Session 6: Life-Giving Love
By Eirene & Richard Palmer
Aims
By the end of this session you should be able to:
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understand how to relate the concept of life-giving love to the world as a whole
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find ways to live out our life-giving love throughout our being.
Prayer
God of eternity, we thank you that at the heart of faith is hope, a hope based on what we celebrate every Easter, a hope that has the potential to transform this troubled world into a heavenly one. In our studies may we see the fullness of this hope you have revealed.
Amen.
Life-giving Love for the World
Mother Julian wrote of the love of God: “And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marvelled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God. In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.” ~ Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love.
The World & A Nutshell
Watch the video of of the panoramic view of Mars from the Perseverance Mars module. Spend some time meditating on the contrasts of these two descriptions – the tiny hazelnut and the first high-definition panoramic view from the recent Mars landing. Mars is one of 8 planets around our Sun. It is estimated that there are 100-400 billion stars(suns) in our galaxy. And going further out, there are estimated to be 2000 billion galaxies in the Universe. That is a vastness that the human mind cannot fully grasp. But we can grasp the wonder of God’s world and his love for us and for his love for the tiny nature of the hazelnut.
Life-Giving Love and Our Being
Richard Rohr talks of love as being communion or connection with God. If he is connected in that deepest place of his heart, he says his life is worthwhile.Listen to his story on this YouTube clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Questions for Reflection (individually or as a group:
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Have you ever thought of love as connection?
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Reflect on your closest relationships with the people who you would say you love. Do you feel connected to them? What does that feel like?
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Dennis Linn said that ‘God loves us at least as much as the person who loves us the most.’ Who loves you the most
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Reflect on the idea that God loves you at least as much as this.
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Richard Rohr talks of his daily prayer as a place of communion, connection and love. Have you ever considered daily prayer to be this? If not, what could it look like?
Meditate with Music
Often, listening to a piece of music can help us to bypass our minds and still the barrage of thoughts and worries that constantly fill our heads and make it hard for us to really lose ourselves in prayer or contemplation. Here is a list of pieces which may help.
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You are invited to choose one (by clicking on the title which is a link to the piece) from this menu – pick a genre or a style with which you are familiar and just rest in it, or if you want to explore and push the boundaries a little, choose something different. Neither way is the right one. What is right is what is best for you.Play this piece of music as a prayer. Sit back and let it wash over you. Pray it with God so you are listening together.
Traditional Music sung by a Choir
​God So Loved the World (Stainer)
Hymns in Different Styles
O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus (Group)
O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus (Choir)
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Meditate with Art
Look at Rembrandt's powerful painting of the 'Return of the Prodigal Son here. Put yourself in the place of the son/daughter being welcomed home and held in love.
How does that feel? Stay with this feeling, resting in God’s endless and unconditional love for you.
Meditate with Scripture
'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 8:38-39
Read through these verses slowly. Notice any words or phrases which impact on you. Stay with those words or phrase and allow them to deepen inside you as you pray.
Spotlight on Doctrine
John 3:16-17:
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‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’
Spend some time reflecting upon this short but pivotal text. Read it slowly to yourself twice.
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How does Christ portray how the love for God flows throughout the world and throughout our being?
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Can we infer that our love of God is also our love for the world he has created for us to inhabit?
Spotlight on Spirituality
Franciscan spirituality is rooted in the simple affirmation that ‘God is Love.’ The story of St Francis is full of his love for his brothers and sisters, the birds, the animals, the trees and the plants and even inanimate things who listened to him and obeyed him. Love, for St Francis was at the heart of everything. It expresses that at the most deep and profound level you don’t need to be afraid because you are held in love which is eternal. Watch these three short talks by Richard Rohr on Franciscans and love. Francis saw everyone and everything in creation embraced by God in love. Is that the way you see it? If not, what might be getting in the way?
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God loves the unlovely. Do you feel unlovely at times? What could you do to care for yourself?
Reflect
The following is an extract from A Life in the Day of Rev'd Kate Bottley, from the Sunday Times Magazine of April 4 2021.
“I think part of the quest of being human, whatever your theology or philosophy, is to aim for three things. Firstly to be better connected with ourselves. Secondly to be better connected with others. And thirdly to connect with something bigger than you. I call it God. Others call it the universe, love or the power of humanity. At the moment it can be difficult while nothing seems stable but Ibelieve the ship will steady. We just need to practise kindness to ourselves and each other. Steady as she goes.”
Read this extract again. Use this piece to reflect on the following. Firstly, how can I connect better with myself? Secondly, how can I connect better with others? Thirdly, how can I connect better with
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Prayer
O Christ Jesus,when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness,give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand,Your purpose, Your will through all things.
Amen.
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​St Ignatius of Loyola
Something Practical to Do this Week
Make a note of one small action you can take in each of those three areas – connecting with self,
others, God - and apply it this week.
Resources
