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To sit more quietly in God’s presence
To listen more intently to the words God tries to speak into my heart
To allow God to do more for me than I can do for myself
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Seeking the experience of Divine Love more than a revelation of orthodox doctrine.
Seeking God’s light to bring freedom from unbelief in the darkness of loneliness and despair.
Seeking to be the burning bush for each person climbing on the mountain searching for God.
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Resting in God’s peace
Restoring the deepest places of the human soul
Re-membering the family of God
Recalling God’s
Omnipotence
Omnipresence
Omniscience
Rejoicing in God’s desire to share love
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Coming to meet my Jesus
Letting go of the world
For just a brief time
To see as God sees
Breathe the wind of the Holy Spirit
Love as Jesus loves
To see a glimpse of heaven
A rainbow in the light of the horizon
Landing on the bridge between human hearts
*************
Looking into the small places that open the Kingdom of God
Slightly seen portals into eternity
Overlooked
Obscure
Only pursued by those listening and waiting
For God’s revelation
Blessed assurance coming in the whispers of the heart
Spoken by the Ancient of Days
To reveal a sparkle of endless time
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Allowing time for the mystery of God to occur
The silent movement of God to enter our heart
Guiding us in ways unseen
To places we never would have known to travel
Places so profound as to be unspeakable
Unimaginable
Miraculous
Creating events we are seldom able to see until after the fact
Because the means of God are often invisible
Yet the results of God are always unmistakable
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The walk of shame becomes a journey of Light
In the presence of God
The burdens of the world transform -
Becoming feathers on the dove of peace
The fear of bearing the cross of persecution
Vanishes in the eyes of the Lord.
And words spoken from a heart devoted to God
Pierce the clamor of darkness
With the pointed edge of truth
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Let me sing a song in your heart, O God,
A song to heal the nations,
A song to span the ocean between me and Thee
Let me sing gently with the wind of your Holy Spirit
A song of unity
A promise of oneness
A passion for ailing souls
Let me join in harmony with Jesus
Our voices entwined as one
Dancing on the way to the Kingdom of God
The tones and turns of divine melody
Resonating, inviting, twirling, dipping, whispering
God’s eternal love
In the deafening silence that brings new life.
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Sing a gentle praise to lift your heart from the burdens of the world
Bring down the light of heaven
Whisper the quiet desire of your heart
And calm the cacophony of your mind
Let the voice of God resound in the depth of your soul
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The birds sing their only song
It is the same song every day
All day
So in love with the unique gift God gave to them
Content in simplicity
Joyous in the choir
Each voice heard in the symphony of the trees
Miles and miles of melody, harmony, and rhythm entwined as one
God given
God inspired
One song so full of faith with nothing else to do
Nowhere else to go
Let me sing thusly in my heart, Holy One,
Through time and space
In prayer with all the voices you have given.
*************
What are you doing?
Just listening.
Why?
Knowing that God will speak.
Where?
In my heart.
When?
In the instant I stop thinking.
Who are you that God would speak to you?
His servant
Hungry, thirsty and listening.
His child
Loved, desired and well fed.
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The pressure to do something weighs heavy on the desire to sit quietly at the Master’s feet –
Where the refreshing breath of the Holy Spirit can fill our inner being with peace.
Where the light of God’s love can illuminate the deepest darkness
in our soul.
Yet the world screams for attention in the expectations of others,
Silencing the invitation of God to be content in his perfect love.
The expectation to achieve set beside the stillness of faith
Weight and weightlessness side-by-side.
Which can the wind of Spirit more easily move?
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“Where have you been?
Why have you not come to me?
I have been calling you, but you were not listening.”
I have nothing of value to say except, “Forgive me, Lord.”
“I have longed to see you and to be with you.
My Kingdom is not complete without you.
My joy does not satisfy while you are away.
Love is not whole and unity is not possible
While you wander in darkness.”
Why do I resist this time with you, my Lord?
Why do I run after food that cannot satisfy?
What false dream has replaced the promise of your love?
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Open your heart -
God will whisper into it with the breath of life.
God will help you remove the stones from the wall of fear and doubt.
God will restore the joy of living He created within you.
Open your heart -
God will paint a rainbow in the center of your life
And give you a voice of freedom to bring hope
In a world buried behind other walls,
Other fears, other doubts.
Open your heart –
God will remind you who and whose you truly are.
*************
What are the sweet words you long to hear?
That God loves you?
Look at the sunshine
Feel the gentle rain on your face
Taste the fruit and wheat of the earth
Smell the flowers of spring
See the fresh bloom of leaves
Walk in the dense green of forest trees
Hold a child
What are the sweet words that God longs to hear?
Thank you, Lord.
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Body of light
Flame of faith
Smoothly dancing amid the sea of night
Gentle Spirit
Love’s sweet child
Resting in a field in a corner of God’s hand
Whispering heart
Divine desire
Strengthened by unity in prayers of hope
Hymns of praise
Assurances of Yahweh
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Lifting hands to bless others
Lifting hands to be blessed
Lifting hands to catch someone falling
Lifting hands to be lifted up
Lifting hands in hunger
Lifting hands in hope
Lifting hands in prayer
Lifting hands in praise
Lifting hands to receive a child
Lifting hands to give a child
Lifting hands as if a child
Bowing down and lifting hands to God
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Spirit of power
Given to renew, redeem and restore
Broken lives
Disenchanted dreams
Lost souls
Spirit of comfort
Given to soothe, touch and heal
Wounded hearts
Ailing bodies
Darkened minds
Spirit of love
Given to warm, bring peace and unite
Warring nations
Difficult relationships
Conflicted people
Spirit of God
Given to lift, empower and sustain
New life
New hope
New beginnings
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A FEW BASIC EQUATIONS OF LIFE
H(n) = V
and
L(s) = P
Hunger(need) = Violence
Love(sharing) = Peace
L(s) > H(n)
P > V
*************
The Lord asked me, “What is it that you need? I have given you neighbors and work to take your focus off of yourself so that you can give my love, comfort, faith, and hope to others.”
“What you need,” the Lord said, “is not more of me in yourself, but less of yourself and more of me found in your neighbor.”
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God’s steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136)
Though the light of the world may grow dim
And the power of faith doubted among the people
And the idols of gold and works of human hands sought more than God
Though cynicism and skepticism have a greater place in the human heart than faith
And hatred and violence gain greater support than forgiveness and love
And revenge and retaliation are demanded more than mercy is given
Though the Body of Christ is cast out to make more room for commerce
And God’s Word collects more dust on the shelf than meditation in the heart
And the church has become weak in its prophetic message
- disengaged from the struggle for justice
- unable to impress the importance of observing the Sabbath
- unwilling to speak the Lord’s Commandments in the public square
Though all of this may be true
God will make a way
God’s steadfast love endures forever
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Why is it uncomfortable to sit quietly in the presence of God?
When God hears our ideas about how He ought to make things right
He Sighs
When God hears our judgment of Him
He Laughs
When God hears the pain and suffering of the world
He Cries
And that makes us uncomfortable.
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Holy Love – Healing Love – Wholeness Love
Holy Light – Love of God
A small glimmer outshines the sun
Its absence colder than the deepest winter
Holy Light – Holy Love
Sharing God’s life-giving power in the world
Holy Light – Holy Love
Seeing greatness in the small and ordinary things of life
In people
In each other
Holy Light – Healing Light – Wholeness Light
*************
Why God?
for miracles and imagination
for things beyond our reason
for hope beyond our violent world
for life after death to give meaning to our struggle
for a belief that there is more to the universe than we can measure
for an alternative reality that does not result in violence, loneliness and despair
*************
When I get away from the discipline of prayer I notice a growing emptiness in the depth of my soul. I begin to feel the despair and loneliness that comes from a distant relationship with God. I miss the peace and freedom I have when I maintain an intimate relationship with the Holy One. The positive side of this wandering from sweet hours of daily prayer is that I remember what sadness and loneliness feels like to most of the people who have not found their way yet into the loving arms of God. The gnawing feeling that there must be something more to life. The unexplainable, undeniable and inescapable sadness that invades even moments of joy. Joy unfulfilled because there is not a solid foundation of Being from which to leap high enough to express the utmost elation.
Take my hand, dear Lord,
Walk with me as I return to you in the sweet hour of prayer
And I learn to live – truly live
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Breathe peace
Gather strength
Release the struggle of thought
Trust the value of emptiness
Simply BE
Secure in faith
In each moment with its height, depth, length and breadth
Content in fullness and joy without end
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God enters into the space between us.
If we are not looking toward each other,
we will never see God.
Likewise, if we are not looking for God,
we will never see each other.
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The armor of prayer shields the flesh from the dangers of hate and the treacherous ground of greed and pride. God’s reflected light in prayer blinds the enemy and, like a sword of steel, pierces the deepest darkness and defeats the fiercest foe.
The armor of prayer does not weigh on the body, but lifts the spirit beyond the gravity of earth to a place where no sin, no pain and no suffering can touch the soul. The wind of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that can enter this gift of God’s grace; this source of mercy and strength; this essential nature of Christ; this deepest desire of the soul; this communion with God.
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Hold the Word of God in your hand
In your mind
And, most importantly, in your heart
But start with your hand because this is what you can see and feel while in your mortal flesh
Allow your physical experience of the Word to wash over your inner self
Like a springtime rain
Or as the colors of the sunset fill the sky
Gentle – Awesome – Soft colors of every hue
Hold the Word as you would Jesus
Every day, tenderly, with a profound love in the deepest portion of your heart
And let it fill your soul
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Clearing the debris of thought and emotion,
The clutter of human life,
To allow the refreshing Spirit and sweet voice of God to cleanse our soul
The hushed whispers of the saints envelop the silence with a divine song
Inviting a soft tear of relief to fall from eyes weary of seeing the pain and suffering of the world
An unrehearsed sigh passes over our lips
As we are transported and transformed by unconditional love
Into the sanctuary of God
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Enter the place where the deepest desires of your heart receive the power to become reality
The place where the shadowy figures of fear and doubt vanish in the light of God’s love
The place where God’s hand of peace and restoration will touch your soul
To remove all of the scars of the world
And transform the doubt and fear that battles faith
Into “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen”
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Can we imagine what God must feel as we ignore His invitation
to abide in His love and peace;
As we seek to satisfy the needs of our body
more than the needs of our soul;
As we rely on the power of human hands
more than the power of His love?
Can we taste God’s tears?
Can we feel God’s broken heart?
Can we experience God’s loneliness?
Can we hear God calling us home?
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Just to be in the familiar place, on our knees, with God
Can bring an enormous transformation to our heart.
There is no substitute for the feeling of bended knee in the presence of God.
It is the comfortable confidence of being with our very best friend.
*************
GOD has built this house of worship just for YOU.
*************
What is the cause of the desolation that makes us feel so alone?
What is the cause of the uneasiness and unrest that prevents us from sitting quietly in the presence of God?
Racing minds making plans – ruminating on things past – worrying about things that may never come
Everything for which there is nothing in the present moment to do
Except stall the peaceful presence of God
*************
Set priorities
Quiet the mind
Cleanse the heart
Renew the Spirit
Breathe deeply the love of God
Be at peace
Let the soul go free
Sing from the center of your being
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As often as the world shouts war – whisper peace
As often as the world experiences fear – remember faith
As often the world points out difference - see the unity of the Holy Spirit
As often as the world acts out hatred – represent Christ’s love
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In silence
Power
Peace
Perception
Of God
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A place where the thoughts of mind are loosened by the reality of soul
Dancing within the essence of an each that has no other
A vision of love and unity that taunts and teases on the brink of consciousness
Set free from the anchor of fear and the concern of losing self
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Love will not be silent in fear.
Love will not be silent in sorrow.
Love will not be silent in the pure light of God.
*************
Trying so see the intangible truth of God
Amid the tangible illusions of the flesh
Is like trying to see pure water in a muddy river.
Only by faith are we purified.
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A moment and space in time when the veil between here and hereafter becomes transparent
and the distinction between the Divine and human endeavor is obscured by the unification of one with the other.
The thread on which human life depends is often stretched and frayed to a point
where the miraculous and powerful hand of God intervenes to renew faith in visible and knowable ways.
The distance between me and Thee is removed
We bathe together with the Holy Spirit in the water of baptism,
Drink together from the cup of Christ,
And lavish together in the peace and love of Almighty God.
*************
We yearn for transformation
With a hunger and thirst for the fullness of joy that only
an experience of God will bring.
Help us follow the Spiritual Masters
Who all agree that spiritual discipline is the only way to attain the wholeness of peace and love we seek.
Help us not make excuses for a spiritual laziness that leads to apathy, doubt, and despair
*************
Just come. Sit with me for a while.
Let me whisper in your ear how much I love you.
Let me touch your wounds and place your hand upon my once bleeding side
Now made well by the grace and mercy of Almighty God.
You do not have to be alone nor afraid.
You do not have to be strong and in control.
Just come.
Let the child within you take my hand.
I will show you the way of peace.
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I love you every moment.
In your times of doubt, I call to you.
In your painful failures, I seek to lift you up again.
In your bliss and joy, I celebrate and dance with you.
Seek me in the ecstatic places of your heart
Beyond reason
In the realm of the profound impossible dream
That is actually more real than this world
More than everything in this world
More, so much more, that I offer you
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God has put the heart of another person in your hand.
What will you do with it?
Will you leave it on the church pew?
Will you let it fall onto the floor?
God has put the heart of another person in your hand.
How will you nurture it with the love you have been given
In Christ Jesus
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The messianic dream of what IS
The flower
The stream that passes and never ends
The bird song that never changes, yet never remains
the same
The dried reeds of summer
Waiting to be flattened by the winter snow
Waiting to be given new life in the spring
The messianic dream of each breath
Counting for something
Fulfilling something
Promising something
Revealing something new
About the messianic dream that IS
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The messianic dream that sees
Each fiber of life a cell of living
Moving
Ingredients of the one Body of Christ
Nothing existing alone in the universe
All things united in the one ultimate purpose of God
The messianic dream begins with what IS
An explicit contentment
An implicit fulfillment
An essential joy of being
Nothing more or less than an experience
In the wholeness of God
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What a nice little house I have here in the woods. The sound of the babbling brook "dominates" with its gentle song. The buzz of the bugs that was so intense in August and September is quite a bit softer now. I feel at peace and secure - gentle in Spirit and content.
In the morning I watch the mist begin its journey off of the lake and into the forest as it escapes the view of the sun rising above the trees. The faint moisture on top of the lake moves silently as one community ending its dawn dancing. The cloud rising on the water to meet the perfect blue sky as the sun crawls uninterrupted to its lofty throne above the earth.
Life is easiest watching the trees. Here I can live peaceably with all, because all is at peace. Here I can associate with the lowly, because there is nothing here that is not lowly and humble. Here I will not be overcome by evil, because there is no evil.
I was thinking about the trees as I went for a walk in the evening. In the summer, they were all green and pretty much alike. I must admit that I am not very knowledgeable about trees – they were alike because they were all green. Now, however, in the fall, they are very different colors and showing very distinct shapes and characteristics. I am beginning to have preferences for one tree over another that I did not have while they were all green – and all alike.
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Life is easiest watching the trees – daydreaming – not engaged in human conflict and unrest. Alone with God - watching the trees live side-by-side for centuries sometimes while never quarreling. They take carbon dioxide and change it to oxygen (overcoming evil with good). They are content to be undistinguished in a crowd during one season, and then modestly show their unique character with all of the other trees before going to sleep for the winter.
Life is easiest watching the trees swaying in the breeze as they do the unique task for which they were created – nothing more, and nothing less.
The forest is an energizing and mystical place. I go there for that reason. The trees do “tree-ness” perfectly, and maybe that is what is mystical about them. Perfection is indeed mystical. But it is easy to be perfect when not much is required. That is why, I suppose, life is easiest watching the trees – nothing much is required of me watching things of which nothing much is required.
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Life is easiest watching the turmoil of the world while living in the blessed assurance of God’s promise.
Life is easiest forgiving those who have harmed us while living in the blessed assurance of God’s promise.
Life is easiest suffering the pains of our bodies while living in the blessed assurance of God’s promise.
Life is easiest when we overcome evil with good BECAUSE we live in the blessed assurance of God’s promise.
Life is easiest when we overcome evil with good ONLY because we live in the blessed assurance of God’s promise.
Life is easiest watching the trees swaying in the breeze as they do the unique task for which they were created – nothing more, and nothing less.
Life is easiest when we do the unique task for which we were created – to be the image of God – nothing more, and nothing less.
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Too many words that tell me things about your heart that I already know.
Hush . . . and listen . . .
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