Quiet Spaces 27 October 2023
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Autumn
Autumn can be a time of beauty; with the changing colours of nature; the beautiful reds, golds and yellows of the leaves of trees; the plants which begin to die down, to rest and recover in the earth during winter; some creatures hibernate, while others gather and store food for the coming winter months. The weather patterns change, as have recently been very obvious in our part of the world, with violent storms which have hit many parts of our country.
Autumn can also be a time of letting go; taking a valuable example from the trees, who shed their leaves in autumn, we humans can also ‘let go’ and begin to transform.
Autumn, through the wonder of nature, can show us how beautiful it can be to let things go.
It can also be a time to change our pace of life, as the evenings draw in, and activities of the passing summer make way for other interests and hobbies, it can be a time to ‘rest’ (in its widest sense.)
Come unto me, and rest
(Tune: ‘Seven joys of Mary’, or any other 87 87 D melody)
When leaves begin to fill the trees with russets, golds and browns, and nature, done with summer days, begins to hunker down
for longer, darker, waiting times
when silent sleep is best,
our autumn takes her hand and says,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When fallen leaves their carpets make in parks,
and lanes, and woods,
and leap and dance as breezes blow,
then settle down for good; -
when change and transformation
are the truths to be addressed,
our autumn whispers in the wind,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When rotting leaves around our feet
turn muddy-black, and die;
when days are shorter, colder too,
and weary nature cries:
‘Is this the end?’
and silently may weep in her distress,
our autumn wipes her tears and says,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When darkness now defies the light
and nights are lengthier still,
exhausted, nature takes her leave
against her struggling will.
But yet, in dreams of spring,
a voice will promise she’ll be blessed:
‘New life will come; I’ll hold you safe;
but now, I give you rest.’
Tom Gordon – Iona Community
Seasons of our lives
The seasons of our lives are a powerful source for deep spiritual practice, which can transform our journey through life, and the way we live.
Whether the seasons of nature, are of personal experience,
or even the various seasons of religious tradition -
human life ebbs and flows through many different cycles and changes.
If we are mindful of these sequences,
we will find that tapping in to the wisdom
of these transient moments of experience,
can provide a rhythm for our lives
to bring us deeper into relationship with God and others.
If we are caring and thoughtful in our life,
responding to the conditions of each season
in which we find ourselves,
this can bring a wealth of overwhelming relief of burden, problems and anxiety … and sometimes it can bring even a sense of deep restfulness.
It can be helpful to make an inventory
of all the seasons in which you find yourself;
and consider the unique gifts you are being offered during these times – so that you may draw closer to God, to others, and to all creation.
Autumn can be a time of beauty; with the changing colours of nature; the beautiful reds, golds and yellows of the leaves of trees; the plants which begin to die down, to rest and recover in the earth during winter; some creatures hibernate, while others gather and store food for the coming winter months. The weather patterns change, as have recently been very obvious in our part of the world, with violent storms which have hit many parts of our country.
Autumn can also be a time of letting go; taking a valuable example from the trees, who shed their leaves in autumn, we humans can also ‘let go’ and begin to transform.
Autumn, through the wonder of nature, can show us how beautiful it can be to let things go.
It can also be a time to change our pace of life, as the evenings draw in, and activities of the passing summer make way for other interests and hobbies, it can be a time to ‘rest’ (in its widest sense.)
Come unto me, and rest
(Tune: ‘Seven joys of Mary’, or any other 87 87 D melody)
When leaves begin to fill the trees with russets, golds and browns, and nature, done with summer days, begins to hunker down
for longer, darker, waiting times
when silent sleep is best,
our autumn takes her hand and says,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When fallen leaves their carpets make in parks,
and lanes, and woods,
and leap and dance as breezes blow,
then settle down for good; -
when change and transformation
are the truths to be addressed,
our autumn whispers in the wind,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When rotting leaves around our feet
turn muddy-black, and die;
when days are shorter, colder too,
and weary nature cries:
‘Is this the end?’
and silently may weep in her distress,
our autumn wipes her tears and says,
‘Come unto me, and rest.’
When darkness now defies the light
and nights are lengthier still,
exhausted, nature takes her leave
against her struggling will.
But yet, in dreams of spring,
a voice will promise she’ll be blessed:
‘New life will come; I’ll hold you safe;
but now, I give you rest.’
Tom Gordon – Iona Community
Seasons of our lives
The seasons of our lives are a powerful source for deep spiritual practice, which can transform our journey through life, and the way we live.
Whether the seasons of nature, are of personal experience,
or even the various seasons of religious tradition -
human life ebbs and flows through many different cycles and changes.
If we are mindful of these sequences,
we will find that tapping in to the wisdom
of these transient moments of experience,
can provide a rhythm for our lives
to bring us deeper into relationship with God and others.
If we are caring and thoughtful in our life,
responding to the conditions of each season
in which we find ourselves,
this can bring a wealth of overwhelming relief of burden, problems and anxiety … and sometimes it can bring even a sense of deep restfulness.
It can be helpful to make an inventory
of all the seasons in which you find yourself;
and consider the unique gifts you are being offered during these times – so that you may draw closer to God, to others, and to all creation.
Silence and Stillness in Church or Garden
Soon we’ll be spending some time in stillness and quiet … perhaps pondering on what we have just read … maybe sitting quietly indoors, or outside … just talking time to ‘be’ – to be with God … to listen to him … something, perhaps we don’t have or make time for very often …
Reading
From Henri Nouwen
The autumn leaves can dazzle us with their magnificent colours: deep red, purple, yellow, gold, bronze, in countless variations and combinations. Then, shortly after having shown their unspeakable beauty, they fall to the ground and die. The barren trees remind us that winter is near. Likewise, the autumn of life has the potential to be very colourful: wisdom, humour, care, patience, and joy may bloom splendidly just before we fall to the ground and die.
As we look at the barren trees and remember our dead, let us be grateful for the beauty we saw in them and wait hopefully for a new spring. Henri Nouwen
Sharing and Group Discussion
So … how was your quiet time?
Blessing
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
So Lord, we pray that you will make us your living voice.
Christ be our light, shine in our hearts -
shine through the darkness -
Christ be our light -
Shine in, and on us all, who are gathered here today
Amen
Thoughts to Ponder:
Days are shortening
Days are shortening, nights are colder, rain lashes out on life.
Trees bow in reverence to unseen forces
and as winds shake their branches they let go of their foliage.
Leaves and seeds dance and whirl through the air
to an invisible choreography and finally cover the earth with a colourful blanket,
hues of red and yellow and orange and purple and brown.
Slowly in the darkening days leaves surrender to decay,
transforming into nourishment for the creepers and crawlers,
into richness for Mother Earth.
The covered seeds lie patiently awaiting warmer days for their completion, new life in a new dawn.
Roberta van Biezen – Iona Community
Letting Go
As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature's cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. All the religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Autumn is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives.
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/naming-the-days/view/10950/autumn-reflections-on-the-season
From Christine Sine – Godspace
“I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep…Imitate the trees”
Christine Sine Twitter 2023
Today's prayer was inspired by Psalm 96 and 148
Creator God,
Majestic maker of all things,
Sculptor and architect of our vast universe,
We sit in awe and wonder of your love.
We listen to the breath of earth and song of heaven,
And join with Jesus, this Son of God and child of earth,
To add our human voices to creation’s song.
Let the skies sing for joy,
And the earth join the chorus.
Listen to the oceans thunder,
And watch the fields echo with ecstatic praise.
Let the weeds in pavement cracks shout out,
Until every swaying tree of forest,
And every wilting shrub of city street join in,
And together we lift our songs,
Of joyous praise to God.
Christine Sine 2023
https://godspacelight.com/
Wendell Berry
Grace
The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”
Wendell Berry: - Again the air is full
Think of a world of no fall
no gravity calling downward, homeward,
bringing all by the light uprisen
down to rest in the resting land
– a world, instead, where all
that dies would fly upward
and outward, nameless and alone.
How sterile then would be
the earth, seasonless the year.
John O’Donohue
The Sacred Symmetry of your Soul for presence
Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame. May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O’Donohue
https://spiritualitywithoutborders.blog/tag/john-odonohue/
Vespers
As light departs to let the earth be one with night,
Silence deepens in the mind, and thoughts grow slow;
The basket of twilight brims over with colours
Gathered from within the sacred meadows of the day
And offered like blessings to the gathering Tenebrae.
After the day’s frenzy, may the heart grow still,
Gracious in thought for all the day brought,
Surprises that dawn could never have dreamed:
The blue silence that came to still the mind,
The quiver of mystery at the edge of a glimpse,
The golden echoes of worlds behind voices.
Tense faces unable to hide what gripped the heart,
The abrupt cut of a glance or a word that hurt,
The flame of longing that distance darkened,
Bouquets of memory gathered on the heart’s altar,
The thorns of absence in the rose of dream.
And the whole while the unknown underworld
Of the mind, turning slowly, in its secret orbit.
May the blessing of sleep bring refreshment and release
And the Angel of the moon call the rivers of dream
To soften the hardened earth of the outside life,
Disentangle from the trapped nets the hurts and sorrow,
And awaken the young soul for the new tomorrow.
~ John O’Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings)
https://spiritualitywithoutborders.blog/tag/john-odonohue/
There can never be peace between nations
until it is first known that true peace is within the souls of men.
Native American Proverb, Oglala Sioux [18974]
Rather long to print in its entirety – but worth reading , especially if you love trees! https://godspacelight.com/2023/10/19/heart-of-the-forest-52896/?fbclid=IwAR1xvu9-Ee3zRoXellAWp4ktrtUNRExFnZaUqVF6J5JTwzEnnhbk7ulsOv0
Blessings
Rev Judy and Karen
Soon we’ll be spending some time in stillness and quiet … perhaps pondering on what we have just read … maybe sitting quietly indoors, or outside … just talking time to ‘be’ – to be with God … to listen to him … something, perhaps we don’t have or make time for very often …
Reading
From Henri Nouwen
The autumn leaves can dazzle us with their magnificent colours: deep red, purple, yellow, gold, bronze, in countless variations and combinations. Then, shortly after having shown their unspeakable beauty, they fall to the ground and die. The barren trees remind us that winter is near. Likewise, the autumn of life has the potential to be very colourful: wisdom, humour, care, patience, and joy may bloom splendidly just before we fall to the ground and die.
As we look at the barren trees and remember our dead, let us be grateful for the beauty we saw in them and wait hopefully for a new spring. Henri Nouwen
Sharing and Group Discussion
So … how was your quiet time?
Blessing
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
So Lord, we pray that you will make us your living voice.
Christ be our light, shine in our hearts -
shine through the darkness -
Christ be our light -
Shine in, and on us all, who are gathered here today
Amen
Thoughts to Ponder:
Days are shortening
Days are shortening, nights are colder, rain lashes out on life.
Trees bow in reverence to unseen forces
and as winds shake their branches they let go of their foliage.
Leaves and seeds dance and whirl through the air
to an invisible choreography and finally cover the earth with a colourful blanket,
hues of red and yellow and orange and purple and brown.
Slowly in the darkening days leaves surrender to decay,
transforming into nourishment for the creepers and crawlers,
into richness for Mother Earth.
The covered seeds lie patiently awaiting warmer days for their completion, new life in a new dawn.
Roberta van Biezen – Iona Community
Letting Go
As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature's cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. All the religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Autumn is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives.
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/naming-the-days/view/10950/autumn-reflections-on-the-season
From Christine Sine – Godspace
“I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep…Imitate the trees”
Christine Sine Twitter 2023
Today's prayer was inspired by Psalm 96 and 148
Creator God,
Majestic maker of all things,
Sculptor and architect of our vast universe,
We sit in awe and wonder of your love.
We listen to the breath of earth and song of heaven,
And join with Jesus, this Son of God and child of earth,
To add our human voices to creation’s song.
Let the skies sing for joy,
And the earth join the chorus.
Listen to the oceans thunder,
And watch the fields echo with ecstatic praise.
Let the weeds in pavement cracks shout out,
Until every swaying tree of forest,
And every wilting shrub of city street join in,
And together we lift our songs,
Of joyous praise to God.
Christine Sine 2023
https://godspacelight.com/
Wendell Berry
Grace
The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”
Wendell Berry: - Again the air is full
Think of a world of no fall
no gravity calling downward, homeward,
bringing all by the light uprisen
down to rest in the resting land
– a world, instead, where all
that dies would fly upward
and outward, nameless and alone.
How sterile then would be
the earth, seasonless the year.
John O’Donohue
The Sacred Symmetry of your Soul for presence
Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame. May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O’Donohue
https://spiritualitywithoutborders.blog/tag/john-odonohue/
Vespers
As light departs to let the earth be one with night,
Silence deepens in the mind, and thoughts grow slow;
The basket of twilight brims over with colours
Gathered from within the sacred meadows of the day
And offered like blessings to the gathering Tenebrae.
After the day’s frenzy, may the heart grow still,
Gracious in thought for all the day brought,
Surprises that dawn could never have dreamed:
The blue silence that came to still the mind,
The quiver of mystery at the edge of a glimpse,
The golden echoes of worlds behind voices.
Tense faces unable to hide what gripped the heart,
The abrupt cut of a glance or a word that hurt,
The flame of longing that distance darkened,
Bouquets of memory gathered on the heart’s altar,
The thorns of absence in the rose of dream.
And the whole while the unknown underworld
Of the mind, turning slowly, in its secret orbit.
May the blessing of sleep bring refreshment and release
And the Angel of the moon call the rivers of dream
To soften the hardened earth of the outside life,
Disentangle from the trapped nets the hurts and sorrow,
And awaken the young soul for the new tomorrow.
~ John O’Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings)
https://spiritualitywithoutborders.blog/tag/john-odonohue/
There can never be peace between nations
until it is first known that true peace is within the souls of men.
Native American Proverb, Oglala Sioux [18974]
Rather long to print in its entirety – but worth reading , especially if you love trees! https://godspacelight.com/2023/10/19/heart-of-the-forest-52896/?fbclid=IwAR1xvu9-Ee3zRoXellAWp4ktrtUNRExFnZaUqVF6J5JTwzEnnhbk7ulsOv0
Blessings
Rev Judy and Karen