The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a good day, Lord
A good day of travel for my sweetheart
A good day of work and worship preparation
A good evening to simply relax and Be Still
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Life can indeed be interesting at times. The roads which we travel and the experiences we have can be life changing if we let them. They can also paralyze us and keep us from moving forward… if we let them. In May of 1986 I graduated from seminary. The summer of 1986 I went to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for my second summer tour as a Chaplain Candidate, Second Lieutenant. In September, 1987 I took my first call as a pastor. Thirty-three years later I am still “at it” so to speak.
Warfare (the entire time I was on Active duty this nation was at war), constantly moving (from 1987-2011 the longest I lived in one place was four years… the shortest, a year plus a few four to six month deployments), a Pandemic… yes, a lot has happened.
There has been much to reflect on and to look forward to as life and ministry continue. I didn’t think that hitting sixty would be such an invitation to reflection. A prayer that has come to mean a great deal to me is Thomas Merton’s Prayer which is found in his book Thoughts in Solitude (p. 79).
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. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.
Yes dear reader, the journey continues for your Padre. Hopefully I am a bit wiser and more seasoned than the young pastor who began ministry in 1987 or the Second Lieutenant who was commissioned in 1985. As this journey continues, there is one thing that I am certain of: in the words of Merton, I will never be left to face my perils alone.
“‘Peace’ is a strong word. It has the same root as ‘pact’ and presupposes agreement confirmed by sworn faith and law. It has the same root as ‘pay’ (pacare means ‘to appease’) and so implies measured compensation. It is an act, an act that costs an effort. It belongs to the same family as ‘compact’ and implies solidity and coherence.”—Lanza del Vasto
| Verse of the day As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. – Colossians 2:6-7 |
| Voice of the day The weight of the world / is love. Under the burden / of solitude, under the burden / of dissatisfaction / the weight, the weight we carry / is love. – Allen Ginsberg |
| Prayer of the day Hear our prayers that we may love you with our whole being and willingly share the concerns of our neighbors. – Revised Common Lectionary |
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you for a wonderful visit with friends who are family
Thank you for a time of discussion and teaching
Thank you for a time of midday prayer and worship
Thank you for a time to simply Be Still
Thank you for a lovely evening with my sweetheart and our puppy
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
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
Flowers remind us of God’s refreshing and re-creating love
I am reminded of the love, mercy, grace, and renewal which the Spirit of God offers us
Thomas Merton wrote the following in his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain.
There is not a flower that opens, not a seed that falls into the ground, and not an ear of wheat that nods on the end of its stalk in the wind that does not preach and proclaim the greatness and the mercy of God to the whole world. There is not an act of kindness or generosity, not an act of sacrifice done, or a word of peace and gentleness spoken, not a child’s prayer uttered, that does not sing hymns to God before his throne, and in the eyes of men, and before their faces.
May the flowers of the field and the birds of the air continue to teach me
May they continue to uplift me
May they continue to invite me into the heart of God
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
by Christine Sine Lilly Lewin and I have been meeting every Thursday morning over zoom for the last month planning our retreat on Saturday. I cannot remember when I have had so much fun getting ready for a retreat. I love the ways we stir each other’s creativity and encourage each other to think outside…
Getting Ready for a Sacred Summer — Godspacelight
“One little person, giving all of her time to peace, makes news. Many people, giving some of their time, can make history.”—Peace Pilgrim
An excellent reflection from Ronnie!
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