When we feel all weighed down with guilt *
And find forgiveness out of reach
We take your hand, O tender Christ,
And walk with you along life’s beach.
Not every day shall Earth’s bright rainbow colors
Arch over Earth’s clear sparkling, sparkling skies;
Not every day shall rainbows light our vision
But every day heart’s rainbows can be made.
Thank you, thank you, thank you God
For the gift, the gift of life.
Thank you, thank you, thank you God
For the peace beyond all strife.
Spirit within us, Spirit we call Holy,
With us, not of us, God’s own self with ours.
Presence of power, Spirit to spirit given,
This be our prayer now:
Through us your will be done.
There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening
That is translated through you into action,
And because there is only one of you in all time,
This expression is unique.
SAMSARA is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life” and is the point of departure for the filmmakers as they search for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives. Filmed over a period of almost five years in twenty-five countries, SAMSARA transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, SAMSARA subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary, instead encouraging our own inner interpretations inspired by images and music that infuses the ancient with the modern.
read moreMost noble of creatures on Earth are we
Yet gifted with power to both hurt and kill.
Are money and things our most sought for goal?
Or Earth and its life what transforms our will?
Holy Spirit as you speak
To both challenge and console
Every church and all the world
To empower and to make whole
“The meek shall inherit the Earth” said Christ
But what could this mean for the people today?
While corp’rates and rich folk gain more and more land
The poor live in slums where they’re still forced to stay.
Repaying force with counter-force,
Can this deliver peace?
Revenge for death, revenge for loss
Is this how wars will cease?
When the picture haunts my mind
Of a starving child who dies,
When my silence is disturbed
By the mother’s plaintive cries
How dear God shall I respond
To the tears that flood my eyes?
Here is bread and here is wine,
Food and drink we savor with delight;
Now upon this altar blessed,
Moving us beyond our taste and sight.
For deeper love we spread the bread
I won’t be full till all are fed
Till every soul has home and bed
The rest of us can’t move ahead
The invitation is announced
To greatest and to least;
For all are welcome; “Come with us;
Share this symbolic feast.”
O God of peace, be with us now.
Stand here beside us; bring hope this day.
Transform this world of greed and strife,
From domination to your new way.
Praise life that makes us change and grow
Praise love that makes compassion flow
Praise peace that ends all strife and fear
Praise hands that work for justice here
Like potter’s clay on spinning wheel,
Grasped by strong hands that push and pull,
Our lives take shape in height and breadth,
In form and grace most wonderful.
In community we gather,
Off’ring blessings on this day.
Friends and fam’ly joined together,
Raising voices now to pray.
