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March 17, 2010 Read: Then God said, "Look, I have given you every seed bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground- everything that has life." And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:29-31 Think About: As we continue in our efforts to learn about and embrace more restful practices in our daily lives today we find ourselves in the midst of a day on the calendar traditionally associated with things like shamrocks, green beer, parades, pinching those who forgot to wear green, etc. This is not to cast St. Patrick's Day in a bad light because all of these things can be fun and add some frivolity to our day whether or not we have an ounce of Irish blood in our veins. However, you might be interested to know that this ancient founder of the Catholic Church in Ireland and the spirituality of Celtic Christianity do have deep roots in the practice of quiet listening and noticing God in what are called the "thin-places." These are the times and places in life where any gap or barrier between the human and divine becomes barely noticeable and the human soul finds refreshment and renewal. For Celtic Christianity these "thin-places" are found most often in nature- this handiwork of God which after its creation was called good and given to us to take care of and enjoy. But, they can also be found in any and all places if we will take time to notice. The following is a famous prayer of St. Patrick that offers a beautiful summation of Celtic Christian spirituality: "Christ, shield me this day: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me." I hope you will find time today to experience God in a "thin-place." It might be during a moment of a prayer, a scripture that speaks to you in special way, a time in the car when you're alone and notice the sunlight breaking majestically through a cloud, enjoying a word of encouragement given by a coworker before rushing immediately to the next task. Wherever you can, be intentional about noticing the presence of Jesus before you, behind you, within you, above you... Whether you are Irish or not this will make you feel lucky and blessed in this day and beyond! Pray this Prayer: Thank you God for those "thin-places" in life where you make yourself so obvious in glorious ways throughout each and every day. Forgive me when I allow myself to get too busy to notice. Amen. You are invited and encouraged to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences with the spiritual practices at the Lenten Devotional Blog. We are on this journey together and your words may help another along the way. Having problems viewing this page? Click here to view it online. Click here to be removed from the Lent Daily Devotions © 2010 St. Luke's United Methodist Church at Windermere |
