Far horizon

Drawing Near

A Blessing

It is difficult to see it from here,
I know,
but trust me when I say
this blessing is inscribed
on the horizon.
Is written on
that far point
you can hardly see.
Is etched into
a landscape
whose contours you cannot know
from here.
All you know
is that it calls you,
draws you,
pulls you toward
what you have perceived
only in pieces,
in fragments that came to you
in dreaming
or in prayer.

I cannot account for how,
as you draw near,
the blessing embedded in the horizon
begins to blossom
upon the soles of your feet,
shimmers in your two hands.
It is one of the mysteries
of the road,
how the blessing
you have traveled toward,
waited for,
ached for
suddenly appears,
as if it had been with you
all this time,
as if it simply
needed to know
how far you were willing
to walk
to find the lines
that were traced upon you
before the day
you were born.
 
 
~ by Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace,
      posted on paintedprayerbook.com


From the blog
On pilgrimage
In a new light
In the school of prayer with Pádraig Ó Tuama
 

Ask for more

Benediction

(based on Ephesians 3:16-21, The Message)

I ask God to strengthen you by the power of the Spirit —
not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength —
that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.

And I ask God that
with both feet planted firmly on love
you’ll be able to take in with all Christians
the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.

Reach out and experience the breadth!
Test its length!
Plumb the depths!
Rise to the heights!
Live full lives — full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know —
far more than you could ever imagine or guess
or request in your wildest dreams!
Not by pushing us around
but by working within us,
through the power of God’s Spirit.

All glory to the God of Creation!
All glory to the Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ!
And all glory to the Spirit of God, at work among us and within us!

Go in the love of God!
Amen.

 
~ from re:worship


From the blog
A very present help in trouble
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks
3 Prayers for wayfarers
 

Settle yourself into the quiet

 

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.

~ Etty Hillesum
 


Blessing of Rest

Curl this blessing
beneath your head
for a pillow.
Wrap it about yourself
for a blanket.
Lay it across your eyes
and for this moment
cease thinking about
what comes next,
what you will do
when you rise.

Let this blessing
gather itself to you
like the stillness
that descends
between your heartbeats,
the silence that comes
so briefly
but with a constancy
on which
your life depends.

Settle yourself
into the quiet
this blessing brings,
the hand it lays
upon your brow,
the whispered word
it breathes into
your ear
telling you
all shall be well
all shall be well
and you can rest
now.

 
~ by Jan Richardson, from paintedprayerbook.com
 
 
Visit Jan Richardson’s 2012 blog post for the backstory to this blessing.
 

Quiet my heart


 

QUIET MY HEART

Quiet my heart, quiet my mind
Gentle Jesus, I seek and I find
I rest in your presence, Prince of Peace.
Shepherd, lead me beside quiet streams
 
 
I wrote this song last month, as part of the current 12 Song Challenge hosted by resoundworship.org.   The recording features my friend, Margriet van Overbeeke, singing harmony.
 


Blessing

(inspired by Psalm 37:3-9)

Trust in God, and do what is good;
live with quiet confidence where God has placed you.
Delight in God’s presence,
and you will have all that your heart desires.
Commit everything you do to God — trust Him completely —
and He will never let you down.
Be patient.
Don’t worry or get upset when things don’t go well.
Instead, learn to rest in God’s presence.
For those who trust in God will have everything they need.
 

~ from re:worship


From the blog
Big strong tree
God of solid joys
Balm to heal the world
 

Soft eyes help


 

Soft Eyes Blessing

“And all the believers met together constantly,
and shared everything they had….”
Acts 2:44

 
may the god who is community
be with us as we seek to be a community

may god bless our dreams
and may god shatter our dreams

may god help us to be real
and to find depth in weakness and brokenness

may god help us to face and grow through conflict
rather than pretend by being nice

may we look at each other through soft eyes
and truly respect each other as human beings

may god help us let go of control
and the need to fix one another

may god help us discover we are needy in our own souls
and give attention to our own hearts

may god grant us the gift of an extraordinary love
that flows from the heart of god
that covers a multitude of wrongs

 
~ written by Anna, and posted on the freshworship.org
 


Note: This blessing is also included in a prayer sheet posted in 2017: Theme: Called into community.
 

May we know the hope – here, now


Detail of stained glass window in Ontmoetingskerk, Krimpen aan de Lek, NL
 
 
 
So that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you. (Ephesians 1:18)
 

Blessing of Hope

So may we know
the hope
that is not just
for someday
but for this day—
here, now,
in this moment
that opens to us:

hope not made
of wishes
but of substance,

hope made of sinew
and muscle
and bone,

hope that has breath
and a beating heart,

hope that will not
keep quiet
and be polite,

hope that knows
how to holler
when it is called for,

hope that knows
how to sing
when there seems
little cause,

hope that raises us
from the dead—

not someday
but this day,
every day,
again and
again and
again.

— by Jan Richardson, from paintedprayerbook.com
 


From the blog
Theme: Come to the waters  [prayer sheet]
Song in the night
People of the way

 

Lively concern


 

A blessing

Bless, O God, all who dedicate their powers today
      to the making of peace in the world;
bless all who give their training and experience
      to feed and clothe and house the destitute;
bless all who lend their energies and skills
      to teach impoverished people to till, water and harvest their land.
And give us all a lively concern for the underprivileged,
      and show us practical ways for helping.
For Christ’s sake.
Amen.

~ written by Rita Snowden, posted on re:worship
 

Newness of life


(Photo: Irene Bom)

 

A prayer

Risen Christ, bring newness of life
into our stale routines,
into our wearied spirits,
into our tarnished relationships.

 
from Prayer Rhythms: Fourfold Patterns for Each Day
by Ray Simpson, p. 29
 


A blessing

The God of life go with us,
the Risen Christ beside us,
the vibrant Spirit within us.
Amen!

 
from Prayer Rhythms: Fourfold Patterns for Each Day
by Ray Simpson, p. 30
 

On the threshold of tomorrow


Spotted on a wall near my local supermarket. What can this mean?  (Photo: Irene Bom)

 

I first posted this blessing by Joyce Rupp in a post entitled Looking forward looking back in the last days of 2018, on the threshold of a new year. Rereading the words today, I think they are well worth adopting as a blessing for all our days / all our tomorrows.

Check out the Index for posts you might like to revisit, or search on a topic, category or theme.
 


Blessing … for today … tomorrow … whenever

 
I hope for you …

… that the single, most significant dimension of life
is your relationship with the Source of Goodness
who never ceases to sing love songs to your soul

… that you find meaning, purpose, and vitality
in what you do daily

… that you treasure your loved ones
and let them know how dear they are to you

… that you make choices and decisions
that reflect your truest self

… that you look in the mirror at least once a day
and smile in happy amazement

… that you remember relationships are what count above all else –
more than work or money,
or all the material things we spend so much time tending

… that you live in an uncluttered manner,
enjoying the freedom to be content

… that you keep your sense of humor
when things don’t go the way you want

… that you find adventure in each new day
and marvel at the wonders of creation
which constantly present themselves to you

… that you never give up on yourself
when others turn away or do not understand

… that you are attentive to the health
of your body, mind and spirit

… that you take risks and accept
the growth-full challenges that come to you

… that you draw on your inner strength and resiliency
when you are in need

… that you carry peace within yourself,
allowing it to slip into the hearts of others
so our planet becomes a place
where violence, division, and war are no more

 
~ written by Joyce Rupp. Posted on Joyce Rupp’s website.
 


From the blog
In the school of prayer with Ignatius of Loyola
Food for thought
Show me the way
 

Slow time


 

Slow Blessing

God the creator,
who rested on the seventh day after the work was done,
show you how to balance the slow and the fast, the work and the rest.

God the redeemer,
who lived his life at walking pace,
strengthen you to go slow when the world is going fast.

God the sustainer,
who came at Pentecost like a rushing wind,
give you hope in the day when there will be freedom
from the limitations of time.

Go into a world of speed and live at God’s pace.
Amen.

— written by Anna (2004), and posted on the Grace website worship archive.
 


From the blog
Healed from the inside out
Show me the way
In the school of prayer with Ignatius of Loyola