The ARK Volume 24, Edition 2 April, May, June 2013

22 Pages·2013·0.4 MB·English

by  Mary Jane Glauber

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a The ARK, A Publication of the American Association of Interchurch Families
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of Interchurch Families

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A u Interchurch Families:
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Interchurch Families
“Listen with the ear of your heart”

An Evening Prayer
“ Let us look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities.”
Lord, it is night. The night is dark. The night heralds the dawn.
Let our fears of the darkness Let us look expectantly to a
The night is for stillness.
of the world and of our own new day,
Let us be still in the presence
lives new joys,
of God.
rest in you. new possibilities.
It is night after a long day.
The night is quiet In your name we pray.
Let the quietness of your Amen.
What has been done has peace enfold us,
been done; all dear to us
© A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia
what has not been done has and all who have no peace. Mihinare o Aotearoa 1989 p.185
not been done;
let it be.
“What counts is prayerfulness, not prayers.
1 And the fullness of prayer is grateful living.” ~ Unknown
Contents
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mili Page 2 Contents and Contacts for the American Association of Interchurch Families
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Pages 3 - 5 Hope and Possibility found among the Children of Bi-Cultural Interchurch
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h Families
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ur Page 6 The Purpose and Nature of Prayer
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c Pages 6 - 9 Reflections on Prayer: What is Prayer? by New Zealand Theologians
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e Pages 10 - 11 Prayers from New Zealand that address our daily lived experiences
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I Page 11 Implications for Interchurch Families regarding: Prayers from New Zealand that
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address our daily lived experiences in the U.S.A. By M. J. Glauber
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o Pages 12 - 13 A Blessing...What is a Blessing? Blessings are words that offer encouragement
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ci n & The Many Names by which we call “God”
o o Pages 14 - 15 The Pew Report on religion in the U.S.A and American Families;
s ti
As di Implications for Interchurch Families and Ecumenists Seeking Christian Unity
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an 4; By M. J. Glauber
c 2 Pages 15 - 16 Gratitude, as expressed by Interchurch Families by Anna Sinclair
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m m Page 17 Unity ...Why? by The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Choctaw
A u Page 17 The Bible addresses Christian Unity, with implications for Interchurch Families
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h Page 18 Lectio Divina: The Bible speaks about Gratitude- Our Goal is to Incorporate
of t 3; Biblical Gratitude into the Ways We live Our Lives By M. J. Glauber
n 1 Page 19 Beatitudes for Interchurch Families by Fr George Kilcourse, Professor of
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ati e 2 Theology at Bellarmine College, Louisville, Kentucky
c n Page 20 Christian Unity, Baptism and Interchurch Families: Everything relies on that Holy
bli u
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n Page 21 World Council of Churches 10th General Assembly: 30 October - 8 November,
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K, y 2013 in Busan, South Korea; An Invitation for Interchurch Families
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R M Page 22 Many Thanks
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Contacts for AAIF:
AAIF 2012 OFFICER about how to become more
SECRETARY = actively involved with AAIF. You
ELECTION
Diane & Lamar Burton would be welcomed by this
The results of the AAIF Board
[email protected] group.
Member’s Election this past fall
in 2012 have been tabulated.
TREASURER = The next AAIF Conference will
The following were elected by a
Elaine & Clint Hall be in 2016. Please plan to join
unanimous vote to the following
[email protected] us. All are welcome. Details to
positions:
follow in a future issue of the
The current term of office will ARK
CO-CHAIR =
be from July 1, 2012 through
Libbye & Guy Montgomery
June 30, 2014, at which time
[email protected] another election will be held.
VICE CO-CHAIR = Please contact any of the
Lynne & Doug Wragge above mentioned officers if you
[email protected] would like to have information
2
Hope and Possibility found among the Children of Bi-Cultural Interchurch Families
The Children business, companies are on interchurch marriages. We
the lookout for people who are have no statistics from which
of Bi-Cultural likely to bring a creative spirit we can determine how many
to their work. A paper by potential interchurch marriages
Interchurch Carmit Tadmor, Adam Galinsky, are for whatever reason not
and William Maddux in the becoming interchurch
Families September, 2012 issue of the marriages. Converting the
Journal of Personality and spouse may sound like a good
Provide Great Social Psychology explores option, but I have observed
how living abroad can that frequently the spouse who
Hope For influence people’s creativity.” has converted is absent
regarding their new church.
Those Who How can living abroad in This, of course, isn’t always the
another culture influence case. The drop outs seem to
Are Seeking people’s creativity? be gaining ground in our
society according to a recent
Christian Dr. Markham observes that Pew Study on church
“ When people live abroad for attendance.
Unity. an extended period of time,
there are three possibilities for
their relationship to their host Dr. Markham observes that
culture. “The researchers suggest that
Art Markman, Ph.D. wrote 1. One possibility is that when people become
they will retain their original bicultural, it helps them to see
“Becoming Bi-Cultural
cultural identity and keep many sides to an issue. This
Makes You More Creative,
themselves separate from their integrative complexity allows
The Value of Living in More
host culture. them to be more creative.
Than One Culture.” I found
2. A second possibility is After all, being creative often
his article in Psychology Today.
that they will assimilate to the involves seeing things in more
host culture and lose their than one way.” Being able to
Dr. Markman observes that “ original cultural identity. see many aspects or many
Innovation provides a key path 3. A third possibility is that sides to any given situation
to business success.” He they will become bicultural, and allows
observes how creativity helped will retain a strong tie both to
companies like Apple to their original culture and to the Dr. Markham observes that
succeed in a very competitive host culture.” Carmit Tadmor, Adam Galinsky,
market. Apple had taken a
and William Maddux in the
different approach from its I focused on the use of the September, 2012 issue of the
competitors. Dr. Markham term “Possibility” that Dr. Journal of Personality and
observes that “Companies that Markham had examined. I Social Psychology explores
bring out new and exciting immediately saw a similarity how living abroad can
projects capture people’s with the three possible options influence people’s creativity. To
imaginations and ultimately for those who are immersed in do this study, “they tested this
people are willing to pay a another culture with the prospect in a series of studies
premium for their new potential that we observe when using people who had lived
products.” a couple, coming from two abroad.”
different Christian traditions,
Dr. Markham observes that “ marries. Some simply drop out, “In each study, the researchers
Because of the key role of some convert to their spouse’s measured whether people
innovation in generating new faith and some become were separate from their host
culture, assimilated to it, or
3
Hope and Possibility found among the Children of Bi-Cultural Interchurch Families
bicultural. They also assessed ideas that were successfully We are seeking a way forward
s
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mili characteristics to ensure that companies. A second study task may seem overwhelming
a the findings were based on the found that bicultural individuals at times.
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degree to which people were also more likely than
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nt more accepting of a new in their company. In both
I children to become involved in
culture.” cases, the degree of
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integrative complexity
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“They also measured people’s well as in their own church, we
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ci n complexity by having them was the best statistical children have a deeper
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s ti write essays about a dilemma. understanding of the nuanced
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eri e acknowledge both sides of the in greater detail the positive In our lived experience, they
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have been the ones who have
A u relationship between the think of children who are raised
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ation e 201 owneere s aimspkeled sttou dlisy,t paas rmticaipnayn ts icinnhtteiilmdrcraehtneu rawcrhae yh e otxomp toehssee wtdwh ioen r aen t he hI ohwav teh eayls aor eo bthsee rsvaemde t.h at they
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bli u churches of their parents as have a greater depth of
Pu d J brick. Previous research being a form of bi-cultural understanding of the potential
a an suggests that creative people experience. Dr. Markham and possibility for Interchurch
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bicultural typically found more culture while at the same time
quickly able to dispel
uses for a brick than either retaining an original cultural
misunderstandings both about
those who were separate or identity. Truly understanding
their peers’ home church and
assimilated to the host culture. and identifying with two
any misunderstandings or
Statistical analyses suggested cultures allows people to see
myths about the other church.
that the best explanation for the same issue from multiple
These bi-cultural interchurch
this difference was that the perspectives. In real world
children provide great hope for
bicultural participants also settings, this ability to consider
those who are seeking
displayed more integrative different sides of a situation
Christian Unity.
complexity in their essays.” allows people to generate new
ideas and to innovate. These
Is this a resource to be found
Dr. Markham notes that “Two
findings suggest that
in the wisdom of our own
other studies explored the
companies would do well to
interchurch families’ children
workplace. One study found
find employees with
that has been largely over-
that bicultural individuals were
experience in more than one
looked for the wisdom they
more likely than separated and
culture.” Dr. Markham has
have?
assimilated individuals to start
applied his findings to
new companies based on new corporations seeking At times, we may even become
ideas and to generate new innovative solutions. discouraged as we seek a
4
Hope and Possibility found among the Children of Bi-Cultural Interchurch Families
pathway toward Christian Unity. are in me, and I in you, Art Markman, Ph.D., is Annabel
Sometimes, we perceived that they also may be in Irion Worsham Centennial
roadblocks of sorts that stop us Professor of Psychology and
us, so that the world may
from seeking that pathway Marketing at the University of
believe that you have
forward toward Christian Unity. Texas at Austin.
sent me.
“Miracles”
It is God’s wish for us to work He got his Sc.B. in Cognitive
Please take a moment to for Unity. Love is the beacon Science from Brown and his
consider quietly the following that must guide us toward that Ph.D. in Psychology from the
quotes: Unity. We also must be able to University of Illinois.
consider all the possibilities that
Willa Cather said, "Where there
He has published over 125
already exist among us; in a
is great love there are always
scholarly works on topics in
culturally diverse world, there is
miracles."
higher-level thinking including
great potential for being able to
Marianne Williamson said, find creative solutions that will the effects of motivation on
"Miracles occur naturally as help us to find the Unity we learning and performance,
expressions of love. The real have been seeking for a very analogical reasoning,
miracle is the love that inspires long time. by M.J. Glauber categorization, decision making,
them. In this sense everything and creativity.
that comes from love is a
Dr. Marham’s original article can
miracle." - Marianne Williamson Art serves as the director of the
be found at http://
program in the Human
C.S. Lewis said, "Miracles are a www.psychologytoday.com/ Dimensions of Organizations at
retelling in small letters of the collections/201208/your- the University of Texas.
very same story which is written
creative-flow/becoming-bi-
across the whole world in letters
cultural-makes-you-more- He is currently executive editor
too large for some of us to see."
creative of the journal Cognitive Science
Saint Augustine said "Miracles Further reading on the cultural and a member of the editorial
are not contrary to nature, but nuances of being truly bi- board of Cognitive Psychology.
only contrary to what we know cultural and our ability to be
about nature." creative (find creative solutions) Books by Art Markham, Ph.D.
can be found at:
Ann Voskamp said, ”Gratitude
Tools for Innovation: The
for the seemingly insignificant -- http:// Science Behind the Practical
a seed --this plants the giant www.psychologytoday.com/ Methods That Drive New
miracle.” blog/ulterior-motives/201006/ Ideas; by Arthur B. Markman,
These quotes indicate to me can-living-abroad-make-you- Kristin L. Wood; Oxford
that miracles, hope, and more-creative University Press, USA
http://
possibility may exist all around
us, not just for the select few, www.psychologytoday.com/ Smart Thinking: Three
but for all of us, if we are open collections/201106/cultivating- Essential Keys to Solve
to them. Love and gratitude creativity/go-the-flow Problems, Innovate, and Get
seem to be at least some of the Things Done; by Art Markman;
http://
key components needed to be Perigee Trade
www.psychologytoday.com/
able to move us forward toward
collections/201106/cultivating-
what Christ wished for all of us
creativity/everyday-creativity
as written in
http://
John 17:21
www.psychologytoday.com/
collections/201106/cultivating-
21 that they may all be
creativity/how-renaissance-
one, just as you, Father,
people-think
5
The Purpose and Nature of Prayer;
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Prayers that may serve Interchurch
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Families well in their homes

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of “Intercessory Prayer is the purifying bath into

n which the individual and the fellowship must New Zealand Chaplains share some of their:
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meri me For me, prayer has to do with being in
A u Intercession is a way of loving others.” relationship with God.
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“The purpose of prayer is to prepare our own with God.
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ati e 2 on of the mind of Christ, for the burst of Each time I pray, I am acknowledging God’s
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retire to prayer that we may give place to the sometimes during the night, my prayers are
grace and light of God.” more extended conversations with God.
– John Wesley At these times, prayer enables to me to make
sense of the way my life is unfolding in
“Prayer is a serene force at work within human relationship with God.
beings, stirring them up, changing their hearts,
never allowing them to close their eyes in the Prayer with God expands the horizons of our
face of evil, of wars, of all that threatens the thinking, our living and our actions. As a
innocent of this world. result of prayer we become more aware of the
spiritual significance of our lives.
From it we draw the energy to wage other
struggles, to transform the human condition and In prayer to God we can express our deepest
to make the earth a place fit to live in. needs and we can discern God’s way for our
lives.
All who walk in the footsteps of Christ, while
holding themselves in the presence of God, Prayer is not a mechanical process. We
remain alongside other people as well. They do cannot manipulate God in any way. God
not separate prayer and solidarity with others.” knows our needs before we ask.

– Brother Roger of Taizé
6
Reflections on Prayer: What is Prayer?
Through prayer we can have our perspective on We are all in relationship with God in our own
life restored and we can find refreshment for the way and in prayer this uniqueness is expressed
journey of life through being in touch with the in the variety and all the personal ways we have
Holy One in whom we live, move and have our of praying.
being.
The delightful paradox with all of this is that
There is a lot more to life than what we can see God prays in us; it is waking up to this
with our eyes! There is a sacred and unseen – which is prayer.
yet very real – spiritual dimension to life, which
we can access through prayer. It can be about conversation with God, sharing
Prayer is “the way in” to encounter the mystery all that has happened or is about to happen in
of God. our day.
When we pray, we adopt a “posture Prayer is about refreshment
of receptivity” towards a personal encounter – we all live within multi- environments, and
with God. some of these ecosystems are polluted with
When we pray, we open ourselves to being demands, expectations, threats, negativity;
more consciously in relationship with our prayer is about letting go and being with God as
Creator. the Ultimate of all reality.
Christian prayer to God is often offered in and We can leave prayer feeling refreshed, and with
through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and a new clarity.
Saviour. Through the life, death and
risen presence of Jesus Christ, we have access Prayer requires space
to God in a personal way. – we need to give time to prayer, it need not be
a huge amount of time.
Through our faith in Christ, we can experience
something of the personal nature of God. The saying “quality rather than quantity”
relationship with our Creator. applies here.
Christian prayer to God is often offered in and I mean it is easy to get caught up in the myth
through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and that a great amount of time needs to be given to
Saviour. prayer.
Through the life, death and risen presence of No, prayer is about discovering the holiness
Jesus Christ, we have access to God in a that is already in time. A few minutes here,
personal way. and a minute or so there can help us to
appreciate that God is with us all the time.
Through our faith in Christ, we can experience
something of the personal nature of God. Space is also about place: sometimes to pray in
a garden, or with a view of the changing sky, or
beside a lit candle, or before and icon or in a
Mark Chamberlain: Church, can nourish and support our prayer.
Prayer is about relationship
– when we pray we express and experience Prayer is about listening
the relationship we have with God. – in prayer we stop our chatter and move into
a mode of listening, even if for a few minutes.
7
Reflections on Prayer: What is Prayer?
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God seldom speaks back in clear defined Prayer is also about listening and being
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emerging feeling, or a slither of inspiration or a greatest desire is to communicate; to express
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o agenda for prayer. – in communicating with God we stand on ‘holy
ati 2 ground’. We are ‘set apart’ in this incredible
ci n Prayer is about intercession event.
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s ti – we all need help, and frequently we struggle
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A E to help ourselves, let alone our friends or family. In prayer we commune with our Creator. The

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m m and ask God to help us. of human history chooses to work with us and
A u through us for our good and for the good of all.
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n 1 any other expresses our connection with and Prayer is Ordinary
atio e 20 oauttrr ascotliivdea raitbyo wuti tthh iost,h iesr tsh. aWt bhoatth I tfiimnde saon d s–a cthreisd i nevxiptienrgie anncde rtehsapt oisn spirvaey,e rre olactciounrsa li na nthde
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bli u distance are no limitation. midst of the ordinary
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T A Prayer is Invitation and Response
the moment is all that is needed. No issue of
– for me, prayer is about invitation and
life is too big or too small to bring to God’s
response; God’s initiative and our response to
attentive ear. No triumph or failure unimportant
the great mystery that is God (regardless of
enough to speak of.
whoever or whatever you understand God to
be).
Prayer is integrative, inclusive and whole-of-
life embracing.
It is an acknowledgement of a divine presence
in the world and in my own personal experience
Amy Armstrong:
of life that is unseen yet very real.
Prayer is spending quiet time, getting
Prayer is Relationship to know God and the Spirit that dwells
– in praying we assume that God is listening within us, more intimately.
and is interested in what we are saying.
When we spend quiet time in prayer, we have
This implies relationship. God is not therefore an increased awareness of God’s presence – in
an impersonal Force. the world and within our own hearts.
8
Reflections on Prayer: What is Prayer?
Prayer is becoming still on the inside, and when Paul Armstrong:
this stillness occurs, we have better perspective
on everything because we are more closely Prayer is being. It is the most essential
attuned to God. state. It is the very presence of my self to
Christ.
We see and hear more clearly and have an
increased capacity to love. Even making It is in this place, where I am unconcerned
decisions can be easier. To sit quietly with God with my own self, just in the fact that I am,
and feel the love that he has for us – this is that I am with Christ.
prayer.
To let go, to let be. To simply exist.
‘My sheep know my voice’, says Jesus. And
This is in fact the purest form of
the result of silent prayer is increased peace
being. This is prayer.
and the ability to recognise his voice in
the world.
Lyn Meinders:
Prayer is the most important part of my
When we sit and listen to God, we get to
relationship with God. Prayer is a continual
know that voice better and are able to hear it
open line to God. For me it is like a phone
more clearly amongst the noise of our daily
conversation – sometimes I speak and
lives.
sometimes I listen.
It’s like when you spend a lot of time in the
peace and quiet of the bush, you get to know
I need to listen when God speaks to
the calls of the native birds quite well. And then
one day you are walking in the midst of the me or prompts me to do something.
bustle of campus and you hear the sharp and In the same way God listens to the
melodious call of the Grey Warbler or the Bell requests I make.
Bird. You are quite surprised to hear it in a
different place, but you know it in an instant. Likening prayer to a ‘telephone’ conversation
means that I never ‘hang up’. I have the line
And it is because you spent so much time in the open 24/7. Saying ‘amen’ for me is hanging up
quiet of nature, getting to know it intimately the phone line and I don’t want to do that.
almost without realising it, that you recognise it. Sometimes the thoughts that I have could only
be God … they are so ‘far’ out there, that I am
And the sound is so sweet and so soothing, that not sure I could think of the things myself.
you stop and reflect, becoming calmer on the
inside. And now you see campus differently However, they will inevitably lead to an
than you had a moment ago. encounter or appointment which is always a two
way blessing. That is why prayer, and having
It’s the same with the kind voice of God. the line open to God at all times, for me, is so
God is always there, speaking to us, loving very important.
us and guiding us.
http://www.otago.ac.nz/chaplain/
An important part of prayer is to calm otago017083.pdf
and quiet your soul long enough to
hear what God is saying to you.
9
Prayers from New Zealand
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a A Morning Prayer A Prayer for Families
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Kia ora my Friend God. Dear God, thank you for my family. Thank you
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h which is already yours, adding to it my rejoicing, from them all.
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r a shout of praise. Amen. Amen.
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nt You are the wind: fill up my sails. Even though we may be far away from each
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f You are the water: run fast beneath my keel. other geographically, we nevertheless still feel
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n And I will sing in the wind and dance over the deeply connected.
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ati 2 water, God my Friend, oh God my Friend.
ci n You are the light: enfold me, Thank you that all families are different and
o o You are the darkness: embrace me. that my family is uniquely special. I realise that
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n You are love: overflow me.
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eri e and the peace of tranquil waters. the inadequacies of my family.
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You are all these things Friend God, and I thank Amen.
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ol you. Amen. Amen.
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of t 3; Mseaays oI njosu. rney without fear through all your AH ePlpra myeer, lfoovri nGgr Gowodth, t oin b Fea oitphe n to growth in
on 01 In emptiness let me find fullness. faith, for I am not a baby anymore. I know that
ati e 2 In imprisonment let me find freedom. you long to lead me deeper and deeper into
c n Render me passive in your will the mystery of your love and grace.
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moving with you in everything, Grant me courage to grow.
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K, y seeing you in everything It would be so easy to stagnate and to opt only
a knowing you in everything. for simplistic answers, when I know I am called
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A Amen. to engage all my heart and mind and soul in

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HE pril your service. Amen.
T A Written by Joy Cowley,
Aotearoa Psalms A Prayer for Understanding
Loving God, sometimes I find it so hard to
God, we come before you in prayer, be close to understand what is going on.
us today (at this time), care for us, lead us.
When people annoy me and life is hard, help
We praise you and offer to you, all of our work me to trust that you are with me and that you
and activities today. can help me to move beyond mere tolerance to
true compassion.
You indeed are God who sustains us,
and empowers us in all things. Amen. Grant me wisdom to know what to say and what
to do. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Almighty Father giver of love and peace be with
us in our homes bless us and our families, and http://www.otago.ac.nz/chaplain/
grant us your guidance all the days of our lives otago017083.pdf
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

written by Richard Kerr-Bell
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