Psalms Are Prayers from the Heart: Write Your Own Litany of Love, from Affirmations from the Heart of God, Part 4, by Bridget Mary Meehan and Regina Madonna Oliver

Litany of Love:


Imagine yourself  contemplating the Holy One.

Reflect one or  more of these praise lines, or make up some of your own especially suited to your own relationship with God.



O God of Abundance,


I praise you for all your gifts! 



Sheltering God,


I rest in your everlasting arms. 




Gentle God,


my heart is thankful for your loving presence.




Compassionate God,


I am grateful for all your mercies.





Living Water,


I drink from your fountain of goodness,


love, healing, and peace.





Loving Creator,


I delight in you.






Compassionate Friend,


I give you my heart.




Eternal Light,


draw me into your radiance.





Wonder of the Ages,





in your image I am created.





Miracle Worker,


I believe in you.





Faithful One,


thank you for believing in me.




Spirit of Goodness,


I see you in others.






Spirit of Love,


I love because of you.







Spirit of Sharing,


imbue me with your graciousness.






Melody Maker,


I sing your praises.






Tranquil Assurance,


in your healing love, all shall be well.






Wellspring of Wisdom,


you are my way, my truth, and my life.





Loving Companion,


I cherish your friendship.






O God of Blessing,


reverence be to you for all you have given me.




Love of my life,



I come into your presence with joy.





Mentor of my soul,


I trust in your love and goodness.





Strength of the weak,


Your help is always there for me.




God who smiles,


You are my joy.




Dancing God,

Lift me up and swing me

around in the arms of Love.

Write your own Psalm:

 

Psalms are prayers from the heart.

The verses create a litany of praise, as the psalmist reviews all the wonders God has performed for God‘s people, and for each, affirms: ―God‘s sustaining love


lasts forever!‖ This becomes a soaring mantra throughout the psalm‘s twenty-eight verses. By


supplying one‘s own verses of praise for remembered interventions in life, and in the life of


one‘s family and nation, the heart can soar with the psalmist. You may not have the writer‘s


enthusiasm for the opening of the Red Sea, or the overthrowing of Pharaoh (verses 13 and 15),


but you can feel oceans of gratitude and praise for each difficult family and personal crisis you


have surmounted, only with God‘s help. Thus you create your own litany in praise of the God of Love, who has always been there for you.





Introductory Prayer


Jesus, your whole life asserts the goodness of God whom you know so intimately that you give


us a familiar name of love and tenderness for God—Abba! The God whose holiness was so


protected by Jewish law that even God‘s name could not be spoken, you fondly call ―Abba.‖ You


tell us to be as intimate with God as you are. Give me, Jesus, your vision of things, and your


vision of God as I begin this time of prayer, and as I whisper the sweet word, ―Abba, my Abba!‖


(Enter into restful silence.)





Memorial Litany


(based on Psalm 136)


Reread the Psalm that introduces this part. Allow yourself to be drawn into the music of the


refrain. Begin to insert your own verses—acknowledging God‘s presence in the past events of


your life. Let the mantra soothe your spirit, and quiet your fears. Let its melody rekindle your


waning trust. In your own litany, affirm the action of God‘s ―sustaining love‖ in your lived


experience. Reflect that you are proclaiming the highest form of praise: that God is Good and the Source of


all Good. That in no way can any perceived evil in life be attributed to such a loving God. In every aspect of my


life, O God, my Love, your sustaining love lasts forever. Your transforming love endures forever. Your love


upholds me, forever, and forever, and forever.







More Psalm-Prayers


Take any of these psalm prayers and make it your own. If you choose to do so, look it up in your


Bible. (A word of warning: the psalmists spoke to God frankly, unabashedly, from the heart.


They did not hide their feelings under any veneer or subterfuge of sweet words. They ―said it


like it was,‖ expressing their emotions frankly. You may find later verses of a psalm cited here


reflecting anger at enemies, even vengeance. This is not the affirming part of the psalm you are


looking for. Attune yourself to the affirming sentiment the psalmist expresses.)




The following Psalms are from The Inclusive Psalms.






1. PSALM 104:1


Bless Our God, my soul!


Adonai, my God, how great you are!








2. PSALM 101:1


I sing of your love and justice—


Adonai, I sing to you!








3. PSALM 100:5


For Our God is good;


God‘s steadfast love endures forever,


and God‘s faithfulness


to all generations.







4. PSALM 71:3


Be mine, O mountain of strength!


Send your decree—deliver me,

for you are my rock, my fortress!







5. PSALM 71:14


As for me, I‘ll always have hope,


and I will add to all your praises.








6. PSALM 71:19


Your justice, O God,


is higher than the heavens,


You have done great things;


who is comparable to you?








7. PSALM 59:9–10


O my Strength, I watch for you;


for you, O God, are my stronghold.


The God who loves me


will go before me.








8. PSALM 30:2


I cried to you for help, Adonai, my God,


and you healed me!








9. PSALM 34:8


Taste and see how good Our God is!


Happiness comes to those who take refuge


in Our God.







10. PSALM 46:1


God is our refuge and our strength,


who from of old has helped us in our distress.







11. PSALM 71:17


You taught me when I was young,


and I am still proclaiming your marvels.









12. PSALM 75:1


Thank you, O God, thank you!


For your presence—your Name—is near


when we hear of your wonderful deeds.








13. PSALM 13:5


I trust in your love;


my heart rejoices in the deliverance you bring.


I‘ll sing to you, Adonai,


for being so good to me.








14. PSALM 23:1, 6


Adonai, you are my shepherd—I want nothing more.


You let me lie down in green meadows,


you lead me beside restful waters;


You refresh my soul.


Only goodness and love will follow me


all the days of my life,


and I will dwell in your house, Adonai,


for days without end.








15. PSALM 68:19


Blessed be Our God, who supports us day by day—


God alone is our Savior!







16. PSALM 84:1–4


How I love your dwelling place,


Adonai Sabaoth!…


My heart and my flesh sing for joy to you,


the living God.


The sparrow has found its home at last,


the swallow a nest for its young—


on your altars, Adonai Sabaoth,


my Sovereign, my God!


Happiness belongs to those who live in your house


and can praise you all day long;


and happy the pilgrims who find refuge in you


as they set their hearts on the Ascents!





17. PSALM 85:10–12


Love and faithfulness have met;


justice and peace have embraced.


Fidelity will sprout from the earth


and justice will lean down from heaven.


Our God will give us what is good,


and our land will yield its harvest.










18. PSALM 1:7, 12


I will proclaim God‘s decree—


Our God said to me:


―You are my own;


I‘ve given birth to you today.‖


Happiness comes to those


who make God their refuge!










19. PSALM 16:7, 11


I praise Our God, who guides me;


even at night my heart teaches me.


I‘m always aware of your presence;


you are right by my side, and nothing can shake me.…


You show me the path to Life;


your presence fills me with joy,


and by your side I find enduring pleasure.










20. PSALM 30:11–12


Then you changed my despair into a dance—


you stripped me of my death shroud


and clothed me with joy.


That‘s why my heart sings to you,


that‘s why I can‘t keep silent—


Adonai, you are my God,


and I will thank you forever!










21. PSALM 33:20–22


And so we wait for Our God,


our help and our shield.


For in you our hearts find joy;


we trust in your holy Name.





May your love be upon us, Adonai,


as we place all our hope in you.

Positive Exclamations of Praise


Imagine yourself  speaking to God in love one or more of these praise lines, or make up some of your own especially suited to your own relationship with God.



O God of Abundance,


I praise you for all your gifts!


Sheltering God,


I rest in your everlasting arms.



Gentle God,


my heart is thankful for your loving presence.




Compassionate God,


I am grateful for all your mercies.





Living Water,


I drink from your fountain of goodness,


love, healing, and peace.





Loving Creator,


I delight in you.






Compassionate Friend,


I give you my heart.




Eternal Light,


draw me into your radiance.





Wonder of the Ages,





in your image I am created.





Miracle Worker,


I believe in you.





Faithful One,


thank you for believing in me.




Spirit of Goodness,


I see you in others.






Spirit of Love,


I love because of you.







Spirit of Sharing,


imbue me with your graciousness.






Melody Maker,


I sing your praises.






Tranquil Assurance,


in your healing love, all shall be well.






Wellspring of Wisdom,


you are my way, my truth, and my life.





Loving Companion,


I cherish your friendship.






O God of Blessing,


reverence be to you for all you have given me.




Love of my life,



I come into your presence with joy.





Mentor of my soul,


I trust in your love and goodness.





Strength of the weak,


Your help is always there for me.




God who smiles,


You are my joy.





Dancing God,

Lift me up and swing me

around in the arms of Love.

During Advent Season, I will share stories and prayer practices for healing and wholeness from  Affirmations from the Heart of God  with my blog readers. On Nov. 10th, I shared the introduction to the book on this blog as Part 1. 

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.amazon.com/Affirmations-Heart-God-Bridget-Meehan/dp/0764807099

Advent Liturgy for Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sun City, Florida on Dec. 3, 2015, Presider, Katy Zatsick, ARCWP

Our Celebration of Birthing our God Within

Who Am I When I Come to the Stable?

Mary Mother of Jesus at Sun City Center

Dec 3 2015

La Posada Figure

"The glory of God is a person fully alive."

Adapted from Saint Irenaeus

All:

In the name of God, Source of our Being, our Brother Jesus Prince of Peace
and Sofia Holy Spirit, Amen.



Opening Prayer All

O God, the long-awaited day is coming when your Eternal Word becomes one of
us in Jesus.  O Holy Womb of God, birth each of us into your image and
likeness that Christ may again reveal your love and concern to our world.
May every child born into this world incarnate your Word- that the good news
of your life with us and in us may be relived in every time and every age,
today and forever. We pray in the name of Jesus our brother. Amen.



Readings:

First Reading Elizabeth Johnson

(Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christianity, p30)

"Jesus Christ comes into existence as God's own self-expression in time,
himself genuinely human, with the divine glory veiled.  If we do not think
of God literally as three different people but rather as the triune mystery
of self-giving love, then it becomes possible to see Jesus existing as the
Word of God in time who, in his humanness, embodies the self-emptying of the
God of love."

This too is the Word of God  All: Thanks be to God.



Psalm Response: Women recite bold, men respond.

Come o Wisdom, Sophia's Child and Mary's too

Bring us back to you.

Come O Adonai, Child of Ancient Israel

Set us free of fear, despair, and misogyny.

Come O Flower of Jesse's tree, uproot our hatreds.

Wash us clean in just-reign waters

Plant us deep in thee.

Come O Key of David, Open heaven's gate.

Unlock, unblock, this captive Church

Too long enthralled with (power).

Come O Radiant Dawn, dispel death's dark shadow.

Light the way of all who long

To preach, to teach, to consecrate heavenly hosts

Of God's indwelling.

Come O Emmanuel, God's gladsome "with us" news,

Strengthen weary arms, steady trembling knees.

Bring surcease of sorrow.

All: Come O Advent Light, pierce December gloom,

Quicken our waiting world with life's fresh blessed tomorrow.

Bring joyful tidings of God's new birth.

Come through the labor of a woman, borne

So all know well Emmanuel.  Amen

                                                       Sr. Chris Shenk,
10/98 based on the O Antiphons)

Second Reading:

"Advent is always a new beginning.  It is actually a beginning and an
ending.  We are beginning a new life with Christ at the center, a life that
is full with Christ.  We are leaving and ending an old life.  This must be
so.  There must be this movement...We need to relinquish and empty
ourselves, so that the newness Christ brings can enter and have a place to
stay.  We as Advent pilgrims on the way to the manger---to the great newness
that the child brings-must allow ourselves to pass through the desert where
John is preaching.  (Paul Harkness, "Our Journey to the Cradle.")

This too is the Word of God. All: Thanks be to God. 











Gospel: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11

After Jesus' birth---which happened in Bethlehem of Judea, --astrologers
from the East arrived in Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the newborn ruler of
the Jews?  We observed his star at the rising and have come to pay
homage."...The star which they had observed at its rising went ahead of them
until it came to a standstill over the place where the child lay.  They were
overjoyed at seeing the star and upon entering the house, found the child
with Mary, his mother.  They prostrated themselves and paid homage.  Then
they opened their coffers and presented the child with gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.



Luke 2: 6-10' 16-18

(While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem) the time came for her delivery.
She gave birth to her firstborn, a son; Mary put him in a simple cloth
wrapped like a receiving blanket, and laid him in a feeding trough for
cattle, because there was no room for them at the inn.



There were shepherds in the area living in the fields and keeping night
watch by turns over their flock.  The angel of God appeared to them, and the
glory of God shone around them; they were very much afraid...The angel said
to them, "You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you-news
of a great joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in David's city a
savior-the Messiah has been born to you...



The shepherds said, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see this event that
God has made known to us.  They hurried and found Mary and Joseph, and the
baby lying in the manger. Once they saw this, they reported what they had
been told concerning the child. All who heard about it were astonished at
the report given by the shepherds. 



(Neither John nor Mark have an infancy narrative but start with Jesus'
baptism in the Jordan.)



Reader: The Good News of our salvation.

All: Glory and Praise to our Prince of Peace.

Reflection  "Who am I at the stable of Jesus' birth December 2015?" 

Sharing



Prayers of the People of God:

Our response is "God present within us, hear our prayer."



Offertory:

Blessed are you, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this
bread to offer which earth has given and human hands have made.  We meet
Jesus at the stable and in our souls; this bread is our community, your
presence amongst us and our meeting you in others.  As a community we
respond to Jesus' call to be peace and healing compassion for the world.
This will become for us the bread of life.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

Blessed are you, God of all creation.  Through your goodness we have this
juice to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. This drink is our
joy at remembering your birth in a stable and finding you in our midst and
our souls.  This fruit of the vine will become our spiritual drink.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

My sisters and brothers let us pray together that these gifts may be
acceptable to our God of evolution, our Creator of all that exists.

All:  May God accept these gifts from our hands, for the praise and glory of
God's name, for our good and the good of all the people and evolving life on
earth.



Presider:  Ever gentle God, Jesus lived our human journey to share with us
his Presence, eternal life and Sofia his Spirit of Compassion.  Accept our
gifts and our worship.  By offering ourselves may we be filled with your
Spirit of peace and love. May we with you build the Peaceable Garden for all
the children of the world.   We ask this through Jesus Christ, our brother.

All:  Amen.



Eucharistic Prayer from sheet



The bread is broken.

All: This is the Lamb of God, our Prince of Peace, God with us.  Jesus born
in a stable you are our brother. May this bread we eat from one loaf nourish
our hope for healing and peace throughout the world.  How blessed are we who
are called to find Jesus in the stable of our hearts.



Passing the bread "We are the Body of Christ."  Passing the wine "We are the
Blood of Christ"  After Communion: A time of thanksgiving.



Closing Prayer: All

We meet you in the stable of our souls each day. In joy and gladness we give
praise to you, O God, for you come to share life with us.  Come and assist
us to see your loving care in the midst of our daily struggles.  May you
continue to grant us peace and joy that surpasses all understanding.  We ask
these gifts in the mystery of our God, Source of all life. Amen.



Extend your hand in blessing

All: May the blessing of God our Creator, our Brother Jesus the Word, and
the Holy Spirit come down on us and remain with us forever.  Let us go in
peace to love and serve God and one another as we celebrate the holidays
with family and friends.   In the name of God, Source of All Being, Prince
of Peace and Holy Spirit. Amen.  Alleluia.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families!





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The O Antiphons

The Roman Church has been singing the "O" Antiphons since at least the
eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat
canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent
theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes
of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not
only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of
the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.


December 17


O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!


December 18


O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!


December 19


O Root of Jesse's stem,
sign of God's love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!


December 20


O Key of David,
opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!


December 21


O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.


December 22


O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!


December 23


O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!    --From
"Catholic
Household Blessings & Prayers"

Homily at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Second Sunday of Advent C, Dec. 6, 2015, Beverly Bingle, RCWP

It's hard to keep hope alive when you're poor or oppressed
or running away from war and violence.
Today we hear the prophet Baruch
speaking to the people living in diaspora,
scattered about the Middle East
after they escaped exile in Babylonia.
They're refugees, living in a strange land,
out of Babylon but still in exile.
Baruch tells them to have hope.
“Look east,” he tells them, toward the dawn, to a new day!
Then we hear Paul responding to rumors he has heard
about troubles in Philippi.
He encourages the community there
to look forward with hope to “the day of Jesus Christ.”
_____________________________________
Sadly, by the time Paul's message
gets to us here in the 21st century,
we're told that it refers to an apocalyptic “Second Coming,”
Jesus flying in on a cloud at the end of the world.
But that's not what it meant to Paul and the people of Philippi.
For them, “the day of Jesus Christ” meant the day
when they would have reached Christian maturity.
Most of them, Paul wrote, would still be alive on earth
when the whole community had advanced in spiritual growth
to the “parousia,” literally, the presence.
That is, on “the day of Jesus Christ,”
we will be present to God and God to us.
We'll be following the Way Jesus taught.
We will live in peace with justice.
Our hopes will have been fulfilled.
_____________________________________
It's not only Baruch's and Paul's words that we need to decipher.
In the Gospel we hear John the Baptist
preaching about a baptism of “repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.”
Luke has the Baptist quote Isaiah, with hope for everyone,
saying that all people will see the salvation of God.
Luke's words “repentance” and “salvation”
don't speak to us the way they did to Luke's community.
For those folks, salvation meant
deliverance from the ways of their oppressors
by following the Way that Jesus of Nazareth taught.
Repentance—the Greek word is metanoia—
meant turning around, literally “going beyond the mind.”
Our mind has a tendency to see our own experiences as truth,
so our own sins become part of who we are
and the sins of others become part of who they are.
We are all sinners.
Metanoia—repentance—means that we begin to pay attention
to how our mind tends to treat our sins as virtues
and turn away from that kind of thinking and acting.
I know how that works firsthand, so I'll give an example—
not a serious one, but one that will help explain what I mean.
I went through a red light the other day.
I wasn't even through the intersection
when I had already sorted out
the best of three good reasons
for why it wasn't bad or even wrong.
But when I see someone else go through a red light—
or do something even less flagrant,
like a rolling stop at the corner—
my mind condemns them roundly.
_____________________________________
When we realize we've chosen to do something we shouldn't have,
or not do something we should have,
we too often think the question
is whether or not God will forgive us.
Of course, God forgives us.
God is unconditional loving forgiveness.
The real question is how to see clearly what we are doing
so we can turn ourselves around.
It's easier to be good and do good
if the people around you love you
and help you along the way.
Again, I know that from personal experience.
Whenever we gather here at Holy Spirit,
whether it's two of us or forty of us,
the experience of celebrating with you
inspires me to be as good as I can and do as much as I can
to follow the Way of Jesus more closely.
Your example helps me become a better person.
_____________________________________
This past week I've been reading a book by New York Times writers
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
about people who have turned their lives around
and gone on to help others do the same.
The title of the book, A Path Appears,
comes from Chinese author Lu Xun, who wrote:
“Hope is like a path in the countryside.
Originally, there is nothing—
but as people walk this way again and again,
a path appears.”
We who have hitched our wagon to Jesus
follow the path he walked—
that path known to our ancestors in faith as “the Way.”
Again and again, whenever they strayed—
and whenever we stray—
we try to get back on the path,
try to turn around and head in the right direction,
or as Luke puts it, we work on
that transformative change of mind and heart, metanoia.
_____________________________________
Over the centuries our institutional Church
has developed various methods to call us to metanoia
and different rituals for us to celebrate God's forgiveness. Some of
them are best left in the dustbin of history.
A few of them are worth keeping.
The practice of the Church today, I think,
too rarely takes advantage of the instruction
in the Rite of Penance that tells the priest “to adapt the rite
to the concrete circumstances of the penitents,”
omitting some parts or expanding them,
so “the entire celebration may be enriching and effective.”
_____________________________________
Bishop Daniel has asked the priests of the Diocese
to to vary the form of the Lord, Have Mercy prayer
at the beginning of Mass throughout Advent and Lent
in keeping with Pope Francis' proclamation of a Jubilee,
or Holy Year, of Mercy,
Here at Holy Spirit,
we try to model renewal of our Roman Catholic Church,
so we'll go a little farther than changing those few sentences.
After the homily on the weekend Masses of Advent and Lent
we will celebrate God's merciful forgiveness
with the traditional Sacrament of Reconciliation
using a slightly modified Rite 3, the Rite for Reconciliation
of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution.
_____________________________________
So let's begin today by repenting of our sins
and resolving to try to do better
and to make up as well as we can
for harm we have caused by doing wrong.
For our penance let us, in the coming week,
try to be mindful of any ways
that we are stepping off the path that Jesus showed us.
Now let all of us who wish to receive sacramental absolution
bow our heads to acknowledge that we have sinned.
PAUSE
Now let us make our confession
by lifting our minds and hearts in a silent prayer of contrition,
using our own thoughts
or one of the prayers printed in the bulletin.
ACT of CONTRITION
Loving God, I have sinned and I am sorry. In your mercy, forgive me
for choosing to do wrong and neglecting to do right. I will try to do
better. May I become more aware of your divine presence in my sisters
and brothers, in all of creation, and in my own self. Help me to
follow more closely the Way that Jesus taught. Amen.
OR
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest
all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because
they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my
love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and
to avoid the near occasions of sin.
OR
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do
wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should
love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance,
to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior
Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have
mercy.
OR
O my God, I am sorry for my sins because I have offended you. I know I
should love you, O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended
you, and I detest all my sins, because of Your just punishments, but
most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all-good and
deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your
grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

GENERAL ABSOLUTION
Priest: Our loving and merciful God,
through the life and ministry of our brother Jesus
has reconciled the world and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church,
may God give you pardon and peace,
and you are absolved from your sins,
in the name of our God, Source of All Being,
Father-Mother, Son, and Holy Spirit. All: Amen.

--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
at 3925 West Central Avenue (Washington Church)

www.holyspirittoledo.org

Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
Mailing address: 3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006

"Community: Source of Healing" by John Chuchman

To the Navajo,


healing is seen in the context of their particular vision


of the world and cosmos;


it is a ritual of restoring balance,


a return to beauty.


Beauty is the central organizing principle in their culture,


not economics, technology, or politics.






It is through beauty that all relations are maintained,


and it is when beauty is lost or forgotten


that someone gets ill.










Healing is experienced


within a defined set of rituals


that includes extensive community participation


and elaborate sand paintings


depicting gods, places, and events


specifically centered on the illness being treated.






Chants tell the story of the paintings.


Healing occurs as a result of the direct interaction of the gods


in the images with the individual


and the witnessing community.






Thus healing is a restorative process


invoking beauty through ritual.






As in most indigenous cultures,


the powerful presence of the family


and community of the individual who is ill


broadens the context of illness


to include the entire village.


This recognizes that everyone is impacted by the illness.






This is powerful medicine,


as it frees the individual


from having to carry the weight of the illness alone,


which, is a major preoccupation of the Western mind.






Imagine the feeling of relief


that would flood our whole being


if we knew that when we were in the grip of sorrow or illness,


our village would respond to our need.






This would not be out of pity,


but out of a realization that


every one of us will take our turn at being ill,


and we will need one another.






The indigenous thought is


when one of us is ill,


all of us are ill.






Taking this thought a little further,


we see that healing is a matter,


in great part,


of having our connections to the community and the cosmos


restored.






This truth has been acknowledged in many studies.


Our immune response is strengthened


when we feel our connection with community.






By regularly renewing the bonds of belonging,


we support our ability to remain healthy and whole.






Nearly every indigenous culture


has utilized ritual


as a means of maintaining the health of the community,


which has helped them endure for thousands of years.






Ritual is a means of attuning ourselves


with one another,


to the land,


and to the invisible worlds of spirit.






Recovering this fundamental skill


would help us better tend the needs of our soul and culture.


For us to enter the healing ground,


we need to become educated in the ways of ritual.






It is a language that we have forgotten,


but one that we are designed to understand and speak.


We need to recover our ritual literacy.






Ritual offers us the two things


required to fully let go of the grief we carry:


containment and release.






Containment offers the holding space


for the ones in grief.


It provides the safe place to fall,


to descend into the depths


of both the known and unknown layers of sorrow.






In the absence of this depth of community,


the safe container is difficult to find.


By default, we become the container ourselves,


and when this happens,


we cannot drop into the well of grief


in which we can fully let go of the sorrows we carry.






We recycle our grief,


moving into it and then pulling it back into our bodies


unreleased.






Frequently


Grievers often cry in private,


never allowing their grief to be witnessed


and shared with others.






People say they don’t want to be a burden to anyone else,


yet they feel honored to sit with a grieving friend and offer support.






This disconnection between what we would offer others


and what we feel we can ask for is extreme.


We need to recover our right to ask for help in grief,


otherwise it will continue to recycle perpetually.






Grief has never been private;


it has always been communal.






Subconsciously,


we are awaiting the presence of others,


before we can feel safe enough to drop to our knees


on the holy ground of sorrow.






Welcoming our sorrow


eases the hardened places within us,


allowing them to open and freeing us


to once more feel our kinship


with the living presence around us.






This is deep activism,


soul activism that actually encourages us


to connect with the tears of the world.






Grief keeps the heart flexible, fluid, and open to others.






As such, it becomes a potent support


for any other form of activism we may intend to take.






I have worked with many people involved in social justice,


ecological protection,


Church reform,


anti-discrimination,


and other forms of activism


with overwhelming feelings of dread for the world.






Accumulated grief can become oppressive,


weighing us down


and strangling our ability


to effectively address the issues with which we are concerned.






In a grief ritual,


the weight can be lifted from our hearts.






Our activism


is directly connected to our heart’s ability


to respond to the world.


A congested heart,


one burdened with unexpressed sorrow,


cannot stay open to the world and,


cannot be fully available


for the healing work so needed at this time.






Our Community


affords us a receptacle for our grief


and a safe place to express it,


vital to our healing.

Waiting For Christmas at Good Shepherd Ministries of SWFL by REv. Dr. Judy Lee, RCWP

https://judyabl.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/waiting-for-christmas-at-good-shepherd-ministries-of-swfl/

Goodshepmin.org

Our children look to us with hope and anticipation as they hope for the kind of Christmas they see on television, with big meals, joy and laughter, lots of desserts, and lots of coveted presents. Most do not know that little of this will come their way unless Santa gets a little help this year. They know that Santa will visit our church for Christmas and they can hardly wait for that day. Most do not know that their families often cannot pay the rent or utilities unaided, let alone provide this kind of Christmas experience. Most do not know that Good Shepherd Ministries helps their families hold on to housing and tend to the needs of their children for a secure home as well as love, caring and the things they need. Most do not know that the need we face is above our ability to meet it, and so they hope. They still hope for a good Christmas for all, and we do as well.

Kiah said to her sisters” This is the REAL Santa Claus!

As we prepare again to meet the needs of the Good Shepherd Community for the Christmas season it is good to look back and see what we have accomplished since last Spring.  This has been a time of maintaining and consolidating our goals of assisting individuals and families to attain and maintain housing and educational and vocational success for our youth. We have also had a good deal of illness among our community members necessitating even greater assistance and a renewed attention to health.

Fortunately we continue to have a strong and varied volunteer core and some changes, positive and negative in our supportive help.  The saddest and most difficult change to accept was the loss of the wonderful Doctor who saw our medically uncovered people pro bono, Teresa L. Sievers, who was killed in her home by “friends” of the family on June 28, 2015. We missed our July meeting of the Tuesday group as we officiated at her funeral on that date. She and her two little girls were regular attendants at our church in 2012 and 2013 and continued to work with us until her tragic death. Many of our Good Shepherd members attended that event and we continue to mourn her loss. We have not located another Doctor who is willing to assist us as she did as of yet. She gave her service selflessly and often on brief notice and with the greatest respect for her patients too poor to pay a “regular” Doctor. We continue to pray for her and her family. Below Dr. Teresa Sievers and her girls at Good Shepherd.

We are fortunate to have a new Good Shepherd member, Patricia Byrne, who is a RN and Master’s level pastoral counselor volunteer to assist with visits and follow up with the sick served by Good Shepherd. She has worked intensively with four of our people during this period. Our Pearl Cudjoe also assists with hospital visits. Below is Patricia Byrne with Brenda Cummings who has epilepsy and breathing issues on her Baptism Day.

Grant Application

We have been invited once again by Barbara Roth to submit a grant proposal to Our Father’s Table Foundation. In 2014 Hank Tessandori shared our work with Barbara Roth who is an OFT Board Member and Barbara is supportive of our work.  One can only apply by invitation. Our last grant from OFT was in the summer of 2014.  It was for the goals of assisting with housing and youth enrichment. This application is also for those continued goals with the additional focus of health education and access to health care. Our experiences with the serious illnesses of our members including family wage earners, has illuminated the need for greater focus on health, both health education and access to resources.  The problems affect all ages and include managing diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity, heart attacks, sickle cell, migraines, Gyn and GI problems, HIV+, epilepsy and issues related to addictions and mental illness as well.

Hot Meals and Food and Clothing Programs

Healthy nutrition has always been one of our priority services. From April 22 to December 1st, 2015 we have served 480 hot and healthy meals on Sundays and 107 on Tuesdays for a total of 587 meals. This does not count the additional plates taken home for themselves or others or second helpings. We are blessed to have Ellen and Jack McNally of CTA and Country Creek Community serve and prepare meals for our Tuesday gatherings. Our Board member, Gini Beecroft and her Breckinridge Community also prepare and serve meals on either Tuesdays or Sundays. The Breckinridge Community also gives monetary donations for special needs and Christmas gift cards for teens and families. Lisa Munklewitz and Sally and Rob Patterson and Monica Piccirillo of Lamb Of God Church continue to help us on Sundays. Our Board member Judy Alves and Pearl Cudjoe also cook and serve on many Sundays.

The McNallys with Pastor JudyB and Nate, and Pearl Cudjoe and Lisa Munklewitz serving our meals

The LOG Thrift Store helps us with reduced prices on clothing and when we obtain furniture and household goods to move someone into housing for the first time. They also send monthly monetary donations. St. Columbkille Thrift Store has also been helpful with donated furniture. Many private donors also give clothing and goods regularly.

Stipends And Bills

We have four people now housed who have no income as they await Disability hearings. We give each one a $20 stipend a month, base, and more as needed. Some of our housed people on SSI have market rate rent so high that they cannot afford both rent and utilities. In one case a private donor gives $100 per month so one woman can maintain her housing. We also assist her with special needs. In another case, illness has caused unemployment and inability to pay rent and utilities and we are supplementing rent and utilities and car insurance as a car is needed for reemployment.  This is a minimum of $800 per month but we are keeping a serially homeless family of seven housed. The primary wage earner is now covered medically by Medicaid and hopefully appropriate medical treatment will restore health and thereby employment.  We acted similarly with another family of eight. But we simply can’t keep up this pace especially during this holiday season.

We also assisted three other families with utilities and rent to avoid evictions. We paid Security deposits for two families and program fees for two women in Residential treatment for alcoholism.  We also assisted several people with applications for HUD assisted housing.

 Health Needs

We helped several people and families gain access to Medicaid and Medical Services. One dear woman whom we have known for eight years and who has never asked for anything was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had a single mastectomy. We were able to help her with dealing with this devastating diagnosis and helped her to access health services and additional services like Meals on Wheels and transportation as she goes through chemotherapy. We also paid for her family living in another state to come to her aid as she lives alone and provided for a microwave oven and special food extractor as well as more comfortable furniture for her apartment.  We make many hospital visits and are thankful for Pat and Pearl who assist in this as many cannot negotiate the medical system unaided.

In other situations we worked with Hospice to get appropriate care for a formerly homeless woman who could not cope with her diagnoses and placement and we assist another with her relationships with family. We have also done a good deal of education on various illnesses with several of our people and assisted with access to care.  We have had sessions with our youth as well on illnesses that affect them and their families.

Ruby, in Hospice care, was especially worried about her cat of seven years and pleased that her cat was placed in a good home with our assistance.

      

 Joshua Hospitality House

The family of seven living in Joshua Hospitality house for five months moved out on in early May 2015. We assisted them fully in getting established in market housing. Sadly their rent is very high and there has been much serious illness in this family. On May 6th a man who regularly attends Good Shepherd and was living in a shed with his dog for several years moved in and is now acting as caretaker. From 7/25-8/3 a married couple with two dogs who were living in their car moved into one of the rooms for a week. We also had paid for a night in the Quality Inn for them. Unfortunately they moved out with our TV and digital box and several household items. This brings the number of people served by Joshua House to 38 individuals, and several pets. We thank Hank Tessandori for patching up breakage and damage after stays. Despite some difficulties we are happy to provide this housing as a bridge to permanent housing.

 Youth Success and Enrichment

During this period we served 33 young people ranging in age from 4-young adult. All of our young people except one achieved promotion and grades from average to excellent. This lack of academic achievement has to do with her learning limitations and we have hooked her up to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for further testing and vocational help. In the meantime she is working at a Super Store and enjoying this. Another of our young men has a Security job at this store and is happy with the higher pay and status this job provides. Another is holding down three jobs.  Our college student is in her Sophomore year and although challenged by her own illnesses and family situation including the need to work she is still in school and working on her courses.  We have given her much counseling and also financial support for all of her text books and medical needs. A donor recently gave an amount that paid for an eye exam and new glasses for her. We also have another young woman graduating from SWFL College this year.  For our middle school teens and elementary students we provide an oasis where learning is valued and rewarded and problems are worked on together. Almost all live in families where there are significant problems and we try to assist the whole family. We continue to reward academic progress and homework completion with small sums.

This summer we were able to take five trips to local educational and nature experiences and attractions.  Twenty young people from 6-23 attended these functions along with our youth leader who just graduated from Brown University, Efe Cudjoe,two parents and the two Pastors. We were blessed to have Efe’s help for six weeks before she took a research job in another state and applies to Medical School. This was a great way to get to know one of our new families with four children and also two other children as well as the regular youth members.  As one teenager wrote after a Busch Gardens trip: “I loved this trip and I want to say thank you. I loved the animal show best because it is amazing knowing that they can remember so much and not mess up. I had a great time, and it was even better because I got to spend time with great people, my church family.”   And when the teens attended a movie of their choice “Max” one wrote: “….This is a great story and showed me so much about love and loyalty and what a hero really is. A Hero doesn’t always go with the popular choice, he does what is right whether it is the popular thing or not.”  A mother who accompanied her five year old on a trip said “ she had a ball, but so did I. I didn’t realize how important it is to play with my child and enjoy something together. I’m glad she is making new friends and I am too.”

Efe and the Cudjoe Family at her Brown Graduation

We are looking forward to doing more enrichment activities with our kids if we get The Father’s Table grant as there is no doubt that new worlds are opened when we do special activities together.

Our Donors and Volunteers

We are so thankful for our donors and volunteers for making all of this possible. We have several who give monthly and those who give at special times of the year. We are so moved by their generosity and support. Our volunteers have mostly been with us for years-indeed, more like an extended family. We are so thankful for all they give of themselves and their resources. In this Christmas season we have a few wonderful elves to help us, like our Board member, Stella Odie-Ali who is wrapping endless gifts.

Our Needs

We continue to need a youth leader and Sunday school teachers. These are special skills and persons with experience with our diverse population are needed. Some gift cards have been pledged but in view of the need we need Christmas gift cards for families as well as teens. The Orioles Lodge in Fort Myers has again volunteered to give gifts for our little children as they have done in past years. We are so thankful for their continued interest. They have 28 children on their list and that is a lot for them.  We are also hoping for donors who will provide monthly stipends to people who are in housing that far exceeds their abilities to pay and make ends meet.

Website and Brochure

Thanks to Jack Ross our website: www.goodshepmin.org is up and running. It is a terrific website and we encourage you to visit it and also suggest materials for it. And thanks to Gini Beecroft and her sister Judith Strom of Minnesota we now have an excellent brochure that can be used for informative and donation purposes.

Pastor Judy Beaumont and I want to thank our Board members, donors and volunteers and all who continue to make Good Shepherd a successful endeavor, especially the members of our Sunday and Tuesday communities.  We thank all for their prayers and blessings and hope that you will remember our families as Christmas draws near.  For how to send donations to our tax exempt organization please go tohttp://www.goodshepmin.org

In Service and gratitude,

Rev. Dr. Judy Lee,RCWP

Pastor Judy Lee-Co-Pastor and Clinical Director of Good Shepherd Ministries of SW FL, Inc.

And Rev. Judy Beaumont, RCWP, Co-Pastor and Administrator