It doesn’t come easy.
In spite of it all,
I can’t help pushing open
the doors of country churches;
shoving a coin or two
in the box on the wall,
paying twice over
for the leaflet I take.
It doesn’t come easy.
Wandering among gravestones
is irresistible;
departure is almost
impossible. I delay
it over and over
to hear once more the song of the blackbird.
It doesn’t come easy.
As I race back
into the modern
rationalistic world,
I think of cathedral towns
and country rectories
and gentle rectors’ wives
arranging the flowers.
John Tatum
All that matters is to be at one with the living God
To be a creature in the house of the God of Life.
Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
and at one with the master of the house, with the
mistress
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.
Sleeping on the hearth of the living world,
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of a master sitting at the board
in his own and greater being,
in the house of life.
D.H. Lawrence
My soul, there is a country
Where stands a winged sentry
All skilful in the wars:
There, above noise and danger,
Sweet Peace sits crown’d with smiles,
And One born in a manger
Commands the beauteous files.
He is thy gracious Friend,
And—O my soul, awake!—
Did in pure love descend
To die here for thy sake.
If thou canst get but thither,
There grows the flower of Peace,
The Rose that cannot wither,
Thy fortress, and thy ease.
Leave then thy foolish ranges;
For none can thee secure
But One who never changes—
Thy God, thy life, thy cure.
Henry Vaughan
Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
Rather look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are,
will lead you safely through all things;
And when you cannot stand it,
God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
The same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you today and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering or will give you
unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts
and imaginations.
St. Francis de Sales
In the silence of the stars,
In the quiet of the hills,
In the heaving of the sea,
Speak, Lord.
In the stillness of this room,
In the calming of my mind,
In the longing of my heart,
Speak, Lord.
In the voice of a friend,
In the chatter of a child,
In the words of a stranger,
Speak, Lord.
In the opening of a book,
In the looking of a film,
In the listening to music,
Speak, Lord.
For your servant listens.
David Adam
In the quiet place 
at close of day
he washes the feet of my mind
from the dust of its fret.
His infinite eyes
see the straining and wounds of the road,
his hands
bring smarting
and cleansing
and balm.
The grace of his health
restores my soul
her place in the circling stars of perpetual praise.
Then, taking again the seamless robe,
the Alpha-Omega,
Master and Lord,
we talk together,
friend with friend.
Joan A.Bidwell
The word came
and he went
in the other
direction
God said: Cry
tears of compassion
tears of repentance
cry against
the reek
of unrighteousness
cry for
the right turn
the contrite spirit
And Jonah rose
and fled
in tearless
silence.
Thomas John Carlisle
Perfect Father
Love ineffable
Gracious giver
Genius God
Son, beloved
Love’s expression
Broken body
Dying God
Spirit holy
Love’s proceeding
Gentle dove
Breathing God
Three in One
Love enfolding
All who come
Accepting God
Alec Depledge
O, King of the Tree of Life,
The blossoms on the branches are your people,
The singing birds are your angels,
The whispering breeze is your Spirit.
O, King of the Tree of Life,
May the blossoms bring forth the sweetest fruit,
May the birds sing out the highest praise,
May your Spirit cover all with his gentle breath.
Carmina Gadelica
Don’t be a kyatta-pilla
Be a butterfly
old preacher screamed
to illustrate his sermon
of Jesus and the higher life
rivulets of well-earned
sweat sliding down
his muscly mahogany face
in the half-empty school church
we sat shaking with muffling
laughter
watching our mother trying to save
herself from joining the wave
only our father remaining poker face
and afterwards we always went home to
split peas Sunday soup
with dumplings, fufu and pigtails
Don’t be a kyatta-pilla
Be a butterfly
Be a butterfly
That was de life preacher
and you was right
Grace Nichols
You’ve blessed me with friends
and laughter and fun
With rain that’s as soft
as the light from the sun
You’ve blessed me with the stars
to brighten each night
You’ve given me help to know
wrong from right
You’ve given me so much
so please Lord give me too
A heart that is always grateful to you.
Celtic Prayer
In the stillness
See the wonder of God’s art
In the silence
Feel Christ’s presence
In the sunlight
Watch the Holy Spirit dance
In the darkness
Find faith’s essence.
Jane M. MacKichan
God writes the Gospel
not in the Bible alone,
but also on the trees
and in the flowers,
clouds and stars.
Martin Luther
You came…Father & Beloved Son,
Gift of heaven, bestowing.
Comfort to the comfortless
Helper in our helplessness.
Promised overflowing
You came…’mighty rushing wind’
Breath of heaven, refreshing.
Life into our lifelessness
Meaning to our senselessness
Covenanted blessing
You came…’cloven tongues of fire’
Flame of heaven inspiring,
Passion in the passionless
Wholeness for our brokenness
Integrity acquiring
You came…’dunamis’ from on high
Power from heaven, energising.
Strength to cover weaknesses
Reliever of our great distress
Miracles realising
You’re here…oft grieved & still resisted
Gentle dove of heaven, You persisted.
Dwelling in this heart of mine
Living Wind, Fire Divine
Heaven’s Oil – anointed
Alec Depledge
You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart’s eternal spark
You are the door that’s open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day.
Celtic Prayer
I share and share and share again
sometimes with a new language
which, if you are so open
will take you behind the sky
and award you cartwheels across the sun
I give and give and give again
not restricted by the church calendar
nor concocted ritual
I have no need of anniversaries
for I have always been
I speak and speak and speak again
with the sting of purity
that can only be Me
causing joyous earthquakes
in the mourning soul of man
I am and am and again
Stewart Henderson
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.
John Greenleaf Whittier
God with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without him,
Nor one ray without him.
Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.
God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
Forever and forevermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Celtic Prayer
You ever feel
dat 6 o’clock feeling
6 o’clock shadow falling
wrapping you up
mekkin you stop
and tink
bout all dese tings
God doin
6 o’clock bee calling
all dem tree
tekking strange, strange shape
and stan up
sharp! sharp! gainst dat sky
you know dem 6 o’clock colour
pink an orange an blue an purple an black
dat 6 o’clock feeling
mekkin you feel like touchin
mekkin you feel so small
you could cry
or fall down pun your knee
and thank God
you could still
see de 6 o’clock sky
Kamal Singh
I arise today
Through a mighty strength:
God’s power to guide me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s eyes to watch over me;
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to give me speech,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to shelter me,
God’s host to secure me.
Brigid of Gael
My blood so red
For thee was shed,
Come home again, come home again;
My own sweet heart, come home again!
You’ve gone astray
Out of your way,
Come home again, come home again!
Anonymous
17th century
Alone with none but thee, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear,
when thou art near O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
Columba
Lent is a tree without blossom, without leaf,
Better than blackthorn in its winter sleep,
All unadorned. Unlike Christmas which decrees
The setting-up, the dressing-up of trees.
Lent is a taking down, a stripping bare,
A starkness after all has been withdrawn
Of surplus and superfluous,
Leaving no hiding place, only emptiness
Between black branches, a most precious space
Before the leaf, before the time of flowers;
Lest we should see only the leaf, the flower,
Lest we should miss the stars.
Jean M.Watt
“Unto Me?” I do not know you—
Where may be your House?
“I am Jesus—Late of Judea—
Now—of Paradise”—
Wagons—have you—to convey me?
This is far from Thence—
“Arms of Mine—sufficient Phaeton—
Trust Omnipotence”—
I am spotted—”I am Pardon”—
I am small—”The Least
Is esteemed in Heaven the Chiefest—
Occupy my House”—
Emily Dickinson
God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.
God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.
God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.
God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.
Celtic Prayer
and that will be heaven
and that will be heaven
at last the first unclouded
seeing
to stand like the sunflower
turned full face to the sun drenched
with light in the centre
held while the circling planets
hum with utter joy
seeing and knowing
at last in every particle
seen and known and not turning
away
never turning away
again
Evangeline Paterson
I used to think –
loving life so greatly –
that to die would be
like leaving a party
before the end.
Now I know that the party
is really happening
somewhere else;
that the light and the music –
escaping in snatches
to make the pulse beat
and the tempo quicken –
come from a long way away.
And I know too
that when I get there
the music will never
end.
Evangeline Paterson
May you see God’s light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Never turn your heart to stone,
May you always remember
when the shadows fall—
You do not walk alone.
Irish Blessing
Circle me Lord
Keep protection near
And danger afar.
Circle me Lord
Keep hope within
Keep doubt without.
Circle me Lord
Keep light near
And darkness afar
Circle me Lord
Keep peace within
Keep evil out.
David Adam
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you
Iona Community
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Irish Blessing
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.
Emily Dickinson
