NOTE: Due to technical difficulties the audio was muted for the first four minutes. Skip to minute 4 to begin hearing the sound or minute 5:50 to begin hearing the music!

Recording of Evening Prayer with Rev. Hal Harrison, Tuesday Sept. 8, at 3 pm on Channel 919

On Monday as I made my way back to my car, I was greeted by these beautiful little flowers in the strip of lawn next to the parking lot near the main entrance to Heritage Heights.

These were the only two as far as I could see. I didn’t know what kind of flower they are but they brought me joy. I shared this photo with my father, who is a botanist, and he responded: “Portulaca. Very capable in harsh conditions.”

Here they are as a sign for you and for me (there are two). “Very capable in harsh conditions.”
Showing up to remind us that we are more resilient than we often imagine.
There’s a grace that has sustained us, is sustaining us, and will continue to bring us through.

May you find the sunlight and air you need today, may your roots be nourished,
and may you bring unexpected joy to passersby as you continue on –
you – who indeed are “very capable in harsh conditions.”

And may the blessing of God or all that sustains you, keep you safe, grant you peace and fill you with all that you need, just for today. Amen.

Rev. Joel Eaton

Today I am busy! I’m sure that I am not the only one with a pile on my desk or a laundry list of many things that need to be done…. So for today I’ll fulfill a request to show more videos of Aoife. Take a moment and enjoy a cute corgi……

– Rev. Kimberly Wootan

This past Sunday’s worship is available to watch online now.

This week with Rev. Kimberly Wootan we explore Jane Addams, the Matron Saint of Neighbors, who forwent a life of leisure and helped immigrants in the poor communities of Chicago.

Worship for this Sunday is now online!

One of the helpful ways of coping with the times that we live through is finding stories that we can relate to – stories of waiting, stories of resilience, stories that instill more hope in goodness outlasting all destructive forces. These can be inspiring stories like that of the late Rep. John Lewis who overcame so much in order to fight for the dream of beloved community. His grit, his resilience, even after being nearly beat to death reminds us that there are people who have gone before us who have shown us how to get back up and keep going in the face of overwhelming realities.

Another form of story that helps us frame and reimagine our present experience comes from sacred writings. John Lewis himself likely imagined his struggle for civil rights with stories from the Exodus, taking courage from the example of Moses and the people of Israel (as so many African American leaders have before and since). In reimagining himself in resonance with the ancient story, he becomes a part of that walking out in faith that the Red Sea will part, that they’ll make it through the wilderness if they just press on in faith.

In recent months another story has been evoked by the pandemic, the ancient story of the flood that Noah and his family survived through diligent precautions and a vigilance that involved sending out doves to search for dry land, any sign of an end to the uncertainty, the strange predicament of life in the ark.

Mary Luti, whose prayers and poems we’ve been sharing a lot recently, from the collection “Emerge: Blessings & Rituals for Unsheltering” wrote a poem inspired by our experience right now of watching and waiting, enduring and wondering, “how long,” that can be sung as a hymn called, “Hymn for Waiting in Faith: When Noah Sent a Dove to Fly”

When Noah sent a dove to fly
across the ebbing sea
To seek a sign of life’s return,
He waited patiently.

Not knowing if she’d find a thing,
He waited patiently,
And prayed the dove along her way
Toward unknown mystery.

And as she winged her way on prayer
Toward unknown mystery,
Already you had freed the land
And planted olive trees.

Already, as she circled high,
You’d planted olive trees,
Already made the branch she’d take,
Its green and silver leaves;

Already made new earth a jewel
Of green and silver leaves,
While Noah still in patience prayed,
Still scanned the cloud and breeze.

Our patient prayers are like the dove
That scans through clouds and breeze
For signs that in foreseeing love
You’re planting olive trees.

We hope she’ll bring a branch, but more,
We ask for faith to know
That while we’re praying unaware,
The trees you’re planting grow.

—

May you be well and supported today and may you find time this weekend to rest and be nourished in the beauty of the summer, wherever and however that may be.

And may the blessing of God or all that sustains you,
Keep you safe, grant you peace and fill you with all that you need, just for today. Amen.

Rev. Joel Eaton

It is summer and summer for me means “ocean time”. This poem articulates how I feel at the ocean no matter how chaotic or stressful my life can be. The sun and waves calm me deep inside. I haven’t been to the ocean yet but I have my memories and moments of bliss at the ocean. The sun on my skin, the rhythm of the waves, the saltiness of the water, the cold rush on my feet and my laughter that gushes over at another story told by my friends. We each have these little moments of bliss that we tuck away, our souls recognize them. Don’t tuck away those memories too far away during this time. Even if you are not getting to your place of peace, know you can access your previous experiences and let them soothe your soul when things get rough.

Inner Peace

The wind whistles past my ears.
Closing my eyes, I lose all my fears.
The waves crash into the rocks.
Out here there is no time on my clock.

The serenity I feel here just soothes my mind.
A peaceful day so hard to find.
The breeze just calms my soul.
Helps me think about what is my life’s goal.

I then look out over the ocean,
And it feels like my life has lost its commotion.
The sun sets down over the clouds.
But the orange glow around makes me proud.

As the night draws near.
I feel like where I need to be is here.
The soothing nature this afternoon brings
Just feels like such a beautiful thing.

I sit and wonder where life will go,
But right now all I want is for time to slow.
To enjoy this moment and feel free,
To clear my mind and find some glee.

It’s days like these I truly treasure.
Amazing nights and beautiful weather.
It may not seem like much.
But it’s moments like these I want to clutch.

For once I feel like life is bliss.
So many hard days in which my happiness was missed.
I could get lost listening to the waves.
Listening to the birds and watching how the clouds behave.

I could close my eyes and fade into the night.
The tranquility I feel helps me win the fight.
As the waves keep crashing into the rocks,
I feel the happiness in my heart become unlocked.

The day is drawing to a close.
The peacefulness I feel right now I’ll only know.
Right now my mind is finally clear.
It’s time to go as the night draws near

Joshua Fraser, August 11, 2018

May you find just a moment of Bliss in your day or in your memories.
May you be the love you hope for the world.

Michelle

This prayer is from the Catholic Tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. Sometimes the sisters say it best and though this is back from March, I think it is a very honest prayer that can ground us in the longer view of our lives with an eye to those who have less. We include each other in this insightful prayer of hope. May a word or two pop out and give you a spark for your afternoon.. the word that arose for me is “courage”. I see it in you. I yearn for more of it.

May you be the peace you hope for the world.

A Prayer For Uncertain Times

March 17, 2020

God of infinite mercy, hear our prayer!
In this time of bewilderment and fear, we ask you to give us the courage to take care of one another. For those who are ill, especially those who are frightened and alone, for those who cannot access healthcare, for those who are homeless and lost, hear our prayer!

In the midst of our sadness and grief, we ask you to give us words to comfort one another. For those who are dying, and for those who have already died from this virus, for those who tend them and for those with no one to tend them, hear our prayer!

In the midst of our own anxiety we ask you to give us the courage to support one another as you would. For those who are unexpectedly unemployed, for employers who share what they can, for our government and financial institutions and those who lead them, hear our prayer!

In the midst of our struggle to ensure a healthy future for all who live on this planet, we ask you to give us the hope that surpasses our current understanding. For healthcare workers, spiritual leaders and our faith communities, for artists and poets, for prophets and teachers, hear our prayer!

In the midst of our growing awareness that all life on Earth is connected, we ask for the heart to respect and cherish all life. That all peoples recognize that we are all your children, hear our prayer!

We trust in you and your power working in us. Please hear and answer our prayers.
Amen!
Amen!

Sister Cynthia Serjak

All my best,
Michelle