This is part 2 of a summer series that will be posted each week. If you would like to start with part 1 or have a little bit more context for how to use this resource click here.

Meditative Reading:

Genesis 1:1-8 

Acts 2:1-11 Pentecost

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world

In the beginning of the creation account we hear about God’s “ruwach” – the Hebrew word translated as wind, breath, or spirit. In the story, all becomes possible through the generative breath of God. This breath, and the newly created light, are the first elements that will form the basis of all life. How have you paid attention to breath and light in the past? What other images or words do these elements conjure for you? 

Spiritual Practices: 

• As you begin a time of reflection, take a moment to settle your body (by a window, outside, etc.)  Start to pay attention to your breath. Take 3 or 4 deep, intentional breaths and allow your lungs, chest, and abdomen to expand. As you let your breathing return to its natural rhythm, consider the ways that the particles of oxygen and carbon dioxide moving through your body are shared by other creatures and beings. How do these shared atoms connect you to other forms of life?

• Find a space by a window or somewhere outside. Be attentive to how the light impacts your chosen spot. How does it move? Where does it land? How does the light change this spot? Watch how it moves and where it lands. Consider paying attention to the light at different points of the day to see how it changes your spot. 

• Try to go the whole day without turning on any artificial lights. How does this change your experience of your day? What do you notice about the light outside? How does it change through the day?

• Take a few moments to observe the effects of the wind, either by sitting outside or by looking out a window. What changes in the landscape do you notice? In scripture, wind is often a generative and creative force of change. In what ways do you need the winds of change to shift something in you this week?