Dear UCC,
Lately, my morning prayer time has included reading blessings by Irish poet John O'Donohue from his book To Bless the Space Between Us. It's a lovely collection of prayers that offer encouragement, connection, and wisdom. In the book's introduction, he writes that the "quiet light that shines in every heart. . . .is what illuminates our minds to see beauty, our desire to seek possibility, and our hearts to love life. . . . Though suffering and chaos befall us, they can never quench that inner light of providence." The blessings are wide-open enough for folks of any religious tradition to appreciate and employ, but O'Donohue explains that "for me personally, when I bless, I do it in the name and spirit of Jesus."
One of his blessings I recently read made me think of Sunday mornings at UCC. Worshiping together has taken on new dimensions after so long of online-only worship through the pandemic. Sundays in the sanctuary -- seeing other worshipers, sharing bread and cup, holding hymnals, and hearing each other's voices and the gorgeous organ music -- refresh our souls and renew our spirits. It's a joyful thing to be together. Here's the blessing. Let me know if it speaks to you as much as it does to me!
Peace, Megan
For Presence by John O'Donohue
Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of your soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.