Category: prayer

The Gift #7 : Traces

Road sign Scotland
Scotland (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

 

Reflection

Like ripples,
like soundwaves,
like seeds carried aloft by the wind,
may we leave traces
of the Spirit-transformed,
Spirit-transforming
life within us,
traces that echo on
and bear fruit.
Amen.

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
2 Corinthians 2:14-16

A true story
Talking about “seeds carried aloft by the wind”, I was sitting on a terrace in Amsterdam recently, next to the tram track. The wind and passing trams regularly sent the heaps of elm tree seeds a-swirling around me. That evening I found one of the seeds had found its way to my home in Rotterdam. It was lodged under my bra!

Tip
The Pray as you go website has a short 5-part retreat on the Acts of the Apostles. Listen to the story of the early Christian community, and discover what effect the Resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost had on that first, very small group of Jesus’ followers. By reflecting on this, we can discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives, and open ourselves more fully to the spirit of Pentecost.

The Gift #6 : Guidance

'Keerom' (turn around), Cape Town, South Africa
‘Keerom’ (turn around), Cape Town, South Africa (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

John 16:13 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.’

 

Reflection

Thank you, God,
for the truth,
all the truth,
imparted,
from Father
to Son
to Spirit
to us.

May I receive the truth you impart
with open arms, open heart,
and handle it
in ways that bring you pleasure.
Amen.

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
2 Timothy 2:15

The Gift #5 : Tell me

'How to be lovely', Fuengirola, Spain
Fuengirola, Spain (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

John 15:26 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me.’

 

Reflection

Speak, Holy Spirit, I am listening.
Tell me of Jesus,
of his love revealed
in power
in word and deed,
leaving nothing undone,
love given freely, completely,
a love that will not let me go.

Spirit of the whole truth
and nothing but the truth,
tell me the old, old story
so Jesus becomes ever more real,
ever more present
in the new of this now.
Amen

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
1 John 5:7-12

The Gift #4 : Defence

Speak out what you see (mosaic)
Mosaic, Cape Town, South Africa (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

Luke 12:11-12 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.’

 

Reflection

I’ve never been arrested,
but there have been times aplenty
I was forced
to take a stand.
Teach me, Holy Spirit,
to trust that
when trials come
you will give me
words that protect and reflect
the new life taking root in me.
Holy Spirit, be my defence.

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
Mark 13:11

The Gift #3 : Re-minder

Gift #3 - construction site
‘Entrance other side’ (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

John 14:26 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’

 

Reflection

Father-sent Advocate
sent in Jesus’ name
teach me
teach me all things
and remind me of all Jesus said
not because I forget per se (though I do)
but because the mind of Christ is
not yet fully formed in me.

Coda
I am a building site,
under construction,
and the building company
is called Trinity.

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
1 Corinthians 2:12-16

The Gift #2 : For the asking

Muizenberg, Western Cape, South Africa
Muizenberg, Western Cape, South Africa (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

Luke 11:13 (NIV)
Jesus said: ‘If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

 

Reflection

Our Father in heaven
giver of good gifts
– good to the core –
you know what we need
to live
and move
and have our being.
We ask you
– because Jesus said we could –
– because Jesus said we should –
give us our daily bread
give us your Spirit, we pray.
Amen

by Irene Bom

Related Scriptures
James 1:17

The Gift #1 : The Holy Spirit

Rotterdam Central Station, The Netherlands
Rotterdam Central Station, The Netherlands (photo: Irene Bom)
 

The Gift booklet
12-part series of readings and
prayer poems on the Holy Spirit

 

Acts 1:4-5 (NIV)
On one occasion, while he was eating with the apostles, Jesus gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

 

Reflection

Jesus, baptized baptizer,
the waiting is over.
The Spirit has come.
The Spirit is here.

Still, we ask,
Jesus, counsel us
as you did the early disciples
and guide our movements today,
so we might be in the right place
and the right frame of mind
– expectant and willing –
willing to be filled, like a billowing sail,
carried, transported,
borne, supported.
Amen.

by Irene Bom

 

Children’s prayer #1

 
This is the first in a series of prayers written by children from St Andrews Church, Brussels.
 
 
Thank you for sending your unstopping, never giving up, unbreaking love
 

Praise the Lord for what he does.
Praise him because he is good.
Lord our God is always near us, day and night.
He always will remember us.

For it is like he created a great big fantastic tree,
with his followers names on it,
and keeping watch over those people,
including me.

You will always know me.
Thank you for my love that I share.
For you are the greatest God ever.
Thank you because you teach people your word, and your greatness.
You are a great person because you sent prophets to the Israelites
to encourage them to fight Jericho and other things too.

Thank you for sending your unstopping,
never giving up, unbreaking love.

Annabelle Brink, St Andrews Brussels
 

Evening prayer #2


Edinburgh twilight, August 2016 (photo: Irene Bom)

May your angels, holy Son,
guard our homes when day is done,
when at peace, our sleep is best:
Bid them watch us while we rest.

Prince of everything that is,
High Priest of the mysteries,
let your angels, God supreme,
tell us truth dressed as a dream.

May no terror and no fright
spoil our slumber in the night;
free from care our eyelids close;
Spirit, give us prompt repose.

We have laboured through the day;
lift our burdens when we pray,
then our souls in safety keep,
that our sleep be soft and deep.

‘Evening Prayer’, attributed to St Patrick
(c. 389 – c. 461)

(translation by Michael Counsell)

Source
from 2000 Years of Prayer compiled by Michael Counsell, p. 76

Related Scriptures
Psalm 91 (many parallels)
Hebrews 4:14-16 (Jesus, our High Priest)
Genesis 28:10-22 (Jacob’s Dream at Bethel)
Matthew 11:28-30 (Jesus’ invitation to bring him our burdens)

In the school of prayer with Eddie Askew

I came across this prayer in my copy of 2000 Years of Prayer (compiled by Michael Counsell). I was particularly taken with the down-to-earth, practical spirituality that ministers to you as you engage with the prayer.

See links below for more about Eddie Askew and his work with the Leprosy Mission and links to further examples of his work.
 

Lord, teach me to pray.
It sounds exciting, put like that.
It sounds real. An exploration.
A chance to do more than catalogue
and list the things I want,
to an eternal Father Christmas.

The chance of meeting you,
of drawing closer to the love that made me,
and keeps me, and knows me.
And, Lord, it’s only just begun.
There is so much more of you,
of love, the limitless expanse of knowing you.
I could be frightened, Lord, in this wide country.
It could be lonely, but you are here, with me.

The chance of learning about myself,
of facing up to what I am.
Admitting my resentments,
bringing my anger to you, my disappointments, my frustration.
And finding that when l do,
when I stop struggling and shouting
and let go
you are still there.
Still loving.

Sometimes, Lord, often –
I don’t know what to say to you.
But I still come, in quiet
for the comfort of two friends
sitting in silence.
And it’s then, Lord, that I learn most from you.
When my mind slows down,
and my heart stops racing.
When I let go and wait in the quiet,
realizing that all the things I was going to ask for
you know already.
Then, Lord, without words,
in the stillness
you are there . . .
And l love you.
Lord, teach me to pray.

by Eddie Askew (1927-2007)
from A Silence and a Shouting: a collection of meditations and prayers
 

MORE

From his obituary in The Guardian (2007)
“Eddie Askew, the former general director of the Leprosy Mission (TLM) … devoted half a century to the disease and its consequences. …
Inspired by his travels and his Christian faith, Eddie found an outlet for his creativity in painting and poetry. A Silence and a Shouting, his first book of meditations and artwork, was published in 1982. It was followed, over the years, by 16 others, and the sale of his books and paintings raised around £2.5m for TLM.” (The Guardian) whole article

A visual meditation based on an excerpt from A Silence and a Shouting
Travelling home