Prayer in Disability

Many of us either struggle with disability, or care for someone with disability. Disability and pain over lengthy periods of time can cause downheartedness. The path of life is not always easy. However, we are not alone. Here, in this place of worship, be assured that you rest within the prayers of ministers who have been called by God to pray for you. You are in the presence of the Creator Who is Compassion and Love.

Bring before God your struggle with disability.
Ask Him for guidance and wisdom as you deal with this health challenge.
Ask Him for the strength you need to deal with the disability.
In prayer, ask God to send you the right healers you need to assist you with the disability.

Ask God for assistance in finances so you can pay for the care needed.
And, above all, remember that He will not allow you to struggle through life's path unaided. Turn to Him - He is here.

A candle has been lit for you. Blessings.

MEDITATION
Disability is like an impassable gate we need to get through. how will we open it? Once we are through, how will we cope on the other side? Will there be anyone to help us?

Observe the deep shadows on the side of the gate nearest to us. These symbolise our fears, our struggle. See how the light opens up into the beautiful greenery of hope on the other side of the gate. Just so is God waiting to help us with this very personal difficulty. We are not meant to walk life's paths alone. Remember; each of us has something to deal with. There is not one person walking the planet who does not have some issue to deal with. So let us ask God, our gatekeeper, to unlock the gate of our pain and help us through to the hope and strength to deal with our disability at the other side.

In the Beginning

As we come to pray in this sacred time of worship, let us remember the Great Creator Who made us. We come from different areas of the planet - different customs - different weather - different ways of doing things - different ways of speech and dress and food. However, we all have in common that we have been created by the One True Creator. We have different ways of expressing our creation, and the Name we use to honour and respect our Creator. We all have the same need; to be loved, accepted, and to find out why we are here on this planet.

What is my purpose in life?
Who am I really?
What do I really want out of life?

All these questions and more, the Creator can answer. We need to simply take time with Him, open our hearts and minds, and speak to Him within our minds. This is known as silent prayer.

May the Creator Who made both you and me, and finds both of us precious and irreplaceable in His sight, grant you wisdom, strength, comfort, understanding, and peace of mind and spirit as you honour Him as your Creator.

There are many different ways of understanding and describing the beginning of Creation. There is but one truth of Creation; that it occurred, and is a wondrous and mysterious event. Praise be to the Creator for His wondrous creation of the world, the universe, and all in it.


THE CREATION

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...
  So God created man in His own Image;
  male and female He created them."  The Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, verse 1 and verse 27.

"Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days...
  We created the human being from aged mud, like the potter's clay. "  The Holy Qur'an Surah 7, verse 54
  and Surah 15, verse 6

"In the beginning was the Divinity in His splendour, manifested as the sole Lord of land, skies, water,
space and that beneath and He upheld the earth and the heavens.
Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings?
 It is He who bestows soul-force and vigour, whose guidance all men invoke, the Devas invoke whose shadow is immortal life and death...
It is He Who by His Greatness became the One King of the breathing and the seeing , Who is the Lord of man and bird and beast...
It is He through whose glory the snow-clad mountains rose, and the ocean spread with the river, they say, His Arms are the quarters of the sky...
It is He through Whom the heaven is strong and the earth firm, Who has steadied the light and the sky's vault, and measured out the sphere of the clouds in the mid-region...
It is He to whom heaven and earth, placed in the light by His grace, look up, radiant with the mind while over them the sun, rising, brightly shines...When the mighty waters came,  carrying the universal germ, producing the flame of life, then dwelt there in harmony the One Spirit of the Devas. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? It is He Who in His Might surveyed the waters, conferring skill and creating worship - He, the God of gods, the One and only One...
Father of the world - may He not destroy us Who with truth as His Law made the heavens and produced waters, vast and beautiful. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings?
Lord of Creation! No one other than Thee pervades all these that have come into being.
May that be ours, for which our prayers rise, may we be the masters of many treasures!"
10th Book of Rigveda, Hymn 121

"We have been told, as our fathers were before us, that there was land, but it was a bare, flat, barren plain.
  No birds sang overhead. No trees or bushes grew.  No sound of water could be heard. Nor was there any
  man or woman. Baiame, or the Maker of Many Things as some called Him, brought the Dreamtime
  ancestors from under the ground and over the seas. With them, life came to the barren, flat  plain."
 Australian Aborigines Creation Story

"It is now believed that, at a certain time in the past, which can be calculated roughly 15000 million years ago,
  all the matter and energy in the Universe was concentrated in a mathematical point with zero volume from
  which it burst in one 'Big Bang' to create the universe...So, over millions of years, different forms of life have
  evolved." Humanist Creation Story

"Let it be told of a time when there was nothing but chaos, and that chaos was like a mist and full of emptiness.
  Suddenly into the midst of this mist came a great colourful light and from this light all things that exist came
  to be." Chinese Creation Story

"The Ancient One, known as Unkulunkulu, is the Zulu Creator. He came from the reeds and from them   
  brought forth the people and the cattle.He created everything that is; mountains, streams, snakes."
  Zulu Creation Story  

"Modimo was the Creator. He distributed good things, appeared in the east and belonged to the element
  water. " Zimbabwe Creation Story

"In the beginning there was nothing in this world except Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, who lived in endless
  light...One day, Ahura Mazda decided to make different creations. First He shaped the sky made of metal,
  shining and bright. Second, He made the pure water. Third, the Wise Lord created the earth...Then He
  created the first man, Gayomard, bright, tall and handsome."(Zoroastrian Creation Story)


http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/australian_aborigines.htm
http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/humanist_creation.htm
http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/chinese_creation.htm
http://www.mythome.org/creatafr.hhttp://www.religiousforums.com/forum/zoroastrianism-dir/75184-zoroastrian-creation-myth.htmltml

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any educational or spiritual purpose.

A Sinner's Prayer for God's Mercy

 

 

A SINNER'S PRAYER FOR GOD'S MERCY

In the spirit of St Francis and St Dominic

May God our King deign to grant us his mercy

Behind our bluster may he perceive our pain

Behind our shouting our weeping

Behind our guilt our innocence

Behind our ignorance our ache for wisdom

Behind our drunkenness our thirst for forgiveness

Behind our lovelessness our craving for affection

Behind our impurity our pained self-reproach

Behind our complacency the pangs of uncertainty

Behind our pretence the sincerity we fear to show

Behind our rejection our yearning for eternal redemption.

Behind our defiance the regret for our disobedience to our Redeemer

May God compassionately console all those we have disappointed and

heal all hearts we have broken

May God graciously forgive us our every sin and transgression

May God mercifully allow all of us together in heaven one day to sing his

praises in his glorious presence

May God's divine and infinite ocean of mercy for sinners be glorified

forever.

                                                                                                                                                       Amen

                                                                                                                              

 

Luky Whittle

Palm Sunday 2012

His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Thomas Merton

What is so important for our peace of heart is compassion. The compassion of God in our lives is easy to read in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where the story is told by the Great Jesus that the father had compassion for his loved son upon his return home (Luke Chapter 15, verses 11 to 32).

Pause a few moments and pray;
Do I need compassion in my life?
Do I need compassion towards myself? Am I hard on myself?
Do I need compassion towards others? Am I harsh towards others?

Pray for the peace that flows from compassion. The Dalai Lama speaks beautifully of this in the link below; if you wish to hear the video and hide the background music, the link for the background music is at the bottom of the webpage. You can click pause.

Then read about Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk. Thomas followed the way of contemplation as his personal road to God. His writings are among the classics of spirituality. There are videos of Merton, and also of his reflection on contemplation.

May the God of compassion, gentleness and peace fill your heart with peace and quiet strength as you pray in Interfaith Church. May God's Blessings shine upon you, His Light guide you and His Words heal your heart of trouble and pain. Amen.

To read about and hear the Dalai Lama and Thomas Merton, click on link;
http://www.fortunecookiehaiku.com/dalai-lama--thomas-merton.html

*Open your heart and let God in. Then soar like a weightless bird within the great freedom of His Love, Mercy and Compassion. The photograph was taken by Rev. Catherine, please feel free to use copyright free for any educational or spiritual purpose.

Prayer and blessings for all parents who have lost a child

Prayers and blessings for all parents who have lost a child. May God be with you in your grieving, and give you the strength to carry on. A candle has been lit for your intentions. May the God of gentleness and compassion support you through your time of pain.

May God comfort you in your loneliness;

help ease your pain.
May the God of grace lead you on your way,
Protect your loved ones from harm.
May God inspire you in your work,
Guide you in your life,
Strengthen you in your hopes,
Help you with your tasks.

                                   May God show you your way,
                                   Lead you to peace,
                                   Amen.
                                                       Catherine Nicolette

Prayer for Blessing for all who visit this Church

May God's blessing be upon each and every one of you who spend time here with Him in prayer.

Our sacred journey towards God

Each one of us in every country in our global village has been given life by the Divine Creativity of God. We are all on a sacred journey of spiritual growth towards our soul's eternal union with God. We all have different ways of understanding this path, and this is a wonderful tribute to our global village of humanity, our unity within diversity. This Interfaith Chapel is for everyone without exception; and is your sacred space to worship God.

Each of us carries a burden; we have our joys and sorrows. We need God's help; He Who is the Compassionate, Magnificent, All-Loving God. Please feel free to spend some time in prayer at this sacred moment now. Reach out to Him Who is the great God, and let His strength support you and give you guidance on your path. Let His angels whisper peace to you, and move freely in and out of your life to bring you messages of support, love and wisdom from the Almighty. May each of you be utterly blessed by the Wonder of our God. Please feel free to place your prayer in the Comments box.

Let the Light of God shine upon us as we soar along our journey, ever upwards and higher and higher towards Him as we move along our way. At other times, let us rest when we are tired in the Water of His Compassion and Mercy. Sometimes we need to take refuge within the Shelter of His Strength, as the birds shelter gently in the trees. Let us walk with courage on the Ground of His Benevolence, as we realise we - each and every one of us - are His.

Photograph has been taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any educational or spiritual purpose.