Miss Eagle's Morning Prayer

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:5,6

MORNING PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ

You are The Way, The Truth and The Life.

You are The Way.

Guide me.

Plant my feet firmly in your path

That I may not deviate either to left or to right

But follow you closely:

Just an arm's length away that I might touch the hem of your garment:

Within earshot that I might hear your word and your will for my life.

You are The Truth

Teach me, Guide me, Illuminate me.

Teach me to worship you in Spirit.

Teach me to worship you in Truth.

So grace me and discipline me, Lord,

That I may exhibit your Truth and Your Spirit

In my daily walk.

You are The Life

The Life given for me on Calvary

Grant that I might not live

But that you might live in me

Dreaming your dreams through me

Tasting, touching, sensing, the world

Through me.

Come, Lord Jesus, come in glory.

A life hidden with Christ

The Hidden Cottage - Thomas Kinkade

Colossians 3:3

[For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.]

My words and thoughts do both express this notion,
That Life has with the sun a double motion.
The first Is straight, and our diurnal friend,
The other Hid and does obliquely bend.
One life is wrapped In flesh, and tends to earth:
The other winds towards Him, whose happy birth
Taught me to live here so, That still one eye
Should aim and shoot at that which Is on high:
Quitting with daily labor all My pleasure,
To gain at harvest an eternal Treasure.

George Herbert

Seasons of the Soul: First Sunday in Lent - 2

Picture from the site of The Church of our Saviour, Secaucus, NJ, USA

To-day is the First Sunday in Lent in Year C.

The readings below come from

A Prayer Book for Australia

published by Broughton Books

Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.

Luke 4.8

Prayer of the Day

O saving God,

who led your people through the wilderness

and brought them to the promised land:

so guide us that, following our Saviour,

we may walk through the wilderness of this world

and be brought to the glory of the world which is to come;

through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Readings

Deuteronomy 26.1-11

Psalm 91.1-2, 9-16

Romans 10.4-13

Luke 4.1-15

To-day's reading of the Good News of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ tells of the tempting of Jesus by Satan after Jesus has spent forty days in the desert or the wilderness.

1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. 14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (New King James Version published by Thomas Nelson)

For further thought and meditation, you may like to look at these commentaries.

The first is a commentary on the above passage from Luke.

The second commentary relates to the complementary passage from Matthew.

Seasons of the Soul: First Sunday in Lent - 1

HOLY BAPTISM (1)

As he that sees a dark and shady grove,
Stays not, but looks beyond it on the sky;
So when I view my sins, mine eyes remove
More backward still, and to that water fly,
Which is above the heav'ns, whose spring and vent
Is in my dear Redeemer's piercéd side.
O blessed streams! either you do prevent
And stop our sins from growing thick and wide,
Or else give tears to drown them, as they grow.
In you Redemption measures all my time,
And spreads the plaster equal to the crime.
You taught the Book of Life my name, that so
What ever future sins should me miscall,
Your first acquaintance might discredit all.

George Herbert

Seasons of the Soul: The Sacrifice (1)

My Sacrifice

from Designs by Dana

THE SACRIFICE

Oh all you, who pass by, whose eyes and mind
To worldly things are sharp, but to me blind;
To me, who took eyes that I might you find:
Was ever grief like mine?

The Princes of my people make a head
Against their Maker: they do wish me dead,
Who cannot wish, except I give them bread;
Was ever grief like mine?

Without me each one, who does now me brave,
Had to this day been an Egyptian slave.
They use that power against me, which I gave:
Was ever grief like mine?

Mine own Apostle, who the bag did bear,
Though he had all I had, did not forbear
To sell me also, and to put me there:
Was ever grief like mine?

For thirty pence he did my death devise,
Who at three hundred did the ointment prize,
Not half so sweet as my sweet sacrifice:
Was ever grief like mine?

Therefore my soul melts, and my heart’s dear treasure
Drops blood (the only beads) my words to measure:
O let this cup pass, if it be your pleasure:
Was ever grief like mine?

These drops being tempered with sinners’ tears
A Balsam are for both the Hemispheres:
Curing all wounds, but mine; all, but my fears:
Was ever grief like mine?

Yet my Disciples sleep; I cannot gain
One hour of watching; but their drowsy brain
Comforts not me, and does my doctrine stain:
Was ever grief like mine?

Arise, arise, they come. Look how they run!
Alas! what haste they make to be undone!
How with their lanterns do they seek the sun!
Was ever grief like mine?

With clubs and staves they seek me, as a thief,
Who am the Way and Truth, the true relief;
Most true to those, who are my greatest grief:
Was ever grief like mine?

George Herbert

Over at LenTree for George Herbert there is a note that "The Sacrifice" continues for the next six Saturdays. The six readings can be used for a Tenebrae Service with appropriate scripture and hymns. Each to be concluded by extinguishing one candle.

Creator, creation, and re-creation

Women are crafty souls - their crafts come in all shapes and forms. Their domestic crafts reach beyond their homes into museums and galleries and, these days, on to the internet. To-day specialist stores spring up to meet the specialist demands of crafts.

The blogosphere has a strong coterie of craftswomen exhibiting, writing, photographing, swapping, meeting, moving up to join with other women in more global craft-encompassing blogs. Some - like Jane Brocket over at yarnstorm - are offered book contracts by major publishers.

Meanwhile, over at Photo Friday, the topic of the week is Texture.

The picture above reflects the lives of two women: Miss Eagle and her daughter, Herself. The baskets in the photograph are in the collection of Miss Eagle. Cane baskets and Miss Eagle seem to have an affinity and finish up painted in a shabby chic palette of colours. The larger basket contains a range of fabrics: some belonging to Miss Eagle, some to Herself. Some are used in upholstery, some are used in soft furnishings such as cushions. Sitting in the smaller, blue basket is a collection of old knobs and locks belonging to Herself. They have a utilitarian beauty.

Miss Eagle thinks of God's presence in her life: refashioning the raw materials; stripping away the gaudy paint and opting for a softer finish; sanding and smoothing the bumps and rough edges; and making the creation of the Creator beautiful and useful.

It is something Miss Eagle has thought of often over the years as she has made shabby old pieces ignored by other people useful and beautiful enough to find pride of place in the home. It is a reflection of God at work: and no-thing, no-one is ever so worn or shabby that the tender loving Spirit of God cannot make some-thing, some-one beautiful and useful.

Miss Eagle is so thankful that this is the case!

 
A Way of Working: The Spiritual Dimension of Craft 

Seasons of the Soul: Employment

Fly on Boobialla - Photo by Denis Wilson

Employment (I)

If as a flower does spread and die,
You would extend me to some good,
Before I were by frosts extremity
Nipt in the bud;

The sweetness and the praise were thine;
But the extension and the room,
Which in your garland I should fill, were mine
At your great doom.

For as you do impart your grace,
The greater shall our glory be.
The measure of our joys is in this place,
The stuff with thee.

Let me not languish then, and spend
A life as barren to your praise,
As is the dust, to which all life does tend,
But with delays.

All things are busy; only I
Neither bring honey with the bees,
Nor flowers to make that, nor the husbandry
To water these.

I am no link of your great chain,
But all my company is a weed.
Lord place me in your consort; give one strain
To my poor reed.
George Herbert

Seasons of the Soul: Fasting and abstinence

Fasting and abstinence is an ancient tradition of the Christian church. Since Reformation times, some Protestant churches have moved away from the practice but the late 20th century saw many of these churches and individuals return to the practice. Much of this return to tradition could be attributed to the writing of the Evangelical Quaker, Richard Foster, and his Renovare movement.

Traditional Lenten practice in the Christian Church in the western tradition is that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence and all Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence. Fasting means one main meal during the day and, if necessary, two smaller meals to keep up one's strength. These smaller meals should not exceed the main meal. Abstinence means abstaining from meat. Beef and poultry are out on days of abstinence but fish is permitted. From this tradition of fasting and abstinence during Lent comes the tradition of "giving up" something for Lent i.e. children might decide to give up lollies, men might give up alcohol and so on.

The purpose of such practices is to encourage a penitent way of life during this season of the soul remembering our dependency on God and how sinful human nature impeded, and continues to impede, our relationship with our Creator and brought Jesus to the Cross.

Seasons of the Soul: Lenten reflection

The Pulley
When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by;
“Let Us,” said He, “pour on him all We can:
Let the world's riches, which disperséd lie,
Contract into a span.”

So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honor, pleasure:
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that alone of all His treasure
Rest in the bottom lay.

“For if I should,” said He,
“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore My gifts in stead of Me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:
So both should losers be.

“Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness:
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to My breast.”

George Herbert

Repentance

A Litany of Penitence

Eternal God, maker of heaven and earth
Have mercy on us.
Incarnate Word, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Abiding Spirit, give of light and life,
Have mercy on us.
For turning away from y our presence,
For disobeying your word and commandments,
Forgive us, Lord.
For trusting in our own strength instead of yours,
For betraying your trust and the trust of others,
Forgive us, Lord.
For resisting your grace and refusing your blessings,
For holding back from proclaiming our faith in you,
Forgive us, Lord.
For damaging this earth and exploiting its creatures,
For neglecting and wasting the gifts you have give us,
Forgive us, Lord.
For failing to forgive as we have been forgiven,
For judging others and bearing grudges,
Forgive us Lord.
For skimping on our commitments and relationships,
For failing in hospitality,
Forgive us, Lord.
For tolerating oppression, injustice, and wrong,
For keeping silent when we should have spoken up,
Forgive us, Lord.
For turning away when others have offered us love,
For closing our hearts when others have needed compassion,
Forgive us, Lord.
For all we have done unkindly, unjustly and dishonestly,
For our careless speech and hurtful words,
Forgive us Lord.

Seasons of the Soul: Ash Wednesday

Welcome dear feast of Lent: who loves not thee,
He loves not Temperance, or Authority,
But is composed of passion.
The Scriptures bid us fast; the Church says, now:
Give to your Mother, what you would allow
To every Corporation.

George Herbert

Ash Wednesday is here. On Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of our own mortality. It is a time of repentance, mortification, and reflection. The forty day Lenten period brings to mind the period that Jesus spent in the desert prior to commencing his public ministry.

Readings for Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2,12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12

Psalm 103 or 103:8-14

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Remember, man, that you are dust
And unto dust you shall return

Seasons of the Soul: Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day

Pikelets count for Pancake Tuesday.

Go here for the recipe.

To-day is Shrove Tuesday otherwise known as Pancake Day.

For a poetic meditation by George Herbert please go here.

Seasons of the Soul: Quinguagesima & Forgiveness

The Expulsion of Adam and Eve

To-day, in the Western Tradition, is Quinquagesima Sunday. Quinquagesima has fallen out of remembrance somewhat so let us refresh our liturgical memories. To-day, in the Eastern Tradition, is Cheesefare Sunday or Forgiveness Sunday. For the Orthodox, this is the last day you can eat cheese (and other foods) before the Lenten fasting begins, which will last some 7 weeks. Observant Greeks observe a more or less vegan diet during Lent, abstaining from meat, dairy, olive oil and alcohol.

The Western Tradition has gone soft. The East holds fast - an example to us all. Miss Eagle believes in marking the seasons through the liturgical year. It brings focus and liveliness to the spiritual journey. Now Miss Eagle is not going to emulate the Greek practice above but she will see what she can do. Miss E is a creature of her culture too and the West does not support these types of practices as it did in Miss E's girlhood. Rationalism has taken over not only society but the church too. Laziness and ignorance is abroad.

This is why many of us look to the Desert. Yes, we are part of the soft Western Tradition. We too are part of the problem. But we seek. Who do we go out into the Desert to see?

Seasons of the Soul: Lent and George Herbert

George Herbert Memorial Plaque -

St Andrew's Bemerton.

The Great Season of Preparation - LENT - is upon the Body of Christ. And - serendipitously - Miss Eagle has discovered a wonderful Lenten treasure over at CCEL. This treasure is the work, an archive, of the beloved George Herbert. George Herbert is one of the greats of the metaphysical poets. Here is another source of George Herbert material.

Dear Reader, if you have a deep treasure of Lenten reading that you would like to to have remembered on To the Desert, please email Miss Eagle off the sidebar.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library: CCEL

If Miss Eagle had to vote for a favourite website, she would vote for CCEL - Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Miss Eagle has been visiting CCEL since 1998 when she first got internet access. She has been able to download and print out material which is not readily available.

Over the years, CCEL has become more and more professional and sophisticated. Read their mission statement here. The CCEL has built up the Library over the years using editions of valuable Christian material which was not under copyright protection. Countless hours of volunteer labour have been invested in the transcription of the literary treasure of Christ's Church. Please visit CCEL and enjoy its pleasures and treasures.

Radical and contemplative

Fr Michael Kelly OSB

As Miss Eagle writes, she is doing her usual Sunday morning thing - listening to Encounter on Radio National. The program this week is The Radical Search: Contemplating the Contemplative Life. If you have missed it this morning, you can listen again on Wednesday night at 7.10pm.

Of great interest to To the Desert is hearing friend of this blog, Father Michael Kelly. Michael is sub-Prior of the Monastery of St Benedict, in Arcadia, NSW. The Monastery's website is linked on the sidebar.

For more about St Benedict's, this is a link to Rachel Kohn's visit there.

Related reading:

 

Saint Benedict: The Life of Our Most Holy Father Saint Benedict (A Catholic Classic!)

The Rule of Saint Benedict

Saint Benedict

(DVD)

Australian Research Institute for Desert Spirituality - ARIDS

From Ian Robinson:

May 17-20 VOICE IN THE DESERT .

A national retreat on desert spirituality is to be held actually on the edge of the Australian desert 70km east of Southern Cross, Western Australia.

The official launch of the Australian Research Institute for Desert Spirituality (ARIDS) will be held in the Koora Retreat Centre, hosted by Rev Anna Killigrew and Rev Peter Harrison. Costs are still being finalised, but they will be modest! They include good food, campfire, desert plains, salmon gums, toilets, showers are beds.


We will keep silence. Trisha Watts is our keynote prayer leader. Out of our times of silence will come the sounds of a ‘still small voice’ that she will help us to share and to welcome. Many of you know Trish’s outstanding music and gracious workshop leadership, and you others are in for a treat.


There will also be time for words. Papers on some aspect of Desert Spirituality are hereby called for, and if necessary will be selected by the working group composed of Rev Dr Anna Killigrew, Rev Ian Robinson, and Rev Tracy Spencer. Only a smallish number of papers will be offered.


Access to Koora is via Perth or Kalgoorlie by air, train car or bus. Contact Ian Robinson, at idtr@westnet.com.au, and Ian will help you find share transport.

Picture: Rabbit Proof Fence 25nm to the East of Southern Cross

Light shows the way - darkness, the stars

Last night at The Nine Mile, Broken Hill - August 2006

Photo: Denis Wilson

Quote from Janet at My Journey

I will love the light for it shows me the way.
Yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.
-Og Mandino

Finding Solitude

Over at The Electronic Soapbox Ross has published this piece by Henri Nouwen on solitude.

Finding Solitude

by Henri Nouwen

All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.

Faith: blind or certain?

In one of the Nazi death camps during the Second World War, a believer wrote on the wall:

I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining.

I believe in love, even when I feel it not.

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand

that the universe was formed at God's command,

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Paul's Letter to the Hebrews Chapter 11 verses 1-3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus said to him,

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears,

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark's Gospel Chaper 9 verses 23 and 24