Hope: the native land of the Spirit Emily Dickinson Sir Ninian Stephen, in his eulogy at “Weary” Dunlop’s State funeral, said that “Weary” inspired his men “through sheer nobility of character, strength of purpose and strength of body….with hope when hope was faint”. This capacity to inspire hope in others was central to Jesus of […]
Let us proceed in peace.In the name of Christ. Amen Prayers at the Advent Wreath Lighting of the Christ Candle Today we celebrate the gift of the Incarnation, Emmanuel, God with us. We celebrate the birth of Christ who is the Light of the World—a Light no darkness can extinguish. Christ’s Light can enter any […]
O come, O come, Emmanuel,and ransom captive Israel,that mourns in lonely exile hereuntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice! EmmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, freeThine own from Satan’s tyrannyFrom depths of Hell Thy people saveAnd give them victory o’er the graveRejoice! Rejoice! EmmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel […]
We thank you for your continued support of the Spirit matters blog and are glad that we have been able to bring you a time of reflection and refreshment each week. We will be back in January 2021, ready to start a new year with a new series from Fr Philip Carter on Hope.
Prayers at the Advent Wreath We light the third Advent Candle as a sign of joy — a testimony to the Light of God coming into our world that will shatter the darkness and bring healing to all who suffer and mourn. Loving God, we thank you for the joy you bring us. Help us […]
Faith necessarily refers us to something beyond ourselves. CH Dodd Faith “is the confidence that reality is not the same as what is being felt at any given moment”. Rowan Williams The act of faith is not a leap from darkness into light. It is an affirmation that light exists beyond the darkness …..Morris West It […]
Prayers at the Advent Wreath We light the second candle to represent John the Baptist, who proclaims Jesus as the Messiah. This candle is the candle of peace, a sign that God’s promises will be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ – Prince of Peace. Peace is a gift that we must be prepared […]
Faith releases in us a power that is beyond us. Albert Nolan The great tragedy for Christianity (it’s been said) is the transfer of faith from the dimension of personal encounter into the dimension of formal instruction. Faith then is reduced to assent, believing that a statement or claim is true. Marcus Borg says we […]
Introductory Rites Blessing of the Advent Wreath Heavenly Father, we look forward to the celebration of Christmas and to the coming of the Lord in glory. Bless this Advent wreath, and bless us all. As we pray, fill us with your love, and strengthen us for our work in the world. We ask this through […]
The opposite of faith is not doubt, but the closed mind. True faith can only grow and mature if it includes the elements of paradox and creative doubt. Such doubt is not the enemy of faith but an essential element of it. For faith in God does not bring the false peace of answered questions […]