IN THE WAITING ROOM
GOD OF WAITING, STILLNESS AND CREATIVE ACTION
God of waiting, stillness and creative action, help us to find space for quietness today
that we may live creatively, discover the inner meaning of silence, and learn the wisdom that heals the world.
Send peace and joy to all who are waiting and listening. May your still small voice be heard through Christ.
Slow Me Down by Orin L. Crain
Slow me down, Lord..... Ease the pounding of my heart By the quieting of my mind. Steady my harried pace With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, Amidst the confusions of my day, The calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves With the soothing music Of the singing streams That live in my memory.
Remind me each day That the race is not always won by the swift; That there is more to life Than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward Into the branches of the towering oak And know that it grew great and strong Because it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord, And inspire me to send my roots deep Into the soil of life's enduring values That I may grow toward the stars
Of our greater destiny.
LUKE 24: 45 - 49. ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer
and to rise from the dead on the third day,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins
is to be proclaimed in his name
to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised;
so wait here in the city
until you have been clothed with power from on high.’
PSALM 62 (part)
For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my safety and my honour; God is my strong rock and my refuge.
Put your trust in him always, O people,
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
WATCHING AND WAITING
While we are doing our routine work,
He comes.
While we are mending our nets or cars,
He comes.
While the very life we seek is slipping through our fingers,
He comes.
When we toil all night and catch nothing,
He comes.
When we are tired and frustrated,
He comes.
And every time He comes, He calls.
He calls us today and every day
[Anon]
Make us decrease so that you might increase,
as a watching world sees you, not us.
Free us of any distraction, craving or anxiety
that would keep us from fully following you.
Everything we could possibly need is yours to give us.
Remind us of our sinful brokenness and your gift of grace
as we encounter brokenness in others.
You are the answer to our every question.
You are the treasure that we desperately seek,
Keep us on your path of righteousness and justice,
bearing the good fruit of your Spirit,
for it is on you, Lord Jesus, that all hope is built.
The Cost of Community: Jamie Arpin Ricci,
Posted on Godspace.
In the waiting,
grant us, Lord God,
a vision of our world
as your love would make it:
a world where the weak are protected,
and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the benefits of civilised life are shared,
and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races, cultures and creeds
live in tolerance and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice,
and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
David Adam
