Glass pebbles and prayer time! Another item to add to our mobile mindfulness toolkit!

Good Evening Dear Brothers and Sisters in the family of God and Love!

Happy Sabbath Sunday! I hope you are enjoying your Sabbath Rest too. Last evening we made up our list of sacred items to go into our portable mindfulness tool kits. For those of you who want to keep it really simple and need something to calm you and doesn't take a lot of room. Here is another idea! Let's use decorative glass pebbles and place them in a special bag. These can be in your car purse by bedside, or table next to your chair. You can buy them at Pier 1 or another store that sells them. Here is what they look like:

You are wondering how do we use these for prayer time?  That is entirely up to you! But you might want to consider doing a loose soothe! A loose soothe is where we put a few pebbles into our hands and quietly roll them around with your fingers with your eyes closed..  If you don't have prayer beads you might want to use the pebbles to help you focus and pray. Tonight we are going to use the pebble rosary technique for our prayers and prayer vigil.  Today's featured lessons are for the Feast Day of Hildegard of Bingen along with her quotes.

Let us begin with  Hildegard's musical selections.

There is the music of Heaven in all things.

Hildegard of Bingen 

Hildegard von Bingen - Music and Visions

Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin.
Let there be peace on Earth
Let there be peace.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin.
Let there be peace on Earth
Let there be peace.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin.
Let there be peace on Earth
Let there be peace.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.

Hildegard of Bingen

Glance at the sun. See the moon and stars. Gaze at the beauty of the green earth. Now think.

Hildegard of Bingen

Let us cleanse our hearts and minds from all of the gunk that is clogging up our lives and preventing us from being a united family by praying the smudging prayer.

A Smudging Prayer

Creator,
our Father in heaven,
we come to you as your children.
We confess that we are weak and broken images of you.
We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ.
May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies.
We pray that your Holy Spirit
 will help us to worship in spirit and truth.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you.
Amen.

Let us light our candles and place them in the sand bowl as a symbol of unity and as a family.

Light of the World Phos hilaron

Light of the world, in grace and beauty,

Mirror of God’s eternal face,

Transparent flame of love’s free duty,

You bring salvation to our race.

Now, as we see the lights of evening,

We raise our voice in hymns of praise;

Worthy are you of endless blessing,

Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

Let us say together the Mayan Poem In Lak Ech by Luis Valdez

IN LAK’ECH

Tú eres mi otro yo.

You are my other me.

Si te hago daño a ti,

If I do harm to you,

Me hago daño a mi mismo.

I do harm to myself.

Si te amo y respeto,

If I love and respect you,

Me amo y respeto yo.

I love and respect myself.

I, God, am in your midst. Whoever knows me can never fall. Not in the heights, nor in the depths, nor in the breadths. For I am love, which the vast expanses of evil can never still.

Hildegard of Bingen

We make vigil tonight using our imagery of the Glass Pebbles being our prayer guide.

Take a few pebbles out of your pebble dish as many or as little as you like.

Hold them in your hands together, feel their texture, roll them around in both your palms, hear their sounds. Do they sound like water from the creek or rivulet ? Now split them up in both hands. What do they sound like? Now let us begin:

Take the pebbles again and hold them gently. Remind yourselves that God holds us gently and we must hold each other gently. Let us pray for each other.

Now take one pebble and place it on a plate, mat, or a flat surface: Offer this prayer to God asking God for guidance as we meditate and pray. 

Add another one and enter into prayer with God and Jesus and welcoming them into your hearts.

Add another pebble and form a triangle and ask the Holy Spirit to be present as in the rush of a mighty wind at Pentecost. Pray to be empowered to serve God in this world.

The 4th pebble let us pray for the least of these.

The 5th pebble for an end to all forms of hatred and abuse.

The 6th pebble let us pray to be good conservationists of God's Cathedral of Life and that we may reduce our carbon foot prints.

The 7th pebble we pray for clean air, water,and soil. We remember especially for clean oceans remembering the 7 seas.

The 8th Pebble we  pray the Magnificat and remember Mary the Mother of our Lord and all mothers:

The Song of Mary Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *

for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *

from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm *

and scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones *

and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things *

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *

for you have remembered your promise of mercy,

The promise made to our forebears, *

to Abraham and his children for ever

The 9th Pebble: Let us remember the 9 Fruits of the Spirit;

Galatians 5:22-23New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Fruit of the Spirit

22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

The 10th Pebble let us be in silence for 10 minutes and pray for those things that are on our hearts and minds. Arrange the pebbles on the mat into a healing circle of love. 

Use your timer: 

Place 1 pebble in the center and remember the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Add another pebble in the center of the circle and pray that we may be gifts of presence and hold space for one another.

Add another pebble in the center of the circle and pray in the words of Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Add another pebble in the center to remind us that no one is invisible and that all lives matter.

Now gradually move the pebbles in the center and widen the circle of love

Let us say the words of the prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is

hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where

there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where

there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where

there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to

be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we

are born to eternal life. Amen.

Now add the final pebble in the center : Let us offer up to God in Prayer the words of the Te Deum.

We Praise You, O God Te Deum laudamus

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

all creation worships you,

the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,

and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free

you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death

and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints

to glory everlasting.

Psalm 104:25-34  

25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *

in wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

26 Yonder is the great and wide sea

with its living things too many to number, *

creatures both small and great.

27 There move the ships,

and there is that Leviathan, *

which you have made for the sport of it.

28 All of them look to you *

to give them their food in due season.

29 You give it to them; they gather it; *

you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *

you take away their breath,

and they die and return to their dust.

31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *

and so you renew the face of the earth.

32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *

may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *

he touches the mountains and they smoke.

34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *

I will praise my God while I have my being.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT BY ST HILDEGARD OF BINGEN


Fire of the Spirit, life of the lives of creatures,
spiral of sanctity, bond of all natures,
glow of charity, lights of clarity, taste
of sweetness to sinners, be with us and hear us.

Composer of all things, light of all the risen,
key of salvation, release from the dark prison,
hope of all unions, scope of chastities, joy
in the glory, strong honour, be with us and hear us.
Amen.

Ecclesiasticus 43:1-2,6-7,9-12,27-28

43 The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,
   as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens. 
2 The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises
   what a marvellous instrument it is, the work of the Most High.

6 It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,*
   governing the times, their everlasting sign. 
7 From the moon comes the sign for festal days,
   a light that wanes when it completes its course.

9 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,
   a glittering array in the heights of the Lord. 
10 On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed places;
   they never relax in their watches. 
11 Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it;
   it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. 
12 It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;
   the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. 


27 We could say more but could never say enough;
   let the final word be: ‘He is the all.’ 
28 Where can we find the strength to praise him?
   For he is greater than all his works.

The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. This Word manifests itself in every creature.
Hildegard of Bingen

Colossians 3:14-17

¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ^* dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.^* 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of Divinity.

Hildegard of Bingen

John 3:16-21

16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’*

There is the music of Heaven in all things.

Hildegard of Bingen

Limbs of Christ

Hildegard of Bingen

O eternal God,
Turn us into the arms and hands,
The legs and feet
Of your beloved Son, Jesus.

You gave birth to him in Heaven
Before the creation of the Earth.

You gave birth to us on Earth,
To become his living body.

Make us worthy to be his limbs,
And so worthy to share
In his eternal bliss.

Amen.

A Song of Faith

1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *

by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *

we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.

The ransom that was paid to free us *

was not paid in silver or gold,

But in the precious blood of Christ, *

the Lamb without spot or stain.

God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *

so that we might have faith and hope in God.

Tonight let us close our meditation and prayer time where we continue find peace at the center. Today in many lectionaries or church calendars we celebrate Hildegard Von Bingen. Here is a sample of her music Hildegard von Bingen-Canticles of Ecstasy . Take time to rest, relax, and renew your spirits while listening. 

A Prayer of Awareness
Hildegard of Bingen

God is the foundation for everything 
This God undertakes, God gives. 
Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. 
Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. 
This body is supported in every way through the earth. 
Thus the earth glorifies the power of God.

 Call to Prayer
Hildegard of Bingen

The earth is at the same time mother, 
She is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. 
She is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. 
The earth of humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. 
It is in so many ways fruitful. 
All creation comes from it. Yet it forms not only the basic raw material for humankind, but also the substance of the incarnation of God's son.

Written by St Hildegard of Bingen

Holy Spirit,

giving life to all life,

moving all creatures,

root of all things,

washing them clean,

wiping out their mistakes,

healing their wounds,

you are our true life,

luminous, wonderful,

awakening the heart

from its ancient sleep.

O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 
  

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Loving God,, we pray for all who are affected by severe weather all throughout the world and in our country.

Loving God, we pray for rain and an end to the drought parched areas of this world and that the weather may cool down enough to contain the many wildfires.

Loving God, we pray for all who minister to mothers and children that they may have great energy and love for what they do.

Loving God, we pray for all who are feeling isolated , alone, and invisible.

Loving God we pray that we may allow your light, love, compassion, and inclusion flow through us.

Loving God, we pray for all who are transitioning from life on into the Thin Places. May they have a safe, easy, and wonderful journey to you. We pray for all who are keeping watch over their loved ones in transition enfold them as you are enfolding their loved ones who are transitioning with love, kindness, and peace.

Loving God, we pray for all conditions  that keeps us from loving and serving you fully, We pray for an end to all that divides and harms us. May we all be one family under You.

Loving God, Healing and Redeeming Jesus, and Empowering and Gracious Spirit, we offer our prayers, thanksgivings,celebrations, and remembrances and especially those who have asked us to pray on their behalf. We lift them up to You Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Good Night Dear Family of Love, May you know and feel God's love surrounding you this night and know that you are deeply loved, cared about, and included in not only in God's family and also in mine as well. Remember dear ones I have your back, loyalty, prayers, and if you should need to PM me on Facebook, DM me on Twitter or email your privacy and what ever you say to me is confidential and held between us and in our hearts. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always.

Love, joy, and peace be always yours,

Sara

Resources: 

Satucket for Lessons and our Saint of the Day : Hildegard of Bingen

Book of Common Prayer

Enriching Our Worship

Quote Sites for Hildegard of Bingen

YouTube for Hildegard of Bingen Music

Walk With Me On Our Journey

In Lak'Ech - Luis Valdez

Smudging Prayer - Metis Aboriginal Ministries

Bible Gateway - Additional portions of Scripture