Version of Psalm 23 by a Seeker in Need of Comfort

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; but I do want Lord.

You let me rest in fields of green grass, yet the grass may turn brown.

You lead me to quiet pools of fresh water;

but sometimes, the way may be rough.

You give me new strength because I am weak.

You guide me in the right paths, as you have promised.

If only I will follow; sometimes I may stumble and fall.

Even if I go through deepest darkness, I will not be afraid,

for you are with me. But I am afraid.

Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.

You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; sometimes I refuse the invitation.

Still, you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim.

I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life

and your house will be my home as long as I live.

Still, need to hear those words of goodness and comfort once more. Amen.

 

Adaptation of Psalm 23 (originally written in 1985)

Denise Pyles, M.Div.

Setting Goals and the Desire of Your Heart

This past week I have so delighted in watching the Olympic Games, especially the swimming events -cheering on Michael Phelps who won 8 gold medals and Dara Torres who won 3 silver medals. Truly phenomenal!

I remember watching one of the interviews with Michael and his coach, Bob Bowman, and they talked about how they set goals over the past couple of years and worked really hard to achieve them. I remember hearing Michael say going into the Olympics that he really had no control over the outcome, that he was going to do his best and work really hard to fulfill his dream of gold medals. What he did was an amazing feat. This was also true for Dara Torres. She worked hard, gave her best effort and came up with 3 silver medals - an incredible achievement at the age of 41.

Setting goals, working hard and doing our best are great models for living our lives. We may not be Olympic athletes or win gold medals in life, and we may not be successful every time we set out to achieve our goals. Yet, I believe that the process of setting goals, working hard, and giving our best effort every time makes us better people, and to me, that is a wonderful formula for life experience at its best.

In the spiritual life, I think setting goals can be translated into naming the desire of our heart. Being mindful of what we desire in the deepest corners of our heart is important in living the spiritual life. If we image God as our spiritual coach, I believe God wants what we want at the deepest core of our heart. Naming our heart’s desire, praying with our heart’s desire, living and moving toward the desire of our heart helps us become better people. And, I believe that God meets us at the depth of our heart’s desires - cheering us on, loving us, and calling us to be our best selves.

What are the goals in your life? What is the desire of your heart?

Embrace life wholeheartedly this day!

 

Soul Tending 101 - Creating Sacred Space for Your Soulful Time

Do you have a designated place in your home that is your space for quiet and soulful time with God?

One of my favorite pieces of furniture in my home is a rocking chair, a wooden, antique Shaker rocker. I love sitting in this chair, because this is the place where I go to sit and just be in the quiet. I sit in this rocking chair daily to pray and to journal. The rocking chair has become the sacred space in my home where I can be alone with my thoughts, where I bring all my worries and struggles with decisions, all my joys and experiences of the day - I bring it all to this sacred space and spend some soulful quiet time with God.

Here are a few suggestions to help tend to your soul this week:

Find a place in your home that you can designate as your sacred space for quiet soulful time.

The space can be a piece of furniture such as a rocking chair or a sofa chair, or it can be a rug or pillow that you can designate as a prayer rug or pillow, or it can be a room in your house such as a sun room or sun porch.

The space does not have to be very large. What is important is to create the space specifically for your soulful, quiet time with your Higher Power.

It is also important to find and create a space that fits you comfortably, something that you will use frequently. For example, a friend of mine loves to sit on the floor and uses a prayer rug for her sacred space. I have a bad back and need to sit in a hard rocking chair for comfort and that has become my sacred space. Find what works for you.

Usually it takes about 21 consecutive days for something to become a habit. Spend the next 21 days at a specific time each day being in your sacred space - even if it is only for a minute or two. Allow yourself to be in the quiet of your sacred space.

Again, these are only suggestions; use what is helpful and ignore the rest.

Blessings this day!

Praying the News - Georgia on My Mind

Let us pray for teenagers who carry siblings with special needs on their back, who run between bullets, who flee in terror and in fear.

Let us pray for those who question where God is in the midst of war and ethnic conflict.

Let us pray for those who hide in fear, who walk in the terror of the night, who flee to places of sanctuary.

Let us pray that a fragile cease-fire plan will take root in the bloodied streets and fields of pain and turmoil.

We pray especially for children who scream with the shock of fear and the horrors of war.

May the tired, penniless, hungry and wearied find courage and relief.

May they know the presence of God in the midst of strife.

Give them strength for the journey home to peace and tolerance.

And grant them hope for a tomorrow of quiet and calm.

May only birds fly in the air and not bullets.

May only bicycles roam the streets and not tanks.

May only children play in the years and not soldiers.

May the Spirit of God blow winds of peace across these lands.

For this we pray, Amen.

Links to news sources:

In Georgia, refugees overwhelm relief efforts

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26206524/from/ET/

 

‘Where was God?’ refugees ask

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26206516/from/ET/

Bible and the Spirit: Proverbs 9:1,4-6

 

Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars.

“You that are simple, turn in here!”

To those without sense she says,

“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity, and live and walk in the way of insight.”

 

Proverbs 9:1, 4-6 NRSV

 

 

While praying with this passage:

What is your understanding of Wisdom?

Wisdom is personified as feminine; how do image God in this feminine personification?

In what ways do you seek out Wisdom in your life?

What do you need to help you live on a steady diet of Wisdom?

What are your insights in living with Wisdom?

Magnificat of Gratitude

My soul proclaims your lavishness O God,

because you have poured out your love abundantly,

energetically, and with wild abandon.

In the stillness and deep-down solitude of being,

I speak of my passion for you, O God.

Music fills my being,

for I hear flashes of your melody ringing in my soul,

and echoes of the melodies of life

teeming amidst an orchestra of creation:

mountain, forest, pine tree, pond,

beaver, geese, dragonfly,

and a chorus of bullfrogs.

Within the depths of my being,

I am consumed by awe and reverence,

transformed into a vessel of sacred silence.

In this pottery of human frailty, I am filled with joy,

a joy that can only be contained by breath-taking wonder.

My heart overflows with gratitude and praise.

I breathe deeply and walk at the speed of life.

I will sing and make music to my God forever more. Alleluia. Amen.

 

Denise Pyles, M.Div.

Inspired by Luke 1:47-55

Be Driven by Your Passion and Not by Fear

Today I was sharing with a friend of mine about spirituality and living from our passion. We were talking about midlife and how we want to live the rest of our lives. We both have an understanding of spirituality as having all one’s energy move in the same direction toward a higher power. With that definition in mind, I shared with her that I desire to live my life from a place of passion and not be driven by fear.

In the past, I have often let fear control my life. My worry about finances, the “what if” scenarios, and fears about living in an uncertain economic time were often overwhelming and causing a great deal of stress. These fears and worries were real; they still are. Yet, I have grown to recognize the fears and keep them in perspective. I have also made a commitment to grow in my spiritual journey. Over time, that desire for spiritual growth has helped me re-connect with my passion in life. I shared with my friend that I now feel I am driven by my passion and not by fear, and I want to continue to live that way moving forward in life.

What drives you or motivates you in life? Are there any fears that hold you back? In what ways do you connect your spirituality with your passion? In what direction is your energy moving?

May you be driven by your passion and not by any fear!

Soul Tending 101 - Paying Attention to the Distractions

Do you often find yourself leading a busy life, your mind racing with a task list that seems never-ending?

Do you often juggle your work schedule with the busy schedules of your children as well as with your home life?

Do you try your best to balance it all and yet find yourself swirling in the distractions?

Do you dread the thought of adding “one more thing” to your to-do list, even if it may be a positive thing for you?

Let’s face it - we live in a culture that moves faster than the speed of life sometimes. And it is OK not to want to add anything else to the chaos.

Here are a few suggestions to help tend to your soul this week:

Acknowledge that it is OK to be busy and to live with so many distractions - this is part of the culture we live in today. Give yourself permission to just be in the distractions.

Give yourself at least 1 minute (60 seconds) in your day to take a deep breath and pay attention to what is distracting you, your overwhelming task list, or the pace of your busy life. Don’t try to fix the issue - just pay attention for a moment to all the distractions.

Acknowledge within yourself, and out loud if possible, that maybe all you have to tend to your soul right now is a mindfulness of being distracted and busy in your life. Sometimes just taking time to acknowledge the chaos helps you be a little more focused in living life at full-speed.

 

These are only suggestions; use what is helpful and ignore the rest.

Blessings this day!

 

 

 

Praying the News - Let the Games Begin

 

Spirit of God,

we pray for the safety of all

who participate in the 29^th Olympiad.

We pray for all who experience

the spirit and good will of these Games.

We also pray for those

who persistently knock on the door of justice

for the sake of human rights for all people

regardless of culture or creed.

We pray that the spirit of these Games

unite all nations in friendship.

May there be a hospitality of peace

and a hope for the respect of all people.

Let the blessing of your Spirit

blow a fresh wind of promise throughout the world.

And may all of us continue

to dream and to reach

for unity, goodness and friendship

with one another in peace.

For this we pray. Amen.

Link to news source:

Dalai Lama declares public support for Games

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26050482/from/ET/

Bible and the Spirit: Sirach 6:14-16

 

“Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:

whoever finds one has found a treasure.

Faithful friends are beyond price;

no amount can balance their worth.

Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;

and those who fear the Lord will find them.”

Ecclesiastes or Sirach 6:14-16 NRSV

While praying with this passage:

What is your understanding of friendship?

In what ways do you treasure the gift of friendship?

Who are your faithful friends?

How are you a priceless sturdy shelter as a friend to others?

In what ways do you consider God as a faithful friend?