Wind: our heavenly companion, sister, conspirito and inspiration. She breezes into woodlands, soars past mountaintops, sweeps over plains and deserts, and skims the oceans. She can come from any direction, sometimes gentle, sometimes harsh, and wanders to the ends of the earth fulfilling her sacred mission.
In appointed service, she swoops up fertile pollen and airy seed, she grandly ushers in misty clouds, and then deposits them all in fruitful wonder. She lavishes relief on the wise, but others she lashes for their foolishness.
In this blessing, find a breezy area and use a wind chime to draw attention to the wind. Face the wind and revel in its caress, using it to help you pray.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray: Lord of wind and spirit, your playful breath refreshes us, carrying away our many cares and lifting the burden of hectic schedules. Let us rejoice in its animation and experience the liveliness of your Spirit. Blow into our hearts with your life-giving Word. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song of Praise: Psalm 104:1, 3-4, 29-30; Proverbs 30:4; Psalm 135:5, 7
Response: God has weighed out the wind, whose breath fills the world.
Bless the LORD, my soul!
LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You spread out the heavens like a tent;
setting the beams of your chambers upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
traveling on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers;
flaming fire, your ministers.
Response: God has weighed out the wind, whose breath fills the world.
When you hide your face, they panic.
Take away their breath, they perish
and return to the dust.
Send forth your spirit, they are created
and you renew the face of the earth.
Response: God has weighed out the wind, whose breath fills the world.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down again—
who has cupped the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has bound up the waters in a cloak—
who has established all the ends of the earth?
Response: God has weighed out the wind, whose breath fills the world.
For I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
Whatever the LORD desires
He does in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.
It is He who raises storm clouds from the end of the earth,
makes lightning for the rain,
and brings forth wind from His storehouse.
Response: God has weighed out the wind, whose breath fills the world.
Reading: John 3:5-8
Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Selective Readings from Scripture
Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.
Psalms 103:15-16
As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.
Proverbs 11:29
He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.
Isaiah 17:13
The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, but He will rebuke them and they will flee far away, and be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, or like whirling dust before a gale.
Amos 4:13
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, The Lord God of Hosts is His name.
John 6:16-18
Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Acts 27:13-15
When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent northeastern wind. When the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along.
Quiet Reflection, or people may share their thoughts.
Closing Blessing
Loving God, as the winnowing wind blows through the grain and carries the chaff away, blow through our thoughts and sift out all that is unworthy. As an arid wind dries grain for the harvest, draw from us the greenness of our faith and make us ripe for nourishing others.
As moist wind blowing over parched earth conveys hope, breathe renewal into our wearied hearts. As the mighty wind pushed back the flood waters for Noah and created space for new life, sweep your spirit into our beings and recreate wholesomeness.
Lord of all, bless the wind in its fertile vocation as it swirls through crops and hearts bearing gifts of both heaven and earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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