
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night’,
12
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18
I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
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]]>Psalm 139
1
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night’,
12
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18
I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
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]]>Psalm 131
1
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvellous for me.
2
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.[a]
3
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
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]]>Psalm 131
1
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvellous for me.
2
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.[a]
3
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
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]]>1
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2
Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4
That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5
There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
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]]>1
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2
Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4
That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5
There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
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]]>Psalm 121:1-8 (NIV)
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]]>Psalm 121:1-8 (NIV)
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]]>35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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]]>35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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]]>John 1:1-5: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."
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]]>John 1:1-5: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."
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]]>Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
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]]>Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
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]]>Job 12:7-10: "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
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]]>Job 12:7-10: "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
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]]>Theme: The True Gift of Presence
Scripture: Matthew 2:9-11 NRSV
Reflection: Thomas R. Kelly from A Testament of Devotion
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]]>Theme: The True Gift of Presence
Scripture: Matthew 2:9-11 NRSV
Reflection: Thomas R. Kelly from A Testament of Devotion
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]]>Theme: Illuminating the Divine
Scripture: John 1:1-14 NRSV
Reflection: William Blake on Encountering the Divine Light Within
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]]>Theme: Illuminating the Divine
Scripture: John 1:1-14 NRSV
Reflection: William Blake on Encountering the Divine Light Within
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]]>Theme: Empathy and Understanding
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Reflection: Frederick Buechner on Understanding and Empathy
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]]>Theme: Empathy and Understanding
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Reflection: Frederick Buechner on Understanding and Empathy
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]]>Theme: The Depth of God's Love
Scripture: Romans 8:38-39
Reflection: St. John of the Cross on the Depths of God's Love
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]]>Theme: The Depth of God's Love
Scripture: Romans 8:38-39
Reflection: St. John of the Cross on the Depths of God's Love
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]]>Theme: Compassionate Action
Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40
Reflection: Mother Teresa on Serving Others with Love
Matthew 25:34-40 NRSV
"Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothed you? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’"
Mother Teresa, Various Writings and Speeches
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”
"Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service."
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]]>Theme: Compassionate Action
Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40
Reflection: Mother Teresa on Serving Others with Love
Matthew 25:34-40 NRSV
"Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothed you? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’"
Mother Teresa, Various Writings and Speeches
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”
"Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service."
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]]>Theme: Surrendering to the Divine Flow
Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6
Reflection: Julian of Norwich on the Grace of Surrender
Proverbs 3:5-6 NRSV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Julian of Norwich, from "Revelations of Divine Love"
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."
"God did not say, 'You shall not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed,' but He said, 'You shall not be overcome.’"
"The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything."
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]]>Theme: Surrendering to the Divine Flow
Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6
Reflection: Julian of Norwich on the Grace of Surrender
Proverbs 3:5-6 NRSV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Julian of Norwich, from "Revelations of Divine Love"
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."
"God did not say, 'You shall not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed,' but He said, 'You shall not be overcome.’"
"The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything."
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]]>Theme: The Inner Pilgrimage
Scripture: Luke 2:21-35 (Simeon and Anna)
Reflection: Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”
Luke 2:21-35 NRSV
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, 'This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.'"
Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”
"The journey of the soul in the dark night is the secret journey of the soul to the interior where God alone is the guide.”
"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.”
"The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds."
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]]>Theme: The Inner Pilgrimage
Scripture: Luke 2:21-35 (Simeon and Anna)
Reflection: Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”
Luke 2:21-35 NRSV
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, 'This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.'"
Thomas Merton, from "New Seeds of Contemplation" and "Thoughts In Solitude”
"The journey of the soul in the dark night is the secret journey of the soul to the interior where God alone is the guide.”
"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.”
"The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds."
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]]>Theme: Cultivating Inner Peace
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23
Reflection: Rabindranath Tagore on Serenity of the Soul
Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Rabindranath Tagore, from "Stray Birds" and "Gitanjali"
"The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.”
"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.”
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."
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]]>Theme: Cultivating Inner Peace
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23
Reflection: Rabindranath Tagore on Serenity of the Soul
Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Rabindranath Tagore, from "Stray Birds" and "Gitanjali"
"The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.”
"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.”
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."
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]]>Theme: The Power of Transformation
Scripture: Romans 12:2
Reflection: Leo Tolstoy on Personal Change and Spiritual Growth
Romans 12:2 NRSV
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Leo Tolstoy
Three Methods Of Reform
"True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
"There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes."
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]]>Theme: The Power of Transformation
Scripture: Romans 12:2
Reflection: Leo Tolstoy on Personal Change and Spiritual Growth
Romans 12:2 NRSV
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Leo Tolstoy
Three Methods Of Reform
"True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
"There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes."
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]]>Theme: Letting Go of the Superfluous
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7
Reflection: Julian of Norwich on Simplicity and Trust in God
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of letting go of the superfluous and finding simplicity and trust in God's presence. The episode draws from the teachings in Philippians 4:6-7, emphasizing the importance of prayer and casting anxieties aside, and Julian of Norwich's perspective on the beauty of simplicity and trust in God. This episode explores the idea of finding peace and simplicity in trust in God's providence, especially during the Advent season.
Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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."
Julian of Norwich
Julian experiences a near-death experience. She receives fifteen “showings,” or revelations. She reports that heaven opens to her, she beholds Christ in his glory, and she sees the meaning and power of his sufferings. In her thirteenth showing, Julian receives a comforting answer to a question that has long troubled her:
“In my folly, before this time I often wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God, the onset of sin was not prevented: for then, I thought, all should have been well. This impulse [of thought] was much to be avoided, but nevertheless I mourned and sorrowed because of it, without reason and discretion.
“But Jesus, who in this vision informed me of all that is needed by me, answered with these words and said: ‘It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'
“These words were said most tenderly, showing no manner of blame to me nor to any who shall be saved.”
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]]>Theme: Letting Go of the Superfluous
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7
Reflection: Julian of Norwich on Simplicity and Trust in God
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of letting go of the superfluous and finding simplicity and trust in God's presence. The episode draws from the teachings in Philippians 4:6-7, emphasizing the importance of prayer and casting anxieties aside, and Julian of Norwich's perspective on the beauty of simplicity and trust in God. This episode explores the idea of finding peace and simplicity in trust in God's providence, especially during the Advent season.
Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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."
Julian of Norwich
Julian experiences a near-death experience. She receives fifteen “showings,” or revelations. She reports that heaven opens to her, she beholds Christ in his glory, and she sees the meaning and power of his sufferings. In her thirteenth showing, Julian receives a comforting answer to a question that has long troubled her:
“In my folly, before this time I often wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God, the onset of sin was not prevented: for then, I thought, all should have been well. This impulse [of thought] was much to be avoided, but nevertheless I mourned and sorrowed because of it, without reason and discretion.
“But Jesus, who in this vision informed me of all that is needed by me, answered with these words and said: ‘It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'
“These words were said most tenderly, showing no manner of blame to me nor to any who shall be saved.”
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]]>Theme: Spiritual Clarity
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (The Wise Men)
Reflection: St. Teresa of Avila on Clarity
Matthew 2:1-12 NRSV
2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Clarity Is Freedom
St. Teresa of Avila
I had tea yesterday with a great theologian,
and he asked me, “What is your experience of God’s will?”
I liked that question – for the distillation of thought hones thought in others.
Clarity, I know, is freedom.
What is my experience of God’s will?
Everyone is a traveler. Most all need lodging, food,
and clothes. I let enter my mouth what will enrich me. I wear what
will make my eye content, I sleep where I will wake with the
strength to deeply love all my mind can hold. What is God’s will for a wing?
Every bird knows that.
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]]>Theme: Spiritual Clarity
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (The Wise Men)
Reflection: St. Teresa of Avila on Clarity
Matthew 2:1-12 NRSV
2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Clarity Is Freedom
St. Teresa of Avila
I had tea yesterday with a great theologian,
and he asked me, “What is your experience of God’s will?”
I liked that question – for the distillation of thought hones thought in others.
Clarity, I know, is freedom.
What is my experience of God’s will?
Everyone is a traveler. Most all need lodging, food,
and clothes. I let enter my mouth what will enrich me. I wear what
will make my eye content, I sleep where I will wake with the
strength to deeply love all my mind can hold. What is God’s will for a wing?
Every bird knows that.
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]]>Theme: The Wisdom of Waiting
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
Reflection: Henri Nouwen on the Value of Waiting
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of the wisdom of waiting, especially during the Advent season. The episode draws from the teachings in Isaiah 40:31, emphasizing the significance of waiting on the Lord, and Henri Nouwen's perspective on the value and transformative power of waiting. This episode explores the idea that waiting can be a time of spiritual growth and transformation, as we learn to trust in God's timing and presence during the Advent season.
Isaiah 40:31 NRSV
"But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Romans 8: 24 & 25 TheMessage
…waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”
Henri Nouwen - Finding My Way Home
Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about Him for whom we are waiting. Waiting is not a static state, it is a time when God is working behind the scenes, and the primary focus of His work is on us.
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]]>Theme: The Wisdom of Waiting
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
Reflection: Henri Nouwen on the Value of Waiting
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of the wisdom of waiting, especially during the Advent season. The episode draws from the teachings in Isaiah 40:31, emphasizing the significance of waiting on the Lord, and Henri Nouwen's perspective on the value and transformative power of waiting. This episode explores the idea that waiting can be a time of spiritual growth and transformation, as we learn to trust in God's timing and presence during the Advent season.
Isaiah 40:31 NRSV
"But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Romans 8: 24 & 25 TheMessage
…waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”
Henri Nouwen - Finding My Way Home
Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about Him for whom we are waiting. Waiting is not a static state, it is a time when God is working behind the scenes, and the primary focus of His work is on us.
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]]>Theme: Embracing the Divine Within
Scripture: Luke 2:8-20 (The shepherds)
Reflection: St. Francis of Assisi on Finding God in All Things
Luke 2:8-20
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Praised be you my Lord,
with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom you bring us light. ……..
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars. ………
And praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
through air and cloud,
through calm and every weather by which you sustain your creatures. ….
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water……….
Praised be you, my Lord through Brother Fire,
by whom you light up the night……….
Praised be you my Lord, through our Sister,
Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us.
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]]>Theme: Embracing the Divine Within
Scripture: Luke 2:8-20 (The shepherds)
Reflection: St. Francis of Assisi on Finding God in All Things
Luke 2:8-20
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Praised be you my Lord,
with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom you bring us light. ……..
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars. ………
And praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
through air and cloud,
through calm and every weather by which you sustain your creatures. ….
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water……….
Praised be you, my Lord through Brother Fire,
by whom you light up the night……….
Praised be you my Lord, through our Sister,
Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us.
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]]>Theme: Inner Peace and Quietude
Scripture: Psalm 46:10
Reflection: Thomas Merton on the Power of Silence
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of inner peace and quietude during the Advent season, drawing from the teachings in Psalm 46:10 and Thomas Merton's perspective on the strength of silence.
Psalms 46:10 NRSV
Be still, and know that I am God!
No Man Is An Island
Thomas Merton
1.The rain ceases, and a bird’s clear song suddenly announces the difference between Heaven and hell.
2. If you go into solitude with a silent tongue, the silence of mute beings will share with you their rest. But if you go into solitude with a silent heart, the silence of creation will speak louder than the tongues of men or angels.
3. Silence is the strength of our interior life. If we fill our lives with silence, then we live in hope.
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]]>Theme: Inner Peace and Quietude
Scripture: Psalm 46:10
Reflection: Thomas Merton on the Power of Silence
Focus
In this episode, the focus will be on the theme of inner peace and quietude during the Advent season, drawing from the teachings in Psalm 46:10 and Thomas Merton's perspective on the strength of silence.
Psalms 46:10 NRSV
Be still, and know that I am God!
No Man Is An Island
Thomas Merton
1.The rain ceases, and a bird’s clear song suddenly announces the difference between Heaven and hell.
2. If you go into solitude with a silent tongue, the silence of mute beings will share with you their rest. But if you go into solitude with a silent heart, the silence of creation will speak louder than the tongues of men or angels.
3. Silence is the strength of our interior life. If we fill our lives with silence, then we live in hope.
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]]>Theme: Humility and Simplicity
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7 (The Birth of Jesus)
Reflection: Saint Francis of Assisi on Humility and Simplicity
Luke 2:1-7
1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
A prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
"O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." Amen.
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]]>Theme: Humility and Simplicity
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7 (The Birth of Jesus)
Reflection: Saint Francis of Assisi on Humility and Simplicity
Luke 2:1-7
1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
A prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
"O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." Amen.
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]]>Theme: The Promise of Joy
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 (The Annunciation))
Reflection: Kahlil Gibran on joy and spiritual awakening.
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
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]]>Theme: The Promise of Joy
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 (The Annunciation))
Reflection: Kahlil Gibran on joy and spiritual awakening.
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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