Prayers (2 of 3)

Heavy Baggage

Words of the Muslim Sufi Mystic Jelaluddin Rumi
“We worship devoutly when we’re with others . . . as minerals in the ground rise inside trees and become a tree, as a plant faces an animal and enters the animal, so a human can put down the heavy body baggage and be light”

Let us pray
In these few moments
we put down the heavy baggage of our bodies and allow the pews to share the weight;

in these few moments
we put down the heavy baggage of sole responsibility for others and allow others to share it with us;

in these few moments
we put down the heavy baggage of busy weekday lives and allow weekend laziness to balance the weight;

in these few moments
we put down the heavy baggage of narrow concerns for ourselves, for others and for the world, and with fellow worshippers place them briefly before the one who sees all concerns in perspective.

In these few moments we are light of heavy baggage.

So may the rest prepare us for the heavy weights ahead.
Amen
Andrew M Hill

Golden Threads

We gather the golden threads of life and weave from them a rich tapestry:

the golden thread of common, everyday human life speckled with small, unidentifiable little decencies;
the golden thread of human pain and human pleasure from which together each human biography is writ;
the golden thread of vision and example set by known and unknown prophets, saviours and good samaritans;
the golden thread of communal sorrow and public despair transformed by Easter resurgence, Passover liberations and the resurrection of crucified human spirits;
the golden thread of broken promises mended, held slaves freed, captive people liberated, exiled friends returned;
the golden thread of hope and life which shines despite social cold, political darkness and autocratic power;
the golden thread of many-spleandoured life – spider, human and lion, fish, plant and toad;
the golden thread of human families when the generations sensitively appreciate their roles and times; 
the golden thread of literature, art and music - Job, Beethoven, Hamlet, Renoir, Burns and ‘Greek Thompson’;
the golden thread of wonder, increased human understanding walking hand in hand with a greater sense of mystery;
the golden thread of human communities loyal to commanding and transforming visions of how things may be
O God, we thank you that in the texture of our common life, there shines forever this golden thread.
Amen
Andrew M Hill

Fond Words

Jan Struther wrote:
Hard words will break no bones:
But more than bones are broken
By the inescapable stones
Of fond words left unspoken.

And so let us pray:

So let us in the quiet of our minds speak fond words:
for those to whom we are close and who are close to us;
for those whose presence is now a memory;
for fond friends and helpful neighbours;
And let us in the quiet of our minds speak fond words for those we too often forget:
for those who are struggling with poverty, with tyranny, or with disasters
for those who seek work, a home, or better health
for those who are discriminated against because of who they are.
And let us in the quiet of our minds try speaking fond words for those for whom we find it difficult to speak fond word:
for those whom we never see but on whom we depend
for those who irritate us because they are only doing their job
for those with whom we are out of sorts
And let us in the quiet of our minds just hope that someone else is speaking fond words:
for those whom we love to hate
for those whom we cannot love and who are unlovely to us
for those whom we have forgotten
Hard words will break no bones:
But more than bones are broken
By the inescapable stones
Of fond words left unspoken.
Amen
Andrew M Hill

Each Day

With each new day, we are offered another step in life's sacred journey
an invitation to join in the flow of life that streams around us
Today, we may face a barren desert landscape to cross
Parched as our reserves of hope dwindle
Some days, a lush oasis appears
Offering its succulent gifts of joy to delight our hearts
Each day, we arrive, but not to stay
We travel on…
Pilgrims in search of the holy land that glistens in our dreams
Journeying toward a destination that we must seek
And that none ever reach
Spirit of the journey, God of many names
May we step out boldly
Venturing eagerly forward
Accepting all that each mile has to offer
May we know that within the journey itself lies our destination
And that the holy city waits to be discovered in every heart.
Rev Andy Pakula

The Midst of the Busy City

In the midst of the busy city we find:

a sanctuary
a place of quiet
a place for reflection
So let us pray:

Into the stillness and the quietness of this place come the noises of the city:

A train rumbles through the railway tunnels below, reminds us that people like us are born travellers - but along the way we need places for rest and for refreshment, and also a destination. For rest and for refreshment and for a destination in this special space we are grateful.

An ambulance speeds along the street outside - its blaring siren telling us that therein is a fragile life hastening towards the hospital - reminding us that human life is vulnerable and that rigid independence is not always in our interest. For interdependence with friends and families and for this shared space we are grateful.

A mighty hammering - metal upon metal - echoes through the neighbourhood and rudely interrupts our quietness reminding us that the living city is always changing, always repairing, always rebuilding. For the opportunities which this space provides for repairing and rebuilding our sometimes shattered lives we are grateful.

In the midst of the busy city, in this place of reflection, quiet and sanctuary, we make a prayer of gratitude for its noisy reminders.
Amen
Andrew M Hill