Readings 28 March 2025 St Anne's Church , Glenholt
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Welcome, and opening prayer
Opening Prayer Dear Lord, we pray for peace, for love, for compassion, for forgiveness. We pray your words: The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.(Isaiah 11:6-8) Lord God we pray for peace, Amen. |
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Readings
A forest monastery had a visit from some international peacekeepers who had gone to volunteer and live in Vietnam during the war. They were burned out and needed rest, but then they also complained ‘you know there's a war going on and you all are just sitting on your behinds what about taking care of the world, what about compassion in action’. But they stayed and eventually understood that the monastery was an island of peace and sanity, it was a place of peace and love, a living library of what was possible. Wars come and go and we need to show
that there is another way…………. In the hill at the end of the island there were two very tall statues around 40 feet tall – one of Jesus and one of the Buddha. They had their arms around each other's shoulders as if to say yes there's a war happening but there's another way Adapted from Jack Kornfield, Peace is Possible, https://youtu.be/tFRoLOH_4rg?si=rnseRlGbfZwDf-J4
KG We indeed need to show there is another way – a way without war, violence and hated.
‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ (Genesis 1:1)
These incredible Words from God are probably one of the most well-known of all time, even being said by the Apollo 8 astronauts as they circled the moon. Genesis continues to describe how order is brought from chaos and how God is pleased. What God does not say is, let there be borders for humans to fight over. KarenG
For Love in a Time of Conflict
When the gentleness between you hardens
And you fall out of your belonging with each other,
May the depths you have reached hold you still.
When no true word can be said, or heard,
And you mirror each other in the script of hurt,
When even the silence has become raw and torn,
May you hear again an echo of your first music.
When the weave of affection starts to unravel
And anger begins to sear the ground between you,
Before this weather of grief invites
The black seed of bitterness to find root,
May your souls come to kiss.
Now is the time for one of you to be gracious,
To allow a kindness beyond thought and hurt,
Reach out with sure hands
To take the chalice of your love,
And carry it carefully through this echoless waste
Until this winter pilgrimage leads you
Towards the gateway to spring.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 46). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
Blessing in the Chaos
To all that is chaotic
in you,
let there come silence.
Let there be
a calming
of the clamoring,
a stilling
of the voices that
have laid their claim
on you,
that have made their
home in you,
that go with you
even to the
holy places
but will not
let you rest,
will not let you
hear your life
with wholeness
or feel the grace
that fashioned you.
Let what distracts you
cease.
Let what divides you
cease.
Let there come an end
to what diminishes
and demeans,
and let depart
all that keeps you
in its cage.
Let there be
an opening
into the quiet
that lies beneath
the chaos,
where you find
the peace
you did not think
possible
and see what shimmers
within the storm.
Copyright Jan Richardson https://paintedprayerbook.com/2012/01/24/epiphany-4-blessing-in-the-chaos/
Introduction to Silence
Blessing
Blessing for Peace
As the fever of day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.
We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.
For those who risk their lives each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history.
That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.
That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression.
That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.
That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares
And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 222). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
A forest monastery had a visit from some international peacekeepers who had gone to volunteer and live in Vietnam during the war. They were burned out and needed rest, but then they also complained ‘you know there's a war going on and you all are just sitting on your behinds what about taking care of the world, what about compassion in action’. But they stayed and eventually understood that the monastery was an island of peace and sanity, it was a place of peace and love, a living library of what was possible. Wars come and go and we need to show
that there is another way…………. In the hill at the end of the island there were two very tall statues around 40 feet tall – one of Jesus and one of the Buddha. They had their arms around each other's shoulders as if to say yes there's a war happening but there's another way Adapted from Jack Kornfield, Peace is Possible, https://youtu.be/tFRoLOH_4rg?si=rnseRlGbfZwDf-J4
KG We indeed need to show there is another way – a way without war, violence and hated.
‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ (Genesis 1:1)
These incredible Words from God are probably one of the most well-known of all time, even being said by the Apollo 8 astronauts as they circled the moon. Genesis continues to describe how order is brought from chaos and how God is pleased. What God does not say is, let there be borders for humans to fight over. KarenG
For Love in a Time of Conflict
When the gentleness between you hardens
And you fall out of your belonging with each other,
May the depths you have reached hold you still.
When no true word can be said, or heard,
And you mirror each other in the script of hurt,
When even the silence has become raw and torn,
May you hear again an echo of your first music.
When the weave of affection starts to unravel
And anger begins to sear the ground between you,
Before this weather of grief invites
The black seed of bitterness to find root,
May your souls come to kiss.
Now is the time for one of you to be gracious,
To allow a kindness beyond thought and hurt,
Reach out with sure hands
To take the chalice of your love,
And carry it carefully through this echoless waste
Until this winter pilgrimage leads you
Towards the gateway to spring.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 46). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
Blessing in the Chaos
To all that is chaotic
in you,
let there come silence.
Let there be
a calming
of the clamoring,
a stilling
of the voices that
have laid their claim
on you,
that have made their
home in you,
that go with you
even to the
holy places
but will not
let you rest,
will not let you
hear your life
with wholeness
or feel the grace
that fashioned you.
Let what distracts you
cease.
Let what divides you
cease.
Let there come an end
to what diminishes
and demeans,
and let depart
all that keeps you
in its cage.
Let there be
an opening
into the quiet
that lies beneath
the chaos,
where you find
the peace
you did not think
possible
and see what shimmers
within the storm.
Copyright Jan Richardson https://paintedprayerbook.com/2012/01/24/epiphany-4-blessing-in-the-chaos/
Introduction to Silence
Blessing
Blessing for Peace
As the fever of day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.
We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.
For those who risk their lives each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history.
That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.
That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression.
That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.
That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares
And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 222). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
Thoughts To Ponder
Isaiah 2:4 They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
A blessing for one who holds power
May the gift of leadership awaken in you as a vocation
Keep you mindful of the providence that calls you to serve.
As high over the mountains the eagle spreads its wings,
May your perspective be larger than the view from the foothills.
When the way is flat and dull in times of gray endurance,
May your imagination continue to evoke horizons.
When thirst burns in times of drought,
May you be blessed to find the wells.
May you have the wisdom to read time clearly
And know when the seed of change will flourish.
In your heart may there be a sanctuary
For the stillness where clarity is born.
May your work be infused with passion and creativity
And have the wisdom to balance compassion and challenge.
May your soul find the graciousness
To rise above the fester of small mediocrities.
May your power never become a shell
Wherein your heart would silently atrophy.
May you welcome your own vulnerability
As the ground where healing and truth join.
May integrity of soul be your first ideal.
The source that will guide and bless your work.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 148). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.
William Gladstone https://insilencewaits.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/peace-after-a-destructive-encounter/
It’s true, difficult times call on our best spirit. We must remind ourselves that in uncertain times our own steadiness can become a sanctuary for others. Like the strings of a violin being played will resonate with another nearby on a table, our resonance of peaceful, stillness, and steadiness spreads out in every direction, touching the hearts of all beings near and far, that they might find a deeper quiet, a loving presence.
Jack Kornfield, https://jackkornfield.com/always-look-for-the-helpers-staying-steady-amidst-upheaval/
Mr. Rogers, describes how his mother taught him to see the disasters of the world in a new way. Instead of focusing just on the tragedy and loss, look for the helpers. Expand your gaze to take in all the people who are rushing in from all sides to offer their care, assistance, and support. Amidst the hard times let yourself see the wave of compassion that arises around the suffering—the human heart that cannot be stopped.
Jack Kornfield, https://jackkornfield.com/always-look-for-the-helpers-staying-steady-amidst-upheaval/
There Will Be Peace
There will be peace:
when attitudes change;
when self-interest is seen as part of common interest;
when old wrongs, old scores, old mistakes
are deleted from the account;
when the aim becomes co-operation and mutual benefit
rather than revenge or seizing maximum personal
or group gain;
when justice and equality before the law
become the basis of government;
when basic freedoms exist;
when leaders - political, religious, educational - and
the police and media
wholeheartedly embrace the concepts
of justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, and reconciliation
as a basis for renewal;
when parents teach their children new ways to think
about people.
There will be peace:
when enemies become fellow human beings.
David Roberts November 2003 Based on poem in Kosovo War Poetry https://www.warpoetry.uk/avid-roberts-1
Structure of Kindness … Despite all the darkness, human hope is based on the instinct that at the deepest level of reality some intimate kindness holds sway. This is the heart of blessing.
O’Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of (p. 182). Transworld. Kindle Edition
Peace Is in Our Hands
Where there was no wine
There was you
And you said “drink,”
And there it was startling and sweet.
And where there was no bread
There was you
And you said “touch”
And there we were
Our hands looking like yours.
And where there is no peace
There is you
And you say “Lay down your arms”
And here we are
Holding one another
In loving embrace.
Peace is in our hands.
Copyright Jan Richardson https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/quotes/quotations/view/27151/spiritual-quotation
Isaiah 2:4 They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
A blessing for one who holds power
May the gift of leadership awaken in you as a vocation
Keep you mindful of the providence that calls you to serve.
As high over the mountains the eagle spreads its wings,
May your perspective be larger than the view from the foothills.
When the way is flat and dull in times of gray endurance,
May your imagination continue to evoke horizons.
When thirst burns in times of drought,
May you be blessed to find the wells.
May you have the wisdom to read time clearly
And know when the seed of change will flourish.
In your heart may there be a sanctuary
For the stillness where clarity is born.
May your work be infused with passion and creativity
And have the wisdom to balance compassion and challenge.
May your soul find the graciousness
To rise above the fester of small mediocrities.
May your power never become a shell
Wherein your heart would silently atrophy.
May you welcome your own vulnerability
As the ground where healing and truth join.
May integrity of soul be your first ideal.
The source that will guide and bless your work.
O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (p. 148). Transworld. Kindle Edition.
We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.
William Gladstone https://insilencewaits.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/peace-after-a-destructive-encounter/
It’s true, difficult times call on our best spirit. We must remind ourselves that in uncertain times our own steadiness can become a sanctuary for others. Like the strings of a violin being played will resonate with another nearby on a table, our resonance of peaceful, stillness, and steadiness spreads out in every direction, touching the hearts of all beings near and far, that they might find a deeper quiet, a loving presence.
Jack Kornfield, https://jackkornfield.com/always-look-for-the-helpers-staying-steady-amidst-upheaval/
Mr. Rogers, describes how his mother taught him to see the disasters of the world in a new way. Instead of focusing just on the tragedy and loss, look for the helpers. Expand your gaze to take in all the people who are rushing in from all sides to offer their care, assistance, and support. Amidst the hard times let yourself see the wave of compassion that arises around the suffering—the human heart that cannot be stopped.
Jack Kornfield, https://jackkornfield.com/always-look-for-the-helpers-staying-steady-amidst-upheaval/
There Will Be Peace
There will be peace:
when attitudes change;
when self-interest is seen as part of common interest;
when old wrongs, old scores, old mistakes
are deleted from the account;
when the aim becomes co-operation and mutual benefit
rather than revenge or seizing maximum personal
or group gain;
when justice and equality before the law
become the basis of government;
when basic freedoms exist;
when leaders - political, religious, educational - and
the police and media
wholeheartedly embrace the concepts
of justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, and reconciliation
as a basis for renewal;
when parents teach their children new ways to think
about people.
There will be peace:
when enemies become fellow human beings.
David Roberts November 2003 Based on poem in Kosovo War Poetry https://www.warpoetry.uk/avid-roberts-1
Structure of Kindness … Despite all the darkness, human hope is based on the instinct that at the deepest level of reality some intimate kindness holds sway. This is the heart of blessing.
O’Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of (p. 182). Transworld. Kindle Edition
Peace Is in Our Hands
Where there was no wine
There was you
And you said “drink,”
And there it was startling and sweet.
And where there was no bread
There was you
And you said “touch”
And there we were
Our hands looking like yours.
And where there is no peace
There is you
And you say “Lay down your arms”
And here we are
Holding one another
In loving embrace.
Peace is in our hands.
Copyright Jan Richardson https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/quotes/quotations/view/27151/spiritual-quotation
