Rhythms of Grace

When we think of the term Rhythms of Grace we often think of the rich and spiritual meaning correlating to the ancient Fixed-hour Prayer, Rhythm of the Hours, Daily Hours or Office.  The Fixed-hour Prayer is rooted in Judaism, but the passage of time and much religious restructure and change has resulted in a wide variance of name and practice. In 1549 The Anglican Book of Common Prayer was composed, offering daily/monthly/yearly rhythms of prayer that are deep in meaning and measure.

Rhythms are indeed an integral part of life for all living things.

Rhythms of Grace can be more broadly interpreted to recognize the predictable and dependable general rhythms that help to anchor and guide us forward, even when chaos and unpredictability are abound in our world or in our own lives.

The world shares rhythms as simple as daily sunrise and sunset, the mark of a new calendar year, and the measure of time by seconds, minutes and hours. There is the reliable cycling of the seasons, patterns of expected weather, and the welcomed patience of budding leaves and flowers.  We can look to the migration of birds, the act of hibernation, and the seasonal arrival of young animals throughout our lands, to offer us a sense of predictability and security, allowing us to feel that all is still well within our world.

Consider the rhythms we have created and nurtured in our own lives.

Rhythms will be different for everyone.  Think of times where we routinely participate in an activity or class; perhaps yoga, meditation, Cribbage or Bridge to name just a few.  Time spent with friends at routine gatherings such as; coffee dates, mall walks, book club, choir, prayer group, running clubs, and volunteering.  Activities that feed our spirit and engage the gourmet in us, the gardener, the writer, musician or artist, the fisherman, photographer, or adventurist.  Think of times when we allow ourselves to pause, reflect, contemplate, and spend time connected to the one-ness.

We might not recognize that these rhythmic measures help ground us and help us to feel in control, safe and well.  However, we soon notice the change in the way we feel when they are altered for an extended period of time or completely removed.  When our Rhythms of Grace are disrupted or absent we may feel less certain of our path forward, and may feel less secure and less comfortable in our daily lives. The unknown, without dependable rhythms serving as guideposts, can be worrisome and cause us to feel angst.  The chaos surrounding us can feel less manageable.

There are many times when our lives change naturally in significant ways and as a result, our rhythms become disrupted.  Common times of change are retirement, starting a family, moving to a new home, and the loss of a loved one. There are also times when we experience forced change: changes that profoundly affect our lives and are often out of our control.  Forced change doesn’t afford us the time necessary to prepare ourselves to be able to navigate. The global challenges of COVID 19 is certainly a forced change.

Share your Rhythms of Grace. 

We invite members of the community to submit a short video by email, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Videos can be easily recorded on your cell phone and can be just 2 to 3 minutes in duration, telling of the personal Rhythms of Grace that you depend on, to help you to feel anchored day to day, week to week, and able to move forward.  Hearing of the rhythms experienced by others can help us to better understand, create, and nurture our own. 

The Rhythms of Grace that we create for ourselves are precious and predictable times when we undoubtedly feel connected to the one-ness and feel the presence of Grace. 

Please email your video, or video notification, to: office@emmanuelrefinery.org.  *Please know that by submitting a video to us, you extend your approval for your video to be posted on our website as part of our Rhythms of Grace community share initiative.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Refinery office (306) 653-3549, we are happy to help.