Eastern Hills Community Church

A meditation from our service this week..

We are going to spend some time in quiet communion with God. In this time we will rest in God. A communion which refreshes and restores.

Open your right hand, consider for a moment something that you value about yourself this morning. Maybe this is something you are good at, or a quality you appreciate, something you have achieved.

Open your left hand, consider for a moment something that you don’t like about yourself this morning. This could be an area of weakness, inability or pain, something that makes life challenging for you this week.

Hold out both of your hands as we pray:

Just as we are we come to you Lord and hold out our hands. Our strength and our weakness, our trash and our treasure we release before you – For your will to be done in them. We boast not in ourselves but your presence and power in our lives to work these things into something beautiful. We look to you, the author and perfecter of our faith.

In old times and in other cultures the right hand is a symbol of power and strength. It is raised to take oaths and to show submission.  You may like to trace a print of your hand on one or all three of these ancient prayers, making them your own this morning. (We had large pieces of brown paper across the walls under each prayer. An adaption for meditation at home is to place your right hand over each of these prayers as you open your bible in prayer.)

Three Prayers

Psalm 143:5-7

I remember the days of long ago;

I meditate on all your works

and consider what your hands have done.

I spread out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

Psalm 73:23-26

… Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

Psalm 16:7-9

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure..

A Marriage Blessing

Our prayer for your marriage bond finds inspiration from the majestic (gum) trees – the old folk of God’s kingdom.

May your journey’s beginnings be anchored like those massive roots

that have wound their way down through ancient layers of earth.

spreading wide and deep, searching out nourishment.

Weaving out their ordained foundation.

May you both grow a deep connection;

Searching to enrich your relationship, soaking in the wisdom of the ages.

And as the sapling stem grows, stretching and towering towards the light,

Twisting and thickening – strong against the harsh (Australian) elements;

May your bond protect one another through the weathering years.

And when the times do tire and test, may you know what must be let loose – to preserve what is precious.

Like the stripping bark and branches sacrificed in drought.

Out of a maturing trust, may your daily activities reach out like the branches

bent and shapen by time and season, fire and rain.

Branches that give shelter. Serving those around.

A home for some and a rest for many.

Limbs tattooed with scribbles and scrapes of life shared, life bared.

Strong arms from which to launch and find flight.

May deepening relationships be the bloom of this giving and sharing.

Leaf and blossom. Inviting and enriching, shading, swaying, dancing, healing, blushing and rusting.

And may your union – where you both have searched, shared and grown,

Leave the earth with gifts for future generations.

Like husks, leaves, twigs, nuts and bark fallen to the bed below.

Sewing back into what has been given and what will come.

By Emma Morgan for Matt and Ros Jones.

A prayer in the bush

From Corrie’s Baptism in the Yarra at Warrandyte.

Feel the earth beneath your feet, linking you to the past, standing where others have stood before you.

listen to creation breathe.

Take a long and loving look at what is real.

The reign of God’s love grows, even today.

Like a tiny seed beneath our feet, His kingdom is taking root in lives that are open and waiting.

As the yarra flows, and the rains come, we invite your spirit Lord to water our faith, to grow it today and every day.

Smell the fragrance of the bush.

Like the wind in the gum leaves, fresh on our face, we know you are here this morning and we honour you, we welcome you, Creator God.

A gentle hope is on the breeze, excitement and joy is taking flight.

May we grow strong together like a deep bushland, giving life, identity, home and shelter, food, healing and peace to life around us. In the name of Jesus, our brother and our Leader, walking with us.

Ideas from http://www.yarrahealing.catholic.edu.au/celebrations/index.cfm?loadref=61

These prayers are taken from past Sunday Services

A Moment Before

LORD

unchanging.. eternal.. source of life

Before

my actions.. response.. decisions

I come to you. May I listen.

Please grant insight into my life this day.

my situation.. fears.. confusion.. concerns.. hopes.. responsibilities.

I remember you Lord.

I will not forget You, Your place in my life.

Let me follow Your Spirit into the right place, the right understanding, the right responses, the right relationships – in your creative power.

Amen.

Cup

Close your eyes and relax your body.

Picture your past week as a cup, what has it held? What do you taste? What do you want to pour down the drain? what do you ask God to cleanse you of? What joys do you savour and give thanks for?

Hold your hand out as a cup and receive from God now. Invite him into your life, to fill you.

Lord let our prayers this morning be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. We offer up our prayers, our whole selves and our best affections. May your will be done here in this place and in every heart that calls on your name around the world this morning.

A prayer from our service this week celebrating the life of Rees Howells. Adapted for personal meditation.

You may like to have a candle ready to light in your meditation space at home.

Into your presence I come, Lord.  A few moments of quietness, closeness in a busy world. Such sanctuary.  I come to honour, to hear and to serve you.  Breathe on me now, that I might know you, Your power.

Spend some moments in quiet company with God.

Now you may like to pray “Who shall I hold in my prayers today? Who shall I bring to Jesus with me this morning?  A person, place, room or situation may rise to the mind. Don’t be deliberate, Be open to the Holy spirit guiding you, giving you love for others.

Now you may like to light a candle, a symbol of your desire to bring this person, place or situation into the loving arms of Jesus.

Lord May your Kingdom come and come.  May your will be done on earth and in every heart represented here in this candle, even as I pray, Amen.

Reading

Romans 8:26-38 (From NLT & the Message)

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Community call to prayer:

Like a flock of birds on the power line singing in the dawn of a new day, we gather in this place our God.

From all our different corners we come together to lift you up in our lives.

To pray, to worship, to meditate on your word.

Make your presence known to us Creator Father, Jesus, Holy spirit.

Play your favourite relaxing music.

Breathing Exercise.

Let your body, mind and spirit be relaxed and ready to receive and to give this morning. To breathe in and breathe out this morning.

We will now do a gentle breathing exercise.

I invite you to stand up find a bit of space so you have room to raise your arms to the sides.

Stand with your back straight and your feet about shoulder width apart.

Sink your weight into your legs. Place your hands in front of you.

Look at the ground at a spot about 2 metres (6 feet) in front of you.

Breath slowly and smoothly through your nose.

Breath in/ inhale as you slowly raise your arms up and away from your body.

When your arms are about parallel with the ground, stop inhaling, drop your wrists and begin lowering your arms as you exhale/ as you breathe out.

Bring your hands back together so your fingers just touch for a moment.

Raise and lower your arms smoothly and fluidly, just as if they are wings on a bird.

Do this four or so times and then sit down, with your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Continue to focus on your breathing as we meditate on these words.

Words for Meditation

” The Lord breathes out, and we breathe in; then the breath of life comes into us.”                                                 (http://instameme.com/here+i+am+lord+hymn)

Jesus, resurrected said “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you. With that he breathed on them and said …receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21

“The Jewish name for God – Yahweh – was not spoken, but breathed. Its correct pronunciation is an attempt to imitate the sound of inhalation and exhalation. We do that every moment: our first and last word as we enter and leave the world..” (Richard Rohr).”

An old hymn. You may like to make this your prayer this morning.

O Lord, breathe Thy Spirit on me,
Teach me how to breathe Thee in;
Help me pour into Thy bosom
All my life of self and sin.

• I am breathing out my sorrow,
  Breathing out my sin;
  I am breathing, breathing, breathing,
  All Thy fulness in.

I am breathing out my own life,
That I may be filled with Thine;
Letting go my strength and weakness,
Breathing in Thy life divine.

Breathing out my sinful nature,
Thou hast borne it all for me;
Breathing in Thy cleansing fulness,
Finding all my life in Thee.

I am breathing out my sorrow,
On Thy kind and gentle breast;
Breathing in Thy joy and comfort,
Breathing in Thy peace and rest.

I am breathing out my sickness,
Thou hast borne its burden too;
I am breathing in Thy healing,
Ever promised, ever new.

I am breathing out my longings
In Thy listening, loving ear;
I am breathing in Thy answers,
Stilling every doubt and fear.

I am breathing every moment,
Drawing all my life from Thee;
Breath by breath I live upon Thee,
Lord, Thy Spirit breathe in me.

A B Simpson ( 1834-1919).

Our Pentecost Meditation

Track from Itunes ‘Due Tramonti’ played throughout.

Relax your body, close your eyes and hold out your hands with palms facing upwards:

Spirit of life Before You and all the heavenly witnesses, We offer ourselves, mind, soul and body to You.
Fill our emptiness with your fullness

Place your hand over your chest:

Spirit of power We adore the brightness of Your purity,
the  keenness of Your justice,
and the might of Your love.
Stir our hearts afresh

Clasp your hands together:

Spirit of love
You are the Strength and Light of our souls.
We desire never to grieve You. Touch us, and through us, our neighbour

Tilt your face upwards:

Spirit of Creativity Guard our every thought
and grant that we may always watch for Your light,
and listen to Your voice
and follow Your gracious inspirations. Enable and empower the gifts you have given us

Feel your feet firmly on the floor:

Spirit of Eternity
Draw us ever deeper into your Kingdom Give us grace O Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Father and the Son
to say to You always and everywhere “Speak Lord for Your servant is listening.” Amen

Adapted from two prayers at http://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Pentecost.htm#ixzz0oYSKKvbx

A Beautiful Hymn

Spirit Blowing Through Creation

Spirit blowing through creation,
spirit burning in the sky,
let the hope of Your salvation fill our eyes;
God of splendor, God of glory,
You who light the stars above,
all the heavens tell the story
of Your love.

Refrain: Spirit renewing the earth,
renewing the hearts of all people;
burn in the weary souls, blow through the silent lips,
come now awake us, Spirit of God.

Love that sends the rivers dancing,
love that waters all that lives,
love that heals and holds and rouses and forgives.
You are food for all creatures,
You are hunger in the soul,
in Your hands the brokenhearted are made whole.

Promises from Scripture

We are going to still ourselves now, and focus on some promises from God’s word that relax us, evoke prayer within us and prepare us for the day. At the end of this time we will join with megs and the ancient tradition of celebrating our God through singing.

Holy Spirit, breath of life – Light candle – play track ‘Cocoa Soul’ by Oka. Album ‘Elements’. Itunes.

(Read really slowly. Allow space between sentences.)

The candle is a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s presence with us, right here. Find a comfortable position where you can breathe deeply, relax, you can write, draw or just sit and close your eyes.

Ancient and pure, moving and mysteriously present  – like this flickering flame, is your Spirit Lord.

Your spirit was moving over the earth in the very beginning..before light had even opened her eyes.

The first words of our creation story read …

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Gen 1:2

Ancient and pure…

The Lord God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Gen 2:7

Take 3 deep breaths…

I invite you to breathe in deeply as each phrase of this verse from Job is read and repeat these words within yourself..

‘The spirit of God has made me; (pause)

the breath of the Almighty gives me life (pause)

I too have been taken from clay.” (pause)Job 33:4

REPEAT

Jesus said: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.” REPEAT

“Now remain in my love…if you obey my commands you will remain in my love…I have told you this so your joy may be complete.”

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

“If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be and is in you.”

Repeat last line.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

Jesus, resurrected said “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you. With that he breathed on them and said …receive the Holy Spirit.”

‘I will be still’

Music – ‘Most beautiful’ by oka.

We are going to spend some time in quiet communion with God. In this time we will rest in God. A communion which refreshes and restores.

I invite you to spend a moment, relaxing in the Spirits presence.. Consciously offering your whole self to God. Let your prayer be the loosening of tension in your body, if it helps imagine a slow flow of water, melting your muscles from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

Psalm 16:7-9 says..

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the LORD always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

‘Set the Lord before you’ the Psalmist says.

We are going to spend some time just setting our minds eye on Jesus.

You may like to think about a quality of Jesus, his love, intimacy, the fruit of the spirit or a message or promise of Jesus, or a picture of Jesus.

(images of Jesus eating at the table, Jesus healing, Jesus the shepherd on screen and quote “It is He to whom I now come-this Jesus, this very Jesus. He is present and interested.”)

Think slowly over this picture or pour slowly over this message. Keep in the foreground of your mind; “It is He to whom I now come-this Jesus, this very Jesus. He is present and interested.”

We bring ourselves before you Lord, ready to worship, serve and receive you.

(Inspired by George S Stewart in The Lower Levels of Prayer )

www.artbible.net.

‘Washing of the Feet.’ Artist Unknown.

Prayer

Loving, generous God who brings all life into being through tiny seeds of hope we gather today in the mystery of your creation.

In your presence we think of all that sustains us: our friends, families and homes; clean water, fresh air, good food; even the microbes, bacteria, and enzymes and that which has yet to be named; the intricate systems which make our lives possible.

We thank you for the promise of hope and renewal that comes to us in Jesus Christ and we join together with the rest of creation in praising you our God: our God whose love and faithfulness stretches out to all generations, to all people, to every creature and all creation.  Amen. By Ruth Slater

Meditation

Allow creation to minister to you today. Worship with the bush as it brings glory to our indwelling creator God.

Spend some time in quietness, listening. Hold something in your hand, sit & observe or walk gently.

May our hearts be open to receive the nearness of God and the working of our Creator’s power.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

Psalm 62:5

After a while you may like to repeat a simple sentence of worship.

Write down anything that has been revealed to you in this time.

Lord I have come to know…

Take a walk outside with a pen and paper, find a comfy spot and reflect on these things for 20 mins.

Prayer

“Gracious God, in these moments

please remind me of your presence and generosity.

Give me the wisdom and courage to live gracefully with myself, others and the world you have wonderfully made.’

Meditation

Take some time and focus on the nearness of God.

Open yourself to the presence of our Creator.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.” [Psalm 145:18]

“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.” [Psalm 145:9,10]

Reflection

Looking back over the past year,

For what are you most grateful?

What makes you feel thankful?

What gifts and growth will you take from this year into the next?

Eg. Learning, patterns, relationships, dreams, ideas, change, responsibilities, prayers, provision.

Using simple words, express your gratitude to God.

Write a word or short phrase of thanks if you would like.

When or where in the past year do you feel you were you cooperating most fully with God’s action in your life?

When were you resisting? Do you notice weeds that may have taken hold this last year? Things that have wasted your time, destroyed balance, negative habits or patterns.

How do you want to live differently in 2010?

Share these things with God.

“Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life …

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;

may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

[Psalm 143:8b,10]

Closing Prayers

‘Ever-present Father, help me to meet you in the scriptures I read and the prayers I say; in the bread I break and the meals I share; in my investments at work and my enjoyments at play; and in the neighbours and family I welcome, love and serve, for your sake and that your love and peace may reign now and forever. Amen.”

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ May that almighty hand guide and uphold us all.

Minnie Haskins 1875 – 1957

“God, of your goodness give me yourself, for you are enough for me. And only in you do I have everything. Amen. Lady Julian of Norwich.