Quiet Space 22nd November 2020
Thanksgiving
Only the Divine matters,
And because the Divine matters,
Everything matters.
—Thomas Keating, “What Matters”
Opening Prayer
We welcome You, Spirit of God
You who seek our company
and choose to make yourself known to us.
We are thankful for your many blessings.
including bringing us together
at this time.
in this way.
We ask that you would use this time
to challenge us, to encourage us,
to change us,
that we may continue to grow and be transformed,
and in this process
find hope to offer the world around us.
In our conversations and our sharing,
in our eating, resting,
learning and laughing,
may we notice You,
find You,
follow You
and offer ourselves to You Amen [Godspace Resources]
Silent reflection
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Psalm 95:1-3
This is God’s world given on loan,
no other earth shall be our home;
So let us bless, honour and tend
what God in love created [Iona Community]
Silent reflection
I seek this day an active wonder.
An active wonder in the desperate need of my mind and spirit. The awareness of the unexplored and the untried until I find my way into their secret places, this I need and seek. The illumination of wonder over my familiar landscape, revealing in ordinary things, fresh glories; making manifest in my familiar heights and depths that which I have never known - this I need and seek this day. Teach me this day to expose to Thy scrutiny, Loving God, the frayed edges of my aliveness until they are renewed and freshened by Thy Healing and Thy Love. [Howard Thurman]
Silent reflection
Draw Your Circle Around Us Lord
Draw your circle Lord around us like a cloak.
Circle us,
with life and love and laughter.
Circle us
with light and joy and presence.
Circle us,
with smiles and hugs and friendship.
Draw your circle Lord.
Let it radiate light where there has been darkness.
Let it birth joy where there has been despair.
Let it preserve life where there has been death.
Draw your circle Lord,
over all the creatures of your world.
Let it bring wholeness and peace and unity. [Christine Sine]
Silent reflection
"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:4-5
For the word of God in scripture:
For the word of God among us;
For the word of God in Creation;
We thank You [Iona Community]
Silent Reflection
As we end this day in your safe keeping
We count three blessings before our sleeping. [The Celtic Wheel of the Year]
Silent reflection counting our blessings
A Blessing for Celtic Advent (started November 16th)
May the blessing of Light be on us
Light without and light within,
May the blessed sunlight shine on us
And warm our hearts till it glows like
A great peat fire, so that the strangers
May come and warm themselves at it,
And also a friend.
And may the light shine out of our two eyes,
Like a candle set in two windows of a house,
Bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
[Godspace Resources]
Further time of silence
Then to close we share the Grace together
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Love of God, and
The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, now and always. Amen