Beauty
In our lives, in our homes, in our communities and in our world,
we honour God and renew our souls by recognising and creating beauty.
In particular, we want to see and celebrate the beauty
inherent in ourselves and in each other.
INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Trust in God at all times, people. Pour out your hearts to the Holy One.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
Silence
Sing: Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below.
Praise him above all heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
The Lord is here. God’s Spirit is present.
We can never not be in the presence of God:
We are totally surrounded.[1]
We are surrounded by beauty.
The Lord is here. God’s Spirit is present.
One thing I have asked of the Lord. This is what I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord…
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
THANKSGIVING AND LAMENT
God, we mourn how much of your beauty we overlook …
The water lily in a stagnant black pond
A smile creasing a scarred, broken face
The flesh of a simple green coconut
The warmth of a full-bodied hug
An orchid spraying from straggling bark
The freshness of transparent conversation
The lightness of silk
The delight of daring to dance
The tang of lemon grass
Individuals speak out their own descriptive phrases …
Three things are too wonderful for me, four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a woman.
Wonder, mystery, beauty … God. Yes.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
THE LIVING WORD
Ps. 19 or Job 39 or John 20:10-18
Mark 9:2-8 John 12:1-8 Rev. 4
Silence for reflecting on the readings
RESPONSE
:identify and share a thing of beauty in the room / walk outside together & enjoy
:contemplation of art work – pottery, a quilt, a deliciously presented meal
:read aloud a poem – Keats’ Endymion: A thing of beauty is a joy forever – or Gerard Manley Hopkins’: God’s Grandeur.
FOR EACH OTHER
Let’s hold in the light and tenderness of God our created world, and especially today….
Silence or open prayer
THIS WAY THIS DAY
Holy Spirit of God
Your beauty is beyond seeing and telling
Yet it touches us at every turn,
Often unexpectedly,
In the warm light of a new day,
The loveliness of faces, the music of laughter.
And it shines through the life of Jesus,
So completely surrendered to you.
Open our eyes today, Holy Spirit
To beauty all around us,
In ourselves and in each other,
In every life, however bruised or disfigured.
Help us to nurture beauty wherever it will grow.
Let light spill into dark places, let colours glow,
Reawaken lost wonder and rekindle hope.
In this beautiful world marred by sin
On earth as in heaven
Your Kingdom come! Amen
[1] Richard Rohr