“perhaps true beauty is something that draws our attention at second glance, once the judgement of a first glance has realised it’s mistake”
Last week as part of my end of term activities I took part in a retreat day at the Carmelite Priory at Boars Hill in Oxfordshire. The day was led by Ian Adams, one of the CYM Chaplains, who used the story of Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary to introduce us to some meditative practices. I arrived early to avoid the traffic and was able to enjoy the sun as it rose over the crisp, frosty fields. I rarely travel without my camera so was able to capture a few shots before everyone else arrived.
The day was divided into three sessions, each providing space for reflection and time to listen for God. During one session I felt inspired to draw (something I never do, and have no talent for) and was moved to reflect on what I’d drawn. A new experience for me, but one which I greatly appreciated and will continue to ponder the notes I made.
We divided into two groups for the final session and were encouraged to use Mary and Zechariah’s example and write either a magnificat or a benedictus based on our context/experiences/feelings. Here’s what we produced in our group:
Thank you God that everything is upside down;
that you don’t see things the way the world sees them.
You accept this generation, though others reject it;
others want to put them down, but you desire to raise them up.Where the world leaves young people empty, only you can satisfy.
Through your love there is so much more.As you draw them near to you we see them longing to be valued and eager to serve;
to accept others in the way that you’ve accepted them.We see your hope rising through this generation.
Thank you for the momentum which flows from and is sustained by your Spirit.Amen
It proved to be a really valuable time of reflection and refreshing – much needed preparation for the two mad weeks which have followed.
Continuing the series:
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. – Maya Angelou
Continuing the series:
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. – Martin Luther King
Continuing the series:
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. – Mahatma Gandhi
Continuing the series:
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
Continuing the series:
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. – Al Franken
Continuing the series:
Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. – Ernest Hemingway
Continuing the series:
A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives. – Albert Schweitzer
Continuing the series (after a week off):
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being. – Goethe
