Good Evening!
Welcome to day II of our Online Weekend Retreat- The Gift and Sacredness of Silence. I hope everyone had a good day trying to have long stretches of silence. Tonight we will enter into silence a tad bit earlier. We are going to go off the grid and turn off the TV so that we may be able to hallow our sleep better. We must turn off our devices and the the desire to be constantly connected. So dear ones let us look at the advice from iThrive today.
Day 1
Nice job choosing this Action Step Thriver! Scientific studies warning of the dangers of noise pollution may not be getting national headlines, but they should. In a literature review published in the March 2007 issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Lisa Goines, RN, and Louis Hagler, MD, call noise pollution a “modern plague.” They cite numerous studies defining the damage noise can cause:
- It increases blood pressure, heart rate and vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), putting people at risk of increased heart disease.
- It impairs task performance, increases errors and decreases motivation.
- It increases the use of psychoactive and sleeping medications; mental-health hospital admission rates; and symptoms such as anxiety, mood changes and overall emotional stability.
Whew, those are some great reasons to embrace the healing sounds of silence!
The first thing we’d like you to do today is to consider the various noises in your life. You may even want to make a list: television, radio, music, traffic, people, etc.
Today, we’d like to tackle one of the most common noises that people are exposed to on a daily basis—the television. Today and throughout this entire Action Step, we’d like you to consider turning off the TV. Do you have the TV on even when you are not watching? Is it background noise during mealtime or bedtime? Is turning on the TV one of the first things you do when you get up or get home from work? Consider changing your TV watching routine today and this week.
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Tomorrow let us begin to detoxify ourselves from social media. This means we need to cut the our social media umbilical cord and be with real people, read real news (heard of the newspaper?), go outside, and most especially spend some quality time with God at your local place of worship. If you don't have a church Go online to YouTube and watch the services from The Washington National Cathedral, All Saints Church Pasadena, Trinity Wall Street, or look up your own denomination. You may even want to read more of the 1,200+ blogs here at Walk With Me On Our Journey!
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Tonight we are on our own for in depth meditation! Please see the previous two blogs for a thumbnail sketch or if you prefer you may use them solely.
For our prayer time we take a journey back in time to the blog that was written in honor of St. Theresa of Avila whom we commemorate and celebrate today. The prayers come from that blog.
Here is the blog but the prayers are below:
Let us hallow our sacred time and space by lighting our virtual candles and be at prayer and enter into holy silence.
Let us be at prayer!
God of love and compassion help us to be truly loving and that we may protect all those who are being bullied, abused, and hated.
God of love and compassion, encircle this broken and fragile with you love, justice, mercy and light so that there may be peace on the earth.
God of love and compassion, drive away all things that divide us ! May we be one with you O God and stand and live united as one family under the shadow of your wings!
God of love and compassion, give us tender hearts to give comfort and help all those who are in any need or trouble.
God of Love and compassion, heal all of our family members who are ill in body, mind , or spirit. Give us courage to help them and reach out to them when our fears and anxieties hold us back.
God of Love and compassion, we pray for all of our family members who are pre-grieving their loved ones who are transitioning into the Thin Places.
God of Love and compassion, we pray for all those who live in places of violence, especially Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan , Africa. We pray particularly for the many refugees who have been displaced from their homes and workplaces.
God of Love and Compassion We pray for all who are dying and those who have died
today that they had a peaceful and warm journey into the Thin Places.
God of Love and compassion, We pray that we may become the voices of our voiceless and vulnerable family members.
God of Love and compassion, please shower upon us the gift of rain to heal and cleanse all drought parched areas of the world and in our country.
God of Love and compassion, we pray for all the leaders of the nations that they may learn to lead with compassion, justice, and mercy. and that their citizenry may be afforded human and equal rights and that they may respect the dignity of every human being.
God of Love and Compassion, we add our prayers for ourselves and those who have asked to pray on behalf of others ______________.
God of Love and Compassion we offer these prayers in the name of his only Son Jesus, Amen.
Today's lectionary texts and collect/prayer for the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila: From the HOLY WOMEN, HOLY MEN;
O God, by your Holy Spirit you moved Teresa of Avila to manifest to your Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we pray, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a keen and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Romans 8:22-27
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Psalm 42:1-7 Page 643, BCP
Quemadmodum
1
As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2
My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3
My tears have been my food day and night, *
while all day long they say to me,
"Where now is your God?"
4
I pour out my soul when I think on these things: *
how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,
5
With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *
among those who keep holy-day.
6
Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7
Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
or
Psalm 139:1-9 Page 794, BCP
Domine, probasti
1
LORD, you have searched me out and known me; *
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
2
You trace my journeys and my resting-places *
and are acquainted with all my ways.
3
Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *
but you, O LORD, know it altogether.
4
You press upon me behind and before *
and lay your hand upon me.
5
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
6
Where can I go then from your Spirit? *
where can I flee from your presence?
7
If I climb up to heaven, you are there; *
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
8
If I take the wings of the morning *
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
9
Even there your hand will lead me *
and your right hand hold me fast.
Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Pray for judges, magistrates, and courts of justice From the Book of Common Prayer.
Almighty God, who sittest in the throne judging right: We humbly
beseech thee to bless the courts of justice and the magistrates in all
this land; and give unto them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
that they may discern the truth, and impartially administer the law in
the fear of thee alone; through him who shall come to be our Judge,
thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Good Night dear family! Enjoy your time of silence. I love you and give God thanks for you always! Tomorrow we are going to find the sacredness of Sunday and Holy Sabbath Rest and silence. Let us also unplug from social media as much as possible and not post anything political during this retreat time. Tomorrow I will be attending the Santa Barbara Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice: Interfaith networking solutions. Please pray that it won't be too rainy! You will have a homework assignment in the morning.
Love, prayers, and blessings!
Sara
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