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Church Practices

"I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire."
- St. Thomas Merton


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Forgiveness Prayer
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​I draw upon the creative, Divine Spirit within me,
a Spirit of strength and new possibilities,
and I forgive
anyone who has hurt, upset or offended me,
anyone who has damaged my reputation,
anyone who has caused me grief or pain.
I draw upon the creative, Divine Spirit within me,
a Spirit of peace and graciousness,
and I desire
to be thoughtful of others,
to do and to wish no one any hurt.
I draw upon the creative, Divine Spirit within me,
a Spirit of healing and compassion
and I ask for
a deeper awareness
of this Spirit in myself and others,
in our fragility,
in our weaknesses,
and in our common desire
to give the best human expression we can to this Spirit
in our living and loving.
 By Michael Morwood.

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The Appreciative Way
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The appreciative way paradigm is a blend of Appreciative Inquiry and Contemplative Spirituality which focuses on what is working; studies the root causes of success; identifies and builds on strengths; discovers how people and communities make a difference; inquires into what people value, and encourages people to do what they love and live on purpose.


Appreciative Way Paradigm:
Search for solutions that already exist
Amplify what is working
Focus on life giving forces
What is working well around here?
Learning from what works
Who is to affirm?
Basic Assumption: The Church and people are a mystery to be embraced.
~Adapted from Sue Hammond​

At Alberni Valley United Church, we use the Pinch-Crunch Model of Conflict Resolution to help us build collaboration and cooperation, and to  focus on shared values and shared goals.
​

Lectio Divina: A Spiritual Practice
 
Lectio Divina is an ancient practice of listening  and praying with the Biblical story in which you discover  its connections to your life now. Listening  is the art of connecting more deeply with yourself, God, and others. There is a blessing in listening to  of how others in the group are making their own connections with the Holy.
 
First Reading:  Listening for what catches  your attention
The first movement of lectio is to  listen to the reading of scripture. Listen for a word or phrase which catches your attention, a word or a phrase which you are drawn to, or  stands out for you more than the rest of the text. What word catches your attention? Please share around the circle* and invite the next person to your right to share.
 
Second Reading:  Listening for connections  
The second movement of lectio is discovering  how the word or phrase unfolds in your imagination, listening for what images, feelings, and memories are stirring .  What connections are occurring for you?  A question relating to the particular bible passage may also be asked. For example if the passage were Isaiah 65: 17-25( The Lion and Lamb lie down together) This questions might be asked: How does this vision challenge our society?  
 
Third Reading:  Listening for an Invitation
The third movement of lectio is responding to what has been rising up within us, and listening for the invitation from God.  This invitation may be a call toward a new awareness, connection or action.  What does God invite you to do, be or change ?


Prayer of St. Thomas Merton

God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. Nor do I really know myself.
And the fact that I think 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 that I will never do anything 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 trust you always
Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death
I will not fear for you are ever with me.
And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.
​Amen

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ted talk
Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness.
She poses the questions:
  • How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness?
  • How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?
Watch the the TED talk video by clicking on the link below. Reflecting on your whole life story how has vvulnerability been birthplace of creativity, gratitude, love, belonging, joy, connection, and peace in your life? I would love to hear your responses via e-mail or facebook.
Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
Bible verse link: Proverbs 14:30
Peace of mind means a healthy body.
We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded territories of the Tseshaht and the Hupacasath in the area known as the Alberni Valley.
​
Copyright © 2023 Alberni Valley United Church | All rights reserved.    

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