God – Seeking God's face together

6.6.23. You are our Father

June 6, 2023Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived yesterday morning whilst I lay very still, praying without words. I have included more references than usual, as Biblical imagery about God is so rich.

O LORD, you are our Father (Isaiah 64:8; NLT).

Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).

You are our Father,
And our Mother;
You are our Sister,
And our Brother;
You are our Husband,
Wife, and Lover;
You are our God:
We want no other.

You are our Bridegroom,
And our Bride;
You are our Shepherd,
Way, and Guide;
You’re the Companion
At our side;
Living within us:
You provide.

You are our Master,
Saviour, Friend;
Teach us, Lord, help us,
And defend;
Pardon our sins,
Our faults, transcend;
Make us like you, Lord:
Love without end.

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

References

Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them (Genesis 1:27; TIB).

For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant (Isaiah 42:14; NIV).

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth (Deuteronomy 32:18; NIV).

As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you (Isaiah 66:13; NET).

Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50; NLT).

I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine (Song of Songs 6:3; NLT).

You are our God (2 Chronicles 14:11; NLT).

God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isaiah 62:5; NLT).

I promised you as a pure bride to one husband – Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; NLT).

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Psalm 23:1; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat (2 Corinthians 9:10; NLT).

You are my Master (Psalm 16:2; NLT).

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection (Psalm 18:2; NLT).

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

NB: Just after posting this prayer, I looked at my calendar and discovered that today is Trinity Sunday. This came as a complete surprise, and made me smile broadly, rejoicing in God’s astonishing goodness and power!

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; NIV).

God is three
And God is one:
Father, Spirit,
Much-loved Son.

God is one,
And God is three:
Love, in perfect
Unity.

Love …is the bond of perfect unity (Colossians 3:14; BSB).

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

References

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26; NLT).

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV).

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3; NLT).

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2; NKJV).

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone (John 1:1-4; NLT).

Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him (Isaiah 42:1; NLT).

This is My beloved Son (Luke 9:35; NKJV).

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).

A short reading: Genesis 18:1-3,33; CSB.

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant… When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

28.5.23: Take a step

May 28, 2023Ruth Kirk

Christ Pantocrator, a photo of an icon on my bedroom wall, author unknown.

Just as I reached the end of my few spoken prayers yesterday morning, today’s verses began to flow into my mind. I had to postpone falling silent, so I could write them down.

Their rhythm might sound a bit odd if you read them as a poem, but they fit the tune of my favourite childhood Sunday School chorus, “Turn your eyes towards Jesus”. I tried to include a YouTube link to it, but failed.

The original moving, meditative song was written by Helen Lemmel, in 1918. Her words are available on Google, but I don’t want to risk breaching copyright by quoting them here.

Instead, here is a recording of me singing today’s prayer to her tune. Please forgive my weak voice and shortness of breath:

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Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

Take a step towards Jesus,
Turn to his Father, repent,
Then relinquish selfishness,
Take your cross,
And follow the Saviour
God sent.

Christ forgives every trespass,
Taking away all your sin,
Then He sets you free
For abundant life,
As you grow every day
More like Him.

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

References

Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; NLT).

God so loved the world, that he even gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world should be saved by him (John 3:16-17; LB).

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10; NIV).

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

24.5.23: Shame

May 24, 2023Ruth Kirk

Plaque with Doubting Thomas, German ca. 1140–60.

Today’s prayer came to me most unexpectedly yesterday, whilst I was saying grace before breakfast.

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23; NLT).

We all have sins that shame us,
Behaviour we regret;
We all have faults and failures,
But Jesus loves us yet.

We know our inner darkness,
The things we can’t put right,
The evils on our conscience,
But Jesus is our light.

We all have guilty secrets,
We haven’t done God’s will;
We’ve judged and wounded others,
But Jesus loves us still.

We know that we are nothing,
Just grains of sand, or dust,
But through Christ comes forgiveness,
So in His name we trust.

Through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins (Acts 13:38; NLT).

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12; NLT).

Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

References

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark (John 12:46; NLT).

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

I am nothing but dust (Genesis 18:27; NIV).

There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent (Luke 24:47; NLT).

A reading: Romans 3:22-25; NLT.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

21.5.23: Saying, “Yes”, to God

May 21, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Annunciation, by Benozzo Gozzoli, Narni Town Hall, Wikimedia.

Most unusually, this prayer started to arrive during the relaxation at the end of my gentle, online movement class last Thursday. All I had to do was to keep repeating the first four lines, so as not to forget them before I could write them down. The rest followed relatively easily:

We are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).

Live with God,
And walk with Him.

Serve with God,
And share with Him:

Share His pity,
Strength and peace,

His light and truth,
Which never cease,

His raging fire,
And tenderness –

For God is love,
So let’s say, “Yes”.

Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38; NET).

I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

References

They will be called ‘children of the living God’ (Romans 9:26; NIV).

Yahweh is tenderness and pity (Psalm 103:8; NJB).

The Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (Isaiah 26:4; KJV).

The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

The Lord your God is a raging fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; GW).

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Special note: Saying, “Yes”, to God

Saying, “Yes”, to God, as in today’s prayer, has a long history. It references Mary’s response when the Angel Gabriel asked her to become the mother of Jesus.

In the Latin Vulgate Bible, which dates back to the eight century, we read how Mary give her “fiat“, or “Yes“, to the angel:

Dixit autem Maria ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum (Luke 1:38; Vulgate, my emphasis).

In Latin, the word, “fiat“, means, “Let it be done”, so here is a typical English rendering of this verse:

Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38; CPDV).

However, I prefer the simplicity and absolute directness of the NET translation, which precisely captures the deep, underlying significance of Mary’s fiat:

So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38; NET).

All this, and more, lies behind today’s prayer about saying, “Yes“, to God.

Acknowledgements

My thanks to the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham, for introducing me to the concept of saying, “Yes”, to God, and to the existence of fiat rosaries. Here is a link to their website: walsinghamcommunity.org.

Thank you, also, to Blue Letter Bible, without whose parallel translations, including the Vulgate, I couldn’t run this blog. Here is a link to their website: blueletterbible.org.

I owe further thanks to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington for helping me to explore the origin and significance of the word “fiat“. For those who want to know more, here is a link to their website: arlingtondiocese.org.

The Rosary Hospital

Finally, here is a picture of my shrine, with my fiat rosary in the foreground:

20.5.23: My home shrine, and fiat rosary.

20.5.23: Resting in prayer

May 20, 2023May 20, 2023Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived very early last Thursday. It was so difficult to express in words that I came close to giving up, only finishing it this morning:

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

Resting in prayer:
Silent and dark.
Turning to God:
One mind, one heart.

Bowing in prayer:
Wordless and deep.
Trusting in God:
Shared love is sweet.

Yielding in prayer:
Body and soul.
Joining with God:
Our Maker and goal.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; NIV).

References

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:6; NLT).

Yield your hearts to the LORD (Joshua 24:23; NIV).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

The Rosary Hospital

I’m now well-launched on my second large batch of rosaries, which will all be Fiat rosaries this time. Here is a chunky, very tactile one with a recycled cross. I enjoyed making it yesterday:

15.5.23: Darkness and light

May 15, 2023Ruth Kirk

Milky Way photo from Pixabay, made into a watercolour.

Today’s blog is very short and simple:

He made darkness his hiding place (Psalm 18:11; BSB).

How deep is the darkness
That hides you, Lord God,

Yet how dazzling
The light you revealed:

For you gave us your Son,
So that all who believe

Will not die, but be ransomed,
And healed.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death (Psalm 103:3-4; NIV).

8.5.23: My hope, my way

May 8, 2023Ruth Kirk

Stations of the Cross in Althofen; painted by Consuelo Mels-Colloredo, 1983. Neithan90, Wikimedia.

Yesterday I felt very tired, which had its up-side, as I was able to spend time putting the morning’s notes into words whilst resting. The lines in italics form a prayer within a prayer:

O Lord, you alone are my hope (Psalm 71:5; NLT).

My hope, my way,
My light each day:
I want to do your bidding;
My peace, my Lamb,
My great “I AM”:
For you are God’s dear Son.

My truth, my life,
My purchase-price:
You, Lord, are my salvation;
My strength, my blood,
My longed-for love:
May you and I be one.

My Lord, my God,
My staff, my rod:
My body is your temple;
My Guide, my Friend,
My start, my end:
My mind is yours, Lord, too.

My bread, my wine,
My living vine:
My heart is yours forever;
My Shepherd King,
My everything:
My soul belongs to you.

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us (Ecclesiastes 12:7; GNT).

Category: God

6.6.23. You are our Father

4.6.23: God

28.5.23: Take a step

24.5.23: Shame

15.5.23: Darkness and light

8.5.23: My hope, my way