This week's sermon was a guided meditation based off of the second part of Matthew. I had some help and guidance in this from some colleagues as this is the first one I've tried to lead.
The holy gospel according to Matthew (11:16-19, 25-30)
The holy gospel according to Matthew (11:16-19, 25-30)
Jesus
spoke to the crowd saying:
16“But
to what will I compare this generation?
It
is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
17‘We
played the flute for you,
and
you did not dance;
we
wailed,
and
you did not mourn.’
18For
John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say,
‘He
has a demon’;
19the
Son of Humanity came eating and drinking, and they say,
‘Look,
a glutton and a drunkard,
a
friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Yet
wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
25At
that time Jesus said,
“I
thank you, Father, Sovereign of heaven and earth,
because
you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent
and
have revealed them to infants;
26yes,
Father, for such was your gracious will.
27All
things have been handed over to me by my Father;
and
no one knows the Son except the Father,
and
no one knows the Father except the Son
and
anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal the Father.
28“Come
to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and
I will give you rest.
29Take
my yoke upon you,
and
learn from me;
for
I am gentle and humble in heart,
and
you will find rest for your souls.
30For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The
gospel of the Lord.
----
Today
we’re going to do something different called guided meditation. Guided meditation has been a meaningful
spiritual practice for me and I hope it will be meaningful for you as
well. If you are feeling fidgety or need something to fidget with, there’s
stuff in the pews for you to hold quietly to help you focus.
As
we begin, feel free to get your wiggles out and make sure you are sitting
comfortably, perhaps with your feet on the floor, leaning back—whatever feels
comfortable to you.
You
can close your eyes or leave them open.
Take
a few slow breaths to begin.
As
you sit, notice your connection to the pew you’re sitting in,
the
solid feel of the wood
and
its connection, with your feet, to the floor.
Notice
the connection go deeper through the floor and walls
to
the foundation of this building
and
the earth below it,
grounding
you in all of creation.
And
feel the connection spread widely,
across
your pew and around this room,
connecting
you to each person who is here
and
in these connections, connecting you also to God.
Then
come back to focus on yourself and your body.
Turn
your focus to your hands,
holding
them with the palms up.
If
you want, you can rest them on your knees.
As
you breathe,
notice
the breath in your body.
Notice
the air coming in and out,
the
rise and fall of your shoulders,
the
lightness of each breath.
Reflect
also on the weight,
everything
that is weighing you down.
The
worries,
The
fears,
The
anxieties,
The
pain,
Everything
that makes you weary.
The
burdens you carry each day, each week, right now.
Imagine
those burdens and that weight in your hands.
Feel
the weight of them—
how
heavy they are in your hands.
Now
turn your hands over,
and
picture all those burdens—all that weight—falling out of your hands
and
into the earth—
into
God’s hands.
As
God is strong and loving enough to hold the whole world,
cradled
in a warm embrace,
God
is also strong and loving enough to carry all your burdens—
to
give you rest.
As
you let go of those weights, those burdens,
feel
how much lighter you are—
your
shoulders, your neck, your back, your arms, your whole body.
Feel
the weight fall off into God’s hands, ready to hold your burdens.
Feel
again your connections—
to
the earth, to the other people in this room, and to God.
Feel
the warmth and strength of God’s embrace
and
the rest that is there for you.
Take
some deep breaths and remain in that embrace until you are ready to come back and
open your eyes.
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