​Blessings All,
I invite you to settle into a place of silence.
Take a few deep breaths, then read aloud this prayer.
Perhaps repeat it twice.
Then take a moment of silence to reflect on the words or phrases that jump out to you.
Peace.  Rev. Gail

  Night Prayer of Those Making Night Prayers in the Time of Covid-19 
In such a time as this, 
we are waiting 
waiting for family to come visit again, 
waiting for a vaccine, 
waiting to put away our masks, 
waiting to hug again. 

In such a time as this, 
we are watching 
watching the case numbers, 
watching the deaths, 
watching worship online 
watching the space between us. 

“This is no time for a child to be born … 
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.” 
(Madeleine L’Engle)

Incarnation is happening all around us. 
Infinite Mystery is unfolding within us, 
between us, above us, beneath us, around us. 
We wake to its reality and possibility 
Even Now, especially Now.   

​Our Advent Inspirational Messages will be coming to you on Tuesdays to Thursdays during Advent.  It is a resource from PrayerBench.ca called “Night Prayers”.  There is a short prayer to read in the evening, or whenever best suits you, interspersed with spiritual practices to deepen your awareness of the Divine.
Pray Night Prayers with Mary, who wonders about the Great Disturber, and Zechariah who is too busy for silence, and Joseph on his way to bed.  Pray the Night Prayer of the candle smoke and the favourite ornament and the store cashier.

An online resource from The Prayer Bench, adapted and used with permission.

Rambling Prompt: Ending or beginning?
This will be our final Inspirational Message from our Autumn Rambles.  We will soon begin our time of Advent devotionals.
Take notice of the cycle of the seasons as you ramble today and look for a sign pointing towards something that has ended and yet hinting at something yet to begin.
​
Reflection: Which season do you consider the beginning of the annual seasonal cycle or the first season? Perhaps it is spring when birds build nests to give their chirping babies a home, when the green tips of bulbs breakthrough into the light, when fruit trees are covered in blossom and when the world seems awash with fresh starts and new beginnings?
Autumn on the other hand seems full of endings. The leaves fall from the trees gathering in piles formed by blustery wind, the fruit ripens and the vines wither, the abundance of crops are harvested and the fields are left bare. There’s a sadness in the air, as the golden days falter and the heralding of winter beckons. “It’s over!” The season cries to our senses. We mourn with the finality of the season.
Yet held in Autumn’s hands are the beginnings of a future season. The acorn that falls from the oak tree holds within it a complete map to becoming a huge oak tree itself. The seeds inside a single pumpkin could become next year’s entire crop, wildflowers spread their seeds which lay haphazardly on the ground waiting for warmer days when they can germinate. “It’s beginning! The season whispers to our senses. We wonder if we will have patience to hope beyond this season.
We will soon be entering the season of Advent - is that a new beginning for you, or is it the ending of the year?
The seasons offer us a cycle of beginnings and endings. God calls to us through all the seasons with an invitation of new beginnings any time of the year.
Practice: Prayer!
Hold an acorn or other seed in your hand and use these prayer starters.Adoration and Praise Prayer starter... God of the tiniest seeds to the tallest trees, we offer our adoration and praise to you...
Thanksgiving Prayer starter... God of hope and light, I give you thanks for the stirrings of good, the acorns of hope, happening this week...
Confession Prayer starter... God of acorns and seeds, fresh starts and new beginnings, I pray for a new beginning to be born in myself...
Intercession Prayer starter... God of majestic and abundant love, I pray for those that I know who need the hope of a new beginning .....
Petition and Supplication Prayer starter... God of small things with possibilities, I pray for my own needs and possibilities right now....
As you come to God in prayer at the beginning, or end of this season, remember, that God can make all things new- whatever the season!  I invite you to listen prayerfully on this short refrain from the Ioana Community.
Behold, Behold, I make all things new beginning with you ....
Peace be with you - let's journey again in Advent!
Rev. Gail

Blessings All,
We take a pause in our inspirational messages from Autumn Ramblings, to reflect on Remembrance Day tomorrow. 
This year is the 100  Anniversary of the poppy - a symbol of remembrance that was inspired by John McCrae's famous poem.  I invite you therefore to pause in your day and take a moment to listen to this beautiful sung version of the poem.

In Flanders Field - a song of remembrance
After listening, I encourage you to speak the words of this prayer aloud.

God of Peace, we pray for our world, broken and divided.
Remember us as we try to live in peace.
Remember us as we follow your ways of serving our neighbours with compassion.
Remember us who are hurting, scared, despairing, and who pray for a better world.
Remember us, as we stand up courageously for justice.
Remember us, 
As we remember those that gave their lives for justice, freedom and peace.
In the name of the Prince of Peace we pray. Amen.

An online resource from The Prayer Bench, adapted and used with permission.

Rambling Prompt:  Snow Tires!

As you ramble around your local community, observe the end of season practices happening as people prepare for winter. Use the metaphor of packing up in Autumn for the winter months to ponder your own practices and preparations for changes in your own life up ahead in the near or distant future.


Reflection:Some people wait until the first snowfall. It serves as a visual reminder that it is time to put snow tires on the car. Others have them on by November 1, snow or no snow. It is a ritual of getting ready for the changing season.
Changing into snow tires comes after the garden is harvested, the cottage is packed up, the fall and winter clothes are released from “off season” and the bright t-shirts and shorts of summer are stored away.
The ritual of switching to snow tires signals a long winter coming with winds and snowstorms, freezing rain and bitter cold. “Designed to stay soft in cold temperatures for ultimate grip on snow and ice,” snow tires provide grounding in bad weather.
Today I (Rev. Gail) called to book to have tires changed - it is time to get ready with my snow tires.   Soon, it will be time to bring out the Christmas decorations!  
What are some of your end of season practices? In what ways do your practices help you stay grounded in transitional times? As you transition from one time to the next, I invite you to pause a moment and give thanks to God for the season that has just happened, and the ask for blessing on the season ahead.
Practice:
Transitions can be stressful and anxious.  We often hold that stress in our bodies.   Allowing our bodies to feel physically grounded can help us to feel grounded in our thoughts and emotions. This is particularly helpful if we’re dealing with changes and stresses. 
I invite you to try this exercise.
Stand in a doorway with your feet apart, touching each side of the doorway so you can feel the pressure of touch. 
Use your hands or upper arms to push on both sides of the doorway as hard as you can. Take note of how your body feels as you apply pressure. 
Name those things aloud to God which are causing you stress while continuing to apply pressure. 
Release the pressure and relax, taking deep breaths. 
Notice how you feel.
“I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 CEV
Peace,  Rev. Gail

An online resource from The Prayer Bench, adapted and used with permission.

Prompt:  Unpredictable Weather!

So what’s the weather like today? Make watching the weather your spiritual practice on your ramble today, or watch the weather from the comfort of your home. Look to the clouds for a lesson. 
Notice the temperature and be grateful. 
Be astonished in the rain. 
Be hopeful in a gentle breeze.
Enjoy sunshine.

Reflection Autumn can be the season of unpredictability with a rainbow of days from golden and blue to dark and grey.
Even in ‘settled weather’ the concept lasts only until the Autumn event you’ve planned is affected by the ‘one-off’ day of unpredictability, disrupting plans, upending the ‘settled’ and shedding disappointment on those hoped for expectations of a golden day. There are no guarantees for predictable weather. Ever. Rain falls. Wind lashes. The sun disappears. Days darken.
For many months now the world has been gripped by an unpredictable force and as COVID has shaped the rhythm of daily life, we’ve faced unpredictability on more fronts than just the weather.
Perhaps instead of yearning for predictability in the weather we can learn to take the weather with us. Unpredictable weather is a seasonal reminder that through the storms and upheavals of life, God is with us. There is always hope for a brighter more settled day.
Practice
If you had to describe your day as a weather report, what words would you use?  Reflect on this at the end of the day.  Were you surrounded by dark  looming clouds?  Were there bursts of sunshine? Did you feel like you were grappling with the wind?  Did you duck in and out of shadows cast by overhead puffy clouds?
At the end of the day, I invite you to reflect on your day long journey with God, and write your day as weather report. 
The science of predicting weather is challenging with all the variables involved. 
Pray for meteorologists today. 
Pray for farmers today so dependent on weather for crops. 
Pray for those holding special events and praying for their perfect day.
Peace, Rev. Gail

​