Meditation in Eastertide ~ Wednesday, Week 7 '23

The sun is the width 

of a human foot.  

   ~ Heraclitus*

   Well, ok, then, maybe two human feet...and my first reaction is to laugh at an old memory! I remember myself as a child lying on the grass blocking the sun with my foot and feeling powerful. And there you are, Sun, in all your resplendent presence pouring light upon us brightening, dazzling, blinding, warming, heating, wilting, frying us and then suddenly we're chilled by a passing cloud!  

   So much of life is a matter of perspective. Too much of a good thing followed by too much of a bad thing...and here I am trying to find balance, harmony, and just the right measure of objectivity. But when I get swept away in emotion, I can easily lose my perspective and feel overwhelmed. There have been moments when I was so lost in love I could hardly breathe, some moments when anger has sent my blood pressure nearly to explosion. And when the extremes of passion take over, truth is lost.

   Help the soul You gave me Lord of Sun, Moon, and Stars, to find the warming light of You in the darkness, the cooling shade of You in the heat, the balance between want and need, and, the wisdom to check the width of the sun every now and then.  amen. 

*Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher born to an aristocratic family in Ephesus in what is now Turkey. He insisted that the "only constant is change" and most famously that "No man steps into the same river twice."  

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation in Eastertide: Tuesday, Week 7, '23

It's good to have an end to journey toward; 

but it's the journey that matters in the end.

 ~ Ernest Hemingway*

        

Dear Master Travel Agent ~
       As You already know, I've come a good distance on this journey and sometimes I don't know how I've gotten this far let alone figured out where I'm headed. Oh I know I'm ultimately headed in Your direction and that how I get there matters, it's just that there have been so many twists and turns along the road so far and I'm sort of directionally challenged at times. Am I headed down or up the right road? I'm hoping that effort, spelling, and punctuation count toward my final grade (please, though, not neatness).  In the meantime, I'm just here to ask for the usual traveler stuff ~ please continue as my Guide and Companion along the Way and let me recognize You wherever I go and in whoever I know and meet along the way. I know that Google Maps won't help but I look forward to little hints here and there that I'm on the right track. Thanks for letting me get this far and, if it's not too much of a bother, I'd like to go on for quite a while yet, whatever the bumps and bites and storms are yet to come. amen. 

*Ernest Hemingway, [1899-1961] American journalist and author, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, his writings are considered classics in American literature. Multiple marriages and a colorful life led Hemingway down many roads in his fairly short but completely filled journey that culminated in suicide in 1961 but left a legacy of words that will never die. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

 

Prayers of the People: Fired Up! ~ Pentecost Sunday Yr A '23

For Sunday, May 28, 2023, Readings: Numbers 11:24-30, Ps 104:25-35, 37; Acts 2:1-21, John 20:19-23

  So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered seventy of the elders of the people…Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied...  [Numbers 11:24-25]

   O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all...You send forth your Spirit, and they are created...Bless the Lord, O my soul. [Psalm 104: 25a, 31a, 37a]   

   When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were altogether in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind... Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability... then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Acts 2:1-4, 21]

      ...[Jesus] cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow the living water.' Now he said this about the Spirit, which the believers were about to receive..." [John 7:37b-39a]

     Fifty Days after Easter, Ten Days after the Ascension, comes Pentecost, the feast of Holy Spirit: the Birth Day of the Christian Church. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek for "fiftieth" and carries much ancient history and tradition along with its place on the Christian calendar. On the Jewish calendar, this ancient feast is Shavuot and follows 50 days after Passover. Although in the Hebrew Bible Shavuot is not explicitly named as the day on which the Torah was revealed by God to Moses who gave it to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, this is commonly considered to be its primary purpose. Today’s passage from The Book of Numbers certainly gives some credence to this celebration. Shavuot may perhaps be another reason the disciples of Jesus were gathered. Being together, comforted by a familiar and venerable ritual, they waited for the unknown sign promised by the resurrected Jesus in his final in-person teachings.

    Remember, that in just in the prior month and a half, the disciples had experienced a confusing “Last Supper,” the arrest and violent execution of Jesus, his resurrection, various appearances to them, his ascension, and their own grief, fear, and uncertainty at these inexplicable turns of events. Here they are gathered together again without quite knowing what was next or when. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind and tongues of fire resting on them, as they began speaking in multiple languages, of course they were bewildered, astonished, and amazed! And then, their ministry began in earnest, taking Christ's message far and wide.

    Today we are blasé. We know the story too well; we are immune to the thrill and amazement of it. The churches are packed at Christmas and Easter yet come Pentecost, all seems routine even if a "Festival Eucharist" is celebrated. Of course, Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter are all critical to our Christian history. We can't have gotten to this point at all without Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. But it was the arrival of the Holy Spirit, on that Pentecost, that fired up the Apostles. That was the moment that sent them around the known world proclaiming Christ, converting, and making the way for us to be the Church here, now, more than 2,000 years later. Without that Pentecost, would we still know about Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter? 

    It is in these current times with fear, frustration, anger, and intolerance swirling around in ever more intense and too often violent levels, that we must take the time to stop and read the texts with new understanding, a fresh awareness of what it must have been like for those in that Upper Room. From the devastation of the Crucifixion, to the confusion and the wonder of the resurrection, to the joy of his return among them, and then suddenly mystified by his ascension, now, only 10 days after his final leaving...they are waiting...and wondering...for what they are unsure.          

   For us, today is the day to move beyond merely knowing the story. Today is the day of knowing that the Spirit IS within US ~ to be as awe-struck, and dazzled and even as flabbergasted [is there such a word in Hebrew?] as the Apostles ~ and to be reinvigorated and excited.  God’s grace, and the love and Salvation of Christ is ours. THIS IS the day that the LORD has made! Let us truly rejoice and be glad and joy-filled, and alive in it! After all, what else is faith for?

    On this fiftieth day after Easter, let us accept and welcome the extraordinary gifts and abilities bestowed on us, chosen for and unique to each of us. Let us be eager and enthusiastic in embracing all that a true life of faith calls us to be and to do, to live fully in the belief in Christ that we claim to have. Let us strive to be all that Jesus and his imperfect disciples have shown us that we can be. We, too, celebrate, with our Jewish heritage, the giving of the Law on Sinai as our rules of life, transformed by Jesus into the Greatest Commandment [see Matthew 22:37-39]. 

    On this Birthday of the Church*, let us begin again to live as Children of God, equal one and all, using the language of love with each other and especially with those who aren't so lovingly inclined. Christmas is wonderful, and lovely, and blessed. Easter is fragrant and joyful, but with Pentecost comes the true gift that brings fire to our souls and lifts our life's journey to a new level! Get Fired Up!

   

    *As the Birthday of the Church, Pentecost marks the official beginning of the ministry of the Apostles beyond their local area and into the world at large. The descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire imbued, instilled, and infused them, and each of us, by extension, with extra-ordinary gifts to bring the message of Christ to everyone. This day is known as Whitsun/Whitsunday in Ireland and the United Kingdom, a name descending from a Gaelic celebration of medieval or perhaps even more ancient times, often wearing whit or white robes. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, let us breathe deeply of Your sacred fire and the gifts that it brings into us, onto us, and through us, to fuel our desire for faith-filled living and moving and being the Church-in-Action, in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  

                                                         Spirit of Goodness and Glory

RESPONSE:                    Fall afresh on us

~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, set our tongues alight to speak in the fervent language of Your Truth to the leaders of this Earth, this Country, and this Community, as the voices of those crying in the continuing wilderness of racism, poverty, intolerance, violence, and injustice. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of Goodness and Glory

                                                       Fall afresh on us                                                      

~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, lighten the burden of pain for those who are weakened in body, spirit, and soul; and ease the worry of all who give comfort and care, if only at a distance. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions 

                                                       Spirit of Goodness and Glory

                                                       Fall afresh on us         

~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, soothe the weary hearts of those who struggle in the midst of grief, as You carry those who have left us, into the loving and eternal arms of Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of Goodness and Glory

                                                       Fall afresh on us

~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of Goodness and Glory

                                                       Fall afresh on us                 

~ Most Holy Spirit, Breath of God, grant an extra measure of Your gifts to those who lead us in Your Church, as they steadfastly strive to guide our spiritual journey through these trying and uncertain times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of Goodness and Glory

                                                       Fall afresh on us                                                                                                   

The Celebrant adds: God of Creation, Redemption, and Wisdom, though we are many, we are one body in the one Spirit, all equal yet unique by Your design. Set our hearts ablaze again, that we may seek Your will, keep Your Commandments, and use our earthly lives for the common good of all. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom Advocate; who together with You reign as One God, now and for eternity. Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Eastertide: Monday, Week 7 '23

THINK DIFFERENT. 

But don't believe everything you think.
~ Charlie Chaplin*

           I'm always certain that my thoughts are on track and correct, except when I stop to think about my thoughts. Then, I realize I might, possibly, perhaps, have a bias or two or, at the very least, an untested expectation that affects what I'm thinking. Often I think that she or he or they think that I should think one thing or another, but I've never asked her, him, or them so maybe they don't think that at all but something else instead. But if I ask them, will they think I just don't know what I'm thinking? All this thinking stuff gives me a headache. Can't I just breeze through life thoughtlessly?

           Dear Most High Lord and Excellent Thinker of Thoughts, please help me to work more diligently on how to think critically, objectively, and constructively. Let me recognize and understand the biases and emotions that influence my thoughts and, after some analysis (which may include advice from several others), feel comfortable moving forward anyway or, to change direction entirely. I do know that my thoughts, human as they are, will always be flawed in one way or another. Grant me the ability to be open to changes in my opinions and positions based on new information, even if from people I have decided I don't especially like. Let me work calmly through criticism ~ fair or not (in my opinion) ~ and accept the outcomes of my actions (and my [sometimes] over-quick mouth) while learning new lessons for the future. Whether my thinking is inside or outside of any given box, let me not recycle the same ways of understanding life in ever smaller circles with ever smaller thoughts, or, in other words, don't let me believe everything I think. 

amen. 

*Charlie Chaplin [1899-1977], born in England, was an actor, comedian, director, and writer ~ all of the first magnitude ~ with a huge fan base on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere that helped him survive both adoration and controversy. His brilliance in his early silent films is still being admired today. His most famous character, The Tramp, propelled him to icon status. 

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Saturday, Week 6 '23

photo by Christina Brennan Lee in Broad Bay, NZ

She stood in the storm 

and when the wind 

did not blow her way, 

she adjusted her sails.

~ Elizabeth Edwards* 

     It's so easy and comfortably trite to say "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." It's a kindly thought and there's a limited amount of folksy wisdom in it. But, Lord of the Wind and Sea of Life, sometimes life hands out orchards of difficulty, grief, and anguish. Yet even in the midst of all of that, there are happy moments, satisfying times, and there is also bless-ed ordinary. 
     I don't compare my stuff with anyone else's. I recognize and empathize with the trials and tragedies of others and even when the events are seemingly mirrored, no one’s experience is ever the same as another’s. And while I'm certain that I'm entitled to my fair share of wails, whines, and whimpers it’s only for a time and not for a lifetime of self-indulgence. Life is precious and those who have gone before me would want me to use it well and with joy in memory and as I can look for it in each day as it comes.

   And when it is time to move forward, please Lord, do not let me stall, becalmed by grief, procrastination, or inertia. Point me in the right direction, the one that leads to You; and, if I cannot sail through the rest of my life without more stormy seas or the occasional eddy throwing me off course, help me then to adjust my sails again, as I have done so many times before, tacking or jibing as needed to catch the right wind that carries me onward. amen. 

cgl-cbl 20May06

*Elizabeth Edwards [1949-2010], an American Attorney, Health Care Activist, and best-selling author was married to John Edwards, a US Senator with unsuccessful campaigns for US Vice-President and later President. Ms. Edwards dealt well publicly with her husband's rise to prominence and then notoriety after his much publicized affair that resulted in an illegitimate child, at the same time, Elizabeth was also coping with the breast cancer that ultimately ended her life.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Friday, Week 6 '23

Prayer for a Discouraging World

   When I see the news it appears to me all too often that we really do "love our neighbors as we love ourselves" although not in the way  it’s intended. The world can be such a discouraging place. Everyone I know has their own personal laundry list of the frustrations, disappointments, trials, and tragedies in their everyday lives and then news from here and around the globe is beyond dreadful at times. It serves to push many of us into de-sensitizing and self-medicating in a variety of ways such as the obvious of alcohol or gambling, but also over-indulgence by food or hours of sports or romance tv, any form of too-much escapism. Sometimes, perhaps all too often, we unwittingly engage in self-destructive behaviors such as over-compensating by working too hard on behalf of others that our true personal needs become lost. Also, self-deprecating self-talk learned from others has taught many from a young age that we are never good enough. At the very least we try to avoid and deny some of the all too harsh realities of life. In this all or nothing world of excess in everything, we must find a balance between doing and being, and between caring for others and caring for oneself, in doing the "good that I can do" in appropriate measure.

Let me feel Your breath in my soul, O Lord. Surround me with Your presence and whisper to my heart. Call me out of my hesitation, avoidance, and procrastination to spend a little time with you each day. Kick me out of my whining and self-absorption and draw me closer. Only by consciously, deliberately, and willingly loving You, can I begin to love myself. Then, I can consciously, deliberately, and willingly, love my neighbors and discover what positive differences I truly am able to make in Your world that is also our island home.* amen.

 

*From Eucharistic Prayer C, in part, The Book of Common Prayer, 1979, page 370:

At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of
interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses,
and this fragile earth, our island home.
By your will they were created and have their being.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment: LIFT OFF! ~ Ascension Day '23

For Thursday, May 18, 2023, Ascension Day, Readings: Acts 1:1-11, Ps 47, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 
Composed by Christina Brennan Lee   https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com

Then [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were 

continually in the temple blessing God.

~ Luke 24:50-53

          Forty Days after Easter comes the Ascension of the Resurrected Christ into Heaven. One of the five major milestones in the life of Christ [the others are baptism, transfiguration, crucifixion, and resurrection], the Ascension is professed in both the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Whether, actual, mystical or metaphorical, it is one of the great feasts of the Christian liturgical calendar. It signifies the completion of his earthly presence as he takes his divine presence seated at the right hand of the Father [Nicene Creed, Book of Common Prayer, 1979]. 
        The readings for today give us a direction for our own earthly lives. In the Acts of the Apostles we hear that as Christ's body was being elevated, suddenly two men in robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?" From Ephesians, Paul prays, ...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe...

         Holy Jesus, Son of God, as Your Church we are the Body of Christ.  On this Ascension Day, let us ascend in our hearts, minds, and souls, and raise our own prayers that we may be disciples in our own day, to care for all the People of God. Guide us as we seek to discover You in our daily thoughts, words, and actions. Grant us that wisdom to know the hope to which we are called with enlightened hearts, and be eager for the time when You, who has been taken up...into heaven, will come in the same way... Amen. Alleluia! 

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Wednesday, Week 6 '23

Prayer for a Silly Goose

by Me 

Why do we call geese silly?

      Oh, I know we can tease children by calling them a silly goose in fun. And sure. geese are comically ungainly in their gait on the ground and seriously noisy in their discussions. I had to wait on the street one day while two were having a raucous discussion across the white line and I was trying to pull into a driveway. I beeped and they stopped, looked at me, and promptly went right back. After a time, I very slowly let the car drift forward and they finally, unhappily, moved but never stopped their "discussion!"  

     This morning was sunny and clear as they were winging across the sky honking encouragement to each other. The V-formation is beautiful in its symmetry and its purpose. Instinctive, normal, practical. Geese travel together and when one can't go or falls from the formation because of illness or injury, two stay behind to help, to care, to be there until the downed bird can fly again or dies. Then the trio or pair join another passing formation. The leader leads for a time flying just above the others to increase lift and reduce the effort of the flock. Then the leader moves to the back of the formation and another leads for a time and then moves to the back of the formation, and so on until the destination is reached. Everyone takes a turn to lead.  Everyone works together for the good of the entire flock. Hmmm, if only Humans would be better at that.

    

      Dear Lord, help me be a reliable part of the flock I'm in, taking my turns to lead and to fall back. Give me extra grace to be thankful for those who stop to care for me and to be even more willing to stay on the ground to help another. Geese make me look silly ~ in formation and leadership they are a model of Your vision for the rest of us. Of course like the rest of us they can be unruly and very messy! Yet my prayer is for the awareness of the lessons of interconnectedness and interdependence that You provide in each and every part of Your Creation.  amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Tuesday, Week 6 '23

A modern interpretation of the 14th century Persian poet Hafez says: 

Being so preoccupied as we are with needing to be satisfied, 

it seems we would be better at it by now. 

~ Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī*

aka Hafez or Hafiz

   Aging Baby Boomers still rock out with gusto on I Can't Get No Satisfaction... Hafez's statement is 6 centuries old and it seems we really aren't any better at it now!

   So many in today's world anesthetize themselves, in new and newer ways, with the acquisition of MORE of everything, whether material goods, growing numbers of social media contacts and outlets, additional streaming services, etc. Many of us are chasing after satisfying every possible known desire and those soon-to-be discovered through the next advertisement or word of mouth or some thing better than what the neighbors have. And yet, More is never Enough.  How do we learn to recognize what we are doing? One other of Hafez' poems speaks clearly to me when I stop and allow myself to breathe as I hear these words: 

I am a hole in a flute

that the Christ's breath moves through-

listen to this music.

              Dear Everyday God of Real Life, help me stop thinking of want as need. Let me find the true gift of being in the ordinary, the routine, the everyday. A simple smiley face in a text or email feels as good to give as to get to say "I'm thinking of you." On those "special" holidays and holy days, I want and need to remember that less really is more.
            Oh, yes, and Thank You, Lord, sometimes I just need a place to stop, rest, and think about what life is truly meant to be. You are always there waiting for me to remember. And, in terms of being the Great Listener, of course, You're the best! I don't have to explain or make excuses, and anyway which of either is useful, especially to You about me? Even when I don't get what I (think) I want, with You in my heart there is always enough. When I allow You to breathe through me, together we will bring the music of You to all we know and meet. Amen.

*Ḥāfeẓ, 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", was a Persian lyric poet whose collected works are regarded by many Iranians as a pinnacle of Persian Literature. His works are often found in the homes of people in the Persian-speaking world, who learn his poems by heart and use them as everyday proverbs and sayings. His life and poems have become the subjects of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-14th century Persian writing more than any other Persian author. His works have been translated into nearly every language in the world. [per Wikipedia]

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com