what to do with sorrow

“The uses we make of sorrow

are the measure of our spiritual growth.”

- Diana Lampen

Image by h.koppdelaney

“The Harvest: Cultivating the Spirit”

found here

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I’m so taken by this image.  What do you see?

hugging grief

"If we hug the memory of our own grief to ourselves,

we can close our minds to other people's wretchedness."

-Karen Armstrong

It is imperative that we be part of a community.

We were divinely created for it, and

though our culture rallies around independence,

& pulling ourselves up by our own boot straps,

we are called to peel our hands away from the comfort of our self-hug,

and with open arms, both receive and give love to our neighbors and ourselves.

So go ahead, share your story today with someone whose story you don't already know.

Prayer for those suffering in Japan

Merciful God, in your hands are the caverns of the earth and the heights of the hills: our times also are in your hands.
Hear our prayers for those suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan; soothe those in distress;  watch over those trapped and hoping for  rescue; comfort the bereaved; strengthen those who labor to help others, lift up those who cannot help themselves; and in every danger be their very present help by the power of your Holy Spirit; we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.  -The Rev. Jennifer Phillips

This prayer is from St. Pete's Rock.  You will find several others at that site. The artwork is a child's depiction of the tsunami that ravaged Sri Lanka several years ago.

All Saints Day Prayer

Living God, in whom there is no shadow or change,

we thank you for the gift of life eternal,

and for all those who, having served you well,

now rest from their labours.

We thank you for all the saints remembered and forgotten,

for those dear souls most precious to us.

Today we give thanks for those who during the last twelve months,

have died and entered into glory.

We bless you for their life and love,

and rejoice for them,

"all is well, and all manner of things will be well."

God of Jesus and our God,

mindful of all those choice souls who have gone on ahead of us,

teach us, and each 21st century disciple of every race and place,

- to follow their example to the best of our ability,

- to feed the poor in body or spirit,

- to support and comfort the mourners and the repentant,

- to encourage the meek and stand with them in crises,

- to cherish and learn from the merciful,

- to be humbled by, and stand with, the peacemakers.

Let us clearly recognize what it means to be called the children of God,

and to know we are to be your saints neither by our own inclination nor in our strength

but simply by the call and the healing holiness of Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen.

Prayer of Remembrance by Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church of Australia

photo from wikimedia -

All Saints Day, 1st November 1984 in the Beskiel Cemetery, Oswiecim, Poland.

For Sue...

"O God, my master,

Should I gain the grace to see you face to face,

When life is ended,

Grant that a little dog, who once pretended

That I was God,

May see me face to face."

Francis Jammes (1868-1938)

grief/brokenness

Texas Rose Mosaic by Sarah Zirkel

"To grieve is to allow our losses to tear apart feelings
of security and safety

and lead us to the painful truth of our brokenness."

Henri Nouwen

breathtaking art from here

so sorry

"I'm so sorry this happened to you"

This is a well-intentioned comment we emit frequently when someone relays distressing news. We don't want to see anyone suffer, and yet we all suffer. We really want to believe that we have at least a smidgen of control over the hills and valleys of this process of living our lives but deep down we know we don't. And so we say we're sorry that it happened in an attempt to bring comfort and express our empathy. And it always leaves us feeling inadequate.

I found this Barbara Brown Taylor quote on FB today and was moved by the reality of the work of suffering in our lives:

"Terrible things happen, and you are not always to blame.

But don’t let that stop you from doing what you are doing.

That torn place your fear has opened up inside of you is a holy place.

Look around while you are there. Pay attention to what you feel.

It may hurt you to stay there and it may hurt you to see,

but it is not the kind of hurt that leads to death.

It is the kind that leads to life."

Barbara Brown Taylor, from "Life-Giving Fear, Christian Century 1998.

and so we pray:
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves:

Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls,

that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body,

and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, Collect for 3rd Sunday in Lent

photo from here

Call?

"Each person enters the world called." - James Hillman

Really? I watched Jenna Wolfe's segment on her return to her native Haiti on the Today Show this morning. In the middle of her piece she approached a little girl whose mother had died in the earthquake. It seems that no adult woman can comfort this child as she only wants her mother.

You know how some things affect you more than others? That little girl has haunted me all day. What is she called to? What am I called to? What are any of us called to? Tonight I'm just not sure if I really know.

Lord, comfort your babies from the pain of this tragedy. Protect these helpless ones from those who would take advantage: the abusers, the sex traffickers, and the kidnappers. Bring every one of these confused and frightened children into loving arms who will care for them. Provide a way for these babies to experience your peace through the love of your saints on the ground....and yes Lord, may we all act upon our call to love our neighbors in this time of overwhelming need. Amen.

no picture today - we're all on visual overload.

A Prayer for Haiti

a hopeful prayer for an overwhelming crisis

An injured man carries his dead daughter in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

A Prayer for Haiti

by Josh Thomas

"O Father of the poor and Mother of the oppressed: Enfold in your arms the suffering people of Haiti. Comfort those in mourning; relieve those in pain; give shelter to the homeless and hope to those in despair. Feed your people, O God, with bread both earthly and divine, and give them your water and wine. Help them bury the dead, nurse the sick and wounded, and raise their faith and dignity, for they are some of your dearest children. Silence those who falsely claim that Haiti is somehow accursed; proclaim the truth that this vibrant, creative nation still shines as a beacon of freedom throughout the Americas. And help us, the nations of the world and the people of means, to help rebuild this colorful land in the image of your Son Jesus Christ, who knows our suffering because he took our mortal pain into his own body on the Cross; then rose again to live and reign with you and the Holy Comforter. Amen"

To read more from Josh visit his daily posts at The Daily Office.

enveloped by grief

Yesterday started out like any other weekday. I went about my usual morning routine before heading out the door for work. On Mondays I swing by Star Video to pick up whatever film I'm using for a specific segment of class. This week's choice was Smoke Signals (which happens to be on my top 10 best movie list).

After the first break I started the film & took a seat in the back of the classroom to work on papers. While watching the familiar scenes & listening to the laughter of my students I became acutely aware of something on the screen that I had previously not sensed on such a personal level. I had forgotten that one of the major themes in this jewel was loss of relationship with fathers. Mine died eight months ago. Suddenly it felt like he died yesterday...the sky fell down on me.

By the time the credits rolled I was a complete puddle and nothing says "awkward" like the teacher sobbing in the back of the room as someone turns the lights back on. There was that moment of tension in which people were fumbling for Kleenex, and I was trying to find enough of my voice to be able to put some words together.

Teachers are supposed to look like they are in control, correct? But my rawness became a window through which we could all feel the breeze of loss - I talked, they listened, and they talked and I listened and it affirmed what we already knew - We are all connected by our woundedness.

Grief can be an intriguing guest at times - I just wish she would call first before popping in.

(I have no idea who the artist is, but this is a great illustration of what it felt like yesterday - as if the sky had engulfed my head like a large blanket)