Meditating to Heal

When the long darkness of despondency cloaks the earth with sadness and fear, do not give up, pray your heart for God is listening. God and His Son are the same they were 2000 years ago; the are the same today, tomorrow, and forever. God’s Word is eternal and stands firm both in heaven and on earth; we just must listen.

Society has labelled us with unkind names, such as racism, classism, age, sex, or gender identity. As flawed as the Bible has named her, Eve taught us that we must look at who we are and where we come from.

I was raised as a poor white boy in Newark, New Jersey in the 1950s. Society held me down for years. . . until I listened to God, went to college (at night while working) and became a teacher and college professor. I refused to be labelled a failure by those whose only power comes from money. This is a power that is not lasting. As the saying goes, you can’t take it with you. But who you are, who I am is eternal; this is the true power that only God can bestow.

When the ordinary ceases being ordinary, pray your heart; when we know God, we know true trust by renewing our relationship with Jesus.

© Russell Kendall Carter

When Things Fall Apart

Our lives are filled with hazards and tragedies; at times they can be overconsuming and overbearing. It is very scary when things begin falling apart. I shudder to think of what lies beneath the frail surface of my days. Chaos can so easily overpower our confidence.

It is during these times that I make the effort to open my heart to God, the bulwark of my being. I ask God to unroot the evil that permeates my life and my society. I pray that the fire of love, God’s Love, as Jesus taught, overpowers the devastating fires of evil and trauma. I root myself in God’s presence. Finally, I am calm and assured that whatever happens, I have the Holy Spirit walking with me.

© Russell Kendall Carter

Being Responsible for our World

Dear God, help me to be responsible for the world I live in. Using the blessings of God and Jesus make we change our culture so others can encounter God’s truth and blessings. We witness the distress we have created; let us rise up and build a better future for all. There is the shaft of the light of hope that we can bring the disinherited of our world out of the darkness of the sense of not being worthy. Through the teachings of Jesus, we know that all are worthy. May our future deeds expose our responsibility for the devastation of human rights and correct the sins of the past.

© Russell Kendall Carter

If we want to be a true disciple of Christ, we must be more than just a follower or a student of His teachings. We build a life that reflects His teaches, not His life. We encourage all to love all. To walk a faith-filled life with God as our guide, we have faith when others do not; we pray for them, for their loss of faith is only temporary. We cannot be blind to the homeless, the sick, the poor, and the hungry. These are the people that Jesus loved. These are the people that were lifted by the Love and healing of Jesus. We are His disciples; we must do the same.

© Russell Kendall Carter

We are all in this life for a purpose; only God knows this purpose, and it is up to us to find our true calling. With the glory and beauty of God within us, we bring His word to our deeds and the work of our hands. This is our day to do God’s work. God made it for us. We want to be part of God’s army that works continually to assist those in need. We cannot do this alone; all members of our community must come together to pray and work for those left behind by society. Dear God, we long for You and the Glory You grant us to do Your wishes.

© Russell Kendall Carter

I do not know about you, but Jesus’ teaching on the Mount makes me look at my life and I am ashamed. Although I have spent years helping others, I have not done all that I could have. Fortunately, God gives me the grace to learn from my mistakes and misjudgments. I am a man who has no strength without God by my side. Mercy and truth guide my life. God’s Grace is my power because I am a mere mortal. God wants me to spread my love with all I meet.

 I believe God joins works with me to shed light on others. I give thanks unto the Lord for his presence and guidance and help when I am deficient toward others. I believe that Love is good, and God helps me share this love with others. We are lost when we leave God out of our relationships. When Jesus speaks of the forgotten in the Beatitudes, He tells us to care for others and do the best we can to help them. We are not perfect, but God loves us when we do our best.

© Russell Kendall Carter

With the presence of God in my life, the wisdom in my mind strengthens my soul, the core of my heart. I am a faithful witness to God’s love; therefore, I have a treat all people as long-lost family, loving them unconditionally. With my strong heart, my ancient flesh flourishes because I serve God in all I do. Sharing God’s strength, bring His light and grace into my heart and my mind.

His Holy Spirit is truly upon me. With God within me, I am Holy, not by what I do, but by the presence of God. I open my heart and mind for God will teach me and lead me in my life. When I meditate God invites me into the thin space in my life allowing me to be close to His Truth. I leave my personal wilderness to share the gifts I receive with all whom I meet in life journey.

I am a faithful witness by being able to love all whom I meet for all of us share God’s Holy Spirit. For today in our besieged world, it is time for all to come together and live the life that Jesus wants for us. It is then that we will be able to enjoy the plea in our prayer, save me from my time of trial.

© Russell Kendall Carter

I find it very difficult to actually meditate in any prescribed way. I also find that I spend my time excluding thoughts that enter my mind. Saying this I have adopted another way of meditating. Each morning I rise with a small prayer of thanksgiving for being alive. Knowing that my days are full, I try to spend the first hour after waking reading Bible passages from both the Hebrew and Christian texts.

From this, I orient myself in the mode of prayer, opening my soul to welcome the presence of God within me. This practice allows me to feel His presence in me in everything that I do and with every breath I take during the day. (My spiritual advisor calls this praying all day.) In my prayers and chores during the day I listen for the Word; this keeps me focused on the tasks at hand, knowing that God is guiding my actions. Love is with and within me.

As I sit and write on my patio, I am surrounded by God’s creation; we recently discovered a Goldfinch nest in one of our bushes. Knowing that this small family has found a home with us gives me pause to thank God for all He does for me and for others. Our true home is in the loving arms of God. And, as the little finch, we feel safe in our small world.

With members of my church, I have tried several times to try to bring God into my life in various ways. I know that chanting is very big with many people; at St. Georges’ Episcopal church, we have a very active Taizé service. Unfortunately, this is more of a distraction to me than an aid to bring meditation and God into my being.

I return to my form of meditation which is an awakening to my breath. With every breath I take over the course of the day, I expel what harms me and I inhale the Love, Wisdom, and beauty of God’s presence in my life. In a word, I am practicing the presence of God all the time. It is a gift from Him that I cherish and share.

© Russell Kendall Carter

Asked in the Gospels.

When I meditate, I am firmly planted in the Garden of Eden, naked, but not afraid. I am comforted knowing that I am truly blessed to be a child of God. In the center of this Garden is a beautiful tree, a glorious creation of God to show me that I am perfect in His eyes.

That tree is Christ, boldly standing there with His arms outstretched, not impaled on the wood, but the wood itself, His arms reaching to God as an example as to how I am to live my life. I await the loving hand of Jesus to plant my feet in the rich loam of God’s Eden, so that I too can become a tree of promise for others.

Jesus reminds me to accept His invitation to love God and to love my neighbor as myself. However, it is more than a simple invitation; it is also an invitation to brotherhood. Loving my neighbor is only the beginning; we must join together to share our lives. When I hurt, I must allow myself to be vulnerable and open myself and my pain to others; likewise, I must lay my hands upon my neighbor when he is in pain. Together, we can bring love, peace, and healing to our world.  

By making this promise and being this tree, I become the very answer to Jesus’s question, “Who do you say I am.” You are the tree of my life, allowing me to spread my arms towards our loving Father in heaven, comforted by the warm, loving presence of Him in my life. And, I must help others to become trees and the circle widens.

© Russell Kendall Carter

Gather around her;

lay your hands upon her.

Pray for healing,

for comfort for love.

Connect with others;

with quality community and prayer;

create a bond of friendship and love.

With heart and mind open

become an agent of God;

relate and pray with others.

With prayer and love,

God forgives all sin;

His heart is eternity.

Realize the Kingdom of God.

© Russell Kendall Carter