by Christine Sine

Last week I read a fascinating article The Image and the Likeness by Justin Coutts of New Eden Ministry. He contends that we are made in the image of God, infused with a seed of the divine presence but that we must then grow into the likeness, the character of God. I was particularly struck by his reminder that the human story begins in goodness. All of creation is proclaimed good, but humanity is not only good but “very good”. He then goes on the quote from the Irish monk Columbanus:

“Moses wrote in the Law, ‘God made man in his own image and likeness.’ Consider, I beg you, the weight of these words: God, the all-powerful, invisible, unfathomable, ineffable, and unsearchable, when making man of clay, ennobled him with the dignity of his image. What does the human race have in common with God? What does earth have in common with spirit? For God is spirit. It is a great honour that God bestowed on men and women the image of his eternity and likeness to his own character.”

As I read this I was overwhelmed by both the responsibility and the wonder of who we are. I am not quite sure what it meant to Columbanus to be made in the image of eternity, but I am intrigued by the thought that we are created to grow into the likeness of God’s character. I love Coutts belief that we are not created complete:

To grow into the likeness of God’s character is the completion of our creation. God has left our creation incomplete on purpose so that we may grow and learn. A new baby is a potential and not a finished product. This incompleteness is a blessing which allows us to not only receive goodness but also bestow it. When we grow into kindness we become like God but when we turn away from kindness we do violence to our own souls.

What are the characteristics of God that I most want to grow into? This has been my focus over the last few days. Not surprisingly 1 Corinthians 13 came to mind as I feel that this is one of the most beautiful statements of the character of God. So I read it several times, slowly, while asking myself  “What are the characteristics of God that I feel God is encouraging me to grow into?:

Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; ⁵ it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs ⁶ or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! ⁷ Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. (From Voice Translation)

Loving, just, patient, a lover of truth, hopeful, kind, trusting God, these are the characteristics that come to mind. Then my mind moved to other characteristics God is developing in me, ones that I have worked hard to cultivate in my life over the last 30 years in particular:

Creativity – I did not grow up thinking of myself as a particularly creative person, but God keeps unveiling new places of creative expression in my life. It is an exciting journey of exploration and discovery, of joy and wonder that continues to draw me closer to my loving God. I have discovered my love for rock painting, poetry writing, contemplative garden making and many other creative gifts God planted in my soul and nourished until I allowed them to be revealed.

Compassion – this is not always an easy one to grow into, especially in the world in which we live in which climate change disasters, and the prevalence of war often leave us with a fatigue and resignation towards those who are victims of abuse, injustice and disaster. Maintaining not only an attitude of compassion, but to be willing to reach out with compassionate care to those who are in need of comfort, support and assistance is not easy.

Generosity – I see this as one of the central characteristics of God, one that I continue to learn as I harvest the abundance in the garden each year. God’s economy is one of abundance and generosity – enough for our own needs and an abundance to share. The more generous I am towards others the more God seems to lavish on us to share.

Hospitality – Our God is a hospitable God and invites us to be hospitable too. We see it in the wild produce that grows around us for us to pick – here in the Pacific NW blackberries, salmonberries, elderberries, mushrooms and much more. And God’s invitation to hospitality is not just for us to reach out to people we know, but to strangers and even to creation. God encourages us to welcome all the creatures of this good and beautiful creation through learning to live more sustainably and make room and comfortable habitats for all creatures.

Contemplation and silence – these gifts from God seem to go hand in hand. I love the story of 1 Kings 19 where Elijah is in a cave  when God passes by. The Eternal One is not found in the wind or the storm or the earthquake but in the sound of sheer silence or as The Voice calls it a gentle quiet voice in the midst of a calm breeze. Learning to grow into the God who is found in silence and gentle quiet voices continues to be one of the biggest challenges of my spiritual life.

I think my list of Godly characteristics I want to acquire could go on and on. I relish the idea of spending my life growing into the likeness of God. It is a joy, a delight and a huge privilege and responsibility. What do you think?

By Karen Wilk

Fire has been in the news a lot these last few months – it has been so destructive and cruel,  Yet, in contrast to its devastation, summer also provided many of us the opportunity to enjoy its warmth and flame with friends and neighbours at home or out camping. This poem is an invitation to consider these contradictions.

Fire

Fire
Comfort, warmth
Security, light
A circle of grace in the night
But
In the wild
Fire screaming like a child
Terror, havoc, violent flames
Blazes forests, homes it claims
……….Destroying torching
……….……….everything
Smoke clouding, sky filling,
Time to evacuate, fear instilling
Dear God how could a good thing
Be so bad, so debilitating
Charcoal, black, what could cook,
Soothe, light, draw in
……….is snooked
……….……….In soot
But I love a campfire
With my neighbours, never tire
Sun goes down, starry night we admire
When we’re ‘lucky’ –blessed by an owl
Northern lights, a conversation going deep
We’re together, in the flicker, twilight sweeps
In this we learn, in this we might
Discover that
……….we all can
Burn bright with warming light
……….Or be cruel, and destroy what’s right.

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

This past week our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrated Rosh Hashana which is the beginning of the new year and a celebration of the creation of Adam and Eve and the birth of creation.  It’s also known as the days of AWE. As we begin again into a new season, my friend Any Algren invites us to take time for AWE and WONDER and to receive this gift of NEWNESS. Lilly

by Anya Almgren

“What is the biggest gift you have ever received? Did you know that there are some presents so big that nobody notices them? They are so huge that they are hard to see. They are so hard to see that the only way to know that they are there is to go clear back to the beginning, or maybe a little before the beginning.” – Jerome W. Berryman

Those are the words at the beginning of the Godly Play story of Creation. If you are unfamiliar with Godly Play, it is a Montessori-based ministry that mentors the spiritual development in children and can also be used with youth and even adults. Originally based in the U.S. in 1974, Godly Play is now implemented in various denominational and non-denominational churches and Bible camps in 57 other countries as well. But don’t let the word “play” fool you! As we know from Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin, play is important in our lives and faith. The designated Godly Play room becomes a sacred space for children to hear, wonder about, and respond to sacred biblical and liturgical action stories and parables. Each story is told using quality made wooden materials and incorporates contemplative moments of silence and a time of wonder before children respond to the stories using art supplies, the wooden story materials themselves, and other objects to allow the children to explore the deeper meanings in the stories and to process what they have heard and learned and relate it to their own life.

Each year in September, when the kids come back to school, and Chapel Time starts up again, we begin with the story of Creation. As I tell this story, I pause on each day’s creation and say “God gave us the gift of….” How often have we read through this familiar story in Genesis 1 and not realized that all that God created is a gift, not just for us, but for Creation itself? How often have we read that story and not realized that the sabbath rest was also a gift?
The hallmark of Godly Play is really the wonderings of the community of children. The storyteller is there to ask the questions to prompt the children to wonder but does not lead them to any specific answers. This wondering time always makes me think of Rainier Maria Rilke’s famous quote:

Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

One of the reasons I love teaching 3-5 year olds is because everything is new to them, and they still have their sense of wonder intact. They also have a sense of hope and responsibility. They always want to help and do the right thing. When I have asked the question, “I wonder which part of the story we could take out and still have all we need?” the children will have me remove the wooden story materials, day by day, as they discuss amongst themselves the pros and cons of removal of any part of Creation and the consequences thereof. It is quite an interesting phenomenon to observe these young children try to work out whether it is a good idea to remove all sources of light and water or annihilate all the creatures that walk on four legs and those that walk on two legs or to cause all of the creatures of the air and water to become extinct and the green growing things on the land to no longer live. It may surprise you that they are using critical thinking skills at such a young age, but children understand cause and effect and the consequences for actions. They are, after all, constantly being taught what to do and what not to do, what is right and what is wrong.
Sometimes there is one child who will ask me to remove the sabbath day of rest wooden board. Perhaps they think it is not important, but it may also be that they are simply following the pattern of having me remove each individual day of Creation for them to ponder and discuss. Inevitably, the other children will yell, “NO!” and will try to talk me and the child out of removing it. Some children have even put their hands on the board and begged me not to remove it as they try to impress their thinking upon the child who wants to remove it. They have come to understand its sacredness, but they also argue that it is important because if we did not have the gift of rest, we would always be working and moving and living nonstop. Hmm I wonder why adults have forgotten that concept. After all, it was the first full day after humankind was created and it was not a day to rest because we had been so busy working, but because God wanted to spend time with us, and it was God who had been so busy making all things new. In our world of go-go-go, we frequently stop only when we are through with our To Do List or can only take a vacation when we have accrued enough paid time off. Some folks do not even get a vacation. Isn’t it a wonder then that God gave us the gift of sabbath rest before we even did any work? How might that concept change your routine and rhythm?

READ: Today, I encourage you to reread the Creation story from Genesis 1and to reframe it from the perspective of all creation being a gift from God.

WONDER: Take time to wonder “Which day of Creation is the most important?” “Which day of Creation is your favorite?” “Which part of the story could we take out and still have all we need?” “Which part of the story do I see myself in?” “Which part of Creation am I indifferent to and which part am I passionate about?” “How will these wonderings affect how I live out my faith from now?”

ACTION: Then, if you are able, take a walk outside and let the Spirit direct your path. Find a tangible part of Creation and hold it in your hand as you walk along.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for the gifts of Creation. Thank You that You have provided all that we need for sustenance. Help us to witness the cause and effect of our actions and to act according to Your will in our daily lives, Lord. Guide us in our dealings with others who may be indifferent to Your gifts and help us to model for the younger generation what environmental stewardship truly is. In your holy and precious name, we pray, amen.

by Alex Tang
This article originally appeared on Alex Tang’s substack: Tang’s Takeaways 

Why are we so forgetful? Have you ever found yourself puzzled by the peculiar nature of human memory? One moment, you’re profoundly touched by a sermon or inspired by a passage of Scripture, and you think, “I’ll never forget this.” Yet, the details become hazy just a few days or even hours later, and that initial feeling of inspiration dwindles. Perhaps you’ve had those mountaintop moments where God’s love felt incredibly close, and you were sure such a powerful sensation could never be forgotten. But then life happens. The bills pile up, the kids yell, and the day’s stresses seem to wash away those moments of clarity like footprints in the sand.

In these instances, it’s helpful to reflect on Psalm 103:14, which tells us, “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Our Creator is intimately aware of our human frailties, including our tendency to forget. He understands our limitations better than we do ourselves. It’s as if God designed us with a sort of “spiritual amnesia” that makes us prone to forget even the most transformative experiences and lessons, but why?

Perhaps this “gift of forgetfulness” is a divine reminder of our utter dependence on God. It’s a humbling realisation, prompting us to lean not on our own understanding but to seek God continually. It forces us to go back to God’s grace, love, and wisdom daily. What’s even more astonishing is that, despite our forgetful natures, God’s blessings never wane. His mercies are not just for the moments we remember to ask for them or the times we feel we deserve them; they are new every morning and constant throughout our lives.

So, in the face of our forgetfulness, let’s find comfort that God remembers us always. Our memory lapses serve as invitations to return to Him, to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) again and again. And as we do, we may discover that while our memory of God’s blessings might be limited, His love for us is limitless.

We Forget So Easily, But God Remembers Us Always

God’s Faithfulness: Think back to the Israelites in the wilderness. Each day, God sent manna from heaven, and when they were parched, He made water flow from rocks. And yet, they grumbled, complained, and doubted God’s plan for them. Doesn’t that sound familiar? I find myself doing the same thing. I pray for a job, and when I get it, I worry about job security. I pray for healing and worry about something else once I’m better. Time and time again, I forget God’s past faithfulness when new challenges appear on my horizon. It’s a shortcoming I recognise all too often in myself. This is why the words of Lamentations 3:22-23 are so vital: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Those words serve as a constant reminder, a clarion call, that God’s faithfulness is not dependent on my memory of it.

God’s Grace: If I were honest, I’d have to admit that my life has been a series of missteps, wrong turns, and sins. After each mistake, I find myself kneeling, asking for forgiveness, which God graciously grants. Yet, what do I do afterwards? Far too often, I stumble into the same sins as if I’ve forgotten the cost of God’s grace. Romans 5:8 is an anchor for the soul in these moments, reminding us, “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This extraordinary sacrifice should not be pushed to the corners of our minds. Instead, it should be the centrepiece of our thoughts, reminding us to extend the same grace to ourselves and others.

God’s Providence: Our lives are bustling with activities, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists. During this chaos, how easy it is to overlook the quieter, subtle ways God’s providence operates in our lives. Maybe it’s a WhatsApp message from a friend when we need it or an unexpected opportunity that solves a looming problem. Romans 8:28 assures us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This verse nudges me to pause, to step back from the busy canvas of my life and see the broader strokes painted by the hand of God’s providence.

God’s Provision: Ah, the sweet moment when a long-standing prayer is answered! In that instant, my heart swells with joy and praise, convinced I’ll never forget this divine provision. But alas, how short-lived that memory often is. As the days roll by, that enthusiasm diminishes, and I find myself engrossed in new desires, new prayers, and new worries, forgetting the answered prayers lying in my not-so-distant past. Philippians 4:19 reminds us, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” This scripture should serve as a bookmark in the unfolding story of our lives, reminding us that God provides past, present, and future.

God’s Presence: Loneliness is a potent emotion. It can cloud judgment, sow seeds of doubt, and utterly isolate us. During such times, it’s as if a fog obscures my awareness of God’s constant presence. Yet, even in those moments, the promise in Hebrews 13:5 stands unshaken: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” When I feel abandoned, when it seems no one understands, I must recall this divine promise. No matter how strong the feelings of loneliness are, they are like passing clouds, and God’s promise is the ever-shining sun behind them.

Forgetting is a human trait, but the beauty of our relationship with God is that even when we forget, He remembers. And in His remembering, we find the grace to carry on, to rise again, and to draw nearer to the One who never forgets us.

Practical Guidance: How to Cultivate a Longer Spiritual Memory

Daily Reflection: Setting Intentional Moments of Pause
One practical step I’ve found incredibly beneficial is dedicating a few minutes every day—either first thing in the morning or right before bed—to pause and reflect on the blessings and lessons of the day. This isn’t just a fleeting thought but an intentional moment where I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. I specifically try to recount how I’ve seen God’s hand at work that day, whether in a conversation, an unexpected blessing, or even a hurdle I overcame with His help. Doing this daily makes these instances easier to remember and shifts my mindset. The more I notice God’s work at the moment, the less likely I am to forget it long-term.

Journaling: A Tangible Record of God’s Faithfulness
I have found that writing things down makes a world of difference. Keep a notebook or digital document to jot down answered prayers, blessings you’ve received, and even your challenges. I don’t just list them; I try to write a sentence or two describing how it made me feel or why it was significant. Then, on days when God’s presence feels distant, I turn back the pages and relive those divine interactions. It’s like having a spiritual “highlight reel” I can return to, reminding me of God’s constant faithfulness over time.

Testimonies: The Power of Shared Stories
There’s something incredibly reinforcing about verbalising your experiences. I make it a point to share my small victories and big blessings with close friends or family members. When I say it out loud, it cements it in my memory. And hearing their testimonies does the same for me. Whenever I can, I also participate in group settings where testimonies are shared, whether that’s a church meeting, a small group, or an online forum. It’s one thing to remember God’s work in my life; it’s another level of reinforcement to see His work in the lives of others as well.

Communal Worship: The Collective Memory of God’s Goodness
While personal worship has its place, communal worship has incomparable power. When I join others in singing praises or partake in Communion, it isn’t just my memory that’s refreshed; it’s the collective memory of a community reminding each other of God’s grace and sacrifice. I find this especially powerful during Communion. As I hold the bread and wine, I look around and see others doing the same, and I’m reminded that this isn’t just my story but our story as the Body of Christ. If you can, engage in regular communal worship, whether Sunday services, midweek meetings, or special worship nights. The shared experience magnifies the impact and makes it harder to forget.

By integrating these practical steps into my daily and weekly routines, I find that my memory isn’t as short as it used to be—not because I’ve improved, but because I’ve built a framework that continually brings me back to God’s faithfulness, grace, providence, provision, and presence. It becomes a spiritual muscle memory, where recognising and remembering God’s work in my life starts to become second nature.

Embracing the Journey of Remembrance

In a world brimming with distractions, it’s natural for our minds to waver, our memories to falter, and our spiritual recollections to fade. But this inherent challenge isn’t a sentence to perpetual forgetfulness. Instead, it’s an invitation—a beckoning toward more profound, more intentional communion with our Creator.

God, in His infinite wisdom, understands our fallibility. He knows our tendencies better than we know them ourselves. Yet, His love, patience, and promises remain steadfast, awaiting our return to remembrance. Each time we forget, He’s ready with open arms, reminding us of His love, miracles, and promises.

As we integrate these practical steps into our lives—daily reflections, journaling, sharing testimonies, and participating in communal worship—we’re not just building a habit. We are creating a spiritual legacy. A tapestry of moments and milestones that, when looked upon, paints a vivid picture of a God who never forgets us, even when we forget Him.

So, let us move forward with hope and diligence. With each passing day, let’s strive to remember more, to see God’s hand in our lives more clearly, and to store these memories deep within our hearts. For in the act of remembering, we find the history of God’s work in our lives and the essence of His unending love for us.

May we, as the Psalmist proclaimed, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). Let this be our prayer, our mission, and our journey—a journey of ever-deepening remembrance in the vast ocean of God’s love.

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

by Christine Sine

In Tuesday’s letter I mentioned how overwhelming the harvest can be. We talked about this at our community meeting and asked ourselves: How do we cope and what do we learn along the way?  Part of what occurred to me is that it is often harder to handle abundance than it is to handle scarcity.

Take the processing of so much fruit for example. At first I get excited about drying, freezing, canning and making some of my favourite recipes – olive/dried tomato tapenade and roasted tomato marinara sauce, green tomato chutney, apple cake and of course eating fresh salads, and tomato sandwiches, and fresh delicious apples and pears with every meal. At first it is wonderful and the flavours dancing on our tongue fill us with childlike delight . By the end of the season however, we tend to take these flavours for granted and the niggle at the back of our minds says – not tomatoes again, not apples again. A little like the children of Israel in the desert confronted with the abundance of manna each day, we want variety.

It’s not just the processing either. Even the picking of fruit and vegetables can be an overwhelming task at times.

What I wonder is the harvest in God’s garden that overwhelms us because it is ready to be picked but we have not thought to ask for harvesters to help us or not planned how to cope with the harvest?

It seems that there are many harvests in God’s garden that can overwhelm us.  The fruit in God’s garden is incredibly diverse, and all of it needs a multitude of harvesters.  Some of us would immediately think of  the need for evangelists to go out and share the good news of the gospel.  Others would think of the need to find harvesters to help the poor, care for the sick and set the oppressed free.

It is one thing to bring fruit to maturity, it is another to bring in the full harvest whether it be in the garden or in God’s world without letting it go to seed or rot.   So the question is how and where do we find the harvesters we need?  To be honest I am not sure of all the answers and many of us feel that we never have enough help.  But I am convinced that though I don’t have all the answers, I do know that unless we ask we will never get any help at all.  So here are some suggestions:

1. Identify where you need harvesters – I became very aware of this over the summer when I felt I was drowning under a workload too that I could not cope with.  We asked ourselves the question what do we want to accomplish in the next year and who do we need to help us accomplish it?  Jesus rarely worked alone.  He was constantly together with his disciples – his harvesters in a field of plenty. Gardening and especially harvesting, is far more fun when we do it together with a community of people who share not only the work but also the harvest.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 9:37,38 that  “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” We often interpret this to mean that people are unwilling to get out and help – as I processed my mountain of tomatoes and apples today with the help of family and friends, I wondered if it should instead be interpreted as a prayer for community, a reminder that harvesting is meant to be done together. 

2. Be specific when you ask for help. Sometimes when I ask for help I can be rather vague. I am learning more and more however that once we ask ourselves who we need we then need job descriptions. Even garden helpers feel better when they know what is expected of them, and what they can hope to learn through the experience. What is the benefit for our helpers is a question we rarely ask ourselves yet it should be at the top of the list

3. Get the word out – I am not always good in this area, and part of my overwhelmed feeling this summer was because we did not recruit helpers beyond our small community. Getting the word out about our needs is always challenging but I suggest starting with friends, community members and neighbours.  Those that are closest to us will usually respond the fastest and the most enthusiastically whether it be for help with a physical harvest or a spiritual one.

4. Share the harvesters and the harvest.  A couple of years ago I went raspberry picking with some friends.  At the end of the day we talked about what we learned.  One person mentioned that she found it very hard to leave ripe fruit on the vines and felt she had not done an adequate job unless she harvested every berry in sight.  Then she remembered that she was not the only harvester in the raspberry field that day and it suddenly occurred to her that she should leave some of the harvest for those who would come behind her.

Part of what I love about an abundant garden harvest is that it must be shared or it goes bad. God intends us to be generous towards others. An abundant harvest is a wonderful reminder to me that God intends us to be generous with all the resources that we are provided with. How often do we feel overwhelmed by the abundance around us because we think it is just for us?  Remember you are not the only one called to preach or heal or set people free.  Pick only what you are meant to carry, only what you can reasonably consume, only what will not go bad because you have tried to gather too much.

In Luke 12:16-20, Jesus tells the story of the rich farmer who responds to his abundant harvest by building bigger barns for himself.  Jesus calls him a fool and he was a fool in so many ways, not just because he was greedy and wanted to become richer, but also because he missed the incredible joy of community and of generosity. 

5. Pray – As Jesus reminds us we will never see harvesters without prayer.  And that again has been my experience this summer.  Almost before we ask God often prepares an answer.

6. Get creative. Abundance always forces us to be creative. It encourages us to think of new ways to use the harvest that has so lavishly been provided . Such creativity draws us closer to our creative God who constantly imagines new things to create and new ways to do things. Creativity keeps us flexible. It stops us from stagnating and encourages us to grow.

7. Community, creativity, and generosity are intertwined where abundance is concerned. It is wonderful to watch how when people come together to bring in an abundant harvest, new ideas and recipes are created, food, fun, and fellowship are shared and generosity seems to grow and overflow. That’s part of the reason we created the Godspacelight Community Cookbook, which many of my favourite recipes appear in.

Imagine what you could do with the abundant harvests God lavishes upon your life – they may not be tomatoes, perhaps they are friends or finances. We would love you to share your creative ideas with us and with others. What are your favourite recipes, ideas, ministry opportunities, creative arts that have come out of the abundance in your life?

Today’s post is adapted from Tips for Coping With Abundance 

Note: Many of the recipes I use each year are in our Godspacelight Community Cookbook If you don’t already have a copy this might be a good time to add it to your collection. Your purchase of this book through Amazon helps to support the work of Godspacelight.

by Christine Sine

It’s been another week of harvesting and processing the abundant and rather overwhelming produce from our garden. I have given away apples, pears and tomatoes reminding myself each time that in God’s economy there is always enough for our own needs and an abundance to share. I love the way the garden encourages me to be generous, and I find that as I share from this abundance that it also inspires me to share from other resources God has provided me with as well. I know that many churches celebrate at this season with harvest festivals. Make sure you check out the prayers, liturgies and ideas in the harvest and thanksgiving section of our resource pages.

This last week was a very busy week. Interspersed with the harvesting were more meetings with friends and colleagues, the sharing of tomato salads and apple cakes. The highlight was our luncheon with good friend and Circlewood architect David Vandervort. Before his visit we listened to the recent Circlewood Earthkeeper’s podcast in which Forrest Inslee and James Amadon interviewed David not just about the Camano project, but also about his more extensive work in green architecture. In Meditation Monday: Building Green With Delight I share some of what David told us and our excitement at hearing what is happening at the Circlewood Village. Tom and I are still very much involved in this project and encourage you to learn my by reading the post and listening to the podcast episode.

One of my favourite posts this week was Catherine Lawton’s Are The Rocks Crying Out for Collect Rocks Day on September 17th. I too love to collect rocks and am tempted after reading her post to acquire a tumbler so that I can smooth some of my rocks and make them glow. So even though Collect Rocks Day is over I highly recommend that you go out and collect some rocks to reflect and meditate on.

Karen Wilk shares another beautiful piece of art and poem about a tree with us in her post I Hear With an Accent. I really enjoyed this as I am currently fascinated by trees and am gathering a collection of photos that I hope to put together in a short meditation video. June Friesen in her post The Wonder of Colour admonishes herself for not taking more notice of the incredible array of colours around her. I know that I often have the same problem and her words encouraged me to slow down and take notice of the colours around me too. In Freerange Friday: Join the Harmony Way Lilly Lewin, just returning from her own pilgrimage to Iona, shares an opportunity for virtual pilgrimage that sounds very interesting.

My next retreat A Season of Gratitude is only a few weeks away and as I start to prepare for it, I am reminded to once more do a scavenger hunt around the house and garden to collect items that I am particularly grateful for this year. Some of these I will incorporate in my sacred space for October and November as part of my gratitude display. I hope that you will join us for this important virtual retreat.

As you can imagine, the harvest is very much on my mind at the moment so let me end with one of my harvest prayers:

God we thank you for harvests of plenty,
Small seeds multiplying to feed thousands,
Sweet tomatoes ripening on the vine.
Trees laden with abundant fruit.
God we thank you for bounty overflowing,
Enough for our own needs and much to share,
Enough to feed the hungry and provide for the destitute,
Enough to reach out with generosity and care. 
God we thank you for seeds you have planted in our hearts,
Seeds of righteousness yielding goodness and mercy,
Seeds of love yielding justice and peace,
Seeds of compassion yielding healing and renewal.
God we thank you for the bread of heaven,
Christ our saviour planted in our lives,
Christ our redeemer growing in our hearts,
Christ your Son making us one with you.
God we thank you for the gift of life,
Like water poured out on thirsty ground,
Spring and autumn rains that revive and bring life,
A river that flows from your heart and out into the world you love.
Amen

May we all go out and bear the fruit that God has placed within us.

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

by Christine Sine

Last week we had the delight and privilege of sharing lunch with David Vandervort. David has been a friend since we employed him to oversee a renovation on our house back in 1996. At the same time we recruited him as the architect for what was then known as the Mustard Seed Village on Camano Island. David attended many of the Celtic retreats we held on the island, walked the land with us and designed our first impressions of this eco-village of retreat and education. David saw us through the joy of building our first structure on the land and then wept with us as vandals destroyed the windows and brought everything to a halt. Some of you may remember that at the 24th Celtic retreat following the vandalism we used the broken glass to create a lamp that we used on the altar throughout the sessions. Here is the  Litany I wrote for that retreat which reflects our pain and our hope for what had happened.

It was at that point that Tom and I realized we probably were not the people to see this vision completed. It needed younger people of vision and expertise to continue leading the charge. Fortunately God was preparing others to not only take over the vision but to expand it. James Amadon, who when we first met him in 2017, was in the midst of doctoral studies at Duke Divinity School, had a dream of a ministry very similar to what Mustard Seed Associates was all about. His thesis: The Ecological Pastor  is an indication of how passionate he is about encouraging followers of Jesus to become more ecologically conscious in their faith.

James was recruited by another long term friend of ours – Forrest Inslee who is the host of the Circlewood podcast Earthkeepers. Forrest started the Circlewood podcast in 2020 as a way to learn from people who are actively pursuing an ecologically-grounded faith, and to share these lessons with people around the world who love God and seek to care for the Earth. Forrest brings to the podcast a deep attachment to the wild spaces and climate of the Pacific Northwest, where he was born and raised; he also brings a keen interest in ways that environmental justice intersects with economic development, social justice, and community building.

Tom and I have now deeded the property over to Circlewood, but our deep love for this land and the project that we still hope to see completed is obvious to everyone.  We visited the property with our Mustard Seed House community a couple of weeks ago and our enthusiasm =was rather infectious. Everyone left inspired by the future plans for this beautiful property and hoping to be involved.

David Vandervort continues to be the architect for what is now known as Circlewood Village. Mustard Seed Associates also has a new name Circlewood, and under the able leadership of James and Forrest continues to thrive. Tom and I were excited to listen to the recent Earthkeepers podcast episode in which they interviewed David, not only about his plans for the land and the fascinating earth friendly materials that will be used, but also about his career as a green architect. His passion for the greening of architecture continues to grow too.

Here is a peak at the new plans for the village:

Listen to the podcast episode here:

Earthkeepers podcast

by Catherine Lawton

When I was a young child growing up in small towns, my preacher dad would take breaks from ministry pressures by going fishing. My sister and I happily followed him down trout streams as he sought the perfect fishing hole. We jumped from boulder to boulder or waded in the clear, cold water and delighted in discovering colorful, shiny rocks on the creek bottom. I saved some pretty pebbles and was disappointed when they dried and lost their shine. But a few came home in my pocket, nevertheless.

Now, my children and grandchildren know I’m likely to pick up rocks anywhere I go. I examine special ones that catch my eye as I dig in the garden, walk in the neighborhood, hike in the mountains, and comb the beaches. I’m likely to have rocks in my pockets as well as a few rocks in the car, interesting rocks lining shelves and filling jars and boxes here and there in my home. 

Microphotograph of design in a rock

A few years ago, my son gave me a rock tumbler for Christmas. Then I felt more like a serious collector. When my first batch of stones came out of the tumbling process smooth, glowing, and glassy—much like the creek-bottom pebbles of my childhood—I was hooked on collecting, learning about, creating with, even meditating on rocks. 

A few of my favorites

I have learned more about rocks in the process, and my children and grandchildren admire the polished rocks with me. Sometimes we look for pictures in their designs. I’ve even made a few Christmas gifts with polished stones.

A fun collage I made with beach rocks

My favorite stones to polish are beach agates and jasper. 

Here I am searching (in a relaxed way at the time) for the semi-precious stones on Agate Beach at Patrick’s Point State Park in Northern California.

Looking for agates on the beach is what it’s like for me, as a poet, to be present to the thoughts, emotions, winds, and waves of gritty life… to dig into my heart in the moment and find metaphors that seem to reveal themselves to me: reflecting light, shaped by experiences and observations, by forces of the environment, by the workings of Love

Rocks appeal to us for many reasons:

• The joy of discovering treasures.
• Rocks tell a story, often an ancient story, about where they have come from and where we have come from and where we are headed. And we sing, “On Christ, the solid rock I stand.” 
• Rocks feel solid and permanent, when so much in life and in the world is fleeting and fragile. One of the prayers attributed to St. Patrick begins, “I arise today through the strength of heaven; light of the sun, splendor of fire, speed of lightning, swiftness of the wind, depth of the sea, stability of the earth, firmness of the rock….” Similarly, the prophet Isaiah exclaimed, “He will be the stability of your times” (Is. 33:6).
• Rocks remind us of things hidden. We try to clear our vegetable garden of rocks, but every spring we find more rocks that have worked their way up from the deeps. Small rocks seem to appear out of nowhere; but they remind me that rock makes up much of our earth’s outer layers, and rocks have a constant cycle of breaking down and being re-formed.
• Rocks can speak to us. Even as a child, the famed Jesuit geologist and mystic theologian, Teilhard de Chardin delighted in the hardness and stability of translucent and glittering stones. He later wrote and taught how to see God everywhere, to “see him in all that is most hidden, most solid, and most ultimate in the world” (from Teilhard’s The Divine Milieu). 
• Rocks preserve, encapsulate, and speak of history (for instance, fossilized rocks, moss agates, picture rocks, volcanic rocks, and precious gems).
• Rocks are sometimes symbols of difficulties and trials. We might say, “I’ve been traveling a rocky road lately.” But rocks can remind us that while constant change is a given in nature and in our lives, God who is everywhere, including in the cycles and changes of seasons, is also unchanging in essence. God’s love will always endure and keep rising and getting our attention and sending us reminders. Though God’s loving reminders may sometimes feel like obstacles when we want an easy path … If we give heed, the very rocks in our path will speak and have the potential to help form us. Beautiful rocks and fine gemstones were formed by extreme pressures over long periods of time. These gems uniquely encapsulate the effects of pressures and changes in the formation of our earth home. Examine the depth and design of many stones and you’ll see exemplified the beauty and creativity of God.
  

  We respond to heart-shaped rocks found along our way as if they are valentines placed by God for us to discover.

  September 17 is “Collect Rocks Day.” So, take a walk and look for Beauty in beautiful rocks, Stability in solid, hard rocks, Creativity in interesting rocks, maybe even listen to what the rocks might say if you could hear them “crying out.”

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

by Lilly Lewin

I am just getting home this week from the Pilgrimage and our post pilgrimage trip to Brighton. Jet leg is real people! I was so sleepy yesterday, forgot what day it was and crashed at 7pm!

I believe that pilgrimage changes us! It helps us get out of our tourist and consumer mindsets and gets us on a journey of wonder and love with Jesus.

My friend and fellow pilgrim on the Finding Your Thinplace Pilgrimage ,Jamie Noyd, has an invitation to a pilgrimage we all can participate in this fall. It’s called The Harmony Way. Jamie creates virtual pilgrimages and leads in person pilgrimages for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.  I love that this pilgrimage is created with Indigenous people leading us! It will take place October 10th- November 14th. There is a charge for this pilgrimage, but discounts are available for groups etc.

Division. Disconnection. Disharmony.

We need another way. The Harmony Way!

October 10 – November 14, 2023

Join the Pilgrimage

From Jamie Noyd:

 This year InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is hosting a new digital pilgrimage – Via Divina: The Harmony Way. 

Are you feeling exhausted? Tired of another chaotic week? Come be refreshed by God’s shalom and peace as we seek another way of life, the Harmony Way.

Walk with Jesus through stories and scripture, in movement and prayer, as we seek God’s good road, the way of harmony. Along the journey, indigenous followers of Jesus from across North America and Hawaii (Turtle Island and Pasifika) will provide a window into God’s shalom and peace by sharing stories and wisdom from their communities.

You can participate in these 45-minute audio-guided walks wherever you live, work, or play and whenever it is convenient for you. Include this contemplative walk in your Sabbath or invite a friend to join you in this spiritual practice!

Registration is now open to walk the way of harmony this fall.  You can contact Jamie

jamie.noyd@intervarsity.org

Join the Pilgrimage!

***Main photo is of Jamie and I, creating a labyrinth at Martyr’s Bay on Iona.

©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com

by June Friesen

Colors and more colors. The world is filled with colors. There is color above us, below us and all around us. Even though many of us rarely think about it or even have opportunity to see it our bodies are filled with colors as well, inside and out. What an amazing Creator you and I have. I am inviting you today to sit with me a few minutes – ponder the thoughts here – ponder the photos shared here – and then close your computer/pad/phone and look around you – and ponder the colors around you. I suspect that you will be amazed at the things that you do see and maybe never have seen or at least not consciously seen for a long time. The photo above I took just the other day. We were at a café that we go to frequently and I was looking around and enjoying the beautiful light coming in the windows above me when I spotted this light. I have never before seen it and I thought to myself – ‘June, you need to pay better attention to what is around you. Look at this beautiful light you have missed seeing for months, maybe years.’ You see I can sometimes be rather hard on myself when I notice something for the first time and then realize that it has been there for a long time. This is not the first time this has happened to me – but to miss the beauty of colors around me – I am so thankful God gave me eyes that are so almost perfect. Yes, almost as I need to wear glasses or else at my age reading is a challenge as my arms are not long enough to hold my book or reach my computer keyboard never mind that I cannot see more than a foot in front of me clearly without my glasses. My heart is filled with gratitude on so many accounts as I ponder the wonder and beauty of color. I am sure there was color in the world before Noah but I want to share with you the gift God gave Noah, a gift that many if not all of enjoy in our skies from time to time. 

 Genesis 8:9-17

God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.” ^12-16 God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.” ¹⁷ And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I’ve set up between me and everything living on the Earth.”

Each one of us has no doubt seen many pictures of Noah looking at the rainbow. Many are the sermons that have been preached about the story of the rainbow and how the guarantee is still in effect today for you and I that there will never be another flood that covers the entire globe of earth. This does not mean that there will never be floods and even floods that are devastating in areas and leave much ruin and loss of lives behind. However it does hold true for the entire globe. 

What I want to concentrate upon here however is color and the gift that color is to each and every one of us. Well, let me clarify that a bit as I know that there are some people who cannot see in color as I do because of issues with their eyesight. For some they cannot decipher color at all – only black and white while others can see only certain colors which is sometimes referred to as ‘being color blind.’ 

Have you ever taken the time to ponder the colors of the rainbow? Have you ever taken the time to color or design your own rainbow? Have you ever taken the time to imagine if your life was lived only in black and white? We know that if there was not at least black and white there would be no way to decipher what things were and what things were not. One would not know depth, height, width or length. One would not be able to decipher any shapes. If you struggle to believe me I suggest that you take an hour (if you can make it that long) sitting in a room completely dark. Or if you are in the country side go out when there is no moon or any artificial light – how does that feel? Especially if you do this in a place you are totally unfamiliar with – would you even feel safe to move? 

Here is a photo of an array of lights among the cacti on a hillside here in the desert. It is a gift of beauty to behold with one’s eyes at night. Does it make this area of the desert safe to walk in? No. It is not enough light to see the unsuspecting critters lounging or eating on the ground – some dangerous to humans. But I am able to enjoy not only the colors but how it makes the desert an array of beauty. So what am I trying to get us to discover today? 

First of all, I cannot help but think of Christine Sine’s book The Gift of Wonder. That is actually how I met Christine as she posted on Facebook that she was looking for people to review her book. Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity and I absolutely love that book and continue to practice so many of the little things I learned from it. 

It is nearing change of seasons for most of us – the season of autumn and the season of spring. These are both times when one should be on alert for the beauty of changes. I suggest that one take a walk – take your phone for pictures and/or a notepad for notes. See how many colors you can find. Think about how those colors may impact your life as you look at them. Take some time to express your gratitude to God for this wonder of color. And maybe choose to share it with someone else as well. Below I have posted a collage of autumn – mostly leaves but a couple flowers as well. It is my prayer that you will find this writing a challenge to see God’s gift of sight and colors in a new dimension in your life – a true gift from Him to you. Amen.

Scripture is from The Message translation. Photos by June Friesen.

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

by Christine Sine

Last week I mentioned my beautiful sentinel tree with its glorious centre streak. This week, with the sun shining brightly on its leaves, it really does look like a flame guiding me into a new season. August to October are prime harvesting and processing time in my garden inspiring me to create new recipes and dig out old ones. The Godspacelight Community Cookbook is my primary inspiration, and now my freezer is full of chocolate pear bread, dried tomatoes and olive tapenade, and bags of apples ready to make apple pies and apple cake. The cupboards too are full, with loads of dried apples and apple cider ready for the Christmas season and the gift boxes I send to family and friends. We are about to pick the bulk of our apples – probably around 400lb and another 100 lb of Asian pears. These plus the continuing supply of tomatoes can be a little overwhelming at this season, but that encourages me to share generously with neighbours and friends, something that I think God intended us always to do.

Like me, many in the northern hemisphere are celebrating the abundant harvest of the season. Some are heading back to school or to new jobs. Don’t forget to check out the abundant resources we provide for these seasons. I particularly wanted to highlight the Back to School resource lists which provide an array of prayers and other ideas.

The focus of my Meditation Monday: Where Do You Find Hope? yesterday, was on our need for hope, a very important focus I feel, especially as we watch the unfolding tragedy of the earthquake in Morocco and remember the horrific terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. However it is important for all of us to find hope in our world today. Without it we become paralyzed and unable to respond to the needs and suffering around us.

Like me, you are probably enjoying Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday report on her trip to Britain and her enjoyment of times with friends she has not seen for years.  Her question “Why is it that we so easily forget, and so often doubt the abundance of God? We forget the loaves and fish, the healings, the water into wine.” Recognizing God’s abundance is one way we find hope in the midst of pain.

Our most popular and intriguing post this week was by David Pott’s Breathing the Trinity I love breath prayers and have used the Yahweh prayer for many years, but I was inspired by David’s expanding that to include a Jesus prayer and a Spirit prayer as well.

June Friesen also blessed us with a couple of great posts and prayers this week. Her Being Under God’s Shield was both a delight and a challenge as she shared honestly and vulnerably. Her poem BUGS = Be Under God’s Shield is a must read. Her second post Behold the Wonder of Heaven is a delightful reflection on clouds and the heavenly lights of sun and moon which she encourages us to take time to reflect on. Like her I love the pattern of clouds and often find inspiration in time spent reflecting on them.

My October retreat A Season of Gratitude is only a few weeks away. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the pressures and heartache of the world around us and I feel that a season of gratitude and a day intentionally set aside to give thanks to the God who gives us so much to be grateful for is an essential part of the upcoming season. Please consider joining us.

Let me end with this prayer that I wrote for the 10th celebration of September 11th. It has been revolving in my head ever since I reread it yesterday. I hope that you will find strength and encouragement from reading it too. It was designed to be used as a responsive reading

God, so much violence, so much pain, so much heartache.
May our remembrances of this day instill within us a horror of war,
And help us stand against the atrocities caused by terrorism. 
As we grieve with those who still mourn,
And share memories with those who cannot forget,
May we be stirred by your love and compassion for all.
As we remember those who bravely responded,
And gave their lives to save others,
May we draw strength from their selfless sacrifice.
As we stand with strangers who became neighbours that day,
Sharing and caring for people they did not know,
We give thanks for their generosity and hospitality.
May it remind us of the call to be good Samaritans,
Reaching out across race and culture to other victims of violence.

Not just the violence of war but also of natural disasters. 
So many in our world have lost loved ones to terrorism and war,
So many have been displaced from homes and country,
May their plight fill us with a longing for peace.
Let us seek for understanding and reconciling,
And not turn from your kingdom ways.
Above all God may we remember your faithfulness,
And learn to trust in your unfailing love.
Amen

by Christine Sine

Last week I received a note from one of our readers telling me of her struggles with being overwhelmed at a world full of destruction and hate. How does a person actively live with hope in these days? She asked “If I shut off all media, I’m accused of burying my head in the sand; if I expose myself to the vitriol that is out there, I honestly just don’t want to get out of bed. “ She was writing to me because she felt that I seemed able to find a balance, to see beauty and live hopefully while still fighting back against the hard things. “How do you do this? Where does one start?” She asked.
As I pondered her questions I was reminded on an intern we had several years ago who decided to walk into Seattle from our place one day, photographing images of despair on the way in and images of hope on the way home. It was much easier for him to find images of despair he told me than to find ones of hope. Bad news travels faster than good we are frequently told, and it is true, we have to very intentionally hunt for the images of hope and good news . So where do I find the hope that helps me balance my concerns for the devastation of our world and horrors of war, starvation and abuse with my joy in beauty, goodness and hope?

To be honest I have not always been a hope filled person and sometimes I still find myself wallowing in despair, but there are several tactics that I can turn my emotions around and encourage me to respond rather than want to give up.

First I look for hope in the scriptures.  A couple of years ago when we had friends over for dinner, Tom asked me to write a prayer on hope for the evening. Hope, I thought, what is there to be hopefully about? So I went looking for hope. I did a search on biblegateway.com  of  the word hope. First I searched in the New International Version, then in the New Living Translation and finally in The Voice, all of which give different perspectives on the Bible. Some verses proclaimed where our hope lay – in the eternal God, in Christ our instructor, in God’s call to be a covenant family and to seek God’s eternal kingdom of love, peace, justice and compassion. Others described hope – never ending, ever present, never failing. By the time I finished my prayer I found that my own emotional state had changed completely. I regained my hope in God and God’s eternal purposes.

Second I reframe the question “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Instead I ask “Where is God in the midst of this disaster?” Every time I hear about the risks that first responders put themselves at to fight wildfires, repair flood damage or search for people trapped after an earthquake I think “That is God at work” Knowing that strangers come from half a world away to help people in the midst of disasters is incredible. Seeing young people dedicate their lives to see our planet better cared for and people at the margins provided for, fills me with awe. These are signs of a God who cares and who has placed that caring ability deep within all of us.

Third I look for signs of hope in the world around me. Finding such signs is not always easy. It needs to be a very intentional actions the bad news hits us in the face every time we turn around. So we need to start with a trust in the God of hope, in the God who is in the process of making all things new.

Sometimes my hope comes from walking round my garden admiring the beauty of the dahlias and other flowers that take my breath away as they seem to shimmer with the glory of God. At other times it is through looking for good news stories. Like the story of the Yambulla Project in Australia with its emphasis not just on restoring ecology but on finding ways share land use, benefiting many people, to sustainably co-exist and complement each other. It is becoming a place to trial new models for collaborative, productive and restorative land management practices that other landholders can adopt. I am also encouraged by the climate change court case won by young people in Montana,  as well as by the growing number of Christian organizations run by young people that are concerned about climate change, homelessness and justice. These changes may seem like a drop in the bucket at times, but each drop does make a difference.

Sharing Hope

What I realized as I wrote the prayer above is that hope in God is not an ephemeral, intangible emotion that we can artificially conjure up. First it must be grounded in our trust in God and in what we believe about who God is. Second it must be put into action. The act of writing a prayer and then reciting it out loud with friends was a reviving experience but it is an act that must be followed by concrete action. So this week I am looking for ways to practice my hope in our community .

I also find it challenging to live in hope though, as so much of what I read is negative – climate change, hottest seasons on record, growing toxicity of our oceans and possible death of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia – all bring me to despair and make my heart ache. I feel so powerless, so inadequate and at times so hopeless. And the digital world doesn’t help. The stories of environmental degradation are rampant. Lakes drying up in Africa, the strongest hurricanes on record, bee collapse, drought across large stretches of Africa, the list goes on – destructiveness not creativeness is highlighted. So my question for all of us today is: Do we have the courage to participate in Jesus’ mission and make his message of hope concrete and tangible in a world where inequality, injustice, and hate seem to reign? How do we intend to practice the kind of hope ohat is Your Response?

What gives you hope at this season of your life, not just for yourself and your family but for the whole planet? Take a few moments to look around. Think of the little things in your family, your home, your neighbourhood that give you hope. Take some photos, make a list, give thanks to God. Now think of our planet. What gives you hope and encourages you to believe that God is not only in control but is slowly making all things new?

God still has hidden secrets of hope in so many parts of our world and we all have the opportunity to become a part of God’s creative activity contributing to that hope. I think this is what we should focus our attention on rather than the negative things that give us despair. Yes we need to know about climate change and environmental degradation, but more as a stimulus for change.
Another amazing thing that gives me hope is the growth of the community garden movement. Several years ago, as this movement started to sweep through our world, I asked the question Is this a move of God? The pandemic gave fuel to this movement and I am more convinced than ever that it is and the creativity that has become such an important part of it is even more a move of God. This movement gives me hope because everyone can do something. Little things like planting a few tomato plants in your front garden like a lot of Seattlites do can make a difference. Participating in CSAs or volunteering at your local community garden can be of even greater value. It should give all of us hope that we can make a difference and bring some of God’s newness and wholeness  into this world.

Even airports can make a difference.. Watch the video below. In what ways does it inspire you to become a part of God’s creativity and desire for a world made new? What is one step that you could take that would not only inspire hope in yourself but in others as well?

by June Friesen

The wonders of God’s beautiful heavens above us. How can one not take time and just ‘be’ with God as we look at the glorious displays He creates on a regular basis for us to behold. Today I am sharing some of the recent photos I have taken and the final collage will be of some from a few years ago but I love how the moon is displayed with the palm tree and the clouds in the dark. Have you ever taken the time to consider the creation story and how it was that God created things over the period of six days? Have you ever considered the details of His creation of things? Have you ever wondered why He didn’t just say, “Let there be a universe with planets, stars, moon and sun and go on to create all of the plants, animals and people?” Why take all that time? However today we want to consider and think about the beauty of the skies with the lights that bless us.
Genesis 1
^14-15 God spoke: “Lights! Come out!
Shine in Heaven’s sky!
Separate Day from Night.
Mark seasons and days and years,
Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.”
And there it was.
^16-19 God made two big lights, the larger
to take charge of Day,
The smaller to be in charge of Night;
and he made the stars.
God placed them in the heavenly sky
to light up Earth
And oversee Day and Night,
to separate light and dark.
God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Four.

Amazing Creator God – You paint the skies differently every day. Oh we think that they often look ordinary and plain yet for You there is always a bit of difference. The above three photos were take within a thirty minute time period, each from a different view point. Yet the colors are different and the shapes of the clouds are different. As I ponder this my heart bursts with praise.
Sunset – what a gift you are to my eyes –
You have the ability to create wonder and colors
Without even using a crayon –
You gracefully move across the skies
And play hide and seek with the clouds
And sometimes with some of God’s created plants,
And sometimes it seems you play hide and seek with me as well.
I marvel as I see the many outlines in the clouds
As you playfully show off your ability to emphasize some and not others –
And yet others just seem to captivate all of the attention –
And how you can emphasize the colors –
Purple, pink, yellow, orange, gray –
How can you do that Mr. Sun?
How grateful I am for how God made you,
And how He allows you to create such beauty above us.
Oh I know that there are times when I wish you did not shine quite so bright –
Especially in the summer time
And it seems that you want to check how much a thermometer can take before it bursts.
Mr. Sun – please forgive me for grumbling about you sometimes,
Please forgive me for wishing you would just hide from me behind the clouds
And not shower so much warmth around.
It is so true that without you I would be so sad,
I would not be able to enjoy the wonder of the beautiful world in which I live,
I would not be able to have so much bounty in nature –
Flowers, trees, vegetables, and fruits –
So many yummy treats to keep our bodies alive and healthy.
Yes, thank you Mr. Sun for remaining in your place
As you were put by the Creator so long ago.
Thank you God for knowing the great importance this
Huge ball of Fire would make for the world You created. 

Amazing Creator – You then also gifted to us the moon –
A light for the night time along with the twinkling stars –
A light that intrigues us as it moves through it phases –
From a huge ball of light to nothing visible to the naked eye.
A creation that actually serves more purposes than we often realize –
Such as how it affects the ocean tides,
As well as in some ways even speaks to the plants and animals in their needs.
Often we also forget that the moon relies on the larger light the sun
To provide light for us –
Even though I do not understand that at all
I truly am fascinated by everything that seems to be linked to the moon.
Thank you God for completing the heavenly lights –
Yes, and thank you for those little lights –
We call them stars and some of them we have even named –
What a day that must have been for You
When all of these heavenly lights were in place and working –
No wonder – You said –
“It is good.”

Today I want to suggest that you possibly take some time to consider these heavenly lights. Talk to God about this incredible gift that He made for us. Imagine what it may have been like as He was moving through the creation of each – the sun – the moon – the stars. May your spirit be blessed. Be adventuresome and spend some time enjoying the beauty of God’s heavens above. 

Photos by June Friesen. Scripture is from The Message translation. 

by Lilly Lewin

I’m sitting in the lounge (living room) of some of my dearest friends, Martin and Sally Poole, in Brighton, England. We haven’t seen each other in real life since before Covid lockdown. They were supposed to visit and stay with us in Nashville in the summer of 2020. I was supposed to visit them last May but Covid and then my covid fears prevented those visits.

So it was such a gift to arrive at the vicarage yesterday and hug them in real time!!!

Martin and I met when we were on a panel on Curating Worship at the Greenbelt Festival in the early 2000’s. We both were involved in curating worship and had our friend Mark Pierson to thank for it! Martin was the Worship curator for the Greenbelt festival for several years and invited me to come create/curate a Sacred Space prayer room for the festival in 2013. I used to come regularly to the festival to fill up my cup and learn from the creatives in the UK who were doing outside the box church and worship. He and I led the opening worship for the first Wild Goose Festival in 2011. Martin is the Vicar at St. Luke’s Prestonville and the pastor of Beyond Church,

Burning Bush Yarn tree Wildgoose

Sally is a teacher and has an amazing gift of hospitality. We hit it off as soon as we met! In 2015 we came at Christmas and got to experience the Beach Hut Advent Calendar in REAL LIFE!  For ten years, Martin, Sally and Beyond hosted the Beach Hut Advent Calendar on the sea front here. Each evening in December one of the beach huts would open it’s doors and inside would be a beautiful art display on the theme of the year. Sometimes schools would adopt a hut and sing carols and create the inside decor. Mulled wine and mince pies followed the opening of the Advent Hut door each evening regardless of the weather. It became a wonderful December tradition for the whole community.

Martin just launched a new book CHURCH BEYOND WALLS! and I am excited to have a real copy and cannot wait to read it! It’s the story of how creativity and getting out into the community can change the world. ” The goal and aim of this book is to help local churches everywhere recognize the opportunities for epiphanies, moments when the divine can break into human experience- wherever they are. It offers ideas and and shares resources, and builds confidence to enable them to create inspiring and stimulating encounters with the divine.” (from the book jacket). I am going to get Martin to write a freerangefriday on this to tell you more!

Martin’s NEW BOOK

As I type this, I am so aware of God’s gifts of abundant love!  Friendship is a true gift! and Kindred Spirits are hard to find! Martin and Sally are both!

This past few days of leading/curating the Finding your Thinplace Pilgrimage Retreat have been filled with so much abundance, so many gifts!

Why is it that we so easily forget, and so often doubt the abundance of God? We forget the loaves and fish, the healings, the water into wine.

This past few days I’ve experienced so much ABUNDANCE ! I am so grateful for the pilgrims who traveled with me! So grateful that I listened to the Holy Spirit last year and finally did a dream that I’ve had for 20 years! And I am grateful for all the friends who prayed for us! I had friends praying for the details of travel and for the weather that can be quite wet in late August and early September. (And all of the UK had a very wet summer.) I even had my friend Lynne pray against the MIDGES! And we had the most spectacular weather! The pilgrims got to see Scotland in all her glory! We didn’t even need our rain gear! We got wet in Oban but dried out and had a beautiful abundant tea with scones and sandwiches and chocolate brownies that were too good to be true! More abundant love from Jesus! The ferries and the trains all ran on time! The taxis showed up too! And Jesus was in all the details in our worship times and our walk abouts, and time of exploration and contemplation!

PILGRIMS ON THE WAY TO IONA

As my friend Kathy Escobar says! #beautyheals! And Scotland and Jesus healed us with beauty!

This weekend, I invite you to consider the ABUNDANCE of God. How have you experienced God’s gifts lately? Take a walk somewhere beautiful and ask Jesus to show you and remind you of his abundant love! Take some time and journal about how you have experienced the abundance of God in your life throughout the years. It’s always good to remember. Who are the friends you’ve encountered, the kindred spirits in your life who have been abundant gifts to you? Take time to thank Jesus for them and take a moment to connect with them by text, phone, a card.

TODAY Receive the wonderful ABUNDANCE of Jesus!

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. EPHESIANS 3: 14-19 THE MESSAGE

©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com

by June Friesen

What might it be like to live under God’s shield? In several places in the Scriptures it references how living close to God, following God, and obeying God all help us to know our lives will be protected. However, the challenge may be how or what that protection looks like. Does that mean I will have no big catastrophes in my life? Does that mean that I will not have temptations or problems on a daily basis? When I think of a shield I think of something that is strong and I usually think of it as being metal because I feel security behind metal more so than wood or other materials. One reference that is often used when talking about a shield is from Ephesians in reference to one’s faith. In the Philips translation Ephesians 6:16 reads: “…be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you.” Definitely when we are actively walking with God we will be more able to ward off wandering after the enemy’s false leading. If one reads the whole of Ephesians 6 we become aware of the fact that it says this is to be a daily habit. 

I would like to share another scripture from the Psalms. Psalm 34 gives a more complete explanation in how one’s life can be actively alert to God’s ways and plan. 

Psalm 34

I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.
² I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:
³ Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out.
⁴ God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears.
⁵ Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.
⁶ When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot.
⁷ God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.
⁸ Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.
⁹ Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness…..
¹⁴ Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!
¹⁵ God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan.
¹⁶ God won’t put up with rebels; he’ll cull them from the pack.
¹⁷ Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.
¹⁸ If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
¹⁹ Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.
²⁰ He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.

Recently I have been challenged in my own thoughts and life walk about how I can fully embrace life instead of struggle with the fear that wants to drag me down. While I am intrigued as well as fascinated by bugs I also have a healthy respect as well as fear of some of them. It is interesting how some of the smaller ones can be the most annoying and bothersome as well as more dangerous than the big ones. Above you will see a photo I took of a tarantula. We have them in Arizona as well as black widow spiders. Both have a venomous bite however the black widow bite is much more serious than the tarantula. A tarantula however is much larger and easier to see than a black widow. I remember one time opening one of my drawers with t-shirts in it to find a black widow hanging there on a web she had woven over the top of the shirts. I do not have any recollection what I did at that point but I do know we had to get it outside. Bees are another interesting insect that are very needed in our ecology of nature. Actually all insects serve a purpose in ecology, some maybe more needed than others. However bees can also pose a problem for humans, especially those who are allergic to them. Then of course there are ants and flies and so many more – again they all have some usefulness as well as can be annoying and bothersome. It is kind of that way with humanity as well. I have to kind of smile as I think that yes, each one of us is needed and necessary. Some may appear and seem more useful and pleasant than others yet God’s design is for all of us to get to know Him and develop a relationship with Him. One of the things that is necessary for you and I to be useful in God’s kingdom here on earth is for each one of us to live or ‘Be under God’s shield.’ And that my friends spells BUGS. Yes, today I want to leave a challenge for each one of us – to adopt a spiritual bug: BE UNDER GOD’S SHIELD. It is a challenge to live out our life by truly living under God’s direction, protection and power – all empowered by God’s love.

BUGS, BUGS, BUGS
Have you ever wondered why God created bugs?
Especially those bugs that bite and buzz around your head?
And then there are those who try to share your dinner with you –
And others who just look creepy and crawl everywhere.
And then there are those bugs that build their homes in the worst places –
They have no care that it is where you want to look out the window
Or if it is where you want to sit or walk –
Or that it is a cupboard where you store those seldom used things.
Bugs, bugs, bugs –
God how in the world do you expect me to cope
With these little annoying creatures –
Oh but wait a minute, there are those that are rather big as well – UGH!
Then there are those people who bug me –
Some days and times their bugging is rather welcome,
As I may be feeling down or alone or rather bored;
But then there are others and other days when that is definitely not the case.
Bug, bug, bug – what is it that you want from me?
Why is it you are annoying me to the point of anger?
Don’t make me tell you off.
Don’t make me do something you or I will regret.
God, what is it you want me to do with this person who is bugging me?
Should I ignore them, or hit them, or hurt them physically or with words?
What? You want me to love them. You want me to control my anger.
Come on God how in the world can I do that?
My child, take some time alone to pray,
First tell me all it is that bothers you about this person and your problem;
Then take some time to sit quietly with me and ponder that I love the both of you,
And then please open your spirit and I will fill it with love for them like you never could have imagined.

BUGS = Be Under God’s Shield

J. Friesen 2016

The writing at the end I wrote in 2016. All photos are by June Friesen. Scripture is from the J.B. Phillips translation.

Prayer cards are available in the shop for many occasions and seasons–from everyday pauses and Lenten ruminations to breath meditations and Advent reflections, enjoy guided prayers and beautiful illustrations designed to delight and draw close. Many are available in single sets, sets of three, and to download–even bundled with other resources!

by David Pott

As a result of Richard Rohr’s teaching I suspect that many people around the
world are now using Yahweh as a breath prayer, breathing in on Yah and out
on weh. However I have found it helpful as I come into God’s presence to add
two more Hebrew words as breath prayers. They are the Hebrew name for
Jesus, Yeshua and the Hebrew word Ruach which is translated in the Bible as
wind and spirit and, appropriately in this context, also as breath. The
references to spirit apply to the human spirit but also to the Spirit of God.
So then we have these three Hebrew names for God – Yahweh (יהוה(,
Yeshua (ַשועֵי (and Ruacḥ (רוח (that can all be used as breath prayers in this
way: Yah-weh, Ye-shua, Ru-ach. It is interesting that all three names have no
hard consonants and they are not very different from the sounds of breathing.
Sometimes I breathe each name three times and at other times I say the three
consecutively, again quite often three times. At other times I might focus for a
while on just one of the three. I use the names as breath prayers when I am
walking and they can go well with various exercises that assume a worshipful
posture, such as this one:
Kneel in front of a chair and place your hands on top of the front of the seat,
keeping your arms straight. Breathe in as you begin in an upright position,
then on the out breath, slide your arms forward to the back of the seat and
bend your knees to crouch so your head will be down near the front of the
seat.
I find that I sometimes use these breath prayers where previously I may have
said “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” I find
using the Hebrew names feels like a closer connection to the roots of our faith
and especially when I think Jesus would understand all these words. In
referring to Father God, Jesus used both Abba and Yahweh and he would be
familiar with Isaiah 64:8, “O Lord (Yahweh), you are our Father.” With regard
to his own name, he would not have turned round if someone had called out
“Jesus” to him as he walked through Jerusalem or Galilee, but Yeshua he
certainly knew!
One of my favourite scriptures is John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep
My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our
home with him.” I find that utterly astonishing, and for me using these breath
prayers of their names is an act of welcome and intimacy helping to increase
the wonder of this indwelling.

Whether you are praying the stations of the day, in need of resources for rest, hoping to spark joy and find wonder, or simply want to enjoy beautiful prayers, poetry, and art – our digital downloads section has many options! Christine Sine’s book Rest in the Moment is designed to help you find those pauses throughout the day. Praying through the hours or watches, you may find inspiration in our prayer cards set Prayers for the Day or Pause for the Day. You may find your curiosity piqued in the free poetry and art download Haiku Book of Hours. All this and more can be found in our shop!

by Christine Sine

Welcome to September and to autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern. It’s a grey day in Seattle with some much needed rain. It is not just the weather that makes me aware of the changing seasons however. The huge maple tree outside my office window, what I call my sentinel tree, now has its red streak right down the centre. It is my red flame that heralds the arrival of a new season. I love it, even though I hate to say goodbye to summer and the wonderful parade of flowers that have blessed my life over the last few months.

Today, following my retreat on Seasons and Rhythms, I am more aware than ever of the changing seasons around us the many facets of our lives that dictate our rhythms and seasons. It was also a good reminder of our need to breathe deeply throughout the day something that surprisingly does not come naturally to us. In yesterday’s Meditation Monday: Rituals that Give Us Rhythm, I spelled out the two types of rituals or practices that are vital for a balanced life – rituals of restoration and of transformation. Practices like retreats provide important transformative anchors that help us adjust to the changes we anticipate, even to those that take us by surprise. Interestingly one of the aspects of the retreat that participants enjoyed most was the feeling of community we experienced as we talked together across the distances of thousands of miles. That sense of togetherness is, in itself, a restorative practice and space that we all desperately need.

On Saturday, following the retreat I engaged in one of my restorative practices during this season – harvesting and preserving the garden produce. First I picked tomatoes with community member Andrew, admiring the incredible variety of size, shape and colour of the fruit. Then I dried apples and tomato skins (wonderful for salad dressing and for winter soups) and today I am getting ready to make chocolate, pear bread, my new seasonal favourite which I will store in the freezer. So good to have supplies like this when unexpected guests drop in.

This week we have had some outstanding posts on Godspacelight. Kellie Brown inspired us with part 2 of her series What is Theopoetics, Elaine Breckenridge awed us with her fascinating look at the art of Susan Cohen Thompson, I love her compelling question “What might happen if more of us had our own awakening and began to view life with the eyes of nature? “ She also wrote a second post of a poem she wrote Madrone Chapel – not about a building but a tree that is her “threshold into transfiguration”. On Friday we were enriched by two posts – an update from Lilly Lewin who is currently leading a pilgrimage on Iona, and a beautiful reflection and poem by June Friesen The Risks of Living In This World. I love her poem, part of which I want to end with this week as it is a wonderful reminder that all of us need to let go as the seasons change and we prepare for a new season ahead.

Open your hands and let go –
Open your hands and spread your fingers –
Open your hands and shake them a bit –
Open your hands and blow over with your breath.
Let go of the struggles you are fighting –
Let go of the bondage that attempts to bind you –
Let go of the nagging thoughts that want to hold your mind captive –
Let go – release – and breathe – and think.
Let go of the could of, should of and would have….
Let go of the feelings of regret, sadness and anger…..
Let go of the negative feelings and attitude…..
Let go  – – – – release – – – – breathe.
Release your being from the screaming of the world –
Release your mind from the control of the world –
Release your body members from the bondage of the enemy –
Release yourself to God’s Spirit – breathe deeply of Him and begin to live.
Breathe deeply of the Spirit’s Presence –
Allow Him to inhabit the depths of your soul –
Begin to embrace His life-giving Presence –
Now is when God-given life can really begin.

May you receive the wisdom and the guidance of God’s spirit in all you do this week

Join Christine Sine on October 14 or watch the recording later. October and November, the season between Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving, is gratitude season on Godspacelight. Christine Sine will encourage you to enter into the practice of gratitude in this  interactive retreat that will help us enter this season of gratitude with joy and delight in our hearts.

by Christine Sine

On Saturday I held my Rhythms and Seasons webinar, a fun time of creativity, reflection and discussion which I will share more about at a later date. In preparation for this time I reread my book Godspace: Time For Peace in the Rhythms of Life. In fact my original intention was to work straight from this book at the retreat. However God had other more exciting plans that stretched both me and the participants to consider Rhythms and Seasons in other ways. However, one place that I relied heavily on Godspace: Time for Peace in the Rhythms of Life, was in talking about rituals and celebrations. All seasons need rituals and celebrations to mark and anchor them. and I still find this understanding helpful.

According to Christian anthropologist Paul Hiebert there are two types of rituals, habits or practices we need in our lives, what he calls rituals of restoration and rituals of transformation.

Rituals of restoration are the most common. These are the practices that restore our faith in the beliefs that order our lives. They also connect us to and anchor us in the religious communities in which these beliefs are expressed. Restorative practices are highly structured & do not change from day to day though they may be adapted to the seasons either of earth or of church as these change. They reaffirm our sense of order & meaning in the universe, our community & our own lives.  Most importantly, they intentionally connect our daily activities to the life, death & resurrection of Christ and also to the world in which we live.

Possibilities include a rhythm of prayer that reaffirms what we believe, sabbath practices, weekly church gathering, taking communion, following the liturgical calendar and the use of liturgical symbols like the sign of the cross, candles, and incense. I even find that writing prayers for Facebook each morning and preparing my blog posts is a stabilizing and restorative ritual.

For me it has been the establishment of rhythms rather than the actual practices that are important. The practices may change but I love to have a regular rhythm to the day, week and year. In fact the breaking of this rhythm is one thing I find destabilizing. Praying each day is an essential part of my faith practice but what those prayers look like changes from day to day, from week to week and from season to season. In the past I have enjoyed  The New Zealand Prayer Book and David Adam’s The Rhythm of Life, but recently acquired a copy of Women’s Uncommon Prayers: Our Lives Revealed, Nurtured, Celebrated which I plan to start using as well as Margaret Silf’s Sacred SpacesL Stations on a Celtic Way. reading prayers and reflections each morning is one of the important anchors of my life.

Rituals of transformation are characterized by a high degree of creativity & have little repetitive structure. Their goal is to cut through the established way of doing things and restore a measure of flexibility and personal intimacy. In other words they stop our restorative practices becoming boring and stagnant. They enable our faith to grow and change, enabling us to adapt to the passages of life and changes in our culture. In the liturgical calendar, Advent & Lent were specifically designed with this intention. Prayer retreats, conferences and workshops can also accomplish this though these days it seems that such events are more geared towards reinforcing the status quo than changing it. Pilgrimage, Biblically based celebrations like Stations of the Cross can also accomplish this. Prayer walks, mission trips, even walking the labyrinth are all practices that maintain this type of flexibility.

When I was on the Mercy Ship Anastasis, when the ship was ready to sail to a new port, we held what was called a Moving of the Ark ceremony, harkening back to the fact that the Israelites would only break camp and move when the cloud over the ark of the covenant moved. We celebrated with a special worship service, sharing the good things that had happened in the port we were leaving, sharing communion and then learning a little about the new port we were heading towards as a time of preparation. I don’t live on a ship that moves every few weeks any more but I have learned the importance of marking milestones in my life journey in similar ways.

Celebrating the seasons in our world and in our life is a wonderful way to mark time and recognize the transitions that prepare us for change. I find an increasing number of people are looking for celebrations like Chalking the Door and the Celtic festivals of  Imbolc to help them mark the seasons and the rhythm of their lives. Acknowledging transitions, looking back with gratitude and forward with anticipation is a wonderful, faith building exercise that all of us should practice on a regular basis.

What are the practices that provide both stability and flexibility in your spiritual life? What are your restorative and transformative habits that shape your faith?

by Elaine Breckenridge

I pause within this sacred grove
guarded and buttressed by Madrone.
A tree of knowledge, it finds the sun
twisting, turning, dropping a branch
letting light in and balancing darkness
forming a cross to hold the others.
It is my chapel
a threshold into transfiguration
who beckons me to bend
and balance light and dark within
so that I too become a sacred grove
and like Madrone hold the Cross as an icon
into the beauty and mystery of this world.

Christine Sine is offering three seasonal, virtual retreats to explore living in balance and in line with the natural and liturgical rhythms of the year. Join her for one or all of them September 2, October 14 and December 9. These retreats will encourage us to center ourselves and our lives as we move through the seasons beginning in Fall and moving through Advent. They will be times of reflection, creativity and fun.