God as a Deer, a Rose, and the Living Bread

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling Life Together Orientation: Opening Worship

Lydia Strand & Rev. Steven Bonsey

August 14, 2015

Opening Prayer

You are

    A shy divine deer

That I cannot cease tracking

 Though only once of late

                                 Did I get so close

                                       To see

My own face and heart

Reflected

In your wondrous soft eyes

 Only once of late, Beloved,

When I thought that I had You

                                At last cornered

       Did

          I

Come to know

The sublime beauty of God’s body

Against my own Hand.

--Hafiz

Chant

Slowly blooms the rose within

Slowly blooms the rose within

Lectio Divina: Matthew 4:3-4

During that time (the tempter) came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Here are some of the questions that were raised during these past few days during the Life Together orientation:

What tempts you?

What breaks your heart?

What makes your heart sing?

God spoke: Choose life. If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.