Quiet Space 22-03-2020 at 7.30pm
Mothering Sunday - The Full Extent of His Love
Welcome to Quiet Space – both those who meet regularly at Wesley and those who are joining with us for the first time. You may like to light a candle at home at the start of our time together and blow it out at the end.
We’re sharing readings and reflections with periods of silence in between. During the times of silence you may like to be aware of any particular word or phrase that draws your attention. Receive and reflect on the thoughts, hopes, images and feelings that come to you. This is a time to simply sit in silence, open to God’s love and your love for God, like being with a very close friend. It’s not about achieving anything or learning to create the silence, because the silence is there within us. What we have to do is to enter into it, to become silent, to become the silence. The spirit of God dwells in our hearts in silence. When distracting thoughts come, which they will, gently and kindly bring your attention back to the rhythm of your breathing, a particular word or phrase eg “God is love” or you may prefer to focus on a candle – whatever is helpful to you.
Stilling
As you enter into silence now begin by recognising you are in the presence of God....a God who looks on you with great love.
Take a few moments to still yourself....
Observe your breathing slowing down...
your thoughts becoming less insistent.
Let me know Christ's presence in my life,
Christ's closeness to me in every moment
and let me welcome that presence with an open heart.
"Come as you are, that's how I love you.
Come as you, feel quite at home.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you.
All will be well, just come as you are."
Silence
Bible reading John 19: 25b-27 – read twice slowly
Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.
Silence
Bible Reading John 13:1, 4-5 – read twice slowly
"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.
Silence
Reflection by Judith Dimond
"As much as we call Jesus our saviour, and our teacher, he was also, in Dame Julian of Norwich’s words, our true mother, 'who is all love (bearing) us into joy and endless living' (Llewelyn, Enfolded in Love, p36).
In him the fullness of humanity was united into one breathing person, showing us how we could be transformed if we allowed our God-given potential to be released.
One of the stories in John's Gospel which clearly shows this mothering of Jesus comes at the Last Supper.
The passage opens
'Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end' (John 13.1), and he did this by washing their feet. To us this is a very maternal action, like a mother washing a newborn with delight and amazement, or a nurse washing a frail old man who finds every movement difficult, every jolt a shock.
Jesus never recoiled from intimacy, he bathed our feet, and let others do likewise, he gave us food, he touched the unclean.
By this he set an example of Christian fellowship and witness, built on humility, intimacy and service.
Jesus loved from pure impulse, without having to think or examine his motives, for it was the essence of his nature and Sonship.
We, however, being ;trapped in our frailty, must train our awareness and pray that loving responses, gestures and words will, as we grow as Christians, become natural to us too."
'Mother Jesus, may your pulse of love beat in my heart,
and my touch carry your compassion.'
Silence
Mother of all, you see the heart
Of those who long to come running with posies
And feel the security of a womb-grown love.
Listen to the unheard cry of those
Whose mothers could not be there for them
And those whose mothers leave a loving imprint on all they do
But who now rest in the eternal arms
In the pain of missing what never has been or can be no longer,
Give us mercy to let them go into your fathomless abiding love.
Silence
Blessing
God with a mother's heart, you gather us as your children.
You comfort and hold us in your warm embrace.
When we hurt your arms enfold us.
When we are afraid your wings protect us.
When we are hungry you feed us with the bread of life.
God with a mother's heart,
your love surrounds and supports us,
in good times and tough,
in the midst of joy and pain,
always and everywhere,
You will never leave nor abandon us.
God eternal and loving one,
God with a mother's heart,
we thank you this day
for being part of your family.
(Christine Sine)
Let us finish and bless each other by saying the grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with us all, evermore. Amen
Sources
The Celtic wheel of the year by Tess Ward
Friends, Foes and Families (Lenten meditations) by Judith Dimond