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Showing posts from August, 2010

Morning Prayer - Romans 8:35

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Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ,

Morning Prayer - 1 Thessalonians 5:5

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You are all children of light and children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Morning Prayer -Jeremiah 15:16

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When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight,

Take a Seat

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Gospel Luke 14:1,7-14 On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’ Then he said to his host, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations

Night Prayer -Deuteronomy 6:4-7

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words be written on your heart.

Feast of St Monica

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Psalm 131 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.               Amongst others, St Monica is the patron saint of abuse victims; difficult marriages; disappointing children; mothers; victims of unfaithfulness; victims of verbal abuse and widows. I n other words, I suppose, the patron saint of those who refuse to give up even when love is not lovely; who know how suffering and love can exist in the same breath and who actually do believe that love will conquer all. And the fact that it took Monica so many years of prayer and tears gives comfort to those whose love is driven by perseverance and hope.   The readings for today are all about this maternal and wifely devotion; some of the images having me feeling distinctly way down the 'good wife and mother' scale. But I am not just a wife and mother; I am also a grandmother and this evening I sat during the service with my '

Mindfulness

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Mindfulness is not about simply being quiet or still. It is about finding a centre within you and filling it with grace. Then, just as a glass tumbler filled with clear water becomes a magnifying glass so this grace filled centre becomes a way of seeing the world through God's eyes. It concentrates the gaze and gives a sparkle and a unique lightness to everything it sees,no matter how small or mundane. When you are quiet or still; this is simple to achieve with time. The trick is to take that tumblerful of clear water and start carrying around with you wherever you go; using it to concentrate your vision; to see within.  And there will be distractions but don't worry too much about spilling it; especially when the droplets become tiny lens themselves finding treasures of their own. And remember it is there for you to drink from, should you need to; with an eternal invitation to return to the Source to be filled again. wordinthehand2010

Monk in the Modern World

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In response to (trying to) live contemplatively in the modern world- http://abbeyofthearts.com/abbey-blog/ Not of this world The Matrix woke me up Its own worst enemy Asking me the question Red or Blue? Of this world, or not? I chose - Red I chose - Not Not To cling to imaginary lives Digitally created In plasma But not blood. Not To be an avatar Living out on the broadband Virtually but not quite Myself. Not To be a Warhol exhibit Fifteen minutes in eternity Is not for me I have other plans. I chose - Not. wordinthehand2010

Tough Love Luke 13:22-30

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Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. ‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men !” ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and tho

Feast of the Assumption

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Once there was only one feast day for Mary – New Years Day- The Day for Peace in acknowledgement of the arrival of the Prince of Peace. In the Roman Catholic Church today, Mary the Mother of God has 19 Feast Days, the month of May, October dedicated to the Rosary and all the Saturdays in the year for Marian devotion. No wonder that Catholics are considered as much Marian as they are Christian. What is it about Mary?   The Assumption is one of Mary’s great feasts and celebrates the love and continuing faith of the family that she was asked to care for. Because, despite the glorious imagination of the Renaissance artists there were no eyewitnesses to the Assumption; no sightings of angels, no rolling clouds of white or trumpets of gold - there was no proof. It is the apostolic tradition that tells us what happened; in fact we have the tardy and still doubtful Thomas to thank. Tradition tells that the Holy Spirit had gathered the apostles together for Mary’s burial but that,

Evening Prayer - James 1:2-4

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Trials and Temptations Consider it pure joy, whenever life gets difficult, because you know that the trying of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance is always work in progress towards a time when you may be mature and complete, so that you may flourish.   It is, what Winnie the Pooh would call, a blustery day. A wide sky with bright clouds racing to the horizon; some darker cousins challenging, armwrestling the sun; 'if I win it will rain'. And they try; but they don't. It seems a good day for a walk in the churchyard, sheltered by the high sandstone wall and yew hedge; but it isn't. The cloud racing zephyrs are also chasing each other through the mature oaks, sycamores and chestnuts; roaring like thunder and sending down a torrent of leaves, twigs and immature acorns and nuts. The trees seem to shudder to their very roots, the weight of all the summer growth making them heavy like sheep waiting for the shearer. The paths full of unripened fruits, twigs a

Morning Prayer - 1 Peter 4:10-11

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God gave you your own special gift - so do what you are good at

Evening Prayer - Ephesians

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God can do anything, and He does it by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently in our hearts.

Love

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  Love never reasons but profusely gives; gives, like a thoughtless prodigal, its all, and trembles lest it has done too little. ~Hannah More

Morning Prayer - 2 Corinthians 1:4

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May we be able to comfort those who are in  trouble, as we ourselves are comforted by God.

Evening Prayer: James 4:12

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 Who are you to judge another?

Morning Prayer - James 2:13

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Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Morning Prayer :Ezekiel 37:13;

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Then you shall know that I am God, I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live.

Awake and ready for action

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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. ‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must sta