Windows of the Soul
South Window

This page contains a Bible reading, prayers and a meditation for the South Window, part of the Windows of the Soul series.

The prayers on this page are adapted from the Iona Abbey Worship Book. The meditation section draws on material from “Spirituality Workbook” by David Runcorn, published in 2006 by SPCK, London.

God above us.

Trees, birds and sunshine,

Stars and moonlight,

God above us.

God beneath us.

Earth, rocks and rivers,

Roots and caverns,

God beneath us.

God around us.

Seas, winds and cities,

Animals and people,

God around us

God within us.

Hope, tears and laughter,

Love and wonder,

God within us.

Thank you, God.

Thanks for beauty;

Thanks for the greening trees and frozen waterfalls,

Stunning buildings and flowerbeds in the summer

Thanks for beauty.

Thank you, God.

Thanks for creativity;

The skills of the tapestry weaver,

The imagination of the web designer, dancers and for bakers.

Thanks for creativity.

Thanks for your world, God,

And our part in it.

Thanks that you are its maker,

And that you make us makers under you too.

God within us,
God beneath us,
God around us,
God within us.

We celebrate that:
You made us,
You love us
And you call us to work and rest with you.

Help us to love creation as you love it,
Today and every day.

Prayer of Regret

In the light of your Word,
And your call to care for creation,
We come to say sorry, God.

We are sorry for the times we have messed up,
For the bad decisions we’ve made,
Sorry for the people we’ve hurt,
Sorry for damaging your world.

In silence, we seek your forgiveness for ourselves

And for the healing of your world.

Listen to what God is says to us:

I made the Heaven and Earth,

I called you to be good servants and responsible stewards.

Come and work with me.

And I will always be with you.

I will forgive you.

Amen

Meditation on the South Window of the Soul

Face the South Window

The word ‘south’ comes from an old English word originally derived from the word ‘sun’. The Latin word is ‘sol’, from which is derived the word ‘solarium’, used for rooms that let in abundant sunlight, capitalizing on the ‘feel-good’ factor of sunshine.

For this reason, monasteries would often have their recreational cloisters on the south side of the buildings. In other buildings as well, any sunny corner can have the same uplifting and stimulating effect.

In a similar way, serving God lifts our hearts, restoring balance and energy.

Serving Him can help enhance our gifting, in its widest sense, which we have received from Him, showing where God is active in our lives.

Allow all the above thinking to symbolise the light of the Holy Spirit shining into your soul, asking yourself: What gives me joy in my life?

Lord, I pray for wisdom, honesty and the prompting of your Holy Spirit as I reflect upon this.

There will now follow three questions. Allow time to reflect on each of them.

1. What gives me joyfulness?

What is the warming creativity in my life?

2. Where am I encouraged by seeing progress?

Where am I encouraged by seeing improvement?

3. What have I started that I still need to develop?

What would I most regret in life if I never achieved it?

This ends the period of meditation.

If anything spoke to you, revisit it later for further reflection. And do please share with trusted friends anything you consider appropriate.

Closing prayers

A Prayer of Commitment

Into your hands we commit ourselves, Lord Jesus.

For your holding
Your directing
Your inspiring
Your perfecting

Into your hands we commit ourselves

Bless us with your power to heal, Lord Jesus.

Help us to be liberators and those who challenge.

Bless us with your Holy Spirit

Within us and amongst us.

Ephesians 3 vv16-19:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.