Mail Archive of the old Santa Clara Valley Lutheran Parish

I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brethren. (Thessalonians 5:27)
Subject: Devotions for today, March 11
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:18:22 -0700
From: Pastor Dawn Teuthorn <pastordawn@saintjudes.org>
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Cc: Pastor Dawn Teuthorn <pastordawn@saintjudes.org>
Subject: Devotions for today, March 11
From: Pastor Dawn Teuthorn <pastordawn@saintjudes.org>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:18:22 -0700

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Hi all!

I know this is later in day....EVENING now...and many are perhaps on =20
their way to Lenten programs.  May you know that as evening comes =20
upon us, I am holding us all in prayer.  I pray you are experiencing =20
a sense of God's presence in the midst of added =20
responsibilities,...and know that ALL is first in God's hands,....you =20
are each merely means by which God touches the lives of many.   =20
Whether you are feeling able or overwhelmed, energetic or tired, =20
filled or depleted, just allow God to use you....wherever you may be, =20
for God can.  :)

Today at our noon service I had the chance to reflect upon the life =20
of Thomas Merton.  I was intrigued his journey was not a simple or =20
clear one.  It ebbed and flowed towards God, away from God, clear =20
about God's call, unclear.  I've always seen him as a focused God-=20
centered disciple of Christ.  It's fascinating to me to find just how =20
real, human, and disjointed his life seems at various points...and =20
yet how clear God's persistence is throughout his life.  I thought =20
I'd share with you what is now called the "Merton Prayer".  =20
Blessings.  Dawn

In Thoughts in Solitude, Part Two, Chapter II consists of fifteen =20
lines that have become known as "the Merton Prayer."

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road =20
ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I =20
really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your =20
will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that =20
the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have =20
that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do =20
anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you =20
will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. =20
Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in =20
the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and =20
you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

=A9 Abbey of Gethsemani
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webk=
it-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi all!<div><br></div><div>I know this =
is later in day....EVENING now...and many are perhaps on their way to Lente=
n programs. =A0May you know that as evening comes upon us, I am holding us =
all in prayer. =A0I pray you are experiencing a sense of God's presence in =
the midst of added responsibilities,...and know that ALL is first in God's =
hands,....you are each merely means by which God touches the lives of many.=
 =A0 Whether you are feeling able or overwhelmed, energetic or tired, fille=
d or depleted, just allow God to use you....wherever you may be, for God ca=
n. =A0:)</div><div><br></div><div>Today at our noon service I had the chanc=
e to reflect upon the life of Thomas Merton. =A0I was intrigued his journey=
 was not a simple or clear one. =A0It ebbed and flowed towards God, away fr=
om God, clear about God's call, unclear. =A0I've always seen him as a focus=
ed God-centered disciple of Christ. =A0It's fascinating to me to find just =
how real, human, and disjointed his life seems at various points...and yet =
how clear God's persistence is throughout his life. =A0I thought I'd share =
with you what is now called the "Merton Prayer". =A0Blessings. =A0Dawn</div=
><div><br></div><div><!--StartFragment--><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"li=
ne-height:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autos=
pace:none"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana; color:#3333=
33">In </span><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana-Italic; c=
olor:#333333"><i>Thoughts in Solitude</i></span><span style=3D"font-size:11=
.0pt; font-family:Verdana;color:#333333">, Part Two, Chapter II consists of=
 fifteen lines that have become known as "the Merton Prayer."</span></p><p =
class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"line-height:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-lay=
out-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;f=
ont-family:Verdana-Bold; color:#333333"><b>MY LORD GOD</b></span><span styl=
e=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Verdana;color:#333333">, I have no idea =
where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for cert=
ain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I thi=
nk I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But =
I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope=
 I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do any=
thing apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me=
 by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will tr=
ust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I w=
ill not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face=
 my perils alone.=A0</span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"line-height:=
16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"=
><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana; color:#333333">- Thom=
as Merton, "</span><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Verdana-Ita=
lic;color:#333333"><i>Thoughts in Solitude</i></span><span style=3D"font-si=
ze:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333">"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span =
style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;mso-ansi-langua=
ge: EN-US">=A9 Abbey of Gethsemani</span><!--EndFragment-->  </div></body><=
/html>
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