Voices Found: Welcome one small child

Voices Found #102

Creator of all time and space  

Creator of all time and space, we read your image on each face, Great Spirit of the cosmic whole, you made us, body, mind, and soul.

We thank you for the human mind, in mystic harmony designed, for word and image dream and thought, for lessons learned and answers sought.

O God of planet, moon, and sun, we wonder knowing what you've done, that you befriend the human race, and fill our lives with love and grace.

For miracles as large as space, as small as cells, as deep as grace, we offer you our thanks and praise, and pledge to serve you all our days.

Words: Ruth Duck 

Music: Conditor alme siderum, plainsong, Mode 4

Reflection:

Genesis 2:4b-7 is appointed for Proper 8 (closest to June 29) in The Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

In the day that the Ageless One, God, made the earth and the heavens: Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had sprung up—for the author of Life, God, had not caused it to rain upon the earth, there was no human to till the humus—Yet a stream rose from the earth and watered the entire surface of the humus.  Then the Maker of All, God, crafted the human from the dust of the humus and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life and the human became a living being.

Meditation

Mark 9:33-42 is appointed as the Gospel lesson

Then Jesus took a little child and put them among the disciples, and taking them in his arms, Jesus spoke to the disciples: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

Mark 9: 36-37

Voices Found # 70

One small child

One small child Jesus called, set in the middle of the

grown-ups circle: "Welcome him, Welcome her, and 

then you are welcoming me.

Upside down, downside up, go our perceptions of

who's the greatest: "Take my word, trust my word as

readily as this small child."

"Take my hand, understand--this is the model for the

kingdom people.  Blessed are you, all of you who

come to me like this small child."

Words: Shirley Arena Murray (1931-2020)

Music: Rusty Edwards (b. 1955) 

Prayer: 

O Mother of all Life, teach me to  welcome all. Help me  trust your word and your love as readily as a small child.