<html><body>Second part:<div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> So it is for us. We’re at various
levels of experience. There <b><u>ARE</u></b>
times when we feel far more like sticking close to<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">home,
like taking the familiar paths and only talking with our immediate family and
friends. There are times when it’s good to know that we can duck into our homes
for a quick, reassuring hug and a band-aid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> But we’re told, we’re sent out, to
talk to others in less familiar settings. We have to discover how to apply what
we’ve heard and learned. We’ve to take a few chances, turn a few corners, be a
little bold and talk to less well-known people about the things we’ve found are
really important to us, and actually help us when we feel nervous, or
uncertain, or are in some sort of a challenging situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> And we <b><u>CAN</u></b> do this because we know that we can always come back to
our safe place for some reassurance. We know that our Mother – the Spirit – who
gave birth to us in faith and in love; we know that our Mother is always
present for that encouraging, that supporting, that comforting word. We know
that things will always come together, no matter how long it takes, no matter
how far we go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> There’s a dismissal which we use
during Advent and Lent – times when the church may seem slightly off kilter. When
we wait with eagerness to welcome God among us in the celebration of the birth
of Jesus; when we empty ourselves and watch Jesus, trying to model our lives on
His sacrificial giving; when there’s a tension in the air, Deacon Peggy says at
the close of the formal liturgy, “Live without fear: your Creator has made you
holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to
follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always.” <sup>1 </sup>We’re
reminded then – we’re reminded right now – that your Creator and my Creator <b><u>IS</u></b> our Mother, so we say again –
to God – Happy Mother’s Day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> The remarkable thing about all of
this is that I know that I don’t fully understand how God <b><u>DOES</u></b> make us holy, and suspect that you don’t either. This
is one of the many features of our faith. But, based on our experiences; based
on what others have said; based on the record of what Jesus and His followers
said; what we learned in our gardens telling us about colours, about smells,
about interaction with other members of creation; all of this gives us both
courage and hope. What we have learned on our journey with God is how to begin
to express what it is about God’s Love that makes life so incredible. What we
have learned on our journey with God is how to express and deal with the
various unsettling emotions we feel when we set out and travel away from the
security of our learning gardens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Truth be told, we’re all at least a
bit ill at ease when we start out on different paths in life. However, our
Mother promises to be with us, to fill us, making us Her home, “where all
darkness is penetrated by (Her) light, all troubles calmed by (Her) peace, all
evil redeemed by (her) love, all pain transformed in (Her) suffering, and all
dying glorified in (Her) risen life.” <sup>2</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We
are called to move out of our gardens, then to return for refreshment, before
going out again, and again, with the blessing of our Mother.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">And
for those times when it seems quiet, when our Mother’s Presence may seem a
little distant, let us remember to say, with the poet:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman"">O Advocate, come…<br>
Sit with me a
bit.<br>
Have some tea.<br>
Visit a
while.<br>
We’ll have a
chat.<br>
And if you could,<br>
Remind me.<br>
Of what you
already said.<br>
Remind
me of peace.<br>
Real peace.<br>
Your peace.<br>
A peace not of
this world.<br>
Or of
my doing.<br>
A peace found only
in you.<br>
The peace you left
me.<br>
The peace are
giving me still.<br>
Because I almost
remember.<br>
See, life’s gotten
busy.<br>
And I can
forget about your peace,<br>
When
I’m focused on my stuff,<br>
my work,<br>
my world,<br>
my worries,<br>
my woes.<br>
So real quick,<br>
before I go,<br>
to get back to it,<br>
because
I can’t just sit here all day!<br>
Just remind
me, again – <br>
What was that you
say?<br>
“Do not let your
hearts be troubled,<br>
and do not let
them be afraid.”<br>
O Advocate, come…<br>
Sit with me a
bit.<br>
Have some tea.<br>
And remind me.<br>
For we’re overdue
for a visit… <sup>3</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Happy
Pentecost! Happy Mother’s Day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NOTES:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Source:
from Saint Clare – quoted in “Enriching our Worship”, et al. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">2</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <i>Prayer 3, Night Prayer, A New Zealand Prayer
Book.</i> Collins, Auckland, New Zealand, 1989 page 183.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">3</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> Erin
Counihan <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi8gtze4tjMAhUW22MKHR5aBoYQFgghMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Frevgalblogpals.org%2F2016%2F04%2F28%2Fthursday-prayer-89%2F&usg=AFQjCNEPz6-q5k9CoOThgGwql4kNsfH4ag&bvm=bv.122129774,d.cGc"><span style="color:#660099">Thursday Prayer | RevGalBlogPals</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><cite><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 33); font-style: normal;"><a href="https://revgalblogpals.org/2016/04/28/thursday-prayer-89/">https://revgalblogpals.org/2016/04/28/thursday-prayer-89/</a></span></cite></span><br></div></body></html>