Meditation: The fullness of life

I have come that you may have life - and have it to the full. Jesus

Julian of Norwich

All shall be well, I'm telling you, let the winter come and go
All shall be well again, I know.
... from Sydney Carter's song, The Bells of Norwich

Although many look there, it is not 

in travel, fun or richness of experience -

or even friends, family and lively conversation,

that we find the promised fullness of life.

  Give me your worries and cares, 

  your grudges and angers and fears.

  These are barriers in your search for love.

  Just let them go: all will be well.

We will not find fullness in good food, or wine, 

in what we own, or in our hoarded security - it is

only in pouring out love, freely, to empty our hearts, creating a void to fill with new love.

  Give me your worries and cares, 

  your grudges and angers and fears.

  These are barriers in your search for love.

  Just let them go: all will be well.

When we empty our hearts, a Spring-tide of love

roars in, white-capped, overflowing, overwhelming. 

All of creation floods in, all made in love, breaking 

our poor hearts, washed in the lavish love of our God.

  Give me your worries and cares, 

  your grudges and angers and fears.

  These are barriers in your search for love.

  Give them to me: all will be well.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try John 10, 7-10 

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.         

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word LOVE.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Meditation: Psalm 139

My God, you made me and know me; 

you have watched me learn and grow. 

You know my shames and sorrows,

my fears and angers and desires. You know

my hopeful dreams and the good you made me for. 

You know me deep to my heart.

   You made me with a destiny 

   too big for my understanding, 

   a beauty too glorious for my eyes. 

   You made me like you, to join myself to you.

I forget you and your dream for me each hour,

misled on the paths of my day. Seeming apart,

I rely on my own strength and wisdom and will.

But you are never apart, drawing me back

with a word in my mind, a pebble in my shoe,

or a surge of joy and unity in my heart.

   You made me with a destiny 

   too big for my understanding, 

   a beauty too glorious for my eyes. 

   You made me like you to join myself to you.

And so I struggle to be with you in each moment,

seeking glimpses of truth, moments I know your love. 

I fight the attractive dead-end paths. I know 

this struggle is where I uncover my purpose, but I still hate it because every moment on a false path is a moment I separate myself from you.

   You made me with a destiny 

   too big for my understanding, 

   a beauty too glorious for my eyes.

   You made me like you to join myself to you.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try the real Psalm 139

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.         

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word KNOW or ALWAYS.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Meditation: More than it seems

On Friday this week I joined a group of people on a day of silent retreat.

Being beautiful winter weather: clear, still, and crisp, we took a couple of hours on our own to wander the Gardens of the World at Brightwater.

It was in that time that I was given two moments where time stopped and I experienced the perfection that lies just past the surface of everything we see; the perfection of Creation when we are able see past the filter of our senses into the very heart of things.

1

Golden leaves fall singly
onto a still pond -
still except for the tiny
ripple as each leaf
tumbles gently onto the water.

I gaze at the shining flecks of yellow
scattered over serene water
dark in the shadow of the trees
around me.

My awareness shifts.

Behind the leaves, 
but painted on the water,
floats the tree above,
other leaves reflected behind the real leaves scattered
below.

2

My awareness shifts.

Three white ducks rest
on the bank by the real tree.
One - fussy, active, pushing oil along feathers
with a blunt golden beak, 
as perfectly designed for this as for sifting food
from the floor of the shallow lake. 

The second, mostly still, but aware.

But the third, completely still and separate,
transfigured in a shaft of winter sunlight
glows, radiant, the only movement
a single feather so thin and fine, fluffed, 
ruffled by a breath of gentle breeze.

There is also a fourth duck, in shadow,
unnoticed at first in dappled greys and browns, also
perfect as itself - but getting on with its duck life 
not seeing the luminous perfection so near.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try this from Friday's readings, from Psalm 139

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar. 

R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works. 

R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth. 

R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word SPIRIT or TRUE.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Meditation: The Lavish Lover

Life is all about love.

God is love, and made us to share that love,

made us, caterpillars discovering purpose,

to give love, to accept love, to join the very 
being of God, perfect as our Creator is perfect.

Life is love.

God wants the very best for us.

Half-hearted love, selective love,

is barely half a life - we are made to love wholly

and share love with God and all God created.

Jesus showed us love, the fullness of love;

not selective, half-hearted affection

but bone-deep knowledge that love 

shared with every other person, every created thing, 
is the only meaning of life.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try this from one of today's readings, Matthew 5:43-48

   Jesus said to his disciples:
   “You have heard that it was said,
   You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.
   But I say to you, love your enemies
   and pray for those who persecute you,
   that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
   for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
   and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
   For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
   Do not the tax collectors do the same?
   And if you greet your brothers only,
   what is unusual about that?
   Do not the pagans do the same?
   So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Focus on a significant word or phrase in this passage or the meditation for a few moments.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word LOVE or ONE.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Meditation: Share as God shares

A lamp to my feet is your word,

a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

  

You gave us everything O Lord:

the inspiration of each new dawn,

the warmth of the sun,

the laughter and tears of a child,

the love we share with each other.

The glow of love lights our way.

You gave us minds to understand,

eyes to see and ears to hear, 

fingers to touch and hands to make,

hearts to overflow, passions and 

loves to inspire us, to light our paths to you.

The glow of love lights our way.

We are so easily distracted from life:

in our resentments and angers,

our constant re-viewing of the past,

in our fears for the future, we 

stumble blindly through the gift of this moment.

The glow of love lights our way.

Your Creation is full of signposts, 

moments of joy in the eyes

of those we love, and in 

the surprised thanks of strangers:

all that joins us, in the joining, lights our path to God.

The glow of love lights our way.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try this from one of today's readings, Matthew 5:38-42

   Jesus said to his disciples:

   “You have heard that it was said, 

   An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
   But I say to you,

   offer no resistance to one who is evil.
   When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

   turn the other one to him as well.
   If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

   hand him your cloak as well.
   Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

   go with him for two miles.
   Give to the one who asks of you,

   and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Focus on a significant word or phrase in this passage or the meditation for a few moments.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word SHARE or GIVE.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.