Suffering

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.


The devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you.'”
— Luke 4. 9-10


Yeah, God I want that one:
not to get hurt.
Not to get hurt if I fall or fail,
never to have to lose anything.
Which means, of course, never to love.

To love is to abandon myself
to another's well being: to open my heart,
to give myself without repayment,
to feel with another, to renounce control.

To love is to suffer.

So I do not ask that you protect me from suffering,
but protect me from selfishness,
not that you hold suffering away from me,
but that you hold me through it.
Hold my heart open, willing to suffer,
unafraid, for the sake of love.



Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve


_______________________________
Copyright © Steve Garnaas-Holmes
unfoldinglight@hotmail.com

Silence

Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.


In the face of the deep suffering of the world,
and the smallness of our powers—
silence.

In the shadow of our complicity
in the poverty and endangerment of millions—
silence.

Amidst the chatter of hearts that want solutions
and minds that want explanations—
silence.

In the embrace of a love stronger than gravity,
a presence thicker than earth—
silence.

On the solid ground of a hope beyond our knowing,
and sovereign, steadfast healing—
silence.

Unafraid to be here, even now,
and to have nothing to say but to give our hearts—
silence.

For the healing of those whose sorrow is beyond words,
stilled by the tenderness of us all—
silence.

In the strength of a love beyond speaking,
held in the gentle, wounded hands of God—
silence.

Broken-hearted and flowing with love,
powerless and confident—
silence.

Trusting now no less than on a day of triumph,
we dare to hold—for longer than a moment—
silence.




Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

_______________________________

Copyright (c) 2010
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
unfoldinglight(at)hotmail.com

An earhquake prayer

Enfolding Mystery,
when the earth quakes and the seas tremble
we become our smallness,
the eyes of our hearts are opened
and we fall into your arms.
Heart of our sorrow and source of our joy,
hold us in your stillness, your oneness, your love.
Enfold us gently in your presence,
and hold us all in one common suffering, one hope.
Divine Sufferer,
you who are the light that shines out of all darkness,
the love that rises out of all brokenness,
you enlarge as your people suffer.
Enlarge our hearts with yours.
Hold those who are bereaved; guide those who are lost.
Strengthen those who risk, who give and who serve
for the sake of healing.
And hold us who are tempted to distance ourselves
in the power of your compassion.
Christ, you who live among those who mourn,
shed your tears, lay your hands, shine with your rising.
Your Spirit move in us,
that we may bring healing, companionship and hope.
Your Spirit burn in us that we may give and serve,
that we may continually bear the light of compassion.
Eternal Lover,
receive our hearts, and with them love your children.
We give ourselves to you
for the sake of the healing of the world,
which alone is your desire.
Amen.



Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve


_______________________________
Copyright (c) 2010
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
unfoldinglight@hotmail.com