This week we held a Taize prayer service at Summerwood Assisted Living facility in Chanhassen. I always enjoy these gatherings; the residents are grateful for our presence and really seem to enjoy the time spent in communal worship.
As we always do at these services, we intersperse the chants and periods of silence with several readings and then a reflection. I offered the reflection at this service, on the theme of God dwelling within us.
I began by talking about how important it is for us to get deeply in touch with the reality of God’s indwelling. Without confidence that God desires to dwell within us, we can’t take seriously and engage wholeheartedly in the task of preparing ourselves for ultimate and complete union with God. Henri Nouwen wrote, “We can only wait if what we are waiting for has already begun for us.” Thomas Merton says we turn to God where God is already present. I then talked about the Incarnation as that which gives us confidence that we always carry God with us.
You can listen to a podcast of my reflection here. (The podcast runs for 9:39.) A copy of the three readings we used for the service the is here.
Creo en Dios! 