Genius, Power and Magic
Everything in the news in some way relates to the work the church is called to do – which is to bring peace and healing into this world. It is important then, to remind ourselves that in all spiritual work, we begin in exactly the place where we are, we ground ourselves in the reality of our world just as it is, in our moment, in our time. And from there, reflecting on your own situation, to move in a chosen direction.
A grounding principle is that when we seek goodness, when we seek compassion, when we move boldly in a new direction of enlightenment, when we gather our courage and fearlessly go forth, not knowing what lies ahead, only knowing we must leave what we have behind, God and all the angels and the stars and the entire universe are there to cheer us on.
Deep in the heart of God, in the heartbeat of this world, is a common vision, and it is one of peace and joy for everyone. We are called to move toward that peace from exactly the place where are feet are now.
Every blessing for the journey
Wild Goose is the Publishing House for the Iona Community, Scotland
Call to Worship, Wild Goose Publishing
Gather us in,
the lost and the lonely,
the broken and breaking,
the tired and the aching
who long for the nourishment found at your feast.
Gather us in,
the done and the doubting, the wishing and wondering, the puzzled and pondering who long for the company found at your feast.
Gather us in,
the proud and pretentious, the sure and superior,
the never inferior,
who long for the levelling found at your feast.
Gather us in,
the bright and the bustling, the stirrers, the shakers,
the kind laughter makers who long for the deeper joys found at your feast.
Gather us in
from corner or limelight, from mansion or campsite, from fears and obsession, from tears and depression, from untold excesses, from treasured successes, to meet, to eat, be given a seat,
be joined to the vine, be offered new wine, become like the least, be found at the feast.
Gather us in.
“Unil one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of thing occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meeting and material assistance which no person could have dreamed would come their way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Lucille Bridges, Ruby Bridges, and Norman Rockwell - social activists all
Norman Rockwell’s famous painting of six year-old Ruby Bridges being escorted into a New Orleans school in 1960, was printed inside the January 14, 1964 edition of Look magazine, and also displayed at the White House in 2011.
Rockwell’s painting focuses on an historic 1960 school integration episode when six year-old Ruby Bridges had to be escorted by federal marshals past jeering mobs to insure her safe enrollment at the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Ruby was the first African American child to enroll at the school, and the local white community – as elsewhere in the country at that time – was fiercely opposed to the court-ordered desegregation of public schools then occurring.
Spotlight on Mrs. Lucille Bridges, whose family endured death threats and racial hatred as Ruby Bridges, her daughter, was the first black child child to attend an all-white school in 1960 New Orleans.
Ruby Bridges visited the White House to see how a painting commemorating her personal and historic milestone looks hanging on the wall outside of the Oval Office.
Imagine, John Lennon, Yoko Ono
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one