Message of the Day from Rev. Mary White
Good Afternoon and Blessings
On this Valentine's Day, contact a friend or family member and say, “I love you.”
Keep safe, Keep connected.
Blessings and the strength of Love be with you.
Rev. Mary,
revmjwhite@hotmail.ca
Reading from Prayers & Readings for Valentine’s Day
The idea of the mystical journey usually arises from the contemplative tradition, which in turn tends to be associated with those who have devoted their lives to prayer. This is far removed from our own experience of everyday life in which it is often hard to find space for prayer time and retreat. The way that Jesus presented to his followers brought them to the knowledge of God’s love via a different route. Although Jesus himself spent long hours in prayer alone in the hills, he did not tell his disciples to do the same in order to know God’s love; instead, he told them to love one another. His love for God and God’s love for him led him to a life of compassionate, sacrificial giving. Throughout the pages of the New Testament we are told that we cannot pretend to love God if we do not love one another. Seeking an intimate, loving relationship with God without loving others is pointless. And we cannot fully understand what love is until we appreciate how much God loves us. The people we meet in everyday life are the inspiration for our meditation. Our own weakness and failure in loving others provide the lessons we need about the true value of God’s grace.
Prayer by Annie Heppenstall, from Wild Goose Chase
Wild Lover Of My Soul
Into your hands O God I surrender my spirit; take me and I will stand in my own soft, vulnerable nakedness, and I will embrace defencelessness for you, and my spirit will dance free, my laughing spirit one with you, wild lover of my soul.
Amen