Activity Guidance – Letter to God: Week 1
Week 1 Activity: Write a Letter to GodSlowly writing out our words of love for another person can be a meditative practice that connects us in a deep way. This week, spend some time hand-writing a letter to God. What would you say? How might you express your love for God in words?
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The first week, as we reflect on the meaning of our baptism, we are invited to participate in the meditative activity of writing a “Letter to God.” What might you say to God in response to this good news that you are valued and loved?
Transcript: In this first week of our program, we’ve been introducing the “Five Marks of Love,” the Five Marks of Mission that characterize the lives of the people of God, and which reflect God’s mission in the world. Each week we offer an exercise for you to do, a reflective, meditative exercise that will bring you in touch with the goals of that week. In this first week, we’ve been exploring the meaning of our baptism – exploring the fact that we’ve been claimed by God, and loved by God, and that we are marked as Christ’s own forever.
The exercise that we’re inviting you to do this first week is to write a letter to God. A letter that expresses your love for God, your gratitude for having received the love of God in your baptism, and having been claimed and marked as Christ’s own forever. So we invite you to ponder what might you say to God in response to this Good News that you belong, that you are valued and loved, that you are treasured and forever held by God’s love. How can you respond? How would you respond? What words would you use to respond to this initiative of God claiming you as God’s own? So write just a short letter and express some of your feelings and thoughts to God.
– Br. David Vryhof
Dear God
Its’ been 2 yrs since trying to write you a letter. . Here I am, revisiting and being given an opportunity to do it twice. Thank you for sharing all that is, as everything I am, all that I I have been given, all that surrounds me is yours. Specifically, thank you for allowing me to be born to 2 people who loved you with their whole hearts, often joyfully, through great life upheavals. Thank you for opening my eyes and allowing me to learn that there is no obstruction, no bad choice, no calamity that you are not present in and offering love. Thank you for your extreme Grace through Jesus the Christ. Thank your for your patience as I am not patient. Thank you, for the power of the Holy Spirit who really does comfort and teach. Mysteries it will take an eternity to unravel. No boredom here! Thank you for this earthly construct of TIME where I have been allowed this hour, this moment with food! and coffee! to quietly give thanks in a safe beautiful home when more than half this world has not. So, Dear God, there is an urgency in my heart that the last days I have be spent in doing as much as possible to undo this imbalance that I myself perpetuate day after day. You have already given me excellent places to do so…I thank you. Thank you for the Brothers of SSJE who are fellow travelers with Jesus and offer great pointers along this Way. It is a gift. Dear God, I thank you for the man who wrote Amazing Grace, for in the last stanza, I too, can sing with great hope “When we’ve been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we’ve no more days to sing God’s praise than when we have first begun”
The sample confirms I am not alone in my thoughts. I was reluctant to write because I was afraid I didn’t have enough room to question God. Now knowing I can simply thank God for continuing to be my center is helpful.
Dear Good (God is creation and Father of) Jesus especially and personally I feel I’m valued and loved by your Spirit. This is Jesus’ mission. I pray with you Jesus as I sit facing a crucifix with Buddha also beside me for help with mindfulness of my out breath and lucid dreaming to face attacks in nightmares. By your blood you are close to my wounded heart, Jesus. (Christ to me is your spiritual body). I see your Good at work in us humans to heal. Go in peace and love to serve.Thanks.
So, how? by P: Perceiving, what you and I are seeing; E: by Emoting: you and I are feeling; by A: what we’re Asking for; so C: this Calls for by you and I; and E: Embracing all in love by you and I. –Thanks you,Jesus (and Rosenberg’s non-violent communication, and my acronyms for PEACE in summary and St Basil for ‘Embracing’ is ministry.
I am thankful for all the wonderful things he has done for me spiritually. My prayers have been answered. I try to live a spiritual life but at times I lose my patience especially during this nasty election year. It is sad when your parish priest expresses his political beliefs. I believe in church and state. . God is good to us so I will continue to my own thinking.
Marge,
Politics existed in the bible just as politics still exist today. Meeting together to discuss God’s word, just as I am expressing my opinion to you here, today, on this blog; may be the first step in a journey where; it is politic of Christ that enlightens the soul.
Lord, I have been privileged to be trusted by a neighbor to hear his past struggles and his pains that persist, and to sense his hope for a life for him and his family that is connected to a greater meaning and peace. Give me the wisdom to guide him to you and your purposes so that he will make good choices in his challenges and find a deep, sustaining joy and peace through knowledge of your many expressions of grace and love.
Bill;
Yours is one of God’s greatest gifts to us; seen here in your story; still in tact; the same gift observed at the moment of every birth, a hand reaching out to another. This is God’s will.
Stan,
In my opinion all God expects is that we work to live our lives as the characters (real people, [protagonists and even antagonists in some situations]) recorded in the bible did a long time ago. These people are role models that survived often extremely difficult times, through God’s grace.
Lord, your love for me is unbounded; the blessings you have bestowed upon me are so abundant. How can I ever reciprocate? All I can do is to do my best to live my life for you, yet … I don’t always have the knowledge how or the strength to follow … I love your love, and I will do my best to be deserving. Please help me and give me the strength and wisdom to follow You without straying too far off the path …
It’s wonderful to be greeted with a smile! It wakes me up wither I am just crawling out of bed are walking into a shop. I am looking for a smile and usually go in with a smile on my face
Fortunately my husband greets me with a wonderful smile!
Gail,
It sounds like a smile represents or perhaps is synonymous with The Holy Spirit being present in your life in some way. I get that same feeling of joy when bread and wine is blessed, or when I read a few lovely words like the words you just wrote.
I am very thankful that someone recognized me as a friendly person today. Thank you, Dear God.
The young person flashed a smile as I was walking into a place of business. I am so glad I noticed and could respond with a smile. Thank you, Dear God.
It is nice to hear this story. Many young people don’t really know what the older generation is doing or thinking and there is often not much connection.