Sunrise on the Equinox...

Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?"        E.M. Forster

Seventh Week of Eastertide

May 20, 2012
Seventh Week of Eastertide
The Ascension

Acts 1:6-11
“He Was Carried Up Into Heaven"

Can you imagine what it was like to be there with Jesus when suddenly, he was lifted up into the sky? What was going through the disciples' minds when they were standing there staring up at the cloud that hid Jesus from their sight? Were they confused, sad, or amazed? Did they expect him to return very soon? Did they comprehend that their time with Jesus in this earthly realm was really over?

Jesus had just told them that they would "receive power" from the Holy Spirit and be witnesses "to the ends of the earth." And now he was gone! Two men dressed in white assured them that Jesus would come back in the same way. But soon enough it was time for them to return to Jerusalem, to their homes and families, to the fellowship of believers. Surely they didn’t know exactly what Jesus wanted them to do. And so they waited, remembering Jesus, all that he said and did. They remembered the day on which they saw him ascending, glorified. They waited until the day of Pentecost…

Prayer of Waiting...
Lord, we wait for you as well, waiting for your return, for a sign of your presence. Waiting in faith isn't easy for us; we want to see you NOW! Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit that is within us today as we continue to wait...guiding us as we listen to your gracious guidance as we are witnesses to the gift of your love to the ends of the earth.

"...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Sixth Week of Eastertide

May 13, 2012
Sixth Week of Eastertide
Jesus and Peter

John 21:15-20
“Feed My Sheep”

Jesus, you ask me three times if I love you! Of course I love you! Why do you keep asking me? What on earth do you mean by feeding your sheep?

Wait a minute...if I listen carefully...I do see that I could do more to show you how much I love you. I really do love you, you know. There aren't any sheep running around my neighborhood, but there are a lot of hungry and hurting people around me. Help me to use the gifts that you've given me to make your world a better place for them and for me. If I pay attention to the gifts you've given me, I know I can figure out a way to feed those sheep of yours!

Prayer of Intercession...
There are so many "sheep" in your world that need tending...hurting and hungry, lost and lonely. Today, God, I lift those people up to you in my prayers and ask you to wrap your loving arms around them. God, I also ask that you help me to be more aware of the gifts you've given me that I can use to make our world, your world a better place...to bring a little bit of heaven to our earth.

Christ has no body on earth but yours, No hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.   Saint Teresa of Avila

Fifth Week of Eastertide

 

May 6, 2012
Fifth Week of Eastertide
Jesus Appears at the Seashore

John 21:1-14
“Come and Be Fed"

What an amazing God you truly are! You fill those nets so full of fish that they can't be hauled back into the boat! When you call out, "Come and be fed" you really mean it! There are times when I throw out my net, over and over again, and it keeps coming back empty. How I long for my net to be filled to overflowing with your abundance! How I long to hear you call out to me, "Come and be fed!"

Is my net full, but not with what I am expecting? Are you calling out and I just don't hear you? I admit that sometimes it's difficult for me to hear your voice...when the distractions of my hectic life are so loud that they drown out your loving call. Open my ears so I can hear your voice...the voice of the one who loves me more than anyone else. Is Jesus calling out to you, offering you words of encouragement, inviting you to be fed? Listen...

Prayer for Guidance...
Guide me, O God of abundance, during the times when nothing seems to be going right...when nothing is working no matter how hard I try...when I throw out my net, and it keeps coming back empty. Help me to remember today that you are here for me, ready to fill my empty net and provide me with nourishment through my difficult days.

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24