“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.” 
 — John O‘Donohue

This Year's Journeying

Something about the weather, the flowers blooming, and new life experiences has been making me think of journeying in a new way this month.  I found this prayer helpful this week and so I thought I would share it with you.

This Year’s Journeying

Lord - I consecrate myself to You in this year’s journeying:

Take my feet from the safety of the shallows out into the challenge of unexplored depths.

Take my heart from the sterility of selfish preoccupations to the fruitfulness of wounded love.

Take my mind from the narrowness of human thought to the expansiveness of divine insight.

Take my hands from the poverty of having and keeping to the riches of giving and sharing.

Take my voice from the blandness of safe religion to the proclamation of Your radical kindom.

Lord - I consecrate myself to You in this year’s journeying:

Take my life

from safety to risk

from coldness to love

from darkness to light

from selfishness to sharing

from silence to proclamation.

Take my life for You kindom!

Amen. 

From “Fire and Bread” pg. 232

Spiritual Practice

My spiritual practice these last couple of weeks and for a few weeks to come is to read Christina Baldwin’s book “The Seven Whispers” … again.  I have read it several times, (and gifted it to many) but that doesn’t seem to decrease the impact it has on me.  Although the book goes into much more detail, I would like to share Christina’s “whispers” with you.  They are, on their own, enough to offer pause for reflection:

Maintain Peace of Mind

Move at the pace of guidance

Practice certainty of purpose

Surrender to surprise

Ask for what you need and offer what you can

Love the folks in front of you

Return to the world.

May your reflections be enriching.

Ivy Thomas

Church Father Origen meditated on the beautiful, powerful act of washing feet:

‘Jesus, come, my feel are dirty. You have become a servant for my sake, so fill your basin with water: come wash my feet. I know that I am bold in saying this, but your own words have made me fearful: “If you do not wash your feet you have no companionship with me.” Wash my feet, then, so that I may be your companion. But what I am saying: “Wash my feet”? Peter could say these words, for all that he needed washing were his feet. For the rest, he was completely clean. I must be made clean with that other washing, of which you said, “I have a baptism with which I must be baptized.” Amen