World Day of Prayer and Third Quarter Moon

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The World Day of Prayer takes place every year on the first Friday in March. Women in the United States and Canada first formed this event after the devastation of World War I, when they were convinced that world peace was tied to world mission. Each year, Christian women from all over the world join together to plan and organize events, and suggest a theme and focus. This year the theme was set by the women of Vanuatu, a Y-shaped tropical archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean with over eighty islands, sixty-five of which are inhabited. The theme is 

Build on a strong foundation.

Today's waning third quarter moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. The focus for the next few days:

• Third quarter (waning half moon) - Renewal, cleansing, self-care

Agenda today:
1. Read Matthew 7:24-27

2. Prayer for Courage

3. Renewal plan

4. My self-care routine

5. Cleansing

6. Prayerful Action

7. Plant a sabzeh

1. Read Matthew 7:24-27:

The WDP program this year is based on the story Jesus tells about the kingdom of heaven, using the image of a house and the land on which the house is built. Choosing the land on which to build a house is an important decision for people in Vanuatu, a tropical archipelago prone to earthquakes, cyclones, volcanic eruptions and rising sea levels.

Matthew 7:24. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

This is a story about resilience and compassion, and acting on my leadings. Matthew is saying that all my wisdom reading and all my leadings should so penetrate my ears that they become the foundation of my life, reaching the deepest parts of my heart. "The wisdom of the builder of the house comes from hearing and acting on the word of God, which is the word of love." 

 

2. Prayer for Courage:

Give us grace, O God, to dare to do the deed which we well know cries to be done.

Let us not hesitate because of ease, or the words of men’s mouths, or our own lives.  

Mighty causes are calling us—the freeing of women, the training of children, the putting down of hate and murder and poverty—all these and more.

But they call with voices that mean work and sacrifice and death.

Mercifully grant us, O God, the spirit of Esther, that we say: I will go unto the King and if I perish, I perish.

Amen.

~W. E. B. Du Bois

3. Renewal plan:

“Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you… You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy...” --Stephen Covey

I try to renew all four dimensions of my life (body, mind, heart, and spirit), as Stephen Covey taught: I spend about an hour each day on some combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. Today's third quarter waning half moon is an opportunity to review how I'm doing, and make note of what could be improved:

Body & Discipline: Am I walking fast daily, plus some stretching, strength, and aerobics; eating well and drinking plenty of water; budgeting, saving, and spending within my means; sleeping and playing?

Mind & Vision: Am writing in my journal regularly; expressing myself with art and writing, reading a book on principled living; researching or studying something; teaching others?

Spirit & Ethics: Am I maintaining a daily awareness practice; maintaining my integrity; reviewing and working to understand my mission; immersing myself in creation (writing, art, and nature)? 

Heart & Passion: Am working daily to improve and repair relationships with my family and friends; making new friendships; volunteering my time in service; working to understand and care for myself; studying and practicing better skills for patience, listening, and communication?

4. My self-care routine:

Caring for myself with persistence will give me the energy and health I need to succeed. More energy means more focus, so I can approach my goals with more discipline.

Self-care involves eating well, exercising, sleeping enough, and taking time for renewal of my soul, including time with God.

Unfortunately, I have a short span of attention for self-care. I get bored, and if I miss one day, I just give up. 

I have found that having self-care rituals helps me to stay on track: When I have a routine, such as a daily procedure for planning meals, I am more likely to maintain the discipline to do it every day. 

Today I will review and renew my health and self-care routines. Tips:

• Keep my goals reasonable and reachable. 
• Design an inspiration plan and a ritual to bring me to the routine consistently.
• Schedule short self-care activities that take 10-15 minutes. Set a timer if I need one, so I don’t have to watch time.
• Pay attention in the moment and take pleasure in my self-care.
• If I am bored with one thing think up a creative alternative.
• Set up a system to track my self-care habits - recording days I work out, keeping track of my water intake and how many steps I take, etc. Use apps that are fun and easy to use.

5. Cleansing:

Cleansing means to purify my body/soul/mind and my sacred spaces, clearing out the negative energies that harbor there. This month I choose to take a ritual bath, infused with salts, flowers, and herbs.

6. Prayerful Action: 

I love the motto of the World Day of Prayer: "Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action." What I understand from this year's theme is that the message of love and compassion that I hear in my study and in my worship is "the foundation on which our sisters from Vanuatu call us to build our homes, our nations and the world." AND that I need to heed and act on what I hear the Spirit calling me to do.

The query they ask is: “What is the house that you would build?” 

I am "invited to listen to Jesus’ words in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. What does it mean for you? One of the meanings we find is that healing comes when we raise our own awareness for our actions and we care for the common good. As it is said in the Bible study written by WDP Vanuatu, “The essence of the story of Jesus is to HEAR accurately the word of God, and ACT accordingly and precisely. We shall act inspired by God’s love and know that our faith without action is dead (James 2:14-16).” 

7. Plant a sabzeh:

Our sabzeh: We keep them in a bag until the seeds sprout.

The sabzeh is a bowl of sprouted grains, prepared for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which begins every year on the Spring Equinox. The sabzeh is a symbol of new life.

Since it takes two weeks to get good looking sprouts, we usually start them about now.

Supplies: A shallow bowl (we tried paper bowls last year and I can't say it was a success), damp soil, grain seeds (lentils and wheat are traditional; we planted a mixture of wheat, field peas, and ryegrain).

Fill the bowl with damp soil, cover the surface well with seeds, and spray daily with water.