Contents. A light for my path VOLUME 20. The Editor writes...4. Margaret s space A lamp to my feet...6

Transcription

1 Contents VOLUME 20 The Editor writes...4 Heather Fenton A lamp to my feet...6 Carol Jerman A light from heaven Jean Watson Companions along the way...22 Alison MacTier My space...30 The inner light of hope Janet Fletcher Margaret s space...56 Margaret Harvey Behold I stand at the door and knock : a liturgy...58 The properties of light...63 Heather Fenton Anna s story...68 Margaret Harvey Two sayings...73 Pilgrims to the Manger Naomi Starkey Moonlight: a meditative story...38 Heather Fenton Short meditations and prayers...45 Vittoria Hancock Torches and umbrellas...50 Tony Horsfall My space...55 A light for my path

2 The Editor writes Heather Fenton is the Editor of Quiet Spaces. The theme of this issue was inspired by verse 105 of Psalm 119 where we read, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. This particular translation of a famous verse is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, as this year we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of its publication in The Bible brought light and new understanding to a people who had no regular opportunity to hear the word of God read to them in their own language. What a revolution, and indeed a revelation, it must have been! Now, in the early 21st century, as we have such an abundance of ways of accessing scripture, it is hard to take on board what a limitation not having an English-language Bible at all must have imposed on people. Perhaps these days we are more likely to be distracted by many other things, the innovations of our own time, to give much time to rediscovering the word of God as a light for our path. So now is your opportunity to spend time with this theme. The issue begins with a contribution from a local friend of mine, Carol, who thoroughly enjoys walking the mountains of North Wales, telling of a walk she went on recently. Jean Watson s article, which follows, reflects on the light from heaven, which was an integral part of Paul s conversion on the road to Damascus. The Retreat Association promotes retreats through the UK, and Alison reminds us that the need to be listened to is a 4 A light for my path

3 natural part of our human make-up. She helps us consider the companionship of a spiritual director. Janet Fletcher speaks of the light of faith and God s presence with us, bringing into our lives love, peace and hope light that will sustain us, open up prayer from deep within us. Prayers from Vittoria Hancock, plus our usual contributions by Margaret Harvey and Tony Horsfall, are here too. There is also a short liturgy you may like to use and a meditation based on different types of doors and on the famous Holman Hunt painting entitled The Light of the World. The meditation and the liturgy could also be useful for a small group. Then there is Anna s story, a kind of Christians Midrash or story about a story, which could also form the basis for a small group session and will be enjoyed by those who like storytelling. There is also an article about the different types of light. So hopefully there is a full spectrum of light and colour for you to explore in Quiet Spaces! And remember that the light of the scripture is the same light, the light of Christ, which came to our predecessors of many generations. For them, as well as for us, even if we use different vocabulary, we can all say, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. So thank God for that light, coming to us in each generation in diverse ways. A light for my path 5

4 CAROL JERMAN A lamp to my feet Light up the darkness We stumbled in the dark across the trackless mountain shoulder. It had been a most glorious day, but we had overestimated our strength, underestimated the length of our journey and author Carol Jerman is a retired teacher and a Reader in the Church in Wales. She takes people walking in the Berwyn mountains, accompanied by her llamas. the rigour of the terrain, and neglected to check our torch batteries. The light of the stars showed us the outline of the hills against the sky and the pale gleam of the loch below, but we could see nothing of what lay under our feet and so we stumbled and slipped into streams and down steep, rocky places. It seemed interminable. Then, quite suddenly, we began to see a little of what we were treading on. We turned to see the full moon rising in brilliance over the ridge of the mountain to the east of us. We watched it rise clear into the sky with a sense of relief that is hard to describe. The rest of the journey was easy, for although we were tired and had to walk slowly, we could see where we were going and moved steadily in the silver light of a transformed landscape. 6 A light for my path

5 We still had to pick our way carefully to avoid the many shadows on this rough ground, for by moonlight they were too dark to see into, but before too long, we reached the water s edge, where we lit a fire and rested with grateful hearts. In our culture, most of us never experience the natural darkness of the night. We can light up the darkness in so many ways that we can be in bright light 24/7 and go wherever we want to go. It s easy to miss the strength of the biblical imagery of light if we ve never had the natural experience of trying to work or move around in the dark. Imagination helps, but does not supply us with the immediate, everyday understanding that Jesus first listeners had. Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them. (John 11:9 10, NRSV) Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. (12:35) We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. (9:4) The people who first heard these things knew how dependent they were on the light that God gives. In those few hours on the mountain, we too were completely dependent on the light that God had given to the earth. We had no We turned to see the full moon rising in brilliance over the ridge of the mountain to the east of us. We watched it rise clear into the sky with a sense of relief A light for my path 7

6 Stumbling is, in scripture, equated with falling into sin. In order not to stumble, we must see where we are putting our feet The dim light of the stars light of our own. The dim light of the stars showed us the shape of the slope and the direction we needed to go in. Had it been cloudy, we couldn t have moved at all, for, with no reflected glare of street lights, we would have been able to see nothing. As it was, we were at risk of injury as we stumbled along, unable to see the ground beneath our feet. How we thanked God for his provision of the moon! It was still risky because of the darkness of the shadows, but if we avoided them, we could see our feet and where we were putting them and enough of the landscape to lead us to the exact spot for which we were heading. Stumbling is, in scripture, equated with falling into sin. In order not to stumble, we must see where we are putting our feet. If we stumble, we can fall and hurt ourselves. Over the years, it has gradually dawned on me that the only thing in this world that can actually damage us is our own wrongdoing. That is why it is so important not to cause one another to stumble. Each one of us has to live in the light that God has given us as accountable individuals, for only in this way can we truly depend upon him. It is this dependence, this living by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4) as Jesus lived, that takes us from all our inner darkness into his marvellous light. The reason we were in our dangerous predicament on the mountain was that we had been bullied and cajoled into continuing when we knew we should have stopped. As the daylight began to fade, we reached a sheltered valley, an ideal place to wait until morning. We knew that without light we shouldn t proceed. We had with us 8 A light for my path

7 everything we needed for a warm and comfortable night, but our companion, an acquaintance who had joined us for this walk, wouldn t hear of it. I think he saw himself as the leader of the group and perhaps he couldn t bear the idea of abandoning two women and returning to the village alone. Whatever the reason, he would not take no for an answer, and so, against our better judgment, we continued, with miles of rough ground to cover in the darkness. He was the only one with a torch that worked. He kept shouting at us to move faster than we could. In the end, he had to leave us and go ahead to make sure the alarm was not raised. It was a great relief when he went. Leadership, and indeed ministry of any kind, is a sober responsibility. While encouraging others to walk in the light, those who minister have to take care not to drive people beyond the light that they have. The gospel of forgiveness and faith can unwittingly be turned into a stick of guilt and striving. It is a serious matter to put other people into a situation in which they stumble, and stumble again and again. I have seen it happen and I pray that in my own ministry as a Reader in the Church in Wales I will never turn Christ s message into something that injures people. As I look back over my life, I can see how the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6) has guided me and kept me from harm. On my spiritual journey, I have been just as dependent on that gracious light shining in my heart as I was on the natural light of As the daylight began to fade, we reached a sheltered valley, an ideal place to wait until morning. We knew that without light we shouldn t proceed stars and moon to guide me across the mountain. They are God s words that enter into the hearing of our hearts and become light to us, for these are the words, the revelation of Jesus, that draw us on to know him more. These words, A light for my path 9

8 Light does more than illuminate our pathway. It shows us the beauty of what God has made 10 A light for my path

9 more gracious than we could imagine, Jesus contradicted all earthly values, lift us into faith and give us the strength especially the religious ones. I saw that to obey. My prayers took hold of the when he taught, he was sharing with words that God spoke to my heart and, others his own experience of living in answering my prayers, he has led me a life of true piety for the 30 years in his light. preceding his public ministry. I saw the Light does more than illuminate words that nestle at the heart of the our pathway. It shows us Sermon on the Mount, the beauty of what God if then the light in has made and I found that it made my heart sing for joy. I began to perceive the beauty of Jesus in the lives of people I knew. I craved to be more like them, more like him, and, with all the energy I had while young wide open to the love of God and his continuing work of grace God s Word made flesh is the lamp for my feet and the light for my path you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22). He told us with utmost clarity about the things that can turn our light into obscurity; living for ourselves instead of for God, a lack of dependence upon him, all kinds of I felt that the whole of life would be a blaze of glory. I can remember thinking many times about the words in John 1:4, In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. I couldn t grasp why it was his life that gave light, rather than his light that gave life. I was very much aware that his light shining in my heart, the revelation of himself, gave me spiritual life. It took many years of the endless cycle of worship and penitence anxieties, self-righteousness, desire for recognition, preoccupation with money, self-centred desires, a doubting of God s goodness, living by the world s values rather than his, self-deception and lack of love for one another. His life is the measure. God s Word made flesh is the lamp for my feet and the light for my path. Only the light that he gives can take me safely across this dark mountainside. We cannot live by one another s to teach me how thoroughly the life of revelation, nor by one another s Tatjana Strelkova / Shutterstock.com A light for my path 11

10 conscience. It s frighteningly easy to slip into this, adopting some sort of religious conformity instead of a living dependence upon Christ. I have found It seems to me that there is still a long way to travel on the journey to endless daylight that a hearing heart creates a seeing eye, and that God s way is always to strip away from me the things that contradict humility and dependence upon him. It seems to me that there is still a long way to travel on the journey to endless daylight. Many aspects of selfishness, anxiety and preoccupation with other things still intrude, like those dark shadows on the moonlit mountain. Only the love of Christ can show me how to direct my thoughts and words and deeds aright. It has become very clear to me what happens when I step in the shadows and what happens when I walk in the light. Sometimes, it is hard to pick a way through the shadows, and my progress across the mountain is slow and my strength is small. But his light is shining and with patience I can walk safely home. Retrospective Bright glory sustaining all things, Creator God, My heart heard of you And I ran and leapt in the fields of my childhood With your praises in my mouth. God as man urgently seeking our souls, Lord with the right to my life, I bowed my heart to you, dear King, In the days of my youth As my understanding grew in the sound of your calling. Oh, to serve you, oh, to love you, My youthful spirit cried. Oh, to do great things for you and to live In your burning purity all my days. Oh, to know your glory more and more. 12 A light for my path

11 I was dazzled by your splendour And the wonder of your speaking. But then came the years Of learning to trust a silent God. You cut the trees of my youth And ploughed up my bright flowered field. A poor bit of earth I was, nothing more, But now and then came a quiet speaking Like a message from a far off land, You are mine, and I am answering all your prayers. And I bowed my head and said, Your faith never fails, And the darkness and the light are both alike to you. And now, oh God, as I am becoming old, The fire burns again, turning everything into incense. As I walk in the luminescence of your presence There is no darkness any more And I lie down to sleep enveloped in silver light, And the sound of my crying has been overwhelmed By the sound of your singing, of your great song That fills heaven and earth. And my heart burns to serve you, Craves for the grace to labour to serve you, I, who am a broken thing with no strength. And your hands are reached out to me. Nail-pierced hands raise me to my feet And you say to me, Live! And I say, What use am I to you, Lord? I have grieved you with so many failures And I no longer dance upon your mountains of glory. And you say, Those who follow wounded feet Must be lame. It is this dependence that takes us from all our inner darkness into his marvellous light And so I bow my heart in worship, I, who am forgiven and forgiven and forgiven, For I will sing of the faithful love of God For ever and ever. And may your will be done, on earth as in the heavens, For yours is the glory. A light for my path 13

12 VITTORIA HANCOCK Short meditations and prayers When I was a child, I had a small picture on my bedroom wall. It was a picture of a path, lit by a lantern from above. On it were the words of Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a author Vittoria Hancock is Diocesan Evangelism Officer and Cathedral Chaplain in the Diocese of St Asaph. She is a trained storyteller and enjoys folk singing. light to my path (NIV). In my memory, the picture always seems to have been there. It was a comfort in my childhood; in the teenage years, a guide, and now it is a way of life. Walking with the light. It is always there. It has been from the beginning. A light in the dark a light to lighten my path the light of the world light with me, from the beginning of time. Walking with the light. It is always there A light for my path 45

13 Prayer Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Lord, thank you for walking with me, for showing me the safe paths on which to walk. Thank you that you have been with me since the beginning, from the moment of creation. darkness cannot conquer. If one cannot see the darkness, then how can one assess the light and enjoy it fully? I am told that when I was small, my father dug a hole. And I cried when it had to be filled. Because filling it would kill the hole. So the hole had to be moved. Carefully shifted to the side. Is a hole empty? Or full of life, if you look hard enough? Is it something to be filled? Or is it already full? Perhaps one of the world s problems today is that we see emptiness, we see a void where there is already something. We just do not look into the emptiness, into the dark. In the beginning in the beginning was was means there was something. But what? In the beginning was darkness. A void. Something that seems empty. Blackness. And yet, what is black, but made of colour? What is hole, but filled with air? So in the beginning. In the beginning was darkness. The darkness would not be dark without light. Within it is built colour and life and passion. The soaring highs need darkening clouds against which to reflect their beauty. To recognise the darkness is to appreciate the light. That does not mean to say it is easy. But if in the darkness one can see the light, or feel the light, or hear the light, then the Prayer Lord, in a world when we are taught the power of positive thinking, when it is easier to look on the good things, to look at light rather than dark, help us to look into the shadow-lands of this world, to see the hidden dangers, to appreciate the strength of the light in which we walk. 46 A light for my path

14 Chaikovskiy Igor / Shutterstock.com In the beginning was a void. Darkness, and light, and colour and sound. God spoke. An action. Something happened. When we act, things happen. Each action has an equal and opposite reaction. People react to what we do, to how we behave. Our actions create beginnings. Our actions reveal who we are, what we believe, in whom we trust. Actions are there to be seen, to be appreciated. Even without the word, actions have a value. Something starts. Someone notices. We have choice to act or to remain still. To use who and what we are, to use our abilities, our humanity, for good or for bad. To bring light into this world. So in the beginning was an action. In the beginning was the action. God spoke. There was a word. In the beginning was the Word. God spoke and life was created, was revealed. A world of laughter and colour and passion and joy. Words have a life of their own. You speak and breathe them into life. From A light for my path 47

15 there they take off, sounding different to different people. They explain the reasons for the action. They create reactions, counter-reactions. You write them and they leap off the page, vivid images of life. What we say has an effect. We have a choice to speak or remain silent. Words have power. If we believe, then we must speak. We are called to speak, to create equality, and freedom and justice. To speak of what the Word can bring to others. To tell the story and sing the song of life itself. It is no coincidence that Jesus is described both as the Word of God and as the light of the world. We are called to speak, to create equality, and freedom and justice A choice to speak Prayer Lord, help us to speak light into this world. Help us, by our actions, our thoughts, our words, to turn back the darkness, to shine light into the hidden corners, the hidden people. Help us to walk in your light, on your path. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God. All things came into being through him (John 1:1). In the beginning there was darkness. And God, and the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. For with the action and the Word come the Spirit. They go together. Actions without words can be pointless. Words without Spirit can be just that. Words. Without the Spirit behind them they soon become empty. They fail to persuade, to convince. When we speak the words, we must have the spirit of the words behind them. We must have the light with us. Otherwise the words lose their meaning and just 48 A light for my path

16 become shapeless forms writhing in the darkness. The Spirit reveals them, opens them to be heard and seen. The Spirit gives the energy, keeps things going. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me (Isaiah 61:1). If we believe in the beginning, in the action, the Word, the Spirit, then it is upon us to preach good news, to release captives, to feed the poor, to speak, to act, to proclaim, to change the world. It is not an optional requirement. Faith is active, not passive. The action informs the word which moves the Spirit which creates the action. The spiral of life goes on. Prayer Lord, send your Spirit into this dark world. Send your Spirit into the dark corners of my heart and soul. Show me the darkness inside, that your light may shine in those places. Help me not just to speak of your light, but to live your light. Actions and words lighting my path. In the beginning was darkness and colour and life and passion. Action and Word and Spirit. Light. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. If you can see the dark, In the beginning, in the darkness and the light, with the action and the Word and the Spirit, we were created then the light is there. In the beginning, in the darkness and the light, with the action and the Word and the Spirit, we were created. What we do with that is up to us. Each point in time is a new beginning. This is a chance to begin. For all of us here. So in the beginning I will act. I will speak the word. I will be empowered by the Spirit. I stand in creation, creating new beginnings. I will speak of the light in the darkness. Let your word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. A light for my path 49

17 MARGARET HARVEY Anna s story Then the Romans came. There had been a number of years of party squabbles in the country author Margaret Harvey is a retired priest in the Church in Wales. She has been running Coeg y Groes Retreat House. The presentation of Jesus in the temple, recorded for us in Luke 2, tells us about two people who were shown who this little baby really was. We are probably more familiar with the part of the story about Simeon. Those of us who are Anglicans may even sing his song, otherwise known as the Nunc Dimittis, regularly. After telling us about Simeon, Luke then goes on: There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. LUKE 2:36 38 (NIV 2010) 68 A light for my path

18 In Judaism there is a tradition called Midrash. It fills in many gaps regarding events and personalities that are only hinted at in the biblical narrative. I have heard it described as a story about a story in the Bible. So here is a story in this tradition to help us think about the second holy and dedicated person who recognises Jesus in his first visit to the temple.you may like to read it out loud to yourself, as in her time this was the normal thing to do. Otherwise, if you are part of a small group, one of you could read it to the group. You may like to wear a headscarf so that you become the storyteller. Here is Anna s story: My name is Anna. I am an old woman now. People say, Here comes old Anna. But when I was young when I was young, I was beautiful. My father gave me a good education, much better than Jewish girls usually have. He taught me to think. It made it difficult to find a suitable husband! Most men, I find, don t want a wife who thinks. Then I met Benjamin. He was a Rabbi, a teacher. He taught people to think. We clicked straight away. We were married, and it was wonderful. There was so much to talk about and to do together. Our only sadness was that there was no sign of a child. But, we thought, we have a long time for a baby. We were very happy. Then the Romans came. There had been a number of years of party squabbles in the country. But when the Romans came everything was different. They came as if they had a right to rule the world. Any opposition was quickly dealt with. They massacred anyone No one was allowed to think now. The old people said, One day the Messiah will come. But they did nothing about it. We did not want to wait for one day. So my Benjamin began quietly to gather together people we could trust A light for my path 69

19 who stepped in their way. There were crosses on every street corner. The emperor even went in to the holiest part of the temple, as if to say that he was in charge there too. No one was allowed to think now. The old people said, One day the Messiah will come. But they did nothing about it. There was a long time of darkness and pain. Then I discovered I could do something. I could shout at God. So I did Then one day people were arrested. Someone must have betrayed us We did not want to wait for one day. So my Benjamin began quietly to gather together people we could trust who didn t want to wait either. We couldn t form an army to drive out the Romans, but we could work underground to make it more difficult to govern. There were clever ways we could make life uncomfortable for them. It was dangerous. But it was so exciting! Then one day people were arrested. Someone must have betrayed us. My Benjamin was executed, nailed up where he could be a warning to others. Somehow I was passed over. I was still alive. But I didn t want to be. What was there to live for now? There was a long time of darkness and pain. Then I discovered I could do something. I could shout at God. So I did. Day by day I would go into the women s court of the temple and shout out my anger to God. People would avoid me. The Romans seemed to have become permanent. People hardly seemed to mention the hoped-for Messiah anymore. One day I realised that I had stopped shouting and was listening. Maybe, I thought, maybe there was still a way I could continue the work begun with my Benjamin. Maybe, if God had put up with my shouting, he would listen when I asked. So I began 70 A light for my path

20 to ask God to send the Messiah. It seemed the only thing to do. Not in a one day sort of way, but expecting, on tiptoe, looking for his answer. I was still lonely and sometimes angry. But now I had something to do and I tried to do it faithfully. And I discovered there were others doing the same thing. They were long, tired years. But today, something happened. I had come into the women s court of the temple as usual. Simeon he s one of the others I told you about, and even older than I am Simeon had waved to me as he passed through on his way to the men s court. Then suddenly he stopped. He looked overwhelmed with shock. He was standing in front of a young couple up from the country with their baby. He held out his arms and the mother put the baby into them. He began to say something to them. I moved closer. He was saying that this was the Messiah, the Chosen One, light, not just for us but for the whole world. Then it was as if God had given me a great dig in the ribs. Speechlessly, I held out my arms too and Simeon passed the baby over with a smile of joy. This baby is the Messiah! He s only a baby now, but one day he will become a man. And then things will begin to change. One day! He held out his arms and the mother put the baby into them. He began to say something to them. I moved closer. He was saying that this was the Messiah, the Chosen One, light, not just for us but for the whole world A light for my path 71

21 72 This space is for you to make your own notes. A path through a boggy area with a passing place in the shape of a cross Heather Fenton 2008

22 poem Two sayings Be thou a bright flame before me, Be thou a guiding star above me, Be thou a smooth path below me, Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me, Today tonight and for ever COLUMBA (CIRCA ), IRISH MONK AND MISSIONARY IN SCOTLAND Christ has turned all our sunsets into dawns. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (C.150 C.215), THEOLOGIAN Dietmar Höpfl / Shutterstock.com A light for my path 73

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