The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
At the end of a long day of ministry
In the midst, blessed by the joy of my beloved’s Birthday
Time spent in God’s wondrous creation
There is so much to be thankful for
Family, Friends, Vocation, Partnership
In the midst of it all, Your presence, Lord
To you we lift our humble prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A wonderful evening of worship
Praying together
Singing together
Tis the Season of Peace
In a world gone mad
Juvenile threats and posturing
Ignoring repercussions that impact the world
In the midst of all this we pray
Dona Nobis Pacem et in Terra
Grant Us Peace on Earth
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“How should the church respond when sin disrupts the church’s unity, creates di- vision among the children of God, and constructs unjust systems that steal life from God’s creation? Members and leaders of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in South Africa faced these questions under apartheid, a system of laws that separated people by race from 1948–1994.
..
“We believe that Christ’s work of reconciliation is made manifest in the church as the community of believers who have been reconciled with God and with one another;
that unity is, therefore, both a gift and an obligation for the church of Jesus Christ; that through the working of God’s Spirit it is a binding force, yet simultaneously a reality which must be earnestly pursued and sought: one which the people of God must continually be built up to attain;
that this unity must become visible so that the world may believe that separation, enmity and hatred between people and groups is sin which Christ has already conquered, and accordingly that anything which threatens this unity may have no place in the church and must be re- sisted;
that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways; in that we love one another;
that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another;
that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another…”
May God help us so to live in this time of darkness and insanity on the world stage and in our own backyards…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
On the world’s stage the posturing of madness
In our hearts, the reality hits close to home
Lord, how do we respond to the insanity?
Part of me wants to run away and hide
Part of me wants to lash out in harsh language
Yet your gentle Spirit of love speaks to my heart
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is sadness, joy
Lord, make me an instrument
Not of hate or vitriol or violence
Not of exclusivism or bigotry
Make me an instrument of your peace
Let your vision of love and peace expand
Let it be the default for our hearts and actions
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Dona Nobis Pacem et in Terra
Grant Us Peace on Earth
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Wise words to heed from Ronnie!
A couple of decades ago I could cram for a history exam, carry on a conversation with a dorm room full of people, sing along to the radio, and watch MTV in the background (I told you it was decades ago – when there was actual music on MTV) all at the same time. And I could do so with a great deal of proficiency. I still try my hand at multitasking today, like simultaneously writing a column, carrying on a conversation with my wife, and checking my Twitter feed. Such attempts now end in calamity, as I can no longer recall what I wrote, said, or read unless I’m focused on one thing, or one person, at a time.
Part of my declining competence is age. Researchers, using magnetic resonance imaging, have discovered that as we grow older, we lose the ability to tune out distractions and background noises…
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The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Life’s journey is not linear
Life’s journey wanders and weaves
In this circle of life we find ourselves
We find ourselves in times of darkness
We find ourselves lost and alone
We find ourselves wounded and weary
In the midst of it all, the Spirit speaks
In the midst of it all, the Spirit guides
In the midst of it all, light shines in the darkness
Hope springs anew and refreshes
Speak to us, Spirit
Guide us, Spirit
Reveal to us your peace
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“The invitation from the desert elders is to practice simplicity first. When we find this simplicity, they believed, we find true life.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within
