So as we come into this contemplative prayer time,
I invite you as always to come to stillness.
And as a way of coming to stillness,
We bring our attention to the breath,
To that never ceasing movement of air in and out of our lungs.
And as a way of leaving the busyness and activity in our heads,
We bring attention to breath.
And it may help in these moments to take some deeper and wider breaths.
Causing at the end of the inhale and at the end of the exhale,
Filling and emptying the lungs.
And as you exhale,
Use that out-breath to allow the shoulders to drop and the body to sink.
To be fully supported by the chair.
To be held.
If you notice any places of tension within your body,
Breathe into them and allow them to loosen and relax.
Just keep attention on the movement of breath.
Coming to stillness and peace.
And in this stillness now,
I'm going to read again the welcoming prayer.
Welcome,
Welcome,
Welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today because I know it's for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Persons,
Situations and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection,
Esteem,
Approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
Condition,
Person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and God's action within.
Amen.
I open to the love and presence of God and God's action within.
Open,
Open,
Open.
I invite you to be with this word,
To receive it,
To let it settle on your heart,
To welcome it into yourself.
Open,
Open,
Open.
And a few moments absorbing and receiving that word.
Open.
As I sit with this word,
What do I notice within myself?
How does it make me feel?
Does anything shift within me as I meditate on open?
As I sit with that word,
Does an image come to mind?
Do I see,
Hear or sense anything?
Is there any part of me that I sense is being invited to open?
And if you sense that invitation to open,
Maybe it's opening your heart,
Opening a situation.
Maybe the openness means letting go and releasing a grass wand to something.
And in opening,
It may help to open your hands,
To enter into a posture of openness as a way to receive.
And then to spend a few moments receiving what it is that you've opened up to receive.
I open to the love and presence of God.
The love and presence of God.
Love.
I invite you to be with these words,
Love of God or simply love.
Allow these words or this word to settle.
Receive love,
Receive the love of God into yourself.
Welcome it.
Allow it.
What do I notice within myself as I linger in these words?
The love of God.
Love.
Is there anywhere within me that needs or wants to receive love more deeply in this moment?
Is there anywhere within that needs to remember that I am loved?
And your body,
Your emotions,
Your mind,
Any of those may need to receive love.
Wherever it's needed,
Spend a few moments receiving love as a gift,
As a balm,
As an ointment.
Let love rest and linger.
God's action within.
Be with the words God's action within or love's action within.
Allow them to speak.
Does loving action find a resting place within?
What is the action that God or love is working in you at the moment?
Do you notice the changes that have been occurring as God's or love's action works?
I invite you once more to intentionally welcome God's loving action within.
To welcome love.
To be open to love.
Trust in God's loving care of you and her working within you even when you're unaware.
And in these moments,
If you're able,
Surrender to love,
To being cared for,
Held,
Sustained.
Receive the kindness,
The grace and the tender love of God.
And these moments allow it to settle wherever it's needed.
To bring peace,
To bring reassurance,
To bring rest.
To pull back into the loving embrace of God.
Welcome,
Welcome,
Welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today because I know it's for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Persons,
Situations and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection,
Esteem,
Approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
Condition,
Person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and God's action within.
Amen.
