for those who are grieving

DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL

Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, you are you,
And the old life that we lived so fondly together
Is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort,
Without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity"¦I am but waiting for you,
For an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well.

Henry Scott Holland
1847-1918
Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Tact is the art of convincing people that they know more than you do." Raymond Mortimer.

This is the day which the Lord hath made - let us rejoice and be glad in it

In the complete cessation of thought comes the precious gift of spiritual illumination. --Patanjali

"Come and Find the Quiet Center"

Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
Clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes that we can see.
All the things that really matter,
be at peace and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being touches base,
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we're shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other's pain,
let our loves and fear unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
There's a place for deepest dreaming,
there's a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit's lively scheming
there is always room to spare.

Words: Shirley Erena Murray

A Prayer for the Peace of Christ
(Adapted from the Prayer of Saint Francis, 1182-1226)

Eternal Creator & Holy Spirit of Wisdom, Love and Grace -
make us an instruments of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, vision and faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is fracture, healing;
and where there is sadness, joy.

Divine Provider, Nurturer, Teacher -
grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in letting go and releasing
that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen

We turn to Spirit for help when our foundations are shaking, only to find out that it is Spirit who is shaking them. --Dan Millman

"O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Who art generous and merciful! We are servants of Thy threshold and are gathered beneath the sheltering shadow of Thy divine unity. The sun of Thy mercy is shining upon all, and the clouds of Thy bounty shower upon all. Thy gifts encompass all, Thy loving providence sustains all, Thy protection overshadows all, and the glances of Thy favor are cast upon all. O Lord! Grant Thine infinite bestowals, and let the light of Thy guidance shine. Illumine the eyes, gladden the hearts with abiding joy. Confer a new spirit upon all people and bestow upon them eternal life. Unlock the gates of true understanding and let the light of faith shine resplendent. Gather all people beneath the shadow of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony, so that they may become as the rays of one sun, as the waves of one ocean, and as the fruit of one tree. May they drink from the same fountain. May they be refreshed by the same breeze. May they receive illumination from the same source of light. Thou art the Giver, the Merciful, the Omnipotent."
~ Abdu'l-Baha

Make me strong in spirit,
Courageous in action.
Gentle of heart,

Let me act in wisdom,
Conquer my fear and doubt,
Discover my own hidden gifts,

Meet others with compassion,
Be a source of healing energies,
And face each day with hope and joy.

--- Abby Willowroot

The Helper

Where there is pain to ease and tears to dry,
When a frail voice rises in pitying cry
When there is no other coming by
You will find the helper there.

Where the blazing sun brings out the soil
Of sweaty labour and lengthy toil
When the task grows huge and threatens to foil
You will find the helper there.

Where creativity grows and blooms,
And laughter fills the meeting rooms
Where a shout of common purpose booms
You will find the helper there.

Where a hand is held to quell a fear
And a reassuring voice falls on an ear
You will find the helper always near,
The helper called a volunteer.

By Dave Henderson

Hymn "O for a thousand tongues to sing"
click http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/f/o/ofor1000.htm for midi of music

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
'Tis music in the sinner's ears,
'Tis life, and health, and peace.

The Elephant in the Room by Terry Kettering

There's an elephant in the room.
It is large and squatting, so it is hard to get around it.
Yet we squeeze by with, "How are you?" and "I'm fine""¦
And a thousand other forms of trivial chatter.
We talk about the weather.
We talk about work.
We talk about everything else "“ except the elephant in the room.

There's an elephant in the room.
We all know it is there.
We are thinking about the elephant as we talk.
It is constantly on our minds,
For you see, it is a very big elephant.
But we do not talk about the elephant in the room.

Oh, please, say his name.
Oh, please, say Burt again.
Oh, please, say Dad or Grandpa again.
Oh, please, let's talk about the elephant in the room.
For if we talk about his death,
Perhaps we can talk about his life.
Can I say Burt and not have you look away?
Can I say dad/ grandpa and not have you look away?
For if I cannot, you are leaving me
Alone"¦
In a room"¦
With an elephant.

God of the Way,
you are the road we travel
and the sign we follow.
You are bread for the journey,
and the wine of arrival.

Praying for safe arrivals & returns.

If we did not go to sleep at night,
We'd never awaken to see the light

Or meet the dawn by some quiet lake
With the joy of watching a new day break -

And death, too, is a time of sleeping,
For those who are gone are in God's keeping-

There is a sunrise for each soul,
For life - not death - is God's promised goal.

So trust God's promise and doubt Him never,
For only through death can we live forever!

Helen Steiner Rice

When you can't find your direction,
And your heart won't guide you home,
Let go "¦ and let God.

*fidgets in back pew*

*"Do you have to go to the potty"...Indira whispers to the Monk.*

Now you kids quiet down and quit wriggling! lohlfmm&i (lots of hushed laughter from Mad Monk & Indira)

maybe time for something lighter & celebratory?

Sing a Happy hallelujah!
Sing it out with heart & style
We're the echo of God's laughter
We're the image of God's smile!

Everyday sing Hallelujah!
We are loved though so absurd
Human Foolish Chosen people
God still takes us at our world

Hallelujah!
All Creation
Hallelujah Everyone!
Hallelujah!
All creation!
Hallelujah Everyone!

Please pray for Bob and Deb , struggling with cancer

A scripture prayer for Bob and Deb,
But those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall rise up on wings like eagles.
They shall run and not grow weary.
They shall walk and not grow faint,
May the love of Christ surround you. May his healing hand be upon you. May Christ give you patience and strength during times of pain and frustration May he bear you up and encourage you in times of fear and despair. And in all situations may you know his loving presence during this time of great challenge.
God bless,

Please by Rita Moran

Please "“ don't ask me if I'm over it yet.
I'll never be "over it."
Please- don't tell me they are in a better place.
They aren't here.
Please- Don't say "at least they are not suffering."
I haven't come to terms with why they had to suffer at all.
Please- Don't tell me to get on with my life.
I'm still here, you'll notice.
Please- don't ask me if I feel better.
Bereavement isn't a condition that "clears up".
Please- don't tell me "God never makes a mistake."
You mean God did this on purpose?
Please- don't tell me "at least you had them for so many years."
What year would you choose for someone close to you to die?
Please- don't tell me God never gives you more that you can bear.
Who decides how much another person can bear.
Please- just say you are sorry.
Please- just say you remember them, if you do.
Please- just let me talk if I want to.
Please- let me cry when I must.

FERN HILL

By Dylan Thomas

Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
The night above the dingle starry,
Time let me hail and climb
Golden in the heydays of his eyes,
And honored among wagons I was prince of the apple towns
And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
Trail with daisies and barley
Down the rivers of the windfall light.

And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns
About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
In the sun that is young once only,
Time let me play and be
Golden in the mercy of his means,
And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves
Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,
And the Sabbath rang slowly
In the pebbles of the holy streams.

All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay
Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air
And playing, lovely and watery
And fire green as grass.
And nightly under the simple stars
As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,
All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars
Flying with the ricks, and the horses
Flashing into the dark.

And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white
With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all
Shining, it was Adam and maiden,
The sky gathered again
And the sun grew round that very day.
So it must have been after the birth of the simple light
In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm
Out of the whinnying green stable
On to the fields of praise.

Hard is the Journey,
Hard is the Journey,
So many turnings,
And now where am I?

Li Po (Chinese philosopher AD 701-62)

Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountains which sustain life, not the top. --Robert Pirsig

The Romero Prayer:

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

--- Bishop Ken Utener

Amen, indeed.

For all who are grieving'

The Horizon"

I am standing upon the seashore.

A ship at my side, slips her berth, spreads her white sails to the morning breeze, and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length she hangs
like a speck of white cloud on the horizon,
just where the sea and the sky come
to mingle with one another.
Then someone at my side says: "There "“ she is gone."

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight "“ that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side.
The diminished size is in my eye, not in her being.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There "“ she is gone,"

There are other hopeful eyes
Watching on the other side of the horizon,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
"There "“ at last, she comes!"
And that, in Christ, is dying.

Unsure of author

As we approach Christmas and all the joys and sorrows that come with it i am reviving this thread.

My prayers are with those who have lost someone this year.

My prayers are with those who are celebrating new life and new joys.

May we all experience the peace and love of our Lord Jesus and may we all be safe in His arms.

..........good tidings of great Joy, for unto you is born this day.... a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.

I have reached the inner vision

and through Thy spirit in me

I have heard Thy wondrous secret.

Through Thy mystic insight

Thou hast caused a spring of knowledge

to well up within me,

a fountain of power,

pouring forth living waters,

a flood of love

and of all-embracing wisdom

like the splendor of eternal Light.

-from the Book of Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Hello lastpointe.......God bless you..

DaveH .....I am surely in agreement with your prayer...In Jesus name ...amen and amem.......

THE LAND OF ETERNAL LOVE ........

There's a place deep inside us called Heaven,

Where you'll never just have to Cope,

In there is no gloom or darkness ,

Just Love Peace, Goodness and Hope...

Where the Light Shines always from Jesus,

To Brighten your Path as You Go,

It will Give You Eternal Happiness,

I am on that Path so I Know......

Your Right , there is Peace and Contentment,

Where the Power of God Transends,

A Place where Strangers are Welcome,

Where Neighbours are always Friends,

There's also Comfort and Healing ,

In Our Hearts is where it Begins,

Where the Lord is Patiently waiting,

Just Ask He Forgives All Our Sins.

Outside it can thunder and lightning,

And the rain it seems will not end,

He knows the Answer inside us,

Call out to the Lord He's Our Friend,

He will take You on such a Journey,

The Likes You have never Know

Where Angels are at Your Disposal ,

To call on where ever You Go....

You'll Get what You want for the Asking,

Just Knock the Doors Open Wide,

And You'll get Love and Peace Forever,

From Here to the Other Side,

There is no death for His Children,

It's just Crossing from darkness to Light,

And you'll have all His Love and Power ,

The Strength and Endurance to Fight......

Each day He will Walk Beside You ,

Just Seek Out His Word and You'll see,

For in God , there is no Limits,

He will Totally Set You Free,

So its up to You, He won't Force You,

From the Heavely Kingdom Above,

And you'll Belong to Him Forever,

IN THE LAND OF ETERNAL LOVE

In Jesus Love .....

author bygraceiam.....Gods Precious Glory...

I'm not sure if this is appropriate but these hymns are nice: